FT Weekend has a new brand identity; Condé Nast buys Pop2Life and Ribyt; Multiplatform publishers at Quartz become profitable
There are a multitude of ways multiplatform publishers can evolve and succeed through digital publishing.
Today we’re looking at multiplatform publishers that are evolving. We begin with The Financial Times and a story from Design Week. Design Week reports, “The Financial Times (FT) has launched a refreshed version of FT Weekend, which includes a Saturday edition of the newspaper, FT Magazine and a new video channel set to launch in April called FT Life.”
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“The new design also encompasses digital elements, such as a How To page featuring short pieces of video content, with tips from individual videos then being published within the magazine. FT Life – the weekend section’s new video channel – is also set to launch in April.”
“The redesign runs alongside a marketing campaign produced by ad agency Founded, which looks to highlight the contrast between “professionals’ weekday vs weekend lifestyle”, says the FT, featuring images such as a row of fives office chairs lined up next to two theatre seats.”
Next, we move to Condé Nast, a multiplatform publisher that has acquired two new pieces to the digital puzzle. WWD reports, “Condé Nast continues to invest in its digital future, snapping up Pop2Life, an experiential agency, and Ribyt, an event hospitality and ticketing platform. Financial details were not disclosed for the deal.”
The article continues with a look at the acquisitions. “Founded in 2003, Pop2Life is an experiential marketing agency based in New York. Its client roster includes Scripps Interactive, Capital One, AMC, DreamWorks, Macerich and iHeart Radio. Ribyt is an event technology platform that provides users with cloud-based tools to manage high-touch events. Features include design and deployment of event web pages, invitations and marketing e-mails, registration/RSVP tracking, dynamic attendee itineraries, integrated travel management, a check-in app, real-time attendee communication tools, and will soon expand to ticket/experience package sales and mobile wallet event tickets, Condé Nast said.”
To close, we move to Quartz, a publisher who has become profitable after a short time in digital publishing. TBN is sharing an email from editor in chief Kevin Delaney and co-president and publisher Jay Lauf. “With the accounts for 2016 now finalized, we can officially confirm what we had earlier conveyed: Quartz was profitable last year, a remarkable accomplishment in only our fourth full year of operation.”
“We also increased year-over-year revenue by more than 60%, which is impressive considering we’d already grown 5x from what we made in 2013. And as the Quartz brand grows in Europe, Asia, and Africa, that expansion of revenue occurred around the globe, not just in the US. Hundreds of blue-chip brands now choose Quartz as a prime vehicle for their marketing messages.”
The article continues with future plans for continued success. “We’re committed to continuous product reinvention to serve readers on mobile devices better and deliver more creative and engaging advertisements than anyone else. We’ve launched a bot studio and are building a research business helping companies get traction with artificial intelligence. Other projects are underway that will extend Quartz to new major platforms. All the while, we’ll continue to set the bar high for smart business journalism that works on phones.”
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