Monthly Archives: April 2011

E-book Sales Top Paperbacks For First Time

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By Julianne Pepitone, staff reporter  April 15, 2011: 2:42 PM ET

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — The publishing tide is shifting fast: E-book sales in February topped all other formats, including paperbacks and hardcovers, according to an industry report released this week.

E-book sales totaled $90.3 million in February, up 202% compared to the same month a year earlier, according to a study from the Association of American Publishers. That put e-books at No. 1 “among all categories of trade publishing” that month — the first time e-books have beaten out traditional publishing formats.

But an AAP representative noted that the report comes with some big caveats. First, the net sales data are compiled from publishers, not from book retailers like Barnes & Noble. Publishers submit that data voluntarily, and some choose not to do so.

“It’s not 100%, top to bottom, every single book out there,” said AAP spokeswoman Andi Sporkin. “But it’s a really good snapshot of what’s going on.”

The AAP report attributed February’s strong numbers to a post-holiday e-book buying surge by consumers who received e-readers devices as gifts.

Back in January, Amazon (AMZN, Fortune 500) reported that its own e-book sales topped paperbacks. Its Kindle largely paved the way for the dedicated e-reader market.

Beyond the Kindle, other e-readers include the Barnes & Noble (BKS, Fortune 500) Nook, the Sony (SNE) Reader, and Borders’ Kobo. Apple’s iPad is also driving digital book sales.

Those devices are changing the way booksellers view the industry. Earlier this month, Barnes & Noble executive Marc Parrish forecast that traditional book retailers have just two years to adapt to an e-book-centric industry.

“The book business is changing more radically now, and quicker, than movies or music or newspapers have, because we’re doing it in a matter of months,” Parrish said at GigaOm’s Structure Big Data conference in New York. “[The] next 24 months is when this business will totally shift.” To top of page

Trend Toward Custom Content Mirrors Quest For Relevance

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A survey, conducted in conjunction with Roper GfK,  confirms content management officers (CMOs) in major industry sectors, including healthcare, technology, finance, retail, communications and insurance, are embracing custom content more than ever.

Here are a few highlights from the survey:

  • More than 8 in 10 (83%) say they are receptive toward using custom content in their marketing plans, representing a 16 point increase since the last study.
  • Almost 9 in 10 CMOs say they see value in the service provided by custom content, representing a 15 point increase from 2006.
  • More than 9 in 10 CMOs believe that custom content has a positive effect on    audience attitudes, strengthening the bond with consumers.
  • 9 in 10 say that they believe a majority of consumers find useful information in custom media and 85% believe that consumers who receive custom content will be more likely to buy from the sponsoring company again.
  • A majority of CMOs believe that custom media will capture a larger proportion of marketing budgets over the next couple of years.  Fifty-nine percent report having shifted marketing funds away from traditional advertising in the last year toward custom content, representing an 18 point increase from 2006.
  • Close to half (47%) strongly agree, and 91% strongly/somewhat agree that custom content should be an integral part of the marketing mix for any business.  84% strongly/somewhat agree that custom content represents the future of marketing.

 

For more information on the Custom Content Council, please visit www.customcontentcouncil.com.

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