• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, June 11, 2009

Texterity Releases Mobile Reader Study

Texterity has released the results of its latest Profile of the Digital Edition Reader, now in its fourth year, which found high rates of satisfaction and engagement with digital magazines by readers. Overall, Texterity found that 90% of digital magazine readers rated themselves "satisfied" or "very satisfied" with the digital edition (from Texterity).

According to the same company survey of 33,784 respondents, 92% of digital editions are read the same week as delivery. And 61% of digital readers have read three of the last four issues; that's roughly the same figure as print readers.

Among their reasons for subscribing to digital publications, subscribers pointed to their environmental friendliness and interactivity (e.g., searchability). Subscribers also appreciated convenience and timeliness. Ninety-one percent take some action when reading a digital edition, with over half visiting an advertiser's Web site. While most digital editions are still read on a desktop (74% of respondents) or laptop (63%), 25% want access via an iPhone, Kindle or some other e-reader device.

Cimarron Buser, senior vice president of marketing and business development for Texterity, remarked: "We've learned that our consumer and business readers have similar preferences and reading styles. Video has increased in importance -- 65% find it useful -- and readers specifically called out the iPhone as a mobile device of choice."

Rachael Ray Relaunches Web Site

Every Day with Rachael Ray has relaunched its Web site, with a new design and content offerings. Among other additions, the new EDRR Web site is introducing a new "Talk" section, which incorporates user-generated content and allows users to actively engage in conversation, either by writing a blog, sharing photos or posting recipes and travel tips.

The new site design also features a section called "Easy Cooking View" that condenses a recipe down to a single laptop screen, so users don't have to scroll with sauce-covered fingers. The site now has a faster, more powerful search function, and is introducing new content areas including beauty, style, living, travel and design tips. Readers can also search by column category, including Rachael's 30-Minute Meals, No-Recipe Zone, Good for You, $10 Spot, Family Matters, Sweet Spot, Rach's Burgers, On Hand, Mucho Gusto, Take 5 and Pet Friendly.

FamilyFun Rebrands as Disney FamilyFun

 

FamilyFun is now Disney FamilyFun, according to Aparna Pande, vice president and general manager of the Disney FamilyFun Group, which is the new name of the division previously called Disney Publishing Worldwide's U.S. Consumer Magazine Group. With a rate base of 2.1 million, the flagship publication is planning to move into books, licensing, custom media and establishing integrated partnerships within Disney.

Modern Magazine Launches

Modern Magazine, a new quarterly title devoted to 20th- and 21st-century design, is launching this month, courtesy of Brant Publications, which also publishes Art In America, Interview and The Magazine Antiques. The quarterly magazine will be published three times in 2009, including May, September and December, with a starting distribution of 50,000. Gregory Cerio has been appointed editor-in-chief of the magazine.

Seventeen.com Teams with Habbo

Seventeen is partnering with Habbo, a virtual world targeting teenage girls, in a deal that allows the latter site to feature content from the magazine Web site. Seventeen.com is sharing content, hosting events in the Habbo virtual world, publishing quizzes and polls, and dispensing advice from magazine editors.