E-News : March 9, 2010
ABM Mourns Industry Icon and Former Neal Awards Chairman Andrew Jaffe
American Business Media and the entire b-to-b industry mourn the loss of Andrew Jaffe, former Adweek editor and noted journalist/author, who passed away on February 26 at the age of 71.
Jaffe began his career as a newsman for the Associated Press after graduating from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. He then joined Newsweek magazine, first as a domestic correspondent and later as its African bureau chief.
In 1986, Jaffe joined Adweek magazine as editor of a regional edition based in Atlanta. Then in 1988, he moved to New York to become editorial director of the magazine's six editions. In 1992, he was promoted to VP, responsible for starting Adweek Conferences and other brand extensions; and, in 1997, he managed the company’s acquisition of the Clio Awards. He headed the Clios for the next six years, until he retired from the company in 2003 and set up his own consultancy in Norwalk, Connecticut.
Jaffe was also chairman of ABM’s Neal Awards competition, recognizing excellence in business-to-business journalism.
“Andrew Jaffe was a titan in our industry,” said ABM President & CEO Gordon T. Hughes, II. “In the early years of transforming the Neal Awards program into what it is today, Andrew served as a remarkable partner and advocate. Without his help, these awards would not have reached the pinnacle they have today. He will be fondly remembered and sadly missed.”
The family requests that contributions be made in Jaffe’s memory to the Andrew Jaffe Scholarship Fund at the Brandcenter at Virginia Commonwealth University, where he was a board member, or to the Whittingham Cancer Center at Norwalk Hospital.
ABM Regional Programs Sweep into D.C., NYC in Just Two Weeks!
ABM’s Washington, D.C. Regional Program has been rescheduled for Monday, March 22, from 8:30 AM – 12:30 PM at the American Gas Association. Discussion topics will include:
- The Media Company of the Future
- Publishers as the One-Stop Shop – Managing Expectations
- Reinventing the Events Model
- Total Audience Measurement
Click here to view the full agenda and to register.
Also, don’t miss the opportunity to network with industry peers during ABM’s New York Regional Program, on Thursday, March 25, from 8:30 AM – 12:30 PM at Google’s offices. Hear from industry leaders on the following topics:
- Leader Outlook: In Search of New Business Models, Real Answers
- Revenue Drivers for 2010: Strategies Showing Promise for B-to-B Media
Keynote speaker Gord Hotchkiss, President & CEO of Enquiro Research, will discuss his book, The BuyerSphere Project, based on an extensive and ground-breaking research project that took a fresh look at organizational buying behavior.
Click here to view the full agenda and to register.
Top Media Moves
Northstar Travel Media has acquired five media brands from The Nielsen Company’s Business Media Travel Group, which includes leading media brands Successful Meetings, Business Travel News, Meeting News, Incentive and an online portal serving the meetings industry, MiMegasite.
More than half (51.2%) of direct marketers plan to increase their marketing budgets this year, according to the Direct Marketing Association’s Quarterly Business Review.
Penton Media announced that it has received confirmation of its “prepackaged” plan of reorganization and expects to emerge from Chapter 11 within the next few days.
Adam Gross has been promoted to Chief Marketing Officer of The Jordan, Edmiston Group (JEGI). In this role, he will continue to oversee the firm’s innovative marketing efforts, with a focus on creating new marketing initiatives. He will also spend time enhancing the firm’s core business development function, with a focus on lead generation.
'What ABM Means to Me'
American Business Media is working harder than ever to enhance the value proposition of your membership, and we’re constantly encouraged by positive feedback from our members.
Here in E-news each week will be a member testimonial which reflects how individual members view the ABM value proposition.
“ABM's member-driven process focuses on the key issues affecting our industry. The Association's continuous understanding of the marketplace has provided my team and me with the essential tools to manage effectively in today's complex environment.”
- Peggy Walker, President, Vance Publishing Corporation
Click here to follow ABM on Twitter!
Click here to become a fan of ABM on Facebook!
Job of the Week
Advertising Sales Account Representative, ALM
In addition to the “Job of the Week” highlighted in each issue of E-news, ABM has recently expanded its online job board to better reach out to the membership and media community with quality career opportunities. Powered by mediabistro.com, the site is updated constantly with openings across the country and enables you to search by industry and location. So what are you waiting for … Click here to begin your search!
ABM Participates in Global Business Media Forum
View industry roundtable discussion on-demand
Since expanding its position as the global b-to-b association in 2008, ABM hosted the ABM/FIPP B-to-B World Conference, which brought hundreds of worldwide business media leaders to New York City; launched a global e-newsletter, filled with industry insights and information from around the world; and produced the Association’s inaugural Global B-to-B Day, an intriguing look inside today's global marketplace and at the key issues affecting b-to-b advertising in a challenging economic environment. (ABM’s 2nd Annual Global B-to-B Day will take place during the 2010 Annual Conference, this May 2-5 in Charleston, SC.)
