E-News : June 30, 2009
News of the Week
'What ABM Means to Me'
American Business Media is working harder than ever to enhance the value proposition of your membership, and we’re constantly encouraged by positive feedback from our members.
Here in E-news each week will be a member testimonial which reflects how individual members view the ABM value proposition.
“ABM’s member-driven strategic planning process focuses the association on key issues affecting our industry, such as government affairs, research & marketing, and member services. This has also inspired a seminal industry study designed to help members grow their businesses during this period of enormous transformation. The study, entitled “A Roadmap for Profitable Revenue Growth,” conducted for ABM by Booz & Company, provides members with an understanding of the two distinct roadmaps for success and the seven building blocks that will drive their growth.”
- Bob Carrigan, CEO, IDG Communications
Click here to follow ABM on Twitter!
Click here to join ABM on Facebook!
Job of the Week
Associate Brand Manager, Incisive Media
Member Event of the Week
TS˛ 2009
July 20-23, 2009
McCormick Place, Chicago
Challenged by budget cuts? Need fresh marketing solutions to save time and money? Bring your marketing challenges to Chicago’s McCormick Place July 20-23, and take advantage of special ABM member rates on TS˛ 2009 conference registration. (Formerly the "Trade Show About Trade Shows," TS2 has evolved to provide timely and relevant resources and education to the ever-changing exhibit and event industry.)
Register here by July 1 and use the priority code “ABMTS2” to receive the one-day or two-day package at a 50% discount … That’s one full day of marketing education for $312.50 or two days for $412.50!
Click here to read more about the conference program, keynote series and networking opportunities included in each registration package.
To see your event featured here, please contact us at info@abmmail.com.
Top Media Moves
Farm Progress Companies announced it has added a new broadcast business unit that will provide radio, TV and Web programming for the agricultural market.
Fairchild Fashion Group has named Lisa Ryan Howard as SVP/chief revenue officer for the group and Marc Berger as publisher of Footwear News.
The Interactive Advertising Bureau announced that its board has elected David Moore as chairman.
Committee Watch
New York Regional Committee: July 20, 3:30 – 5:00 EST, ABM Headquarters
CEBA Awards Entry Deadline Extended by Popular Demand
Submit your best business media creative by NEXT THURSDAY, JULY 9
In order to meet the demand to enter ABM’s 2009 CEBA Awards competition, celebrating Creative Excellence in Business Advertising, we’ve extended the deadline! Submit your entries online by Thursday, July 9, and you may be among the advertisers, agencies and publishers taking home the b-to-b industry’s most creative honor this year.
ABM has selected the following judges to evaluate the 2009 entries … Is your work up to their standards?
- Christopher Becker, Global Chief Creative Officer, Gyro:HSR
- Mark DiMassimo, Founder, CEO & Chief Brand Officer, DiMassimo Goldstein
- Bernie Hogya, Creative Director, Lowe New York
- Tom Stein, President, CEO & Founding Partner, Stein Rogan + Partners
- Joyce Thomas, EVP & Chief Creative Officer, McCann Erickson New York
Click here for a special video message from 2009 CEBA Judge Mark DiMassimo!
The CEBA Awards celebrate outstanding advertising achievements in b-to-b publications, digital media and face-to-face events, and enhance the relationships between advertisers, agencies and publishers. Today more than ever, the awards recognize the innovative marketers who have boldly chosen to advertise during these times of economic uncertainty; the marketers who know the advantages they can gain during this turbulent time. This year's CEBA entries reflect the products and services that will remain top-of-mind when purchase decisions are made.
Don’t miss this opportunity to showcase your most powerful work!
For more information, visit www.CEBA-Awards.com or contact Petrina Hicks at 212.661.6360 ext. 3322 or p.hicks@abmmail.com.
The Importance and Value of B-to-B Advertising
During Times of Economic Uncertainty
ABM addresses concerns, promotes power of business media
with updated research presentation and new ad
ABM recognizes that many marketers are concerned about investing in advertising during this current period of economic uncertainty. To address these concerns, ABM has produced a presentation, entitled “The Importance and Value of B2B Advertising During Times of Economic Uncertainty,” summarizing the wealth of data that has been accumulated over time. The data clearly demonstrates that companies who either steadily continued or aggressively increased their advertising experienced overall growth as well as continual growth past the period of economic uncertainty.
