As MD of Dennis Interactive, Pete Wootton understands more than anyone the importance of multi-channel publishing. The integration of the Dennis portfolio across a number of channels is something he has worked on since the very beginning. Here he speaks to Figaro about some of the challenges he has overcome in his role, his thoughts on how the iPad is a game changer for the industry and how data transactions have become such a valuable asset to the business.
Dennis Publishing, a world leading independent publisher, puts the brand at the heart of everything it does. Once a traditional print publisher, now a multi-platform content provider, Dennis focuses on giving its readers what they want, when they want it.
Wootton has been with Dennis since the mid 90s and has had an integral role in the company’s evolution having initially set up the original sales team back in the dot com boom, growing alongside the company ever since. Having realised the potential of the World Wide Web from an early stage, Dennis paved the way in adopting a digital way of thinking.
The integrated approach that Wootton and his team have in place today is somewhat different from the digital divisions that were in place 14 years ago. The Dennis brands now span across a number of different channels and this progression has been a journey within itself.
One of Wootton's first challenges in 2006, when he became MD of Dennis Interactive, was to reintegrate the editorial teams back into the Dennis brands. The integration process was a learning phase but the value of it soon became clear. “Suddenly we had hot topics that were being established and discussed online that we could use as cover topics for our print publications,” recalls Wootton. It was these simple, yet effective, benefits that facilitated the company's ongoing growth into digital.
Today Dennis has over 50 print titles, websites, e-zines and mobile platforms. But is multi-channel publishing simply about recreating content on different platforms in an easy and non-exhaustive way, or does each channel serve its own unique purpose? Wootton argues that it’s definitely not just about re-creating content. “Each channel has its own purpose and therefore requirements and readers/users expect a different experience and mix of content on each platform. Traditional magazine publishers were caught cold when pure plays entered the digital space and upped the game.”
Distributing the Dennis brands seamlessly across both on and offline hasn’t been a simple task and Wootton and his team have been faced with a number of internal challenges; who manages the brand in which domain and how is the content best monetised if going from print to online?
These types of predicaments are something Dennis faces on an ongoing basis. Taking a traditional print business and transforming it into a multi-channel content provider isn't something that happens overnight, it's a continuous effort. Wootton uses Darwin's Theory of Evolution to emphasise this, "It took Darwin months, years, to fully deliver his concept but we tend to forget this and think of it as almost instantaneous.”
Digital is evolving at a hasty pace but this doesn't mean you should jump straight in there, head first. "It's all about the process when working in digital, trial and error is key." An interesting showcase of this practice is Dennis' digital mens mag, Monkey Magazine.
Monkey
Monkey has just had its 200th issue but Wootton can still recall the first issue from four years ago. "For the first issue of Monkey we ran to 52 pages, as we would if it was a print title with covers, but it wasn't until after the launch that we realised how we had naturally assumed this format being so familiar with working in print." A learning curve all the same, Monkey has since grown to become one of the most successful digital magazine available on the market today.
Its recently launched iPad app only adds to its success. The free app which became available on the app store last month offers a mixture of models, music, fashion and games - be sure to check out the ‘The First Laugh’ section for some office amusement. Wootton comments, "We were one of the first companies to embrace digital editions. We have reached a different audience to just a traditional print or web product and that audience is considerably more engaged - in terms of time spent with the products, activity (watching video, entering comps, polls etc) and how they respond to advertising."
Launching a brand like Monkey into the online space and then into the tablet market isn't something that should be approached light-heartedly. As Wootton previously mentioned, distributing content over multiple platforms isn't as straightforward as cloning content from one platform to another. Each channel should have its own objective and this is no stronger for any other channel than it is for the tablet market.
"Choose your tech partners very carefully. It’s the Wild West out there at the moment with everyone jumping on the bandwagon to produce apps and with very varying quality! Also remember it’s a new type of usability, printed titles don’t work well if simply ported across but not all titles will warrant the extra content and resource required to produce a fully functioning iPad edition. Choose a strategy which allows both."
The revolutionary aspect of the iPad is that it allows the market to re-evaluate the paid vs. free content model but what must be considered here is that for B2C products, who's going to pay for content that can be accessed elsewhere for free? Wootton and his team have therefore shifted their focus toward non-advertising revenues.
"Our ‘transaction’ on our sites is collecting data by identifying key opportunities on each brand when the consumer has an incentive to part with their data (e.g. comments, competitions, saving shortlists or comparisons etc.) The data can then be used to make ads more effective, to cross promote our products, for retail and so forth." Wootton is currently working on this with the IT Pro title and is looking to eventually role out the strategy across the whole portfolio.
'Brand extensions' is another area Wootton is concentrating on. Take Bizarre for example, an alternative culture publication that originated in print format and expanded online. The Bizarre online Community offers a forum where users can post ideas and comment which in turn can drive awareness and interest to offline activities, extending the brand’s reach.
CarBuyer
This month has seen the launch of a new product for Dennis, the CarBuyer website. The online portal is aimed at those looking to buy a new car and acts as a central hub of information bringing together reviews, video and buying guides.
"Car buying has changed forever. People research online and decide which car to buy and the showroom has now become about the transaction not information," insists Wootton. "Search is at the heart of this process which the huge growth in car search terms demonstrates."
The site has been built from the ground up with two main principles: user led design and pure internet principles. "We surveyed and tested the site with over 6,000 car buyers during development and we believe we have a design and usability that fulfils the requirements of a broad spectrum of consumers."
"We also listened to their requirements and used sites like Trip Advisor and Amazon as reference points rather than our competitors. So for example we include review summaries from competitive sites and link to them – unheard of from a traditional publisher ‘never promote your competitors’ mentality, but it’s what the users want! We really believe we have built a game changing site for this sector."
Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of CarBuyer is that it has the potential to provide the complete antithesis of Dennis' digital journey, from traditional print publisher to online content provider. When asked if CarBuyer could evolve from an online brand to a traditional print format Wootton comments, "Absolutely. The site has been built so that we can easily output the content into printed form which would be the perfect full circle. There is still a vibrant print market for car buying information and we are keen to capitalise on that."
The Future
If Dennis' vision is to continue giving users/readers the content they want, when they want it, how will this evolve and what form will the printed word take in ten years? Wootton can only wish he knew the answer but insists, "The iPad is clearly a game changer but it’s very early days and we should be cautious about drawing too many conclusions on the consumption patterns of a few (mainly affluent) consumers thus far."
For now Wootton and his team are set on global expansion; the logical next step. "We have launched KnowYourMobile into India and the US and have a US Hispanic site in development. ITPRO.in also launched last month. We have plans for at least 3 other international launches next year which solidifies our commitment to international growth."
Emma Robson
Figaro Digital
www.dennis.co.uk