• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, October 14, 2010

Conde Nast Shares iPad Insights

As one of the first major publishers to introduce customized digital versions of its magazines for the iPhone and iPad, Conde Nast has already accumulated a store of knowledge about what works in terms of editorial content and advertising for iPad editions, as well as technical concerns including format and distribution.

This week the high-end publisher shared some of these insights with media buyers, advertisers, and journalists -- and, by extension, other magazine publishers. Based on 100+ hours of personal interviews and 5,000 in-app surveys distributed with digital editions of GQ, Vanity Fair, Wired and Glamour, Scott McDonald, senior vice president of market research for Conde Nast, stated: "We continue to see that reader engagement with our digital magazines apps, in terms of time spent, is on par with or exceeds our print editions." But he added: "Many iPad users surveyed were not the typical tech 'early adopter' or familiar with Apple products and their navigation conventions. This has very important implications for application interface design."

The surveys found that readers were generally satisfied with Conde's magazine apps, with roughly 80% saying they met or surpassed expectations, and 89% saying they were easy to use. Eighty-three percent said they were likely to purchase the next month's issue. Most users said they prefer to read magazines in iPad's "portrait" mode, but prefer to watch video in the "landscape" mode. Conde Nast offered a number of suggestions for successful advertising in magazine apps. First, advertisers should take advantage of the medium's additional functionality to highlight their product with interactive advertising, video, photo galleries, and links to Web sites.

Second, advertisers should provide clear instructions on how to use the app, because (as noted) many iPad owners are not familiar with the device's navigation. This could include clear calls to action and cues, with visible icons which let the reader know about more content or additional functionality.

Third, advertisers should probably avoid repurposing creative assets used for other media, e.g., reformatting a TV ad for the iPad. Users responded best to advertisements with features that were new and useful, like detailed product information and how-to tips.

Fourth, narrative was the key to the most memorable ads; the most successful advertisers created ads telling stories with the iPad's various interactive and multimedia capabilities.

Fifth, the most successful ads allowed users to act immediately, leading them down the "purchase funnel" by enabling them to directly access and purchase the featured product. 

Atlantic Breaks Ad Records with November Issue

The publishing industry might still be feeling the downturn, but some magazines are going gangbusters, judging by the Atlantic Monthly's recent announcement that its November issue set advertising records. Total ad revenue is 13% higher than the previous record-holding issue. Ad pages are 60% higher and ad revenue is 95% higher than last November's issue. Further, this is the third time in the past 14 issues the magazine set a revenue record.

This week The Atlantic's November issue -- devoted to "Brave Thinkers" -- hits the newsstands with additional heft; it's the single highest-revenue issue in the magazine's history. It marks the third time in the past 14 issues The Atlantic has set a new revenue record. The issue, with a cover story profiling 19 "Brave Thinkers," features eye-catching advertising, including a multiple cover execution sponsored by Dow and a Buick gatefold opening the Brave Thinkers feature.

Snob Appeals to Globetrotting Russians

Young, well-heeled Russian émigrés in the U.S. are being targeted by a new media juggernaut, the aptly titled Snob, which combines a magazine, covering news and lifestyles in both print and digital versions; a social network, SNOB.RU; and live events. After launching in Russia and the U.K. in September 2008, Snob is making its American debut under the supervision of Mikhail Prokhorov, a businessman who owns the New Jersey Nets and serves as CEO and sponsor. The glossy magazine delivers top-notch Russian journalism and high-end luxury advertising to cosmopolitan members of Russia's upper-middle-class, including thousands of working professionals living abroad.

Economist Launches Intelligent Life App

Is there intelligent life on Earth? Well, at least there's an app for it. The Economist has debuted an iPad version of Intelligent Life, a quarterly magazine covering life, culture and style whose print edition launched in 2007. The app is free to download, at least for the autumn issue, thanks to a sponsorship from Credit Suisse. It also delivers a free sampler of content from previous issues of Intelligent Life.