This year, on February 25 & 26, ABM was proud to participate in the 2010 Global Business Media Forum, organized by Cross Border Media and held in New Delhi. This interactive industry forum, the first ever held in India, invited carefully-selected delegates and speakers to participate, ensuring a dynamic conversation on b-to-b media, a subject long neglected in the realm of Indian publishing.
From America and Australia to Japan and Germany, speakers shared knowledge, experience and best practices with their Indian counterparts, leaders in the country’s small but growing b-to-b media sector. Discussion topics included licensing and partnering, outsourcing, mobile media, custom publishing, and the future of the industry.
ABM was delighted to contribute a roundtable discussion (via video) on the integrated b-to-b media industry here in the U.S., both today and tomorrow. Randall Friedman, VP/Group Publisher at Lebhar-Friedman, Prescott Shibles, CEO of Vital Business Media, and John Failla, CEO of Tesoro Events, explored what the future holds for b-to-b media – in print, in-person and online. (Visit the ABM Video Network to tune in now.)
On February 24, the day before the Forum began, ABM’s Global Committee held a meeting to discuss the Association’s global products and services, its 2010 Global B-to-B Day, and various ways to grow ABM’s international membership.
Stay tuned to E-news for more on ABM’s global initiatives.
Will You Be There this Thursday to Witness Neal Awards History?
This Thursday, March 11, the best in business editorial will converge on the Mandarin Oriental in New York City for ABM’s 56th Annual Neal Awards luncheon. Here are the top reasons why you should be there too:
- Witness history as a surprising Grand Neal Award winner is unveiled
- Celebrate the first winners in 11 new categories this year, including “Best Integrated Feature Package,” “Best Use of Social Media,” “Best Editorial Tool or Application,” and “Best Recurring Webcast”
- Network and share ideas with b-to-b media’s best and brightest, the 2010 finalists and winners
- Listen to engaging presentations by our 2010 hosts: Paul Maidment of Forbes.com and 2008 ABM Women in B-to-B Honoree Erin Moriarty of CBS’ 48 Hours Mystery
- Join in the accolades of three special award winners: Crain Award winner Bob Tippee of PennWell Corporation; Rick Bush of Penton Media, who will take home the Timothy White Award for Editorial Integrity; and McAllister Editorial Fellow Bill McDowell of Marketing & Technology Group
- Experience the view from the Mandarin Oriental Ballroom in New York City’s Time Warner Center
DuPont, High Plains Journal Go “All Aboard”
with Integrated Campaign for Wheat Harvest Tour
New case study added to online series
Want to know how business information companies are confronting the challenges of the current environment and producing innovative new products, services and campaigns to grow their businesses?
ABM continues to expand its online series of case studies, showcasing the strategies b-to-b media companies are utilizing to achieve their objectives. The newly-categorized series now includes case studies on custom media, events, integrated media, marketing and print.
The latest addition features DuPont and High Plains Journal’s integrated campaign for the 2009 wheat harvest tour.
OBJECTIVE
Custom harvesting is a unique part of the wheat industry that few were able to experience until DuPont Crop Protection teamed up with High Plains Journal for an extensive integrated media campaign to bring the realities of life on the road for harvesting teams to online followers.
The overall objective of the tour was to make wheat harvesting more interesting and relevant to multiple audiences, while enhancing and expanding High Plains Journal’s coverage of the wheat harvest. As a partner with High Plains Journal in this exciting venture, DuPont sought to reinforce its collaboration with customers and build greater awareness for its wheat products and services.
STRATEGY
The strategy behind the multimedia campaign was to generate interest in the harvest by driving audiences across the United States to the All Aboard 2009 Wheat Tour blog. The blog featured daily posts from the tour correspondents on the road with personal stories about life on the tour, weather and harvest reports, photos, video and more. Audiences across the country were able to interact with the wheat harvest in real time through the tour web site, social media (Twitter and Facebook) and High Plains Journal online. Each interaction with the tour blog allowed followers to learn more about DuPont Crop Protection products and programs that help wheat growers weather uncertain conditions.
To create excitement about the blog, DuPont and High Plains Journal initiated direct outreach to wheat associations and DuPont retailers throughout the wheat corridor and used media relations, advertising, e-newsletters, e-mail alerts, trade association publications and social media engagement to spread the word.
RESULTS
Interest in the All Aboard 2009 Wheat Tour was high and the audience was actively engaged. This integrated combination of tactics produced results that included more than 50 interviews and articles, more than 20 radio interviews, more than 30 print and online stories in agricultural and other wheat industry media, more than 133,000 visits to the tour blog (with 693,000 page views), nearly 1,000 followers of the tour’s Twitter posts and Facebook page, and 260% more traffic on the DuPont Crop Protection Web site compared with the same period in 2008. In total, the value of all impressions made by the wheat tour and related promotions represented nearly $13.5 for every dollar spent on the sponsorship.
