Features

The dawn of Business Media UK?
25 Jul 2007
Addressing delegates on day one of Magazines and Business Media 2007, Tim Weller, chief

executive of Incisive Media called for the creation of ‘Business Media UK’, a new public face for business media to reflect its success and in order to gain deserved recognition from Government, the City and the whole of the industry. Here is an abridged version of his speech.

Building a successful brand
14 Jun 2007

The new found success of the building and property Business Media sector was demonstrated by its record six wins at PPA’s Awards ceremony on 9 May. This poses the important question of why this is such a booming sector at the moment. Amy Duffin and Fay Delavault investigate.

The colour of money
11 Apr 2007
It’s hard to recall a week without a mergers and acquisitions story in the financial sector in recent times, as the sector’s health grows stronger by the day. The sector has weathered a stormy few years but has now emerged relatively unscathed and reshaped for the new business information environment. Amy Duffin investigates.

The business of proving advertising effectiveness
08 Mar 2007

Are business content providers able to tell whether their advertising messages are understood by decision makers and what effect campaigns have on overall brand perception? If not, then why not? Business publishers need to measure the effectiveness of their advertising, because their competitors are one step ahead of the game…

Crossing publishing boundaries
15 Nov 2006

There are a growing number of up and coming business information companies, moving beyond the printed page to ensure they engage with the hectic lifestyles of their communities. One great example of this new breed of innovators is Cross border Ltd, a company crossing publishing boundaries, both in terms of geography and media platforms…

Healthcare’s positive prognosis
15 Nov 2006

Professional medical and healthcare publishing has been in a state of flux over the last few years. But the diagnosis for the future is positive. Despite the migration of some lucrative recruitment advertising revenues to online channels the sector has bounced back, thanks to its unparalleled connection with its heath professional audience. Fay Delavault and Amy Duffin investigate how the sector can remain in rude health.

Proving the power of professional media
20 Sep 2006

International research this year has gone a long way to reinforce the power of business and professional media. PPA Business and Professional has also launched its new project to measure the effectiveness of advertising in this sector. Amy Duffin reports.

B2B marketing: 2B or not 2B?
20 Sep 2006

Released last month was Ofcom’s annual Communications Market Report. It revealed, not surprisingly, that there had been some radical shifts in media consumption – a move away from television, radio and newspapers in favour of online services, downloadable content and participation in online communities. Think Tank director Samantha Dawe reveals what this could mean for business and professional media.

The rise of the digital edition
20 Sep 2006

Despite early fears over print cannibalisation, the number of magazine titles now available in digital edition (DE) form has grown enormously over the past 18 months. All of the larger publishing houses now publish DE versions of at least one of their magazine titles. Fresh Media Group marketing director Dominic Duffy (pictured) reports on the digital evolution.

You are what you read
20 Sep 2006

Brooklands group founder and managing director Darren Styles (pictured) is remarkably self-effacing about the huge success he has had in turning reality TV programmes into successful magazine and exhibition franchises: “Its really the lazy way to do it, someone’s already established a brand and in the magazines we do exactly as they do on the TV, we take them through a journey.”

Should you sleep with the enemy?
01 Jul 2006

"We don’t see ourselves as the enemy. We’re surprised that you do." Stephen Taylor, regional vice president and managing director of Yahoo! Search and Yahoo! Search Marketing (pictured) set the record straight at PPA’s recent London 06 conference. Search appears to one of the newest, most dynamic and fastest growing industries of today…and perhaps the most feared. Why is it so often perceived as ‘the enemy?’ Amy Duffin reports.

The future’s bright, the future’s mobile
01 Jul 2006

The future’s bright, the future’s orange, went the advertising slogan at the dawn of the mobile age, and today the future’s looking bright for business and professional media on one of the most portable, but least realised media platforms. Toby Hicks reports.

