Austrian advertising awards
Readers of Technik Report, Elektronik Report and Dispo will be voting in the advertising awards run by Weka Austria. You'll need to buy an advert in the relevant issue, but the awards will provide good feedback on how well your adverts are perceived by the audience. A flyer describing the awards (in German) is available online.
Elektor celebrates 50th anniversary
Congratulations to Elektor, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this month. The magazine started in April 1961, and was initially called ‘Elektronica wereld’ (Electronics World). In 1965 the name changed from ‘Elektronica wereld’ into Elektuur.
Over the years the magazine has expanded internationally, launching German (1970), English (1975), and French (1978) editions (named Elektor). In October 2007, the Dutch edition also rebranded as Elektor.
Recently Spanish and a US English editions of Elektor have launched.
Publishing is a challenging business, and I've enormous respect for the team at Elektor, who were one of the initial sources of inspiration that made me choose a career as an engineer, and continue to inspire and educate engineers today.
TechMedia launches dedicated Danish electronics site
TechMedia A/S, publishers of aktuel elektronik and Elektronik Nyt, has launched a new site dedicated to electronics design, Elektronik Online. they have also begun a weekly email newsletter, which is distributed every Friday.
The launch of this site has to be a good thing for electronics engineers, and with editorial content being provided by the larger-than life toy train aficionado, Rolf Sylvester-Hvid, as well as Allan Malmberg, there will be some great content that is going to be welcomed by Danish engineers.
What do corporate slogans achieve?
Corporate slogans are very much in fashion, but as Seth Godin points out they're usually meaningless and generally ignored. Seth thinks corporate slogans simply show the company's size:
It's a signal, a sign that the company is big, that it's able to waste time dreaming this stuff up and waste money yelling about it.
This is all very well, but I'd like to think that great slogans can do much more. One of my favourite is "Building brands, one story at a time" which is a great description of what HB, an agency in the USA with whom we have partnered several times, actually does for clients. Perhaps it's time for the Napier creative team to start work on our new corporate slogan?
New Bulgarian publication for energy industry
TTL Media, publishers of the Bulgarian title Energy Review, have launched a new publication, Energy Info BG. Available online and as an annual printed catalogue, Energy Info BG provides a catalogue of the companies supplying products and services for the energy sector in Bulgaria, including renewable energy and energy efficiency equipment and service providers.
It's always good to see new launches, and particularly pleasing that publishers believe they can make money outside the main European countries. With the energy market likely to show some of the biggest growth potential, I'm not surprised that TTL Media and others are launching publications to serve this dynamic sector.
Peak boosts frequency
The economy must be getting better - print magazines are increasing frequency!
I was delighted to hear that Peak Magazine has increased its print frequency to six issue per year. It's great to see magazines having the confidence to produce more issues, and I'm sure that Norwegian engineers will also benefit from more of the great information provided by this publication.
Electronic Components switches back to ASA Media
Electronic Components Russia will be represented by ASA Media from January 2011. With a reduced portfolio of publications, Alastair Swift should have more time to devote to the Russian publication, so hopefully the return to a partnership with ASA will drive an increase in sales.
UK publisher launches Chinese title
Energy Storage Publishing will launch a Chinese version of BEST (Batteries and Energy Storage Technology) magazine, starting with the November issue. This comes after a trial where A taste of BEST was distributed in China to over 3000 people.
The new publication will be printed on a quarterly basis in Chinese Mandarin with English abstracts and will have a circulation of "more than 3000". With China now the largest battery producing nation, each issue is expected to run for at least 60 pages.
It's always good to see new publications, particularly when a publisher feels confident enough to launch a print magazine. With battery technology a key part of any portable product, I'd expect this title to go from strength to strength.
Rolf takes over at Elektronik Nyt
The well known Danish editor and toy train aficionado, Rolf Sylvester-Hvid.has taken over the editor duties at Elektronik Nyt. Rolf also continues to hold his editor role at TechMedia’s other electronics title, Aktuel Elektronik.
