E-News : July 22, 2008
News of the Week
Custom Media Breakfast Hits the Spot- Learning to Think Like a Publisher
The contemporary glass and steel exterior of New York City’s Scandinavia House stands out from amongst the rows of the more traditional building facades that line Park Avenue. It was an ideal venue for last Wednesday morning’s ABM ‘Custom Media Breakfast: B-to-B Leaders in Content’ event, and a reflection of the need for traditional marketers and companies to connect their audience with customized content that stands out from traditional media offerings.
Almost 80 attendees were on hand for this half-day professional development event produced in partnership with Junta42. Speakers included Paul Dunay, global director of integrated marketing, BearingPoint; Martha Peterson, managing partner, global solutions, Mediaedge:CIA; Cat Moriarty, editor, Deliver & advocate of direct mail programs with corporate advertising, United States Post Office and Lynne Esparo, senior director of corporate marketing, Nuance Communications.
Not the typical breakfast fare for the Association’s professional development breakfasts, this latest event successfully tackled custom media with a new twist- a panel of four expert marketers provided the audience with detailed insight into how they are publishing their own content and how they are working with traditional media companies as partners.
"This was a different kind of event for ABM.” observed Joe Pulizzi, the founder/chief content officer of Junta42 who moderated the event, “We had both marketers and publishers in attendance, all trying to figure out how to grow customers with content, either direct, or as a service.”
ABM president/CEO Gordon T. Hughes,II was on hand to welcome the attendees before moderator Joe Pulizzi set the stage with a welcome and overview of the rapid changes unfolding in the custom media space and a reminder of the basics of what custom media actually is – companies figuring out how to communicate with their customers in effective way.
The audience was clearly engaged with the speakers who touched on similar themes from their own frameworks and experiences. “With the response from the audience, you could tell we hit on something that needs to be addressed.” offered Joe Pulizzi on the value of the audience takeaway. “The key is that all companies need to think and act like publishers, not just traditional media companies. That creates great opportunity, and great fear at the same time.”
Whether you were in attendance or not, ABM will offer two different ways for you to dive deeper into what each speaker covered. Three of the four speakers PowerPoint presentations are available on the ABM Website by simply clicking here.
Each segment of the event, the speaker presentations and highlights of the Q&A session will be available on the Custom Media Micro-site beginning Wednesday, July 23rd.
Click here to join American Business Media on Facebook!
ABM Resources
ABM/SISO 2007 Compensation Survey
American Business Media (ABM) and the Society of Independent Show Organizers (SISO) have once again joined forces to conduct a compensation study for the events industry. The survey was prepared by Bay Sherman & Craig, LLP/Media Consulting Group, a firm that provides financial and operational consulting and accounting services to the publishing and trade show industries. It includes data from 25 organizations with 554 shows that have combined revenues of $1.348 billion and more than 4,100 full-time employees.
Utilize this study in planning and evaluating your compensation and benefit structure. Contact Tanisha Dudley at 212.661.6360 or t.dudley@abmmail.com to purchase a copy.
CEBA Central
Anticipation for CEBA Awards Soars
Judging to take place this week!
This years CEBA awards are showing promise of being the most memorable year yet! Entries have surpassed high expectations and judging takes pace this week!
Winners will be announced during the 2008 CEBA Award ceremony on Wednesday, October 1, at the Allen Room in Frederick P. Rose Hall, Home of Jazz at Lincoln Center, Broadway at 60th Street in New York City. And as the CEBAs would not be possible without the member companies who nominate outstanding examples of business advertising, ABM will present its special Publisher’s Award to those member publishers whose nominations garner CEBA Awards for ads that ran in publications, at in-person events or on Web sites.
Recognizing outstanding business advertising achievements in publications, digital media and face-to-face events, the CEBAs are business media’s most coveted creative award, drawing thousands of entries and enhancing relationships among advertisers, agencies and publishers. The CEBAs have become a gold standard of creative excellence recognized by advertising peers and clients alike, and highlight the breadth, reach and innovation of some of the world's top agencies.
Find out more about the grand history of the CEBA Awards and the 2008 judges at www.CEBA-Awards.com.
The $25,000 grand prize is going to someone … Why shouldn't it be you?
The 2008 CEBA Awards are sponsored by Nielsen Business Media and United Business Media.
