Repurposing Print for the Third Screen

A few days ago, Renetta McCann (CEO of Starcom MediaVest Group) delivered a stern warming to publishing executives at the IFPP conference in New York. "Pay particular attention to the explosion of wireless devices and DVRs, the growth of on-demand and the saturation of broadband. Screens, screens, screens... We believe that consumers will engage with content primarily through these screens." (Read the full story from AdAge.com - free reg. required).

Why is one of the leading media buyers encouraging the print world to repurpose for mobile and on-demand video delivery? With over 6,000 magazine titles on newsstands today, 440 new titles coming on the scene every year, and only 10 percent "general interest," there is just no economical way to reach eyeballs en mass. It only makes sense to aggregate demand across the long tail of consumer demand and deliver niche-centric content using a channel that provides rich contextual targeting opportunities. A throng of interesting new startups are positioned to take advantage of this content migration, including video enablers like Third Screen Media and premium SMS marketing platforms like iLoop Mobile.

Print's survival strategy needs to be two-pronged. First, if established publications can leverage these devises and marketing channels to add a new, value-added dimension to their content and brand assets, advertisers will follow. Second, publishers with online assets need to get serious about consumer-generated media (CGM). Advertisers are frustrated by the splintering of media channels and rapidly declining consumer trust (in media, business, advertising). They also understand that CGM provides the frontlines of brand messaging through blogs, review websites, recommender engines, and forums (see Wil Reynold's article at MarketingProfs.com). This layer of online content is intercepting consumers who are seeking information about products and services. Therefore, publishers need to get beyond ad placement and impressions and move towards developing platforms that facilitate branded communities and consumer-generated media.