Which tech tools are helping publishers to innovate?
Barry Kelly, CEO, of online learning platform Thought Industries explained how publishers can leverage their existing content to develop new products. “There are tremendous opportunities in this space for content companies,” he said, citing that the global elearning market is currently worth US$91bn. “The global market for self-paced elearning will reach $53bn by 2018,” he added.
Kelly said that publishers are well suited to online learning, and already have the content and expertise to leverage and sell to individuals. Companies such as Rodale, F+W, Reader’s Digest and Penton are already using the platform, which is white labelled and allows publisher to cross-sell their physical products, too. “We can capture the user while they’re experiencing the content,” said Kelly. “It’s tremendously powerful.”
In terms of emerging platforms, Kelly said that 56 per cent of users are mobile and the system integrates native reporting, which offers data on who is buying and from where.
Be obsessed with data, rather than obsessed with collecting it
Katja Cooper, business development manager at Madgex then took the stage to present a case study about usage of the global online jobs board. Working with 500 brands in 14 countries and in 10 languages, Madgex has seen huge technological change in the publishing world, and experiences 42 per cent of its activity coming from mobile devices.
Cooper used the example of TMDR, who started working with Madgex in September 2014 and decided to move from its own bespoke platform due to the inability to keep up with maturing markets and difficulty retaining editorial expertise. “We made it easier for them to become obsessed with the data, rather than being obsessed with frantically collecting it,” said Cooper. “The brand has seen positive results with unique users up by 46 per cent, improved mobile traction and applications up 25 per cent.”
Don’t replicate your efforts
Finally, Christian Graf, CEO of CeeQuoo spoke about his company’s use of Aquafadas’ solution to enhance magazines digitally without the need to use huge resources and replicate efforts.
Talking specifically about a new product, Creative Flow, Graf said that a central engine enables access from a “central engine, where content is created, and works with XML – something every database can export. Whichever system you use, you don’t have to programme complicated interfaces,” he said.
Story by Amy Duffin.
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