ABM Event Report
William D. Littleford Awards Call for Entries
Deadline this Friday, submit your nominations today!
The 11th annual William D. Littleford Awards Call for Entries is now available on the American Business Media Web site by clicking here. With entries due this Friday July 25, 2008, it’s time to place your nominations!
Recognizing outstanding community service efforts covered in ABM member news outlets and nominated by editors and publishers of Association members, the Littlefords award community service rather than journalism, but one of its goals is to encourage business media to cover corporate charitable activities. Therefore, submissions must include at least one print or online article, or other editorial element, about the nominee’s community service, published by the nominating publication or Web site. Click here to download the 2008 Littleford Award Call for Entries.
The William D. Littleford Awards for Corporate Community Service awards recognize companies, organizations or individuals that are involved in active community service programs aimed at alleviating critical social problems. William D. Littleford established this award for a number of purposes: to raise the visibility of the business media editorial product; to encourage increased coverage and recognition of community service success stories; and to motivate other organizations to apply such solutions in their own communities.
Winners, recognized for contributing their time, money and talents to community-based initiatives, will be announced during a gala luncheon for the recipients of the Littleford Awards held Wednesday, November 19, 2008. Click here to reserve your seat now.
For more information, contact Debbie Humphreys, Manager, Member Services, at 212.661.6360 x3318 or d.humphreys@abmmail.com.
B-to-B Meets Advertising in an Economic Downturn Professional Development Breakfast
Are you a business media professional charged with driving sales for your brand? If so, you don’t want to miss ABM’s August 6th breakfast event “B-to-B Meets Advertising in an Economic Downturn”. Learn how to clarify your sales strategy in the face of today's challenging economic climate from industry decision-makers, including Phil Johnson, President, PJA Advertising & Marketing.
As a two-time BtoB Agency of the Year winner, PJA has worked with a number of leading technology and healthcare brands including Trend Micro, Novell, GE Healthcare, IBM, and Agilent. As Phil expands PJA to include BtoC markets, his primary focus is applying the agency’s unique perspective on marketing complex b-to-b brands to new markets.
Phil will be joined by John Favalo, Managing Partner, Group B2B, Eric Mower & Associates, and Tom Stein, President & CEO, Stein Rogan & Partners, to discuss the crucial elements in building mutually beneficial relationships between advertisers and sales professionals, driving sales and revenues for both sides despite economic uncertainty, and much more.
For more information about this event visit www.abmevents.com or contact Michele Langer at m.langer@abmmail.com or 212-661-6360.
Government Affairs
Senate Commerce Tackles Privacy Implications of Internet Advertising
On July 9, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Technology held a hearing regarding “Privacy Implications on Internet Advertising,” featuring witnesses from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Google, Microsoft, NebuAd, Facebook, the Center for Democracy in Technology (CDT) and the Competitive Enterprise Institute.
The hearing was led by Sen. Dorgan (D-ND), chairman of the Subcommittee on Interstate Commerce, Science and Transportation, whose opening statement addressed an increasing concern over the invisibility, security and use of information collected about consumers, while also noting the many benefits of Internet advertising. Chairman Dorgan called for a balance between the needs for revenue generation and consumer protection. Full Committee Chairman Inouye (D-HI) did not attend the hearing but submitted a statement for the record. He did not address the positive aspects of Internet advertising, focusing instead on the concern that “too many consumers spend time on the Internet without knowledge or notice that they are under commercial surveillance.”
Testimony from industry witnesses highlighted the high priority that each company places on privacy, transparency and choice. Each outlined their practices relating to behavioral tracking, though there were clearly limits to explaining all aspects of technologies being used within the limited timeframe of the hearing, and several noted that consumer feedback has informed their current privacy practices. Google and Microsoft stated their continuing support for federal privacy legislation – a recommendation seconded by CDT – noting that a national standard would simplify the current patchwork of industry-specific laws and regulations and create greater certainty for businesses.
CDT stated that self-regulation is not a complete answer to the problem, calling the Networking Advertising Initiative (NAI), which has developed standards for third party ad networks and cookies, spam and Web beacons, a “failure.” The organization’s CEO, Leslie Harris noted that consumers are ill-equipped to make decisions relating to their privacy on the Internet, citing a recent study showing that 59% of consumers are uncomfortable with online tracking, even once industry practices are explained to them. Harris also voiced concern over the increasing aggregation of seemingly anonymous data in large user profiles, positing that the sheer volume of data collected made it more likely that identification of individual users would be possible.
