This week’s link herd June 2, 2014

June 2, 2014 by Andrew Leave a Comment

This issue of the Link Herd contains plenty of pointers to the future.
What is the Zebra Eclipse future, you ask? I believe that marketing agencies and publishers share a common evolution. Both are now interested in engaging with audiences (not always with content) with the aim of turning that engagement into business value.

In the news below you’ll find publishers launching agencies (content marketing), publishers merging their marketing and content teams and marketing agencies discussing content and audience strategies. You’ve even got one switched on retailer who admit they’re essentially a publisher these days.

WhatsApp emerges as big share driver for publishers
WhatsApp can drive significant amounts on traffic – more than Twitter for those publishers able to track it. The lack of tracking is one problem and the other significant challenge is just how hard it is to integrate the share functionality in site and apps.
The HuffingtonPost moves all comments to Facebook
In a move that shows the importance of community (return visitors and those who’ll persuade others to become return visitors) the US version of the HuffingtonPost is moving exclusively to Facebook comments. They say this is where readers want to discuss their articles but the team will have looked very closely at comment rates, engagement and traffic too.
Everything you need to know about the future of newspapers is in these two charts
Two charts that paint a clear but bleak future for newspapers. The trend away from newspapers is likely to accelerate. At the same time the stats says the newspapers over index with advertisers with mobile ready to rise up and close the difference.
VICE to Gawker: Fuck You and Fuck Your Garbage Click-Bait ‘Journalism’
Gawker and Vice continue their handbags at dawn battle. Interesting? Only in the sense that the two, page impression seeking, companies are doing this in public.
John Lewis marketing director and winner of The Drum’s Marketer of the Year Award Craig Inglis: ‘We regard ourselves as a publisher’
John Lewis’ marketing director Craig Inglis is on hand to argue the Zebra Eclipse cause – in this article and video for The Drum (a publisher who recently launched a content agency) he says that the retailer considers itself to be a publisher.
Bloomberg gives its native ads a data spin
A data-mining department within Bloomberg that is part of the editorial side of the company is being used to power and native ads in a program called Bloomberg Denizen. It’s the merger of publishing and marketing. Zurich Insurance Group is the first client and they’ve already signed on for a two-year campaign.
How Disney learned to stop worrying and love copyright infringement
An insightful look into how Disney has done almost a 180 when it comes to policing their copyright and now seems very happy to let their fans create, curate and parody the property the company owns. Why? It’s good for business. These are the people who buy Disney. These are the people who turned Frozen into a phenomenon.
What Television Will Look Like in 2025, According to Netflix
A great read on what Neil Hunt of Netflix predicted TV might look like in 10 years. Curation will be hugely important – albeit automated and provided by Netflix’s recommendation engine.
The Drum launches content marketing agency led by former NMA editor Justin Pearse
Another clear signal that publishing and marketing are converging: The Drum have launched a Content Marketing Agency called The Drum Works. The Drum Works will be seperate from the editorial business but will create engaging content for The Drum’s online and print audiences.
The Future of eBooks? Streaming is Now 21% of Music Revenues in the US
The growth of music streaming, completely legal, continues at a pace. In the States streaming now accounts for more than 20%. The Digital Reader asks what this means for the future of eBooks.
Publishing 2014: 3 brands tackling the digital challenge
How are publishers adapting to the digital challenge? This article, a piece from Tara Honeywall at Mediator, looks at the FT, Conde Nast and the Times.

This week’s link herd April 7, 2014

April 7, 2014 by Andrew Leave a Comment

Does two make a trend? This is the second double-week link herd in a row. Once again plenty to report on and so little time to do it.

These last two weeks see newspapers struggle, new media sites do especially well – who’s not jealous of Vice? We also see some new players on the block, well new moves from established players, as Amazon rolls out Fire TV. What do you think? Can Amazon take on Netflix?

