It’s a New Year, and a new editorial calendar season here at Vocus. As always, over the past year we’ve strived to acquire editorial calendars that have specific content for each issue, and it’s yielded some interesting results and insights. Even though this season’s editorial calendars appear to be fairly normal and consistent, subtle signs and indicators point to new developments and shifts in publishers.
One of the interesting changes we noticed this year was a continued increase in the number of publications that specifically separate deadlines and topics for their print, digital and tablet issues. For example, ELLE dedicates a portion of its editorial calendar to tablet edition deadlines. In conjunction with the specific deadlines for digital editions, this seems to indicate that publishers are increasingly recognizing digital as its own medium with new challenges and opportunities. And though this could certainly have to do with the different production methods, we see it as a sign that alternative formats are beginning to show their legitimacy and viability to publishers, and as such have carved out their own space in the print cycle.
As far as advertising rates go, one of our barometers from last year, Commercial Building Products, stayed steady with its $7,015 full page color ad. On the other hand, Today’s Parent continued its upward trend from $37,307 for a national ad to $38,426. While this trend is in line with what we’ve seen in prior years, it illustrates that trade and industry publications are less subject to fluctuations in the advertising market than more consumer based publications. So while publications like Today’s Parent may be able to benefit from a healthier market, Commercial Building Products has to hold the line with its ad rates.
Although advertising sales continue to show a healthy industry, it’s clear that might not mean greener pastures for everyone. And while the industry seems to be doing better, many publishers are clearly not resting on their laurels by depending on only print to sustain them, and have expanded further into the digital landscape by giving it the specialized attention it needs to succeed.
Brent Treworgy also contributed to this report.