In contrast to CDT, Linda Parnes, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, was “cautiously optimistic” about self-regulation in the area of Internet advertising. She stated that, “at this time, the Commission believes that self-regulation may be the preferable approach for the dynamic marketplace because it affords the flexibility that is needed as business models continue to evolve.” This was the first public statement on the subject by the FTC since the period for comments on its proposed self-regulatory principles closed in May.
Sen. Dorgan promised additional Committee hearings on other topics related to Internet advertising and noted his particular interest in the role of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and the use of sensitive data. He noted that several ISPs had been invited to testify as part of this first hearing, but all had declined to participate.
Postal Service, PRC To Study Periodicals Costs and Rates
Just because there are no more rate cases, that doesn't mean ABM can just sit back and wait to see what the Postal Service proposes next year. Activity on the rate front continues.
As an Association whose members rely on the U.S. Postal Service to deliver their professional and business publications, American Business Media is proud to learn that President Bush has re-nominated Ruth Goldway to continue as Commissioner of the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC).
Goldway, who currently serves as Commissioner of the PRC, is up for an additional six-year term, ending November 12, 2014. Her current term expires on November 22.
Much of that activity is based on the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act, passed in December 2006 as a comprehensive postal reform law. One section of that law requires the Postal Service, “acting jointly with the Postal Regulatory Commission,” to study and submit to the President and Congress a Periodicals report. That report is to address the accuracy of data used to develop Periodicals rates along with opportunities for improving efficiencies in collecting, transporting, processing and delivering Periodicals, including any pricing incentives that might be appropriate. The report should also propose any appropriate administrative action or legislation.
It is important that ABM members seek to participate in this process. As members are well aware, ABM publishers have in the past sometimes disagreed with the Postal Service, the PRC and other Periodicals mailers on the level of “incentives” for work-sharing that may be appropriate. All Periodicals mailers are united in their concern that, in recent years, Periodicals as a class have failed to produce revenues sufficient enough to cover even the attributable (or incremental) costs of handling Periodicals, which interferes with the law's requirement that all classes of mail cover at least those attributable costs. Along with the MPA, our participation is intended to protect the interests of all Periodicals mailers as these and other issues are considered.
In order to assure that those drafting the joint Postal Service/PRC report are fully informed about mailer concerns with Postal Service cost data, and to ensure that continuing efforts by mailers to impose fewer costs on the Postal Service – such as by co-mailing – are considered, ABM and the MPA have held two recent joint meetings. In addition, representatives of both organizations met early this month with the Postal Service/PRC Periodicals task force. One suggestion we offered was an educational campaign for non-ABM or MPA members of the kind that has led members to look for and take advantage of co-mailing and other opportunities to make mail more efficient for the Postal Service to handle. Another was to loosen certain postal regulations to make it easier for printers of all sizes to co-mail.
The Postal Service and PRC have set June 2009 as a tentative target date for their report. We expect there to be several more joint meetings in the future.
eMedia Update
Speakers Hit the Mark at Custom Media Breakfast
Last Wednesday morning’s ‘Custom Media Breakfast: B-to-B Leaders in Content’ event in New York took a fresh look at Custom Media from the marketer’s perspective – if you couldn’t make it in person tune into the ABM Video Network on Wednesday morning at 9am EST for highlights.
Almost 80 attendees filled the sunny 2nd floor conference area of the Scandinavia House on Park Avenue in New York to hear a panel of experts moderated by Joe Pulizzi, founder & chief content officer, Junta42. The lineup of speakers included Paul Dunay, global director of integrated marketing, BearingPoint; Martha Peterson, managing partner, global solutions, Mediaedge:CIA; Cat Moriarty, editor, Deliver & advocate of direct mail programs with corporate advertising, United States Post Office and Lynne Esparo, senior director of corporate marketing, Nuance Communications.
“With the response from the audience, you could tell we hit on something that needs to be addressed,” offered Pulizzi on the value of the audience takeaway. “The key is that all companies need to think and act like publishers, not just traditional media companies. That creates great opportunity, and great fear at the same time.”
