Business News

Digital Editions Champion the Cause of Green Publishing

Wednesday 02. April 2008 - Greener than online content; more powerful than a printed page ... digital editions are rescuing the often- maligned publishing industry while giving readers what they want, when they want it.

Imagine a magazine without those little cards that fall on the floor. It’s not unusual for a publisher to generate a million cards to secure a thousand subscribers. Now blow-in cards can be created electronically, along with wrappers, offers and renewal notices.

Texterity, Inc., a leader in digital publishing solutions, creates, maintains and tracks more than 800 digital magazines, catalogs, books and whitepapers. Its Published Web Format turns the printed page into a vivid web replica, true-to-style but highly interactive, enriched with music, video, advertiser and social media links.

“Many clients offer digital as a companion to print,” says Cimarron Buser, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Business Development for Texterity. “National Geographic’s Green Guide and Next Steps Greenlight recently went digital. NextScreen’s Winding Road and Playback are published as digital-only. We see both consumer and trade publishers using digital solutions to brand their green niche.”

Beyond saving trees, Anita Erickson, Vice President of Marketing for NextScreen says her company uses digital publishing to help readers live a greener lifestyle.

“Links to products and resources within the magazines allow them to browse, compare, and buy from their desktops, minimizing their need to get into the car to go shopping,” Erickson says.

Jim Ziegler, Circulation Manager for Penton’s Natural Food Merchandiser and Functional Ingredients, agrees: “Digital delivery demonstrates a commitment to our audience and advertisers. By providing a green alternative to print, we show that we value what is important to them. A digital edition demonstrates that they — and we — are serious about conserving resources. Our tag line really sums it up: ‘Eco friendly; always on time.'”

Readers can enjoy Texterity’s editions using a standard web browser on any computer or iPhone and iPod touch. Content can be quickly searched, saved, or shared. For publishers, integrated circulation systems, audit-compliant reporting, and an opportunity to sell digital space are added benefits.

Best of all — there’s virtually no carbon footprint: no paper or ink for production … no plastic bags, postage or fuel consumption for delivery … no returns or recycling to clog our landfills.

When Texterity conducted a survey of digital readers last year in cooperation with BPA Worldwide, 52% of respondents said that being environmentally friendly was one of the top three reasons they read digitally.