• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, August 22, 2012

Hearst VP-Digital Grant Whitmore is explaining the reason for mobile Web growth for publishers like Hearst magazines, and he attributes it mainly to that thing in your pocket.

He said publishing schemes for desktop and laptop Web browsers initially took off because the platforms were fast and rich screen experiences, but he says they simply were too big for most mobile content users to lug around.

“As we think about what it takes to get that content in someone’s pocket, is a great challenge and a great opportunity,” he said, adding that it’s critical for publishers to develop new “KPIs” [key performance indicators] to understand the value exchange between conventional Web and mobile Web, “as we attempt to influence these highly, highly attentive consumers.”