Elektroniktidningnen recruits sales manager for local advertisers
You’ll sometimes hear the comment that publications in Sweden and Finland exist only to allow overseas companies to sell to the big customers in the region such as Nokia, Ericsson, ABB and Saab. It’s not true – at least according to Electroniktidningen, who has appointed Anne-Charlotte Sparrvik as sales manager for the region.
This has to be good news, reflecting the view of the publication that the market is recovering. Perhaps more interestingly they also cite a rapid growth in online advertising, which local clients have adopted in growing numbers over the last six months.
It’s great to see ETN doing so well, and from my point of view I’m delighted to be able to post such a positive story on Napier News after a fairly depressing time in the industry.
National Electronics Week South Africa attracts 1700 visitors
It sounds like the first National Electronics Week South Africa proved to be a very successful event, with 1700 visitors attending over the two days. This is an impressive number, given the size of the industry in South Africa. The organisers also managed to sell out all exhibition space, ensuring that the event was not only successful, but presumably pretty profitable: not a bad achievement for the first year of a show in the current environment!
Call for papers – Embedded Conference Scandinavia
The fifth annual Embedded Conference Scandinavia will be held on 19th to 20th October, and the organisers have issued a call for papers. Proposals are invited that cover hardware design, system development, software implementation or a project case study. Submit your proposal to Lars Johan Larsson before 15th May to ensure you have a chance to participate!
EP&Dee goes digital
EP&Dee (Electronic Products & Design Eastern Europe) has added digital distribution and has started a push to grow its digital circulation. The title currently has a circulation of just over 6000, and the move to digital will help increase this without the high cost of print and postage that is incurred with international distribution. It will be interesting to see how the publication develops – the title is probably the only one to establish a significant footprint across several Eastern European countries, and the digital edition should grow this significantly, as well as allowing growth beyond its current reach across South Eastern Europe.
Optimism amongst event organisers
With Embedded World only a week away, it was great to get some positive news about a couple of events. The Embedded Masterclass has more workshops planned for 2010 than last year, they have moved the southern leg of the event to the new Hilton at Reading because they needed more space, and the organisers tell me they think they may even exceed last year’s record attendee numbers.
Engineers in Scandinavia are looking forward to a new event, S.E.E. (Scandinavian Electronics Event), which will be held in Stockholm from 13th to 15th April 2010. The event is planned to be held every two years, and I’m delighted that there are still event organisers prepared to create new shows.
It looks like the first S.E.E. will be a success as the organisers tell me that around 250 companies will be exhibiting! They also have some great new ideas for the show, including areas where stands are not allowed to have high separating walls, creating a very open environment. They have also chosen to place seminars and special exhibitions and displays right in the middle of the show, on an “activity street” that cuts through the middle of the exhibition. Putting the seminars and activities that draw visitors in the middle of the hall is really important to draw people past the exhibition stands, and can only help increase the meetings on exhibitors’ stands.
ART running IPC instructor-level training at NEW South Africa
It’s great to see our friends at Advanced Rework Technology (ART) will be running IPC training at National Electronics Week SA 2010.
Editor interview – Paul Whytock, Electronic Design Europe
ED Europe is a purely digital publication. So does this mean print is dead?
Absolutely not. In my opinion print publications will never be redundant. We humans read for many reasons such as pleasure, education, information-gathering and business requirements and for many people there is considerable enjoyment in reading a well-written, well-designed magazine or newspaper that is traditionally printed. There is also for some a desire to own well-produced books that perhaps form part of a personal collection.
I see no future print scenario that will emulate Ray Bradbury’s novel, Fahrenheit 451. ....now there’s a book worth owning.
From a B2B information perspective I think traditional print and electronic media can co-exist. The only proviso I would mention is that free circulation B2B print publications face sharply escalating costs on paper, printing and postage and therefore it is financially logical that B2B media companies will increasingly use electronic media to reach existing and new audiences
What are the benefits your readers see from a magazine that is delivered digitally?
Convenient delivery to their computer desktop, easy storage for reference purposes, easy to print if required. Individual pages or the whole thing can be emailed to colleagues, customers, etc.
ED Europe is delivered only as a PDF, whereas most other titles have some online system with animated pages and an option to download a PDF. Why haven’t you offered an online reader?
