OpenSystems Media has launched a series of “Co-Sponsored E-mags”, which are designed primarily for lead generation. Initially these publications will target the following industries, although there is a promise that other markets will be addressed if there is sufficient demand from advertisers:
- April: Internet of Things (Circulation: 40,000)
- May: Automotive (Circulation: 27,000)
- June: Unmanned Systems (Circulation: 32,000)
- August: Medical (Circulation: 37,000)
- September: ARM, SSD (Circulation: 40,000)
- October: Open Hardware/DIY Boards (Circulation: 30,000)
The Co-Sponsored E-mags will be promoted in E-letters, on OpenSystems Media websites, and on the Apple Newsstand for an entire year. A variety of sponsorship options are available, ranging from simply paying for placement of an article to packages involving video, lead information and front cover imagery. The economics of the titles seem very well thought out, as OpenSystems Media claims that only three sponsors are required to make each issue viable.
This is an interesting development, providing a half-way house between custom publishing (OpenSystems Media has already created custom magazines for Intel, Wind River and ARM) and conventional publishing. It does, however, represent the continuing trend that more and more editorial content will be paid for, something that will inevitably lead to a decrease in editorial quality if the process isn’t carefully controlled.