An updated version of the presentation is now available with data from a recent BtoB survey demonstrating that the importance of advertising during times of economic uncertainty has clearly resonated with marketers. It also includes marketing budget projections for the second half of 2009 and into 2010. Click here to access the presentation.
This powerful and universal message is also captured within ABM's new ad (available FREE for members), which features significant findings from several recent studies, including ones by Yankelovich/Harris and Forrester. ABM member companies around the globe are utilizing the Association’s new ad to promote the power of business media to their respective audiences.
Click here or contact Kate Patton to download the ad for use in your publication or on your Web site. It’s available in various electronic banner ad formats, including Leaderboard and Skyscraper, and you can customize the ad with your logo to make it better resonate with your audiences.
Impacts on Mailers of Possible Five-Day Delivery
David Straus, ABM's Washington counsel, offers his expert advice on the question that has been on many ABM members' minds in recent months.
In the event of the Postal Service cutting back to five-day delivery, and assuming Saturdays are dropped, what would be the effect on delivery of all classes of mail? Would Periodicals and Standard marketing mailings take a back seat to First Class mail? In other words, what could be the impact of the five-day delivery on all classes of mail?
David: While there are rumors that the Postal Service is discussing a deal with the letter carriers that would mean that the day to be cut would be Saturday (so that senior carriers would not lose their Monday through Friday work week), it would be wrong to assume that Saturday is definitely it.
Credit card companies are adamantly against cutting Saturdays, based on their belief that many people pay bills on Sunday, so that if they receive the bill on Saturday, it will be paid the next day; but if they receive it Monday, it will not be paid for a week. In addition, I have let the Postal Service know that Saturday is an important delivery day for many business publications, especially in the agricultural field. It is my understanding that the MPA may also be opposed to cutting Saturday.
My view on the effect on delivery of all classes of mail from dropping one day, irrespective of the day, is that some localized, short-term disruption would soon be replaced by standardization and delivery at least as predictable as today's (just with fewer days). With volumes continuing to decline significantly (for example, down nearly 15% for the months of January through March of 2009, compared with the same months of 2008), and with the number of delivery points continuing to expand (albeit at a slower pace than the recent 2,000,000 per year), pieces per delivery are down significantly and are likely to stay down.
Combined with more automation at the processing stage, this means, I think, that any concerns over mail "building up" and clogging the system are unfounded. That having been said, I do think that weekly business publications now typically delivered on Monday may be at some risk of delay if Saturday is cut, even though many, if not most, business routes are five days today. It is possible that with increased volumes on Monday, carriers could leave behind some Periodicals, even though they are not supposed to, which is another reason why ABM opposes cutting Saturday.
Perhaps I am being naive, but I see no measurable impact on the delivery of monthlies. As for other classes, with one day cut, some mail will be delayed one day, perhaps two days for Standard (advertising) mail that is deferrable, but I think that mailers will adjust production schedules to maintain in-home delivery schedules similar to those today.
The pressure with respect to cutting a delivery day is growing. Congressional reaction has gone from outright, even hostile opposition to "tell us more." At least as importantly, at a recent hearing, the Association for Postal Commerce (PostCom) seemingly broke from the previous mailing industry position by testifying that "volume is declining and may never return to prior levels . . . desperate times call for desperate measures and the time has come to match delivery days to the volume."
It said it supported a reduction in delivery days "even though many PostCom members have business plans that depend on six-day delivery," and that "no matter which delivery day is eliminated, some company or industry's ox will be gored."
Five-day delivery, it concluded, "will inconvenience many in the industry, and be costly to some, but may be required to ensure the survival of the Postal Service."
On a personal level, I pretty much agree with PostCom.
Reinvent Your Approach to B-to-B Career Development This August
With great change comes great opportunity, and there is no better time than the present to reposition yourself to meet the demands of today's transforming media marketplace.