Unlike many PDF-delivered publications that are really print publications that have been adapted for, or in some cases just shoved onto, computer screens, ED Europe was specifically designed for PDF delivery. This provides numerous advantages for recipients. It opens in a landscape format that fits computer screens. Readers do not have to zoom in to read it or scroll around the page trying to find the story they want. Reader navigation throughout the publication is quick and easy and because of some very smart compression techniques we can produce a 26-page edition with lots of colour graphics that goes out typically as a 3meg file.
Let’s not forget here that ED Europe was created back in 2005 so it’s not unreasonable to call it a pioneering success in digital B2B media terms. It has during that time won three major awards in the USA.
On the subject of Flash-related animations in digital publications Penton Media is fully aware of these and plans to make full use of them.
Can you explain the difference between writing for a print publication and writing for a purely digital title?
In the case of ED Europe, there really is no difference. Because of the way it is designed we can run short news stories, full-length technical features and opinion columns in exactly the same way as a traditional print publication.
Now ask me that question relative to writing directly online and that’s a very different journalistic proposition. Penton Media editors now write directly to websites and the way headlines and other related information is written has to be within certain parameters that suit web journalism.
So we now see a complete Penton Media portfolio where editors write for traditional print, digital and online media
ED Europe launched an HTML email newsletter. Why didn’t you simply create a shorter PDF magazine to cover the news? What are the advantages of the HTML delivery?
Three reasons for that. ED Europe’s NewsLine newsletters provide readers with a fast, convenient, easily absorbed information service. For Penton Media it has created an additional revenue source while also doing the valuable job of driving traffic to our websites.
You have been one of the pioneers of online video in the European electronics industry. Do you see video continuing to grow as a medium in our industry?
Penton Media are committed to online video in a big way and yes I do see the use of video as a B2B communication tool expanding. Penton Media has an Engineering TV department that works in conjunction with publications and editors to produce very high quality professional standard coverage. For me and many of my editorial, colleagues at Penton one of the major video innovations has been the way in which we report on exhibitions. To be able to shoot a three-minute interview with somebody that has been deeply involved in the development of new products and technology and have them explain it directly to our design engineering audiences has to be one of the most immediate and informative ways of communicating complex information.
In addition to our editorially created video coverage Penton Media is now looking at hosting vendor videos on our websites. Conceptually, these are videos produced by companies that want to promote their products and as such can considered as being a modern high-tech form of advertising. Penton Media will be hosting these videos for a fee and the number of weeks/months the video will appear for will depend on the level of fee paid.
What is the one thing you'd like to change about the way companies do PR in the electronics industry?
Generally speaking the successful PR executives and PR agencies do a pretty good job of presenting and distributing information to the media.
But while we are on the subject of PR agencies I will just release one particular bee-from-my-bonnet. PR agencies in a bid to do the best for their clients will often promote the use of editorial columns to publicise the client. And why not? Its a powerful form of promotion that contains that all important credibility ingredient called editorial integrity; although sometimes I wonder, and call me a tad cynical here if you wish, if the real attraction is more to do with the fact that editorial coverage is free.
Without going into a full scale, force 10 rant here let me put the point simply. There are agencies with foresight that appreciate magazines do need advertising income if they are to stay in business. Sadly, there are others that will soak up all the editorial support they can without thinking that in the long-term publications are a business and understandably need to turn a profit or otherwise face closure; a situation that benefits no publicity agencies.
If an industry feels there is a value to having B2B media circulating in its sector then it needs to consider supporting that media with advertising.
And let’s get one thing straight; I am certainly not talking here about a pay-to-play editorial approach. Clearly, that would ultimately denigrate the content of any journal and would not serve the interests of either readers or advertisers. What I am saying is that all industry clients and their agencies should recognise that in the long-term maintaining independent, well written and well produced business media is in everyone’s interests.
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time, when you're not writing about electronics?
Wining and dining with family and friends, travelling in Spain, playing classical Spanish guitar (badly)
What's your favourite gadget?
