What’s Their Secret? Key Elements for Successful Web Publishing Formats

Erik Stevens (Phaff & Partners B.V.), Antoine van den Berg (Next Level Consult)

11:35am Monday, 02/11/2008

Broadway North

Presentation: What’s Their Secret? Key Elements for Successful Web Publishing Formats Presentation [PPT]

How can publishers successfully earn money with publishing on the Internet? Which elements are crucial aspects of successful business model(s) for online publishing formats?

Now that offline publications (books, magazines, newspapers) are facing a declining turnover, the search for new revenue streams is a daily concern. But the questions are not easily answered, not in the least because target groups expect information delivered online to be free, even if this is enriched by paid professionals.

In a study commissioned by the Dutch government (The Netherlands Press Fund), 10 online publishing initiatives were analyzed, with some part of a cross media publishing strategy. The findings resulted in a diagnostic instrument dissecting the value proposition, the value chain, core competences, marketing strategies, distribution channels, and financial consequences. Publishers can use this instrument to review their current internet publishing activities and, on the basis of the diagnosis, decide to revitalize their online titles or to change their strategy altogether.

Erik Stevens

Phaff & Partners B.V.

Erik Stevens is social psychologist by training (University of Amsterdam, 1983). He started his career as freelance journalist for several special interest magazines. In 1985 he started working as management consultant and trainer. Projects were in the field of quality control, organizational improvement, and management/leadership. Since 1989 he has been focused on the publishing and printing industry, working on strategic, commercial and organizational matters for publishers of newspapers, magazines and professional information. Besides consultant and interim manager, he is also active as researcher, mainly in projects commissioned by public and/or private bodies. The most recent research project was commissioned by the Netherlands Press Fund, a governmental advisory board. The project ‘Internet 2.0 & business models for publishers’ is the basis for his contribution to the TOC conference 2008.

Web site

Antoine van den Berg

Next Level Consult

Antoine van den Berg has a Masters degree in Business Administration (University of Groningen, 1988). After his graduation he started to work for a Dutch printer who has been one of the leading innovators in prepress and publishing technology back. Since then he has been working in the area of prepress, publishing and information technology. In 1997 he joined GrafiData Group and soon after joined the board of that company as Vice-President Sales and Marketing. End of 2006 he decided to start his own consultancy business: Next Level, aimed at the publishing and graphics industry and specialized in IT, (Online) Marketing and (Online) Publishing. Currently he is doing several projects on IT architecture, online marketing, business strategy and IT alignment. Antoine is also a lecturer at the HAN University.