Interested in learning more? The speaker PowerPoint presentations are available on the ABM Website. Click here for a link to the Custom Media Breakfast event page and click on any of the speakers just below ‘Presentations’ at the top of the page. Beginning Wednesday you will also be able to access the video footage of each of the speakers as well as highlights from the Q&A session – just visit the Custom Media Microsite at abmcustommedia.com for more details.
You can tune in to www.AmericanBusinessMedia.com anytime to view the latest video offerings from the ABM Video Network, just click on “Custom Media Breakfast” in the list just beneath the screen of the Dragonfly Player on the ABM homepage to watch the content when and how YOU want!
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 and download it to your computer!
Marketing & Media Buying
The Importance of Advertising During Times of Economic Uncertainty... It's a Fact
Did you know that despite concerns about a recession, over 70% of marketers indicate they will either hold or increase their marketing budgets during 2008*.
While these marketers will continue to invest in their businesses, they will be placing increasing scrutiny on such expenditures.
Are you a business media professional charged with driving sales for your brand? If so, don’t miss ABM’s important and educational breakfast event, B-to-B Meets Advertising in an Economic Downturn, on August 6 in New York City, where you’ll learn about clarifying your sales strategies in the face of today’s changing economic climate.
Hear from a panel of top marketing and advertising executives, including Tom Stein, president and CEO of Stein Rogan & Partners, as they share the importance of advertising during times of economic uncertainty and keys for building stronger, mutually-beneficial relationships with your clients.
Over the past 22 years, Tom has established Stein Rogan as one of the leading branding and integrated marketing agencies serving financial services, education, media/publishing/content, technology, e-business and related brands. In doing so, he has built the agency into a multi-faceted practitioner of synchronized, multi-channel marketing for b-to-b brand leaders and challengers.
Click here for more event information and to register. Sponsorship opportunities are still available … Contact Jane O’Connor for details.
* BtoB magazine online survey of b-to-b marketers
What Do These Six Companies Have in Common?
Wells Fargo. IBM. PPG Industries. Dow. Oracle.
These companies, and more than 5,000 others, are learning more about the power and value of business media through the recently-conducted Forrester consulting study, commissioned by American Business Media.
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. It’s one of the most comprehensive studies ever done in the business media space, and industry professionals are finding it an invaluable tool for analyzing the trends and impact of b-to-b media on both end users/decision-makers and marketers.
Take advantage of our webinar tutorial and learn how to best utilize the study’s findings, especially valuable during this time of economic uncertainty. Also be sure to 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.
Top Media Moves
Advanstar Communications announced that three of its health care titles—RN, Healthcare Traveler and LocumLife—have launched digital editions.
Setting its sights on the burgeoning, $1.3 billion out-of-home video industry, Nielsen is close to announcing a new service that will deliver standardized monthly audience metrics for OOH video networks.
New printing agreements continue to roll in for Quebecor World. The latest: A $55 million multi-year deal with Reader’s Digest Association.
Penton Media announced the promotion of Greg Frey to VP-Agriculture Group. Frey had previously served as group publisher of Penton’s crop publications, including The Farm Press titles, Corn and Soybean Digest and Farm Industry News.
As Reed Elsevier continues to search for a buyer for its b-to-b publishing arm Reed Business Information, the London-based publisher has begun a second search—for a new CEO.
Summit Business Media announced the acquisition of WiesnerMedia’s financial group of media and marketing properties, including Bank Advisor, Benefits Selling, Boomer Market Advisor and Senior Market Advisor magazines, as well as ProducersWEB.com, an online site for insurance agents.
Event Calendar
Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Invitational
August 11, 2008, Hartsdale, NY
This annual golf and tennis tournament fundraiser benefits the Business Press Educational Foundation (BPEF), which actively promotes the business media industry among college students nationwide. The invitational draws more than 100 media executives who compete for fun and to support the BPEF’s scholarship and internship programs. Sponsorship opportunities are still available; Contact Jane O’Connor for details.
Click here for more information …
Member Event of the Week
Online Marketing Summit Summer Tour
Begins July 23, 2008, 11 Cities
Click here to find out more.
To see your event featured here, please contact us at info@abmmail.com.
Blog of the Week
Digital Natives vs. Digital Immigrants
Committee Watch
The following is a list of upcoming ABM Committee and Council meetings. All meetings are at ABM's New York offices, and time listed is EST, unless otherwise noted.
Production and Manufacturing Technology Committee
August 6, 2008, 2PM EST
Sign up a colleague for E-news