Not Quite the Winds of Change, But the Breeze Has Begun to Blow…

Circulation Management, May 1, 2003

Big changes are usually slow to come along. It's difficult to delve into the new and unknown when we're enveloped in familiar, established practices. So we found with our cover story this month. We set out with this issue of CM to bring you insights into a range of viable new subscription sources outside the realm of direct mail. Amid the furor over declining response rates - more sharply on the B-to-B side of the market than among consumer books - it seemed fitting to take a look at alternatives to the U.S. postal system for magazine source development. Fact is, we barely scratched the surface of the sources topic when it became evident that not only is there no single significant source, there are very few new sources of any kind. Direct mail remains the sweetheart of magazine circulators, and the standard by which all other sources are measured.

Although the many circulators we spoke with for the story were eager to share their experiences with generating new subscribers via email, subscription agents and partnerships, for the majority, direct mail still reigns as the most targeted and controllable source.

In a way, that's good news. If direct mail still delivers, why not continue to use it? At the same time, many of you told us you have been testing alternate sources, and we wouldn't be a bit surprised if when we revisit the topic in a year or two, there's progress to report.

Speaking of changes, we have a few to report on the circulation industry news front. First, many of you have read by now that executives involved in a deal we reported on in the January issue of CM have finalized their agreement - AMREP Corp., parent of Kable Fulfillment Services, has acquired EDS. The $10 million move means the industry is now served by a mere three major fulfillment houses: Kable, Communications Data Services and Palm Coast Data. We also take a detailed look at how the industry views the Time Inc./AOL initiative to limit access to the publisher's popular magazine Web sites to AOL members or magazine buyers. If Time Inc. is successful in this endeavor, it may encourage more magazine consumer marketers to either restrict access to paying subscribers or charge for selected content "behind the curtain."

One final note on the topic of change. Many of you probably noticed a new face on the editor's page of this issue of CM. After many years of her accomplished stewardship of the magazine, Karlene Lukovitz has moved on to a new chapter in her professional career, and I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to join your inner circle. I've already spoken to many of you in putting together this issue, and am looking forward to meeting even more of you at the CM Conference & Expo this month. So far, I've found the circulation community one of the warmest, most welcoming groups I've ever dealt with.

As the new kid on the block, I want to acknowledge the highly dedicated and capable senior editorial staff of CM - general editor Barbara Love and senior editor Marybeth Luczak. Much of the credit for the issue you're holding in your hands goes to Barbara and Marybeth, both of whom have welcomed me into their fold and begun to share with me their unflagging passion for issues shaping the circulation market - their market, your market, and now, our market. Together, we look forward to bringing you more of the same high-quality, thought-provoking content you've come to rely on in these pages each month. I welcome your feedback on how we're doing.

Write to us at cmedit@primediabusiness.com or P.O. Box 4235, Stamford, CT 06907-0235, or call (203) 358-4285.