Digital publishing news for November 12, 2013
A new study from eMarketer says that 91% of moms – who Forbes holds responsible for “80-90% of all household decisions” and dubs “a very powerful and influential demographic” – use their smartphones for email. “It seems good old email, the medium many predicted years ago would go the way of fax machines, is not only popular among moms, it outranks other mediums in the eyes of this most sought after demographic,” says Steve Olenski. In fact, they were more likely than the national average to use email to buy products, which makes this demographic an important beacon for consumer-focused publishers.
Magazines Trying to Reach Latinas
Ad Age is reporting that Conde Nast, Hearst, and Time Inc. are all trying to attract the attention of english speaking Latinas. Michael Sebastian writes, “In the last 10 months, Hearst, Conde Nast and Time Inc. have introduced or strengthened English-language magazines and inserts aimed at Latinas, a growing demographic that marketers are eager to reach. Ad spending on Hispanic media climbed 11% to $7.9 billion in 2012, according to Ad Age’s Hispanic Fact Pack, faster than the general market.” With the buying power of 1.2 trillion it’s no wonder that brands and publishers are flocking to serve this market.
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And the Most Effective Native Ad Format Is…
According to Marketing Charts, blog posts and articles are the most effective native ad formats for publishers. “Interestingly, videos were ranked atop the list by agencies and brands. Facebook (34%) and infographics (31%) were much further behind in the estimations of publishers (with agencies and brands again more favorable), while just one-quarter of publishers and brands felt tweets are among the more effective forms (although agencies were slightly more enthusiastic, at 32%).” There has been a lot of controversy around native ads and how they mislead consumers but according to Marketing Charts, “8 in 10 publishers claim to clearly label their native ad campaigns, most commonly by indicating that the content is “Sponsored” (64%).”
Vox Media Buys Curbed.com Network
The New York Times is reporting that Vox Media has agreed to purchase the Curbed.com network for 20-30 million in cash and stock options. Leslie Kaufman writes, “The purchase comes just as Vox has raised $34 million in new investment capital. Silicon Valley firms have been wary of big investments in digital media companies that focus on content, but Vox has joined BuzzFeed as a notable exception to this rule.” The Curbed Network includes Curbed.com, which is a real estate blog that has branched off into 18 regional sites like Curbed NY; Racked.com, which is a retail and fashion blog that also has regionalized; and Eater.com, a regionalized food blog. Jim Bankoff, CEO of Vox Media stated that after the merger they would have 140 journalist and video positions.
New Editor in Chief at Good House Keeping
minOnline is reporting that Jane Francisco has been named the new editor in chief at Good House Keeping. Steve Cohn writes, “Francisco becomes GH‘s fourth editor-in-chief over the past 39 years after John Mack Carter (1975-1994), now-HM editorial director Ellen Levine (1994-2006) and Ellis–whose tenure won acclaim for GH‘s 21 books, 15 syndicated TV specials, multiple digital apps and several licensed product lines.”
