• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, August 20, 2009

3 Group M Agencies Merge Print Buying

Mediaedge:cia, MediaCom, and Mindshare -- all properties of Group M -- are merging their print-buying operations into a single entity, according to the Ad Age Web site. While Group M will likely position the consolidation as nothing more than a move to increase efficiency, the timing suggests that the company will be slimming down these divisions in response to the migration of ad dollars from print to new media.

Citing industry rumors, Ad Age speculated that George Janson, the managing partner and director of print communications for Mediaedge:cia, will be appointed head of the new consolidated print operations. The shakeup appears to be similar to an earlier reorganization of Group M's local broadcast division, which has also suffered major declines in ad spending during the economic downturn.

The decline in print advertising has slammed both newspapers and magazines, as the recession accelerates a long-term shift from print to digital media. According to the Publishers Information Bureau, total magazine ad pages declined 28% in the first half of 2009 compared to 2008, following a full-year decline of 11.7% in 2008 versus 2007. Per the Newspaper Association of America, total newspaper revenues fell 28.3% in the first quarter of 2009 (the most recent data available); that followed a full-year decline of 16.6% in 2008 versus 2007.

ESPN The Magazine Offers Year Subscription for $1

ESPN The Magazine is now offering its roughly 2 million subscribers a deal giving them a year-long subscription renewal, plus access to ESPN.com's premium "Insider" site, for just $1, or about $0.04 per issue. This promotion is intended to raise awareness of the Web site, including the Insider, a paid-subscription area that offers special columns, news reports, insider blogs and a self-explanatory feature called "Rumor Central."

Hearst's eSpin Launches Teen Poll Site

ESpin, a digital property of Hearst Magazines, has teamed up with United Sample, an online survey service, to create a new Web site targeting teens called Surveys4Teens.com. This community Web site allows teens to voice their opinions about products and services, while earning rewards for their participation.

Driving traffic to the site should not be a problem for Hearst, as ESpin's database already includes over 860,000 teens who have agreed to take surveys in exchange for rewards, making it one of the largest online teen survey panels in existence. Hearst is promoting participants as a gold mine of market data for advertisers and researchers. The figure represents about half of ESpin's total user base of 1.7 million. In combination with United Sample's other panels, Surveys4Teens boasts over 1 million teen panelists.

United Sample offers private-label panel technology for Web site publishers. In this application, the technology will provide the backbone to recruit panelists and route them to the right surveys, while ensuring quality data and maintaining engagement with incentives.

Time Buys House-Office in Detroit

Time Inc. has purchased a house in Detroit that will serve as headquarters and residence for a new editorial team dedicated exclusively to covering the massive and massively troubled American car business. According to a spokesman for Time and Fortune, the new office will support a year-long editorial commitment to Detroit and the surrounding areas; Time plans on donating the house to charity after the one-year project is over. He added: "As with any special editorial project we are offering advertisers opportunities to support it -- and initial response has been very positive."

Meredith Corp. Promotes Sareyan

Andy Sareyan has been promoted to chief brand officer of Meredith Corp.'s National Media Group. Sareyan will remain president of Better Homes and Gardens and executive vice president of the National Media Group. The promotion comes close on the heels of Meredith's reorganization of its various print and broadcast properties, which are now organized into a National Media Group and Local Media Group, respectively.