Negotiations between Apple and major publishers have allowed the digital publishing evolution to continue
Major magazine publishers have started using iTunes to offer subscriptions to iPad editions.
Among these publishers is media giant Hearst, which will offer subscriptions to Esquire, The Oprah Magazine O and Popular Mechanics this summer.
The end of May will see the release of multiple titles from Conde Nast, including Vanity Fair, Wired and GQ. The New Yorker is currently being offered as an iPad subscription.
Originally, publishers did not want to lose out on customer data, which is extremely necessary for publishing to use for database creation. They also did not want to give Apple 30% of the subscription revenue.
According to WSJ.com, negotiations happened as Apple wanted to see a “quick-and-easy purchasing process” and Conde Nast wanted to be able to offer bundle packages and receive customer data.
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Data collection
In the digital age, it’s easier than ever to attempt the acquisition of customer data. However, it’s not necessarily easy to obtain this information in all cases.
For instance, Apple is currently opt-in only, which is prompted in its terms of services section.
According to an article from eMedia Vitals, in order to receive customer data for its database, Conde Nast has incorporated an additional in-app prompt for data collection. If users want to receive “bonus content”, they can exchange their email address to get it.
Conde Nast also receives all of the customer data from bundled print and digital sales made directly from their website.
The digital evolution continues with better options for publishers who want to offer subscriptions. In order to initially create interest for digital editions, publishers offered extra content. Now, to get contact information from users, publishers are offering bonus content through the iPad.
We are truly in the age of multiplatform content, and the ways of offering it can help publishers forge long-lasting relationships.
For more on this topic, take a look at this article from eMedia Vitals.
