Event: World Magazine Conference (FIPP)

Two clear messages at recently-comcluded 36th World Magazine Conference (organised by FIPP) in Beijing were “Embrace the change” and that despite a decline in numbers, attractiveness of magazine advertising will prevail.

Highlights of Day 1: Embrace the Change
“This Congress is taking place in what we call a global transformation. We are now being offered a great opportunity to reach a greater audience – far greater than we could reach with print alone. This is exciting and frightening at the same time.”
Donald D. Kummerfeld, FIPP President and CEO
“Online is the best thing to happen to the magazine business since the printing press. Anything that creates a richer relationship with our customers can only be good for us. The question is how to we deal with it? They key thing is that the companies that win are those that will embrace the change.”
Steven Pleshette Murphy, President & CEO, Rodale Inc, USA
“Change creates threats but also opens the doors to new opportunity.’ In my 50 years of publishing, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more exciting time. Good luck dealing with the threat and making it a great opportunity for you.”
Patrick J. McGovern, Founder and Chairman, of IDG, USA
“It was magazines that built and established brands and it was the magazines that created brand extensions. Today, a brand can start with a website or with an event. When you combine the internet and face-to-face, it’s a great combo, and when you add a magazine to that, it’s a knock-out in b2b.”
Gordon Hughes, President & CEO, American Business Media (ABM),

Highlights of Day 2: Magazines have a lot to offer
“Magazines reach the hearts of readers and gain their trust, serving to enhance value. The time that people spend reading magazines is a rewarding time during which they are most receptive to messages. Magazines provide a rich experience during which both content and ads are absorbed.”
Tateo Mataki, President and CEO of Dentsu Inc, Japan
“It’s about knowing what they want. If you see habits and tastes changing, you’ve got to change with them. You’ve got to keep them front of mind – that’s all that matters.”
Mark Frith, Editor, heat magazine, Emap, UK
“Magazines are the one medium where advertisements are considered a valued part of the package, particularly in speciality magazines where ads offer inspiration and ideas. Advertising in magazines is more relevant to consumers than almost anything else.”
Jack Griffin, President, Meredith Publishing Group
“I think magazines have an advantage over television or radio because we actually do create our own content. People don’t watch television channels, they watch television shows. People read an entire magazine and that creates more reach.”
Brian Segal, President & CEO, Rogers Publishing Limited, Canada.

You can read more details about this recently concluded event here.