TAKEAWAY: When it comes to the economics of the tablet, any conversation about the subject and the strategies to consider to turn up the revenue are dizzying at best. Now we get some figures that tell us that the subscription cash register may be ringing at last.
Optimism in latest figures
According to new stats from Adobe, tablet-magazine readers are engaged, have long attention spans, and most importantly, actually pay for content. Based on information from the 600 publishers that are using its Adobe Digital Publishing Suite (DPS) to produce tablet content. the study also revealed valuable information about how tablet information is consumed, especially by magazine readers:
—The cash register doesn’t appear to be scaring off customers used to getting things for free. Adobe found 68 percent of tablet readers were paying for their reading material
—Tablet publications keep readers’ attention, with 56 percent of DPS content being read for 25 minutes to 2.5 hours each month.
—Nine percent of readers spend up to 5 hours a month reading tablet publications. One of the reasons for these un-Internet-like attention spans might be interactivity.
Let’s hear it for those pop up moments
Interactivity seems to be the magic word here, not that we are surprised.
Ever since we began to write those iPad Lab segments here in TheMarioBlog, we have been advocating for the need to have more of those pop ups appear in news apps. The finger wants to do things, along with the eyes and the brain.
This latest study from Adobe seems to add more power to that statement.
We are currently advancing with our EyeTrack project at The Poynter Institute for Media Studies. The 2012 EyeTrack will be devoted entirely to how users read news on their tablets. I am happy to be collaborating on this project with a terrific team that includes Sara Quinn (who directs it), Dave Stanton, managing developer at Smart Media Creative, and Jeremy Gilbert , assistant professor of Media Product Design, Medill Northwestern University, who work closely on developing the research models. Together, we are creating the “news app” which users will see. No research is perfect, and it is difficult to incorporate all that the industry is telling us to seek answers for. However, the Poynter EyeTrack study promises to provide direction and guidance in key areas such as navigation, gesturing and the importance of interactivity.
Something to look forward to, but the Adobe news that the cash register is ringing is great to have as we continue with our research at Poynter.
Stay tuned.
Of related interest
#Paywalls12: Increasing subscription revenue through digital product development
http://www.themediabriefing.com/article/2012-02-22/Increasing-subscription-revenue-through-digital-product-development
– Washington Post Launches Personalized News Aggregator Personal Post
http://www.mediabistro.com/10000words/washington-post-personal-post_b11226
– ProJo begins charging for digital content
http://www.newsandtech.com/dateline/article_5d569aea-6182-11e1-a8a2-001871e3ce6c.html
– Suburban Papers Aim for Digital Ad Lead
http://www.netnewscheck.com/article/2012/02/26/17177/suburban-papers-aim-for-digital-ad-lead
Oh, no, Uggie, don’t retire yet…….
Our Europe correspondent, Frank Deville, sends this page from Germany’s Bild today: highlighting, in its people page, the so called retirement of Uggie, the star doggie who has become everyone’s favorite, especially now that the film in which he stars, The Artist, garnished a best picture Oscar.
But Uggie’s trainer claims that the 10-year-old is “tired” so you are not likely to see Uggie on another film soon.
Or, maybe you will. You know how it is with stars, who announce retirements, only to appear, and reappear, and re-reappear again!
We wait for your comeback, Uggie. We are fans.
Great marketing for the iPad…..
The irreverent Bild also publishes in today’s edition this photo taken of the Finance Minister playing Sudoku on his iPad allegedly while a debate of major consequence was taking place.
I am sure that the guys at Apple are happy to see how this effective marketing/advertising comes just in time before the March 7 unveiling of the iPad 3, where everything, including playing Sudoku may be easier and more fun, we are told.