Technology Giveth, Taketh and Perhaps Giveth Again?

This week Apple’s IPad goes on sale and it got me thinking back to the debut of the original Macintosh computer in January 1984. I can’t remember what teams played in the Superbowl that year but I vividly recall the jaw dropping “1984” Apple ad that aired early in the game. At the time I was in the startup days of a small publishing firm. We were producing regional magazines the old fashion way with clunky typesetting machines, hot wax, pica poles and Xacto knives. Apple’s new computer got my attention.

It took a few years but before long the Macintosh revolutionized our company and the entire publishing industry, drastically driving down production costs and exponentially increasing creative capacity. The Mac ushered in something close to a renaissance in publishing and I don’t think firms like mine would have been able to grow and thrive without the revolutionary technologies that eventually came out of that new machine.

Well technology has no emotional attachments and hasn’t been kind to the publishing world in the last decade. Some debate if the newspaper or magazine will even survive.

In this context the release of the IPad and the next generation of tablet devices is a big deal. While it’s too early to say for sure, my bet is that devices like the IPad and the new software and apps they’ll usher in are laying the foundation for the next renaissance in publishing.

To get a sense of this check out this recent item from Paid Content that does of quick round up of 15 publishers and how they are re-thinking the magazine. Very cool stuff; especially the clips from Wired and Sports Illustrated.

Media in the Middle

In a recent interview with Naomi Reiter of eMedia Vitals I talked about the need for B2B media companies to increasingly focus on building and sustaining professional communities. Certainly the need for a media firm to be a trusted source for credible and relevant news and analysis remains vital. But the future of this business requires much more:

eMV: In what direction do you see the industry moving?

McKenna: The entire nature of B2B media is changing. In the past, it was largely built around a model of “informing” markets or readers. Magazines and events were largely built around disseminating information, and “social networks” were a secondary consideration. But the Web has made information a commodity. News distribution and analysis is not, in itself, a competitive advantage any longer.

The future of the business is more about “communitizing” markets. I’m not talking about social media, but using all elements of a media platform—both high tech and high touch—to effectively engage with audiences to help them solve their business and professional challenges.

eMV: Can you give an example?

McKenna: e.Republic has launched several very narrowly focused “gated communities” of government IT professionals. These communities address specific business challenges faced by their members. Our role is to facilitate this community of professionals through a number of different services, including conducting specific research on topics of concern to them, providing expert analysis and hosting both online and in-person forums or leadership networks. By building these communities in a way that dynamically engages both readers and advertisers, we’ve been able to effectively monetize these efforts.

Yes, publishing information remains important, but the future of business media centers on being much more engaged with our audience and delivering greater practical value to them. Media comes from the Latin word for “middle”. I like to say that the new model is about “media in the middle,” meaning that the role of media brands should focus on building and sustaining professional communities. Successful media companies have always done this to some degree; however, it is central to our mission going forward.

eMV: Has the paradigm shifted permanently?

McKenna: No question. A media company can’t just assume that it is delivering value to its audience. All the discussion over what or if readers will pay for content is evidence of this. What is the real value my media company brings to the market? It’s a tough question to ask. A media firm needs to have a clear-eyed view of what value it’s delivering to both readers and advertisers. Once you start down the road in answering this question, you’re looking at entirely new business models.

The entire interview can be found here.

Media Predictions for 2010

Shortly before Holidays Folio ran a collection of predictions for the magazine and media business in 2010. Contributed by a slew folks in the industry the comments are all over the map and worth a look.

Clearly the media business will continue to be driven by dynamics that demand companies undertake substantial change if they are going to win going forward. As I note in the Folio piece, publishers will see increased competition for audience attention from new sources that are springing up with accelerating frequency on the web and are amplified by the growth of apps like Twitter and Ning and increasingly versatile and ubiquitous mobile technologies.

More and more competition for readers and members of our "communities" are coming from non traditional sources and upping the pressure on publishers to re-think what's truly unique and important about their businesses. Also,while money is tight for most of us these days, this is time when its critical to invest in technology, content and intelligent new media programs that provide the strategic platforms and initiatives that position our companies for future success.

The Media Value Equation

David Carr had a good column in the NYT this Monday on the impact the economic crisis is having on the business press.

Among a number of great insights Carr writes:

"There are several technical reasons underlying the collapse — and that’s what it is — of business journalism. Business wisdom that is imprisoned in printed pages, already locked in the past, increasingly seems like a curio. Who cares what happened yesterday or last week, when the fortunes of a stock can change in millisecond? Most business people already know what happened today, and what they really care about is tomorrow."

News, like all kinds of information today is hyper-commoditized. Not long ago news of any depth or specialty came in a magazine delivered to your mailbox or newspaper tossed on the font lawn. Most people had limited and dependable sources for news on topics from business and politics to art and culture.

Those days are long gone. For example, this week, elections where held in states around the country. I was able to get results from scores of sources near instantaneously, even on obscure races and ballot measures.

As someone who runs a media business, the ubiquity of information is a big concern. Fairly specialized, it used to be our publications were the only place you could easily get the kind of news and information we provided. So, while the business press have their own unique problems, this commoditization of information challenges all of us in media.

Taking this a bit further I recently came across a 1999 Atlantic article by Peter Drucker in which he compares developments between the Industrial and Information Revolutions. Drucker notes:

“…The Industrial Revolution in its first half century only mechanized the production of goods that had been in existence all along. It tremendously increased output and tremendously decreased costs. “

That was some hundred years ago with things like textile and agricultural products. Today the web is doing this same thing to content creation. The Internet has become the Wal-Mart of media, expanding distribution and driving down costs, creating major headaches for publishers and those who work for them.

All this comes back to Carr’s artilce. What do readers really care about? That’s a question of VALUE and getting a clear sense of that with respect to readers. Our aim at e.Republic, far from fully realized as yet, is to continually refine our value, aiming to be relevant, career critical and at our best, truly indispensable to our audience.

Digital Textbooks Gain Momentum

An article in the Sunday, August 9th New York Times by Tamar Lewin takes a detailed look at the move to digital textbooks that is gaining traction around the country.

The story quotes Marina Leight from e.Republic's Center for Digital Education and Converge magazine and gives a good overview of developments in the still nascent but probably inevitable move away for traditional text books. This trend got a big shove earlier this summer when Governor Schwarzenegger announced a California initiative to move to digital math and science resources for students.

Not mentioned in the NYT article and worth a look: Scott McNealy of Sun Microsystems has been an outspoken champion of free open source educational resources for many years. More recently, Aneesh Chopra, currently U.S. Chief Technology Officer, was working towards a physics digital flexbook in in his previous job as Secretary of Technology for the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Chopra outlined his views on Virginia's digital flexbooks in the video below, filmed in the fall of 2008.

Bring the Love Back... Will Advertising Survive?

Its not just old school media that's feeling the evolutionary pressures these days. The advertising industry is fraying at the edges and struggling to find its way in a world of new media.

I saw this clip at a recent American Business Media conference. As they say, picture is worth a thousand words.

Watch this - its great!

Three e.Republic Titles Annouced as ASBPE Finalists

Three of e.Republic's national magazines were named as finalists today in the American Society of Business Publication Editors' (ASBPE) annual Awards of Excellence.

The publications included Government Technology, Public CIO and Emergency Management. The awards will be announced at ASBPE Awards of Excellence banquet to be held July 16 in Washington D.C.

We are excited and honored to be among such a prestigious group of magazine finalists. Members of the e.Republic team will be in D.C. on the 16th to celebrate!