Advertisers’ Approach to Apple Watch, Niche Publisher’s Strategy for Success, Q&A With HBR Editor, Pew’s State of the News Media Report, Top Five Shifts Publishers Can’t Ignore, TFP’s April Book Picks: Transformation Models, Women in Media, TFP’s Infographic Pick of the Week, InDesign CC Tip: Auto-Size Text Frame Option, DPS Tip: Adobe DPS v32 Update Release v32.5.3
Welcome to TFP’s roundup of news and tips for media industry pros! This week, we’re sharing stories about advertisers’ wait-and-see approach to the new Apple Watch, how one niche publisher is finding success with highly focused coverage, an interview with Harvard Business Review EIC Adi Ignatius, highlights of the just released Pew report on the state of the news media, and more.
- With more than a million Apple Watches sold ahead of its official launch last week and a projected 50% market share by the end of the year, publishers are busy trying to get in on the momentum behind wearable tech with apps that adapt news delivery to the device’s small screen (see example headline in image right). But according to Advertising Age, marketers are taking a wait-and-see approach, saying there isn’t enough scale to sell ads yet. Challenges for advertisers include the limitations of the device’s screen size, a relatively small number of users, and the need for owners to download publishers’ apps. For now, publishers say they are focused on audience experience but see new business models and partnerships with advertisers developing as the smartwatch gains traction.
- Long before the Apple Watch sparked renewed interest in wristwatches, a website for wristwatch enthusiasts began building what’s now a strong brand devoted to a small but affluent core audience, going against today’s hyperfocus on scale, according to an article from Digiday. Called Hodinkee (“little watch” in Czech), the site’s deep, authoritative coverage of its subject draws nearly 1 million unique visitors per month, it claims, operating with a staff of just four full-timers and a handful of contributors. That, in turn, is attracting both the attention of advertisers and industry accolades, the report said, with Time naming Hodinkee one of the 50 best websites of 2013.
- Also focused on deeply engaging readers is Adi Ignatius, editor in chief of Harvard Business Review, who in an interview with Capital New York said that publishers often lose sight of their audiences by creating content aimed primarily at selling advertising. “The problem is, advertising comes and goes. And when it goes, you have to make sure you have a publication that’s vital to your audience,” he said. Ignatius also noted that while the business journal is popular across social media channels, the goal is to remain “a valued destination for people in business who love ideas,” adding that the publication is currently in the process of reinvention, efforts he plans to debut soon.
- Meanwhile, Nieman Lab and others reported on Pew Research Center’s just released State of the News Media Report, which confirmed what everyone pretty much already knows: newspapers are losing revenue, while mobile is soaring. Of note, however, is the rate at which smartphone usage is growing. According to the report, as of January, 39 of the 50 most popular news sites saw more traffic from mobile than desktops, four of the top 50 sites had almost equal desktop and mobile traffic, and just seven sites got more traffic from desktops than mobile devices. And of course advertising dollars are following the trend, it said, with mobile spend at $19 billion in 2014 compared with $10.7 billion in the previous year, a whopping 78% jump.
- On the Technology for Publishing blog: All publishers are struggling to figure out what will work for their brands in a landscape where the rules change daily. To help you better navigate what’s ahead, TFP’s Margot Knorr Mancini shares Top 5 Shifts That Publishers Can’t Ignore.
- We also bring you our Book Pick list, which this month is focused on transformation and new models that can help your business take advantage of ongoing industry shifts and stay ahead of competitors.
- Also, our latest Women in Media roundup covers women taking top positions in the creative world, slow but steady advances for females in ad-tech, gender roles in journalism, and more.
- Is your blog not getting the response you’re aiming for? TFP’s Infographic Pick of the Week provides a wealth of advice from top marketing experts on how to make your posts better and promote them more effectively.
- This week’s InDesign CC Tip from TFP’s Monica Murphy explains how to automate InDesign layout production with handy features like the auto-size text frame option, which automatically resizes text frames when you add, delete, or edit text.
- Finally, our DPS Tip details all the bug fixes in Adobe’s Digital Publishing Suite v32 update release v32.5.3.
Image: Advertising Age
This Week in Publishing appears every Friday on the TFP blog. Every week we compile interesting and noteworthy stories from the publishing world and put together a wrap-up to help our readers stay up-to-date. Think we missed something great? Leave a comment below and let us know!
Posted by: Monica Sambataro
