AAN News

Coast Publishing Acquires Duly Noted Wedding Magazine

Coast Publishing Limited has purchased Duly Noted Wedding Guide, and will be expanding it immediately, printing 50% more copies and making them available at more distribution points. The first issue under Coast Publishing ownership will appear November 4, 2010. (FULL STORY)
Coast Publishing  |  07-20-2010  10:59 am  |  Press Releases

Willamette Week Cover Leads to Comic Book Deal for Artistnew

Lukas Ketner -- whose Barack Obama illustration graced the cover of Willamette Week's 2008 endorsement issue -- says in the New York Times that he received "a lot of mileage" out of the cover, eventually leading to the launch of a comic book, 'Witch Doctor,' which will be released during this week's Comic-Con.
New York Times  |  07-19-2010  12:57 pm  |  Industry News

Welcome to the New AltWeeklies.com

AAN has launched a new dynamic website that merges the association's trade site (aan.org) and story-sharing site (AltWeeklies.com) into one content-heavy arena for both AAN members and the general public. (FULL STORY)
AAN  |  07-12-2010  3:47 pm  |  Association News

East Bay Express' 2010 Best of the East Bay Party

On August 6, the East Bay Express celebrates its winners of the 2010 Best of the East Bay readers’ poll and editors’ picks all along the Jack London Square waterfront. Over 20,000 guests are expected to attend and salute the best ideas, products and services that are borne out of the East Bay region. (FULL STORY)
East Bay Express Press Release  |  07-06-2010  10:06 pm  |  Press Releases

Senior Advertising Executive Named CL Charlotte Associate Publisher

Wendy Goldstein, a senior advertising executive with McClatchy Newspapers, has been named Associate Publisher of Creative Loafing Charlotte. As Associate Publisher, Goldstein will be responsible for all sales, marketing, and business functions of CL Charlotte, the Carolinas’ largest city weekly and Charlotte’s leading source of information about the arts, entertainment, dining, and other aspects of city life. (FULL STORY)
Creative Loafing Press Release  |  07-06-2010  11:13 am  |  Press Releases

Publisher Says Chicago Reader Will "Push" Line Between Editorial and Advertising

More details have come to light on the CL, Inc. decision to fire long-time Chicago Reader editor Alison True. Speaking to senior editor Michael Miner -- who on Friday described True's firing as a "tragic misjudgment" -- Reader publisher Alison Draper indicated that the paper's next editor will be expected to collaborate more often with the business side:
"The editor of the Reader," said Draper, "has to work closely with sales to find innovative ways to take our fair share of the dollars that are shrinking and shrinking quickly." She promised me that she wouldn't "blur" the line between editorial and advertising, but she would "push" it. The distinction was clearer to her than it was to me.
Miner goes on to explain that True was fired at a Starbucks after the paper's Best of Chicago issue came out. It was, Miner says, the "fattest, most successful issue in years, a triumph True and Draper should have been sharing in." (FULL STORY)
Chicago Reader  |  06-29-2010  5:53 pm  |  Industry News

Bartash Acquires New Tensor Web Press

Market Leader Increases capacity to meet growing demand (FULL STORY)
Bartash Printing Press Release  |  06-28-2010  11:43 am  |  Press Releases

Early Registration Deadline for Toronto Approaches

Members and non-members have until the end of the day tomorrow, Friday, June 25 to receive the early registration discount for AAN's 33rd Annual Convention in Toronto. The discounted rate for members and associate members is $325 per person, and the discounted rate for non-members is $425 per person. Both rates will increase by $50 per person after Friday night.

In addition, when three representatives from the same member paper sign up, that paper will get a fourth registration free of charge. This offer will remain valid after the early registration deadline.

Click here to register online.

As of today, June 24, the Hilton Toronto still has a very limited number of rooms available at AAN's discounted rate of $139.00 (CAD) per night. Click here to reserve a room at AAN's group rate and contact the AAN office if you encounter any difficulty obtaining the group rate through their site.

READ MORE (FULL STORY)
AAN  |  06-24-2010  7:28 pm  |  Association News

Can a Redesign Boost the Bottom Line?

Ron Reason's recent redesign of Creative Loafing (Atlanta) was a bold articulation of the notion that any redesign effort should consider the question of revenue. His fresh treatment of alt-weekly mainstays such as the adult classifieds -- rebranded as "wink*" in Atlanta -- and use of creative advertising concepts like peel-away ads are just two examples of how a redesign can "give advertisers a reason to be excited about print again."

Can a similar approach work for your paper?

Reason will be in Toronto to provide a peek into the Atlanta alt-weekly's makeover and share tips on how to approach the overhaul of your print product, including the often overlooked task of incorporating your sales team into the process. Ron Reason is a visiting faculty member at The Poynter Institute and a design consultant who has assisted a variety of newspapers and magazines across the globe in rethinking the visual aspects of advertising.

"I always advise clients: why just switch fonts? Why not redesign for growth?" Reason explained on his blog. His session will leave you with plenty of ideas on how to lure in new clients with innovative marketing offerings that blend seamlessly with editorial content to create a finished product that advertisers will want to be a part of.
AAN  |  06-23-2010  5:38 pm  |  Association News

What is the 'Secret Weapon' of Alt-Weeklies?

Culture maven Patricia Martin says that in addition to being technologically savvy, the next generation of consumers is politically aware, hungry for knowledge, and are attracted towards brands that project authenticity.

All of this, Martin says, augurs well for alt-weeklies, which -- unlike mainstream media -- are uniquely positioned to capitalize on these trends.

"Some media outlets are doomed if they don't read the cultural trends," Martin says. "But independents have a secret weapon, they just need to optimize it."

The highly sought after keynote speaker and author of Renaissance Generation: The Rise of the Cultural Consumer and What it Means to Your Business, Patricia Martin will explain why she's bullish on the future of alt-media during an afternoon session at AAN's convention next month. Her award-winning consulting firm LitLamp Communications uses culture to connect brands with communities of consumers; and in Toronto she will demonstrate how alt-weeklies can use the lessons she's learned to create "emotional bonds" with their readers that will translate back to advertising dollars.

Martin's spot-on appraisal of the current cultural transition will be the final session on Friday, July 16, and is guaranteed to give convention attendees plenty to talk about as the evening's festivities commence.
AAN  |  06-21-2010  8:41 pm  |  Association News

Record Crowd Shows Up For Westword Music Showcasenew

Over 11,000 people attended the sixteenth annual Westword Music Showcase in Denver over the weekend. It was the highest attendance in the history of the annual event, of which Westword's Dave Herrera said is "like Denver's answer to South By Southwest."
Westword  |  06-21-2010  2:03 pm  |  Industry News

2.2 Billion Digital Media Users By 2011new

A new report by Ernst & Young says that declining per-unit prices of digital content will be counteracted by the rapid increase in overall digital media consumers. As a result, "revenue potential from the Internet and mobile devices [will] be key for big gains."
MediaPost  |  06-21-2010  11:02 am  |  Industry News

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