Magazines are fighting back

The Wall Street Journal reports that some magazine publishers in the US are forming a Joint Venture to take their content online:

LEADING PUBLISHERS FORM VENTURE TO OFFER CONSUMERS NEW DIGITAL STOREFRONT AND PORTABLE READING EXPERIENCE

Initiative Will also Offer Marketers Rich Array of Innovative Advertising Opportunities

New York, NY, December 8, 2009 – Condé Nast, Hearst, Meredith, News Corporation and Time Inc. today jointly announced that they have entered into an independent venture to develop open standards for a new digital storefront and related technology that will allow consumers to enjoy their favorite media content on portable digital devices.

The goal of this digital initiative is fourfold, to create: a highly featured common reading application capable of rendering the distinctive look and feel of each publication; a robust publishing platform optimized for multiple devices, operating systems and screen sizes; a consumer storefront offering an extensive selection of reading options; and a rich array of innovative advertising opportunities.

I particularly like the last comment: 'a rich array of innovative advertising opportunities', which to me could potentially mean all sorts of spin offs for what I call 'TCP' or 'Targeted Content Printing'. Being able to target digital ads to known subscribers could also spawn a new genre in highly relevant printed pieces, as a part of a multi-touch campaign.

Print is not dead; it's just evolving in more ways, and more quickly, than we anticipated.

www.w2p.co.uk