Ever since the iPad was introduced, magazines have looked to it as a savior. The big titles have rushed out tablet editions in the hopes the iPad would point the way to a sustainable digital business model that mixes subscription revenue with print-like ads at print-like prices.
The results have been mixed. Ad Age recently reported that Conde Nast, an ardent early supporter of the iPad, is slowing down its production of iPad editions. The publishing giant is not abandoning its efforts by any stretch, only taking a more considered approach to its strategy, according to execs.
It’s still not a great sign. VivaKi chief innovation officer Rishad Tobaccowala has some tough words for magazine publishers in a new post. He argues that not only will the iPad and other tablets not save their businesses, they will actually hasten their demise. Publishers have gone about it all wrong Tobaccowala argues.
It is time to recognize that there is a new mindset for digital magazines as shown by Flipboard and others and it is not just porting over printed content with some multi media add-ons and the ability to retweet and share. The future does not fit the containers of the past. The magazine is a great way to bundle things in print but a magazine on a tablet is just not going to make it.
Tobaccowala, who has consulted with publishers when he headed digital consultancy Denuo, goes on to give several pieces of advice to publishers. One noteworthy suggestion: stop trying to do so much tech in house and partner with tech companies that don’t have the scale old media still brings to the table.
Trending in
Most Read
More in Media
Biggest creator lessons from the 2024 election: podcast showdown, TikTok trends and news influencers
November 25, 2024
This political cycle, election campaigns increasingly integrated influencer strategies, particularly through long-form podcasts on YouTube and Spotify and short-form content on TikTok.
AI Briefing: Inside Accenture and Nvidia’s plan to scale AI agents for enterprise business
November 25, 2024
Accenture and Nvidia execs explain how they hope to build and scale generative AI tools for marketing and other business functions.
Google’s ad tech empire rests on how well it can make these key arguments
November 25, 2024
Lawyers will argue the government’s case is outdated, and its innovations don’t mean it’s obligated to share with rivals.