Digital publishing news for February 5, 2014
Nieman Journalism Lab is reporting that the New York Times has made some changes to its mobile paywall. Justin Ellis writes, “The company announced that users of its mobile apps would now be allowed 10 free stories a month, according to an email from Times spokesperson Linda Zebian. Once the free-riders hit the meter they’ll be prompted to sign up for a subscription. Browsing section fronts and article summaries inside the app will still be free, as will all videos from the Times. In other words, the mobile apps paywall will look a lot more like the NYTimes.com paywall.”
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Bauer Media Launches Sponsor Driven Digital Magazine
Marketing Week is reporting that Bauer Media has launched a new native advertising funded digital magazine called The Debrief. Sarah Vizard writes, “The website is aimed at women in their twenties and will include a mixture of content, from longer reads to videos and lists. Articles will focus around five pillars – People, Life, Getting Ready, Sex and In/Out – with Bauer hoping to build a “community” around the brand through social media.” The Debrief is open to various native advertising demands from sponsors. This includes accepting content created by sponsors, as long as it’s entertaining.
Allrecipes Gets Augmented
Mobile Marketer is reporting that the newest print edition of Allrecipes features augmented reality sections to be used with your mobile device. Lauren Johnson writes, “The strategy behind leveraging augmented reality is to bring some of the brand’s extensive digital assets to the newly-launched print product’s pages.”
It’s interesting to see this digital-first brand dive into print and use technology like augmented reality to tie into their digital library. Johnson adds, “The February/March issue features a one-page promotion for Blippar in the beginning of the book. The page includes step-by-step instructions that show consumers how to hover their mobile device above digital-activated pages with the Blippar app.Throughout the magazine, consumers can scan stories and articles to unlock digital content. For example, a two-page spread on Valentine’s Day gifts links consumers to a site to shop the products and view the recipes.”
App Downloads to Double in Four Years
eMarketer has a new report that states that app downloads will double in four years. “Juniper Research forecast the number of downloads worldwide would double in the span of four years, rising from 80 billion to 160 billion between 2013 and 2017.” Browsing the app store was cited as the most used method to find new apps. Recommendations from family and friends and sites accessed through mobile devices were the second and third most used methods.
Time Makes More Cuts
The New York Post is reporting that Time Inc. has another round of staffing cuts. Keith J. Kelly writes, “One source said that while the number of cuts did not hit 500 on Tuesday, that was only because a lot of the pink slips will rain down over the next several weeks or months as the reorganized company makes moves to be spun off from Time Warner. That is supposed to happen in June.”
New Editor at Women’s Wear Daily
Fishbowl NY is reporting that David Yi has been named the new editor of Women’s Wear Daily. Chris O’Shea writes, “Yi’s work has been featured in Esquire, Elle, The Wall Street Journal, Vogue, Details and more. He has also served as a stylist for Capitol Records and a consultant for Harper’s Bazaar.”
