30.04.2009
B2B magazines expand online
Business-to-business (B2B) print magazines have fallen on tough times. While many publishers realize they have to be online in order to survive, they have been slow to take the digital plunge as they struggle to figure out a viable online strategy. In the meantime, ad spending and pages continue to decline and publishers are plagued with operational cost-cutting measures. According to ZenithOptimedia, B2B magazine ad spending fell 6.0% in 2008, and will continue to drop an additional 5.0% in 2009. American Business Media’s (ABM’s) Business Information Network reported B2B ad pages were down 9.63% in 2008—and 2009 is not looking any better. In April 2009, ABM reported B2B ad pages had declined 27% and ad revenues had fallen 21.2% in January compared with the same period last year.
Publishers have been forced to cut costs as they struggle with falling revenues. They have been unable to overcome the gap between print and online advertising rates and cannot figure out how to remain profitable within the free-content model of the Internet. Many have explored such measures as reorganizations, consolidating vendors, downsizing, changing paper and even shuttering titles. According to MediaFinder, 120 B2B magazines folded in 2008 and 30 more titles were closed in Q1 2009, including one online publication.
Fonte: eMarketer
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