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ever–ready for what’s next.
NOW & NEXT
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Newsweek Pivots – Just in Time
Posted by Sam Meers on Monday | October 22nd, 2012
Newsweek just announced the company would cease to produce their print version. On December 31, 2012, the last issue will roll off the presses and an 80-year tradition comes to an end. To which I say, congratulations, Newsweek! You have captured history for eight decades, now you are making it. And you are making it not so much for your decision to cease the print publication but for the floodgate that your decision is about to open.
When a venerable publication such as Newsweek pulls the plug, others are bound to follow. I believe there are hundreds, if not thousands, of publishers watching their margins erode as readership of their print versions declines, advertising revenue slides and their costs soar. Now, they can follow the leader. Newsweek, you get my vote for Time’s Man of the Year! (Like that will ever happen.)
Three years ago I predicted the last issue of the Kansas City Star would roll off the presses on October 31, 2012. It appears I’m going to miss my projection, but surely the news of Newsweek’s decision will nudge The Star and other news organizations toward purely digital content.
So what does it mean? It means the migration to cross-channel communication continues. The mixing of online content with broadcast and digital delivery channels, combined with the micro-selection of communication preferences will continue to drive the new media world. Marketers will get smarter about deciding which data is truly important. Consumers will continue to narrow down their unique content options. And advertising agencies will continue to evolve to serve these new realities — or they, too, will follow the path of Newsweek’s print edition.
The pace is quicker. The decision points are coming faster. Only the most nimble will thrive.