New platforms have made publishers generate advertising revenues more creatively than ever before but what success has there been in the world of m-commerce?
Combining print with social media and mobile commerce is something Condé Nast’s US Glamour magazine was quick to see the potential of.
Back in March 2011, this innovative campaign used print advertisements with embedded QR codes that allowed readers to buy products throughout the magazine with a single scan of their smartphone.
It’s not the first time the publisher has leveraged different platforms to create new commercial opportunities.
Last September, Glamour ran a Facebook-based initiative, accessed from a downloadable mobile app, where readers were encouraged to ‘like’ products and their makers on Facebook and receive ‘exclusive’ discounts in return.
Social commerce
It’s a move the media has been quick to call social commerce.
US media reports that the move netted advertisers nearly 51,000 Facebook ‘likes’, while producing 512,339 print engagements among a circulation of 2m readers for Condé Nast.
“Cross-platform solutions are now very much the norm rather than the exception and both our print and digital sides of the business are benefitting in terms of revenue generation,’ said Jamie Jouning, Condé Nast’s UK Digital Director.
“We know that mobile is going to be big, very big, if it isn’t already and we’re looking to put our brands at the forefront of this technology.”
We know that mobile is going to be big, very big, if it isn’t already and we’re looking to put our brands at the forefront of this technology
Jamie Jouning, Condé Nast’s UK Digital Director
Other publishers have also been quick to seize the revenue opportunities afforded by new technology.
“This is something we’ve discussed many times,” said Steve Fowler, Editor-in-Chief of Dennis Publishing’s Auto Express magazine.
“As editors we have to accept that there’s going to be a different revenue model with electronic media. There’s still a lot of display money about, but if you want to measure responses, what better way than through direct sales?”
Cross-pollination of formats
Fowler said the cross-pollination of formats, editorial and advertising is inevitable, but should be carefully thought through, especially where products are reviewed.
He also suggested that there should be a ‘firewall’ to protect editorial independence and believes accepting ‘favoured third parties’ for cross platform promotions also goes with the territory.
Future Publishing has recently experimented with the commercial opportunities available for readers to make purchases straight from the magazine itself.
“Whether online or print, if we were to enable readers to Like a brand or product in return for discounts or offers, I think the only decision would be what type of article you would put that code on,” said Mike Goldsmith, Future Publishing’s Editor-in-chief.
“(It’s) a fantastic opportunity for advertising as Glamour has shown, and a very close cousin to the QR codes already found on most print ads in the UK media. However if it were ever to be put forward for inclusion on an editorial page, it would need further discussion.”
Smartphone sales soar
He added that Future was trialing QR codes and augmented reality apps such as Blippar to deliver additional interactive content to readers' smartphones in titles like Total Film.
“We certainly ask people to Like and Share an online product review but when doing so, it is the article in question the reader is 'promoting', not the brand or product being covered,” he said.
Latest figures published this month show that 50.3% of Brits now own a smartphone and as that figure looks set to rise, the potential for smart publishers to cash in only just beginning.
