• Ad Age, Friday, April 28, 2006 10:45 AM

Magazines will increasingly find ways to interact with multitasking consumers, but don't expect the medium to stand on its head or turn itself into something unrecognizable said various industry leaders who participated this week in a Magazine Publishers of America conference. Magazines don't need to be reinvented; they simply need to find fresh ways to remain relevant in a world where young consumers are accustomed to being engaged on more than one level. Industry leaders should hunt for every means possible to reach readers and advertisers, but "they may not want to hang too much hope on the idealized 'iPod for print,'" according to Fred Wilson, partner, Union Square Ventures, a venture capital fund. "I don't think anyone should wait for that nirvana device, because it won't necessarily save magazines." Frank Moss, director of the MIT Lab, delivered the keynote address at the confab, imploring his audience to "Think creatively and learn continuously, and in the case of the digital age, I think you need to have a 16-year-old daughter at home." Moss further told attendees to keep an eye on the development of electronic ink and e-paper, which have been undergoing advanced real-world tests recently. "It's going to have a tremendous impact on digital delivery," he said.

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