in this issue: industry buzz | improve your event roi | interview: vision's stevens | latest launches Fall is upon us, one of the busiest seasons for events, trade shows, conferences and seminars. In this issue of Engage, we report on custom media and event synergy—are you maximizing your return on investment? We also take a look at one association that produces the world's largest annual international consumer technology show. Don't forget to check out the new launches, and take a look at some of the best magazine covers, according to the American Society of Magazine Editors. If you get even one idea, we'd like to think Engage is worth reading.
Check out the finalists for the American Society of Magazine Editors 2nd Annual Best Cover contest—the photo gallery connects you with some of today's best ideas on copy and design.
Looking to swell your revenues? Take a look at The Modern Estate. This FOLIO: article reports that the start-up magazine has seen ad revenues climb 25% issue to issue, is clocking an 84% sell-through, and has a TV pilot in the works.
Meanwhile, success story Every Day with Rachael Ray continues piling up greenbacks—over $49 million in ad revenues so far this year. According to this article, they're getting even greener by switching to recycled paper.
Going...Going...Growing?
Will "new media" kill print magazines? According to Media magazine's David Zinczenko, that will never happen because "we are what we read." Magazines are "outward expressions of our individuality, and their impact simply can't be duplicated by an electronic medium."
Measure for Measure
Yes, the Internet is accountable. But, this New York Times article reports that not everyone dishes up data consistently. Just last month, tracking companies put the number of visitors to Conde Nast's Style.com Web site at 421,000 while the site's own system tallied 1.8 million. Advertisers want a better picture of what their dollars are buying—and not just for online advertising. For example, Time Inc. recently agreed to issue-specific rate-base guarantees.
Making The List
Advertising Age magazine has unveiled its Annual A-List, naming the top ten magazines of the year. The list was topped with a surprise winner... Better Homes and Gardens. Not to be missed, this year's Brand Leaders Hot List reports on those magazines that have done the most "aggressive, ingenious job of propagating their brands."
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Custom Media: Improve Your Event ROI
by Judy Kirkland
Trade shows, conferences and events now account for more B2B spending than almost any other media. The factors driving this rapid growth in so-called "face to face" media—the ability to reach and engage highly targeted audiences—are the same factors that have also propelled market increases of 18% for custom media and 22% for e-media*. Growth in all three of these community-building media is more than mere coincidence: conference publications, microsites and other forms of custom media, combined with the event itself, allow organizations to stay connected with their audiences long after the exhibit hall closes.
Custom media and events can go hand-in-hand, and when used together successfully, create a synergistic relationship that surrounds attendees. Associations have long used this approach to drive value for conference exhibitors and attendees—and to enhance the association's brand. For example, the by-laws for the International Association of Chiefs of Police require only two things: "IACP must hold an annual conference and publish a magazine." It's a winning formula—and a major reason the IACP exhibit hall has sold out for over a decade.
What synergies can you create between your events and custom media? We've listed five of our favorite tactics in our best-practice guide 5 Custom Media Tie-Ins that Maximize Event ROI.
Connect: 5 Custom Media Tie-Ins that Maximize Event ROI
Engage: Have you found a great idea for using custom media to enhance events that we haven't covered in our "top 5?" We'd love to hear from you! Click here
*Source: marketing.about.com
What is the role of Vision magazine within the association?
How does the association use the magazine as a promotional vehicle for the International CES?
In an event atmosphere, where the audience's attention is getting pulled in every direction, how do you get Vision to stand out and be recognized?
What words of wisdom do you have for association communication heads?
What is your favorite magazine?
What is your favorite Web site?
looking for more? suggest additional interview questions.
Consumer Electronics Vision Magazine provides actionable information on CEA projects and tracks digital technology trends, policy initiatives and business news in the consumer electronics industry. While the magazine started initially as a marketing vehicle for the association, it has become much more than that; not only does the publication provide constant exposure, but it is a great way to get CEA's mission out to a large audience that consists of association members, manufacturers, retailers and Capitol Hill. We constantly get positive feedback, and just recently we heard that Representative Putnam found it to be a "very valuable" tool.
As the show occurs every January, we take advantage of the November/December issue of the magazine and make it the pre-CES issue; while the whole issue of Vision is not devoted to CES, we do feature a keynote speaker from the show on the cover, and preview what is to come through various articles, blurbs, and member news placed throughout the publication. There is also a special "CES Unveiled" supplement bound into this issue of the magazine, which previews the official New York City Press Event of the CES with various exhibitor items. The logo for the CES show is also prominently displayed on the front cover of every issue of the magazine next to the association's logo, helping to tie Vision and the show together under the Consumer Electronics name.
The January/February issue of Vision, which is published as CES takes place, has a much larger print-run; aside from the regular subscriptions, an additional 38,000 copies of the magazine are distributed during the show through publication bins and alongside other publications, in member lounges, to the exhibitors, and in attendees' show packets. Separately, the magazine is featured on various large-scale meter boards throughout CES, helping it to grab the attention of the shows attendees and really gain exposure. The full channel of our industry is represented at this show, and we work hard to make sure that they all receive the publication.
The most important thing you can do is to not only stay on top of news and trends, but to try to do something unexpected that really stands out. We are constantly trying to stretch our boundaries and reach out to readers in new ways through our Web site, magazine, podcasts, and more.
BusinessWeek magazine; the articles are generally well written and really help me to think of new ideas, plus our industry leaders are often featured throughout the editorial.
Probably CNNMoney because it is easy to navigate and the content is regularly refreshed, so it's easy to stay up to the minute on news and information.
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The latest magazines to hit newsstands...
It's here, it's there, it's... Everywhere. From the publishers of JPG, this is a new bimonthly magazine "for people who always seek out the unique, the authentic, and the unexpected—all over the world."
What A Duck!
A new publication for the "young and young at heart," this magazine covers surfing, music, art and more... but with a quirky rubber-duck logo, one never really knows what to expect!
"A delicious smorgasbord of food for the soul," this new quarterly women's magazine focuses on personal enlightenment and spiritual growth. The magazine is "here to bring women everything they need to jumpstart their mid-life ethereal engines!"
"Snowboarding—from her point of view." This new bimonthly magazine, features content tailored to the extreme female athlete, while still covering fashion, music, movies and more.
Replacing the AIA's 30-year-old newsletter, this new magazine "communicates industry trends, the value of high-quality design and the role of AIA Chicago and its members in the world of architecture."