VNU goes on air
01 Jul 2006

With the announcement of its new portfolio of internet-delivered audio and video content, VNU Business Publications has broken new ground in becoming, it believes, the first European business and professional print publisher to launch audio and video services with dedicated in-house studio and theatre facilities. Lucy Fairclough reports.

Like hand in glove
01 Apr 2006

New research commissioned by Royal Mail shows how online and printed media provide the optimal mix of news and information for business – but that hard copy will continue to be an essential read for business success.

Business and professional media revenues on target
01 Apr 2006

It is not just the buds that are in spring at the moment. There is also a spring in the step of business professional publishers, with the outlook looking brighter than ever. Several companies have reported strong growth figures, which follows on from the impressive figures in the recent Professional Media:Connecting business report.

The transformer
01 Apr 2006

It’s been all change at B2B information company United Business Media (UBM) since the arrival of David Levin as chief executive in April 2005. Lucy Fairclough goes behind the scenes.

Making and saving money overseas
01 Apr 2006

UK magazines are moving into different overseas markets while growing international companies are increasingly recruiting UK expertise. The internationalisation of business and professional media brands is thriving through launching, acquiring, partnering and outsourcing. Zoe Jones investigates.

People Media
01 Dec 2005

In an age of ever increasing technological advancement human contact has become less necessary. As we can now communicate by email, talk on mobiles, conduct conference calls see each other on video phone, the old methods should be disappearing. Except…they’re not. Far from retreating in the face of this multi-faceted assault from the tanks of technology, ‘people media’ events are fighting back, and growing like never before. Magazine News reports.

Knowing me, knowing you
01 Dec 2005

Know your medium, know your customer, know your customer’s customer and your customer’s customer’s market – this was the advice given by Jaako Alanko, managing director of McCann Erickson Business Communcations, at Critical conversations – PPA Professional’s media sales conference on 29 November. Magazine News reports.

At the cutting edge
01 Dec 2005

As the dynamic chief executive of Incisive Media takes over as chairman of PPA Professional, Magazine News takes a look at the remarkable growth of the company he founded, the company’s transition from a print-based business to rich data built around core brands, and Weller’s views of the future.

Let's get digital
01 Dec 2005

Business and professional publishers have long recognised the benefit and necessity of publishing a website - although the debate continues to rage about how to best monetise it. The replication of entire magazines online however, although in its infancy, could present an exciting, cost-effective and profitable opportunity for those willing to go digital. Toby Hicks reports.

The professionals
01 Dec 2005

87 per cent of decision makers use business-to-business publications regularly for work purposes. Why then has the B2B sector suffered something of an identity crisis when compared to consumer publishers? Lucy Fairclough outlines PPA’s recent activities to promote the professional media sector. The campaign includes a rebrand, the launch of www.professionalmedia.info, and a new print and online ad campaign.

Campaign boosts sales by 40 per cent
01 Jul 2005

Emotionally powerful visuals and copy that cut to the heart of the issue made GlaxoSmithKline’s 2004 ReQuip campaign the judges choice for Best campaign, pharmaceutical, chemical and agricultural at the Business advertising excellence awards 2005. Lucy Fairclough reports.

Mission accomplished?
01 Jul 2005

The challenge of creative never goes away according to Jakko Alanko, managing director of McCann Erickson Business Communications (pictured). However there is a new sense of mission, he says, in the professional media sector, where agencies, advertisers and publishers are working together to create effective business communication that goes beyond the page. Toby Hicks reports.

Connecting a £13bn business
01 Apr 2005

The business information industry is a £13bn sector, according to a draft report of a new survey commissioned by the Business Information Forum (BIF) and carried out by NOP Business.

Jane’s, planes and automobiles
01 Apr 2005

With clients in 194 countries and offices worldwide, including London, DC, Singapore, Tokyo and Sydney, Jane’s Information Group has moved on a lot since Fred T. Jane first sat down to annotate the details of the world's fighting ships. Lucy Fairclough goes behind the scenes at Jane’s following the group’s recent rebranding.