The digital advertising and publishing market will be growing,
supported by new mobile devices and advances in apps and
technology. A new survey from the Audit Bureau of Circulations reveals
that print publishers are focusing on the mobile market as a prime opportunity
to expand their brands, reach new audiences and generate additional
revenue while offering advertisers the chance to reach locally
targeted, engaged audiences.
ABC and its digital subsidiary, ABC Interactive, recently conducted an
online survey of its print publisher members. The results, detailed in “Going Mobile: How Publishers Are Preparing for the Burgeoning Digital Market,”
offer an early stage snapshot of the activities taking place in and
around the mobile market as both publishers and advertisers focus their
attention on this new distribution channel.
Survey Highlights
- More than 80 percent of newspaper and magazine respondents believe
people will rely more heavily on mobile devices as a primary
information source in the next three years. - Nearly 70 percent of respondents agree that mobile is receiving
more attention at their publication this year than last. More than a
third believe their publication already has a well-developed plan for
attacking and conquering the mobile market. - Forty-four percent of respondents who track mobile’s impact on
their Web site traffic said the devices increased visits by up to 10
percent today. Half believe mobile traffic to their Web sites will
increase by five to 25 percent in the next two years. - Among senior executive respondents, 56 percent said their
publication has plans to develop a smartphone application in the next
24 months, in addition to the 17 percent of respondents who already
have an app in production. - Regardless of mobile’s anticipated rise, ABC publisher members do
not plan to abandon their print publications in favor of a digital-only
product in the near term. While 55 percent believe that digital
delivery of their publication is important to their strategic future,
three-fourths believe that their publication will be available in a
print form five years from now. - More than half of the survey respondents believe that the future
business model of mobile content will be supported by both advertising
and subscriptions. - Nearly a third believe that mobile will have a significant impact on their publication’s revenue in just three years.
Survey Conclusions
- It’s early, but there are positive signs. The mobile market is
definitely receiving more attention than ever before. For some
respondents, planning is still in the beginning stages and publishers
are wading through the information and technology, trying to decide on
the right strategy. For other newspapers and magazines, many mobile
initiatives are well under way, supported by advertising and
sponsorships. - Mobile will drive Web traffic. Most respondents believe that mobile
will be responsible for a five to 50 percent increase in Web site
traffic in the next three years. - Publishers are betting on both smartphones and e-readers and are
actively exploring the vitality of both as a new distribution channel.
Both devices are in the early-adoption phase but are quickly gaining
momentum with large daily newspapers and leading consumer magazines. - Early business models will be based on a combination of advertising
and subscriptions. Publishers agree that the mobile market will be both
ad- and subscription-supported and many anticipate that mobile will
contribute to the bottom line in just three years. Publishers believe
there are many opportunities for paid mobile advertising, including
sponsorship, search, video, and banner ads. - Advertiser demand for accountability will grow as ad spend grows.
Respondents agree that independent third-party auditing would increase
mobile’s credibility and is likely to be demanded by advertisers as ad
spending increases in this area. Data should be reported on ABC
statements.
About the Survey
More information, including an executive summary of the survey findings is available on ABC’s we site.
The research for “Going Mobile: How Publishers Are Preparing for the Burgeoning Digital Market” was conducted via a voluntary Web-based survey held between June 25 and July 10, 2009.