Mag Bag: B2B Ad Pages Tumbled 28.6% in 2009

National Geographic

B2B Ad Pages Tumbled 28.6% in 2009

As most trade publishers already know, business-to-business publications took it on the chin in 2009 along with the rest of traditional media, posting a total 28.6% decline in ad pages from 854,376 in 2008 to 610,345 in 2009. That's according to the latest figures from the Business Information Network, a division of American Business Media, which tracks B2B publishing and advertising. BIN said ad revenues fell about 24% in 2009 compared to 2008, from $9.9 billion to $7.5 billion.

The BIN figures round out data that document a terrible year for print advertising in general. Earlier figures from the Publishers Information Bureau showed total consumer magazine ad pages falling 25.6% in 2009 versus 2008, while official rate card revenue tumbled 17.5%. Although fourth-quarter ad figures for the newspaper industry still haven't been posted by the Newspaper Association of America, as of press time, data from the first three quarters suggest the industry is on track for a total decline of 25%-28%.

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Like these other media, B2B publications showed some improvement toward the end of 2009, at least in relative terms, with a 25.8% decline in ad pages in the fourth quarter versus a 30.5% drop in the third quarter. Tempering this already mixed result, the rate of decrease ticked up in December, with a 27.9% drop.

By category, B2B publications took the biggest hits in transportation, where ad pages plunged 62.3% in 2009 versus 2008; computing, software, and telecom were down 41.9%; building, engineering, and construction were down 37.6%; travel, and business conventions and meetings were down 37.2%.

ASME, Columbia Announce First Digital Ellies

The American Society of Magazine Editors and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism have unveiled the winners for the National Magazine Awards' first ever "Digital Ellies" -- a new competition created to recognize innovation by magazine publishers in the digital realm. Announced during the Magazine Publishers of America's "Magazines 24/7" conference (this year on "The E-Reading Revolution"), the Digital Ellies were presented at an awards luncheon at the Sheraton Hotel and Towers in New York, where a total of 56 finalists and 12 winners were honored.

Among the big winners were New York and National Geographic , with two awards each: New York won an award for General Excellence in Digital Media, as well as for the Multimedia Feature and Package, while National Geographic took home Photography, Digital Media and Community. Also winning awards were Billboard.com, Foreign Policy, Men's Health, Sports Illustrated and Virginia Quarterly Review. Three online-only pubs also took home awards: Epicurious, Tablet Magazine and Yale Environment 360. The winners were selected from over 420 entries submitted by 118 magazine Web sites and online-only magazines.

First Lady Pens Newsweek Cover Story on Childhood Obesity

Seeking to raise awareness and support for her initiative to combat rising rates of childhood obesity, First Lady Michelle Obama has written the cover story for the forthcoming (March 22) issue of Newsweek. The First Lady appears on the cover holding an apple, with the cover title reading "Feed Your Children Well: My Fight Against Childhood Obesity." In the article she discusses health eating and exercise habits in general, and also discusses the goals of her initiative, which is called "Let's Move!" These include educating parents and children, encouraging local action by mayors, governors, and state legislatures, and voluntary self-regulation by the private sector.

McCarthy Leaves Fairchild

The Fairchild Fashion Group, the business-to-business publisher owned by Conde Nast, is losing another veteran executive with the planned departure of chairman Patrick McCarthy. Although specific dates have not been revealed, reports say McCarthy will leave the company by the end of 2010. McCarthy has served with Fairchild for over two decades, beginning as a reporter in 1977.

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