A corkscrew
New Tech acquires Electronica (Israel)
New-Tech magazine continues its aggressive growth in the Israeli electronics media by purchasing Electronica magazine. The title already reaches an impressive 30K Israeli engineers, and this will further strengthen the title. New Tech Magazines (the publisher) also publishes a military and microwave title, addressing some of the key applications in the Israeli market.
Although this pretty much puts us back to the old situation of two titles in Israel, the acquisition is likely to continue to propel New Tech forward. Although Israel is a small country, the amount of high-technology development in the country is likely to support two publishers, although with a larger circulation, it will be interesting to see if New-Tech Magazine can translate this into a majority of the advertising revenue.
Reed to close EPE
Although not as high-profile as the closure of EPN France, Reed has also announced that they will be closing EPE at the end of the year. Whilst this decision still leaves Spain with a reasonable number of titles – unlike France – this is another disappointing move, particularly as the industry appears to be emerging from the economic downturn.
Industry forecast seminar planned for London and Geneva
Future Horizons has announced that their Industry Forecast Seminar for 2010 will be held at two different locations: London on 26th January 2010 and Geneva, Switzerland on 27th January 2010.
AUTlook to add video coverage of shows
Starting at the SMART Automation show, AUTlook is planning to offer video "highlights" of key shows, as well as the traditional written coverage. Although several electronics titles already publish video interviews, AUTlook is one of the first in the automation sector to do so.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about this move is the pricing: like many publications AUTlook does not treat video in the same way as other editorial content. The magazine has decided to offer the videos at a cost of EUR295 - less than most titles that charge, but still likely to make a decent income with 20-25 videos per show. Personally I think that publications will struggle to charge for editorial videos in the long term, as it will simply be seen as another format. In the near-term, however, I think there should be some reward for pioneering with a new medium, and the fact that the charge is moderate is something that should be applauded.
Chip News takes a break
Chip News (a Russian publication) has stopped publishing, although they hope to restart when the economy improves. They have made the decision only five issues after moving from a print to a CD format. The publishers cite a number of reasons for the decision: logistical problems, technical problems with ads, the expense of mailing and the fact that not as many Russian companies are ready to work with an electronic advertising format.
The decision to switch to an electronic edition of Chip News was made in Feb 2009. The publisher conducted a survey of most of their readers, and received a response from around 1/3. Westerners might be surprised that 95% of respondents requested a CD issue, rather than electronic delivery by email. Despite the clear demand from readers, it's apparent that advertisers have been less enthusiastic. Interestingly the major competitor to Chip News, Electronics and Components has also started to use a CD format, although they have retained a print version.
I'd expect Chip News to roll out an online publication pretty quickly, perhaps even by the end of this year, and hope that this will ensure the brand continues to live on.
D&E to publish case study special issue
Here's a really good idea from "DESIGN&ELEKTRONIK". The magazine will publish a case study special in September 2009, providing design engineers with a range of reference applications and success stories. Although - having worked for both a component manufacturer and distributor - I know the difficulty of getting case studies written and approved by customers, I know how valuable they are in the promotion of both products and support services. I really hope that the special issue convinces some more companies that it is worth putting in the effort with customers to create success stories.
New date for IEF
Maybe things are looking up: Future Horizons has announced a new date for the postponed International Electronics Forum 2009. The event will now be held at The Ramada Encore Hotel, Geneva, Switzerland from 30th September to the 2nd October 2009. Let's hope that this is a sign that they think the market will improve!
Press release "administration charge"
I was very disappointed to see that ElectronicWorld Publishing has decided that
'all press releases are now subject to a €50 charge for administration and handling, unless the client is signed up for our "Platinum PR Subscription"'
I do sympathise with publications that are struggling to make ends meet in the current economic climate, but I'm not sure that turning your site into advertorial content is going to be a sustainable business model. In the past I've written about my disappointment when websites charge for images. Charging for editorial is another step down a very slippery slope.
PR in Russia
Although I guess that we should consider Mediaspray a competitor, I was impressed with Mediaspray's blog about PR in Russia. It's always good to see other agencies sharing their knowledge and expertise. As the company is driven by the same brains behind channel-e, I'm more than happy to give them a plug.