New Research Says:
Rumors of Print’s Demise Have Been Greatly Exaggerated
To determine the preferred format of media properties in the b-to-b publication market, Signet Research, Inc. conducted a case study in which responses to ad readership studies for print publications were analyzed. In an effort to test speculation that print’s days could be numbered and short-lived, print subscribers were targeted in particular to determine if they continue to find print a valuable source of information and viable in today’s market.
Cumulative results confirm that print is not dead, but very much alive and well. Of 2,307 respondents, three quarters (75%) selected print as their preferred format, either in print only or a combination of print and a digital/online format, with over half (52%) preferring print only. In comparison, overall preference for a digital edition was 30%, with 14% preferring digital only.
For more information on this research, click here.
Attend ABM's Events Summit to Learn How
UBM is Reviving COMDEX as a Virtual Event
Register now to attend the half-day program in-person
or to watch from your desktop
Last week’s announcement that UBM will revive its COMDEX brand as a virtual event to be held later this year gave another nod to the growing importance of virtual events in the b-to-b industry.
“The move provides further proof that UBM is on the cutting edge of understanding how to utilize virtual events to serve market segments that may no longer be viable for physical events,” said John Failla, CEO of Tesoro Events and Events Summit chair, in a recent blog entry on the announcement. (Click here to read more of John’s thoughts on his blog, “Virtual Event Insights.”)
In just two weeks, you’ll have the opportunity to learn more about UBM’s efforts with COMDEX and other virtual events, as Tony Uphoff, CEO of UBM’s TechWeb division, delivers the keynote address at ABM’s Events Summit on March 24 in New York City. This half-day, industry-wide program will deliver proven strategies for integrating your physical and virtual events, with three content-packed sessions addressing the most important elements on how to deliver a successful virtual event.
In addition to learning how TechWeb's Information Week, which was recognized as "Best Virtual Event" in 2009 by min, has emerged as a leader in virtual events, you will:
- Hear firsthand how NewBay Media and the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) produced a virtual event as a preview of the NAB show, straight from NewBay Media CEO Steve Palm
- Discover best practices for executing your own virtual event from digital media strategist Tom Cintorino, EVP, Digital Media, at Northstar Travel Media
- Learn about the different blended event business models from Scott Pierce, VP, Digital Product Development at ALM, who has worked on ALM's Virtual LegalTech show and is responsible for the development of new revenues through online markets
Advanstar, Crain Communications, Hanley Wood, MarketingProfs, Meister Media Worldwide, Reed Exhibitions and TechWeb are just a few of today's leaders in b-to-b events who are sending their teams to the Events Summit. Will YOU be there? Reserve your seat now!
If you can't attend in-person, ABM and TV Worldwide will be streaming the event live - click here to register to watch from your desktop or conference room.
ABM’s DMC Explores the Power of Web Analytics
Next up: Entrepreneurial Committee guest speaker discusses marketing services
Last week, ABM’s Digital Media Council (DMC) delivered on the Association’s ongoing initiative to hold more innovative and informative Committee & Council meetings, as guest speakers Greg Chagaris, Co-Founder/Corporate Development Officer, Outsell Inc., and Mark Upson, President/CEO, Scout Analytics, explored utilizing Web analytics to help create content and engage your audience.
Council members gathered at the ABM headquarters to listen in, while more than 40 locations (many of which had multiple people viewing) tuned into the online meeting. If you weren’t able to join, click here to view the presentation deck on “Maximizing the Value of B-to-B Audience Engagement.”
Next up: On Tuesday, March 16, from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM EST, ABM’s Entrepreneurial Committee will welcome Tom Miller, CEO of Miller Brooks Advertising, who will explore the trend of traditional media companies becoming marketing services operations (or at least offering customized marketing programs to their customers). Contact Kate Patton for information on how to tune in.
Introducing the 2010 Annual Conference CEO Roundtable
This May 2-5, ABM’s 2010 Annual Conference, taking place in historic Charleston, SC, will deliver strategies for capitalizing on the next generation of b-to-b media and information services, straight from industry leaders and visionaries.
One of the most anticipated sessions each year at the Annual Conference is the CEO Roundtable, and this year we have a new line-up of CEOs that will share how they are driving their businesses. You’ll hear from:
- Rob Feinstein, President, Business.com
- Jeff Killeen, President/CEO, GlobalSpec
- Steve Weitzner, CEO/Chair, Ziff Davis Enterprise
The group will share their views on the business media industry today, and reveal exactly how they are adapting their businesses to its current transformation, especially from a digital perspective.
Click here to view the rest of the conference agenda, which is packed with more fresh faces and brand-new content.
Early bird registration rates start at $1,375 per person, ending April 2. Register now to reserve your seat and take advantage of our special room rate at the Charleston Place Hotel, located in the heart of downtown Charleston, for just $199/night. To book your room, call the hotel directly at (888) 635-2350 and mention ABM’s Annual Conference to receive the reduced rate.
Sign up a colleague for E-news