In ABM's latest effort to deliver valuable information and services to its membership, the Publishers and New York Regional Committees have produced a morning of case studies and conversation on August 13 at ABM Headquarters that will help you reinvent your career path. Whether you are in a job transition or just looking to accelerate your career, you'll learn real-life, practical tips from the experts to help you succeed in today's environment.
Stay tuned here for agenda and speaker updates. The program is free for all current and former ABM members and $25 for non-ABM members. Space is limited, so be sure to pre-register here.
ABM Video Network Presents:
Custom Media Day Highlights and New 'Outside the Cube'
If tight travel budgets or a busy schedule prevented you from attending the June 17 Custom Media Day in New York City, don’t worry … Video highlights from this unique workshop are now available on demand at www.AmericanBusinessMedia.com!
Tune in now to catch highlights from the executive roundtable discussion, featuring moderator Joe Pulizzi, co-author of Get Content Get Customers and founder of Junta42; Tracy Burleson, director of residential programs at the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC); Pamela Plehn, associate director of strategic programs at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME); and Mike Volpe, VP of inbound marketing at Hubspot. This panel of leading custom media marketers and providers offered innovative case studies and tactics for implementing a successful integrated custom content program for your brand.
Then, tomorrow morning at 9:00 AM EST, ABM’s Wally Koval is back with a new edition of his monthly “Outside the Cube” video series, exploring issues from the vantage point of the next generation of business media managers and leaders – the Millennials. Tune in as Wally explores another hot industry topic from his cubicle.
Visit www.AmericanBusinessMedia.com and scroll down through the list of videos beneath the Dragonfly player to watch any of our content on demand. Catch new editions of “Outside the Cube” on the final Wednesday of each month.
Remember: Watching the ABM Video Network requires you to update to version 9 of Adobe’s Flash Player. And it’s easy to download: Just click here to access the update.
Penton's Andrea Berner to Head Emerging Issues Sub-Committee
As part of American Business Media’s recent reorganization and strengthening of its government affairs operations, the Association has named Andrea Berner, deputy general counsel at Penton Media, as chair of its Emerging Issues Sub-committee.
The Emerging Issues group, one of two sub-committees of the Information Policy Committee (IPC), handles non-digital issues for the Association, including the reporter shield law, The Fair Copyright in Research Works Act, spyware, ad taxes, and data breach, travel VISA and fax/spam issues. Berner will lead this group in monitoring and addressing these issues (and more) as they arise.
ABM is currently in the process of staffing this group. If you are interested in joining this team to get involved with any of these issues, please contact Jenna Lisanti at j.lisanti@abmmail.com.
The other sub-committee of the IPC, led by Allison Hoffman, SVP and chief legal officer at Incisive Media, focuses on the digital issues affecting ABM members, including behavioral targeting and net neutrality. Mark Sableman of Thompson Coburn leads the technical side of issue development for both sub-committees, while Tom Carpenter, VP of Wexler & Walker Public Policy Associates, ABM's lobbying firm, leads lobbying efforts on the Hill for all ABM issues, both IPC and postal-related.
This new reorganization of ABM's government affairs team will strengthen communication between ABM and its members on important issues, as well as encourage participation by more ABM member companies, thus allowing a broad range of perspectives to be heard in Washington.
ABM Names Circulation & HR Award Winners,
Announces Sales Promotion Award Finalists
Celebrating the best and brightest in business media, American Business Media is pleased to announce the talented individuals receiving ABM Achievement Award honors this year.
Taking home the HR Innovator of the Year Award is Roger Dusing, VP, Human Resources, Ascend Media, and winning the Circulation Career Award is Nick Cavnar, Executive Director, e-media, Hanley Wood. Both awards highlight the exceptional careers of individuals in circulation and human resources, which are made even more outstanding in light of today’s turbulent economic times.
ABM presented the Custom Media Innovator of the Year Award to Jim Meyers, President & CEO, Imagination Publishing, earlier this month at its custom media event.
