It’s been a very surreal start to Spring 2020 as we find ourselves moving through the impending Coronavirus pandemic while trying to determine the best course for business as usual.
The potential fallout is inconceivable as we all struggle to plan for the potential trajectory of where this may take us. We are all intently assessing the impact and the immediate next steps for what business as usual means day by day, and of course trying to manage what it means to our personal lives as well.
The impact to publishers already has been broad and sweeping, but there have been many great success stories as well about the rapid transitions both working and supporting teams have had to address.
Certainly, the shift to working from home across organizations has been the greatest immediate impact. It has challenged us to think creatively, evaluate workload and priorities, and to be decisive with our actions and time spent.
Many publishing organizations were already well on the path to working in the cloud and collaborating remotely. Some have still been bound by aging practices and security protocols that have kept digital files on premise with staffs bound to desktops rather than portable laptops or tablets. They are scrambling now to catch up in order to provide some means for business continuity.
It’s been encouraging to see support from providers willing to relax their fees and service packages to make this process easier.
Beyond the immediate work issues, we of course are seeing factors related to the economic impact of coronavirus. First and foremost, the impact related to advertising is first and foremost. Newsstand and bookstore sales have already dropped. Services such as printing, postal/delivery, fulfillment, and other areas of support will be impacted by staffing and supply restrictions.
Those that are pivoting quickly in order to determine what can be delivered and how, and who are assessing where they can best continue to deliver despite restrictions will be in the forefront.
For example, some magazine publishers expect to get the immediate issue under development out, albeit with different or fewer ads. Some expect that following issues may be combined into dual month issues or even quarterly issues.
Others are considering not delivering print issues, but quickly expanding their digital delivery plans in order to deliver to their customers in a safe and attainable way that will work for them.
We have reached out to our community to assess what’s working and what’s not, in order to more quickly define and share success stories. We will continue to keep you apprised of what we learn and advise on solutions and methods we think may help.
Again, we are keeping everyone in our TFP community in our thoughts, and wish you strength, health and hope as we all move through this.
– The TFP Team
Read on for what we are seeing and hearing on the ground…
Advertising
A number of industry sources are reporting on advertising reductions, and the potential impact that could have including Digiday, WWD, BusinessInsider and Adweek.
Data, Facts, and Accuracy
Managing the volume of quickly changing facts and data, and their accuracy is a huge challenge.
Comscore, Tableau, and Google are all working to provide accurate information to help tell the story. In fact, Infographics are seeing a surge as a leading method to convey details in a way that can be more clearly understood as demonstrated by the Washington Post’s Flattening the Curve Animation.
Books
Many aspect of the book industry are already seeing impacts with printers and book stores. Are books seeing the first impact?
Social Media
The focus and use of social media is pivoting:
RivalIQ: Social Engagement for Brands
Tech Review: The First Social Media Infodemic
Working from Home
A wealth of resources and helpful articles are popping as the masses shift to home-based work.
Poynter: 12 writing tools to make COVID-19 coverage comprehensible
ZDNet: Security Tips for Working from Home
ZDNet: Effective Strategies and Tools for Remote Working
NPR: Make Working From Home Work For You
Forbes: 6 Tips for Remote Meetings
Google: Online Help for Working Remotely
How Tech Providers Are Helping
ComputerWorld: Coronavirus Prompts Collaboration Tool Makers To Offer Wares For Free
WBUR: FCC Expanding Internet Access
NYT: Millions More Need Internet Access
Consumer Reports: ISPs Respond to Raise Speeds, Suspend Data Caps
TechCrunch: Data Caps May Be Gone Forever
Google: Helping Businesses and Schools Stay Connected
Posted by: Margot Knorr Mancini