US paper tells reporters the more stories you post the more pay you get
A US newspaper has told journalists that their bonuses will depend on how many articles they post. In addition reporters are expected to increase the pageviews their stories get by 25% by the middle of the year and by another 15% before the end of the year. They’re also expected to comment. The debate is surely whether journalism is content.
Atlas Insight Series: How often do multiple cookies represent one person?
How broken are cookies? Atlas has researched how often multiple cookies represent just one person? This is significant if you’re a publisher and you have a display ad system in which cookies are used to target and bid on impressions.
Murdoch-Backed Vice Media Weighs IPO With Gonzo Reports
Vice Media is booming. The content company is doing so well it is considering IPO options, looking to 50% margin and hitting a $1.5bn revenue target. Vice is now doing so much video they may buy a cable company.
TV industry take note: this is what being disrupted by Amazon looks like
What impact will Amazon’s Fire TV have? It’s already a tough market with Apple, Netflix and Lovefilm. Oh wait; Amazon’s already gobbled up LoveFilm and rebranded it to Amazon Instant Videos.Perhaps the question is whether ongoing adventures in hardware will help Amazon and its very long term goals or not.
Johnston Press reveals losses of £286.8m while advertising revenue dips by 6.4 per cent for 2013
Digital Display up 30% despite overall advertising drop. Exceptional items responsible for some of the bigger chunks too. Another story of a newspaper group battling on as the landscape transforms. It’s not easy.

This week’s link herd February 24, 2014

February 24, 2014 by Andrew Leave a Comment

Every Monday Zebra Eclipse updates with a new Herd. The Herd is a digest of related links to stories appropriate to the blog. The goal is to show the common evolution of agency and publisher and to highlight the influence of creators, curators and community moderators.

The Economics of Netflix’s $100 Million New Show
A strong article from The Wire that looks into the business case behind spending $100m on a show like House of Cards when that means you need to attract 2.6m new customers. As it turns out Netflix may be overpaying for nonexclusive content anyway. The other catch? Netflix doesn’t own the syndication rights to House of Cards; production company Media Rights Capital does.
Anybody in the news industry who still isn’t taking Buzzfeed seriously isn’t taking the internet seriously
UsVsTh3m’s Martin Belam writes up his notes from news:rewired and comes to the sensible conclusion – the news industry needs to take Buzzfeed seriously. Buzzfeed doesn’t create content for algorithms, but for people and it aggressively pushing and testing what makes people share stories.
Amazon increases price of Prime in U.K. and Germany as it rolls in Lovefilm streaming video
I’ve just subscribed to Netflix and now Amazon’s gone and increased my Prime membership from £50 to £80. Why? To give me Lovefilm, a Netflix competitor, as part of the package. I can’t opt-out. Interestingly, if I didn’t read I could have a Lovefilm only account. Despite the price hike I suspect I’ll keep Prime and it’ll certainly make me connect Lovefilm into my devices. I think Netflix could do with a dramatic hike in the UK content.
Green Man Gaming ‘to consider software publishing in 2014’
Greenman Gaming is considering expanding from retail and into publishing. It the retailer did make the jump it would be with small teams and with a focus on digital distribution. As CEO Paul Sulyok pointed out they’re not about to negotiate multi-million pound deals with Game and HMV to sell Greenman games.
LinkedIn Opens Publishing Power to All Users
LinkedIn has been allowing “power users” to write long form updates for a while. This week they extended that program to all users. The result will likely be more thought leadership posts on on the platform, networking and possibly even ad revenue.
Journalists seeking accreditation for Brit Awards asked to agree coverage of sponsor Mastercard
The BRIT Awards House PR agency wanted journalists to use Mastercard’s #PricelessSurprises hashtag with positive coverage as part of being accredited to cover the event. It’s a dangerous line; you can encourage people to tweet but you shouldn’t make it a condition. The journalists are complaining – on Twitter and using the hashtag. This won’t be pleasing MasterCard at all. It’s a fumble by the agency and the journalists saw peer-permission and are piling in.
Most Amazon bestselling authors aren’t making minimum wage
Research suggests that most of Amazon’s bestselling authors aren’t making minimum wage. Of course, this just means from money earned via Amazon sales. It’s a study that’s raised some questions both in terms of how it was done and what it might mean if true.