Additionally, ABM is pleased to announce the finalists for its Sales Promotion Awards (formerly the Media Kit Awards). These awards reflect a new focus on the entire suite of promotional and collateral materials that support sales efforts, and new categories have been added to include e-mail promotion, flyers and brochures.
The finalists are:
- The Electronic Marketing Kit – Advertising Specialty Institute
- 2008 Media Kit – Society for Human Resource Management
- Metals Group – Trend Publishing Inc.
- The Gourmet Retailer – AC Nielsen
- Egg Industry – WATT Publishing
- Pensions and Investments Defined Contribution Conference – Crain Communications Inc.
- International Vision Expo East 2009 – Reed Exhibitions
- IEEE Media Positioning Brochure – IEEE Media
ABM will present the Sales Promotion Award winners at a special breakfast on July 29 at the ABM Headquarters in New York City.
Guest Blog: Virtual Event Insights
With a wealth of management experience as both a publisher and event organizer, John Failla, CEO of Tesoro Events, has become a leading authority on media brand development and launching events. As he continues to explore, study and evaluate emerging b-to-b media models, John recently launched a blog site, “Virtual Event Insights,” dedicated to the global advancement of knowledge on virtual events and virtual environments.
Click here to access John’s blog and begin learning more about the strategy behind and execution of virtual events.
BPEF Awards First-Ever Scholarship to
Increase Awareness of B-to-B Sales & Marketing
The Business Press Educational Foundation (BPEF) is pleased to announce that it has awarded the inaugural Joseph Shore Scholarship in the amount of $1,000 to Christina Majoris, a senior marketing major (with a minor in accounting) at the Coles College of Business at Kennesaw State University.
BPEF and the Shore family established the Joseph Shore Scholarship Fund, which gives financial support to students majoring in professional sales or marketing, in June 2008 to honor business media leader Joseph Shore on his 90th birthday. Shore founded the successful b-to-b media firm Communication Channels, Inc. in 1959 and co-founded Shore-Varrone, Inc. in 1982.
The goal of the scholarship is to increase b-to-b sales and marketing students’ awareness of business media, as both a potential career and as a source of information and marketing opportunities in whatever industry or profession they choose. It is available to students enrolled in the Professional Sales Program at the Coles College of Business at Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA (one of the few Professional Sales Programs at American colleges and universities).
The Shore family, BPEF and America Business Media would like to congratulate Christina on this prestigious award.
If you would like to contribute to this fund, please send a check to The Business Press Educational Foundation, Attn: Joseph Shore Scholarship Fund, c/o American Business Media, 675 Third Ave, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10017.
2009 U.S. - Africa Business Summit Comes to Washington, DC This Fall!
There’s no better time than the present for your business to explore investments in some of the world's key emerging markets. Partnerships between U.S. and African businesses will be formed during the Corporate Council on Africa’s (CCA) 2009 U.S. – Africa Business Summit, where business of all sizes and representing various industries will be in attendance, eager to find new opportunities to grow and positively impact their bottom line.
Join CCA and more than 1,500 of the private and public sector's top leaders to find out about business and investment opportunities in Africa, the very place where some of today's major business deals are taking place.
When:
September 29, 2009 - October 1, 2009
Where:
The Walter E. Washington Convention Center
801 Mount Vernon Place, NW, Washington, DC
Click here to learn more.
Did You Know?
80% of business decision-makers spend more time reading or thinking about the editorial content and product/service messages in industry-specific business magazines than they do with other general business media.
This is just one of many significant findings from a recently-conducted Forrester consulting study, commissioned by American Business Media. It’s one of the most comprehensive in the business media space, and thousands of industry professionals are already finding it an invaluable tool for analyzing the trends and impact of b-to-b media on both end users/decision-makers and marketers. The study simultaneously examined more than 800 marketers who operate in the business media space and 800 end-users to provide an incredibly accurate and insightful assessment of the current state and value of b-to-b media.
Check out the six different versions of the study already available on our Research & Marketing page to best fit your specific needs. Act now and access this important industry research, or contact Richard Bertin at r.bertin@abmmail.com for more information.
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