October 31, 2016 | Vol. 69 No. 42 Read more at: minonline.com Top Story: Is Magazine Binging a 'Thing' Yet? The risks and rewards of smorgasbord apps and digi-mags Since the concept of digital magazines surfaced more than a decade ago, it has remained unclear when, where, how and even whether consumers really wanted a print-like experience on digital screens. Zinio, tablet editions and Apple Newsstand all have thrown various business and consumption models at this problem, but they were mired in legacy models of single issue sales or individual title subscriptions. The response has been tepid at best. In recent years, however, Netflix-style, all-you- can-read models from companies like international distributor Magzter and the U.S. magazine publisher joint venture Next Issue/Texture appear to be gaining traction. But are Netflix and Spotify binging behaviors, which are key to this model's success, applicable to magazines? Continued on page 4 Now That's What We Call a Festival Fast Company's second annual Innovation Fest faces off against Forbes On the heels of Forbes' successful Under 30 Summit, Fast Company, a biz brand focused on creativity and innovation, has as- sembled a strong lineup for its upcoming Innovation Festival (November 1-4 in NYC). Speakers range from philanthropist Melinda Gates to AOL CEO Tim Armstrong and late-night host Samantha Bee. Continued on page 2 Good Housekeeping Introduces 'Nutritionist Approved' Seal Good Housekeeping is putting a fresh stamp of approval on food products. Since 1909, the brand has been testing and evalu- ating consumer products to give nonbiased reviews and call out the products it stands behind with the Good Housekeeping Seal. The testing is done at its Good Housekeeping Institute, which has six labs that look at everything from paper towels to vacuums, cleaning products and more. Now its new food and nutrition lab will issue a seal of its own. Continued on page 2 Celebrate The Year's Content and Design Triumphs We hope you'll join us on November 10 for our annual Editorial & Design Awards at The Yale Club in New York City, where we'll acknowledge those whose articles and layouts broke through the clutter this year. We received well over 300 entries, and we'll hand out awards in more than 40 categories, including "Single Magazine Issue" and "Website Redesign." In addition, we will induct seven Editorial and Design superstars into our Hall of Fame. Click for more information. In This Issue GH consults with ELLE Now app gets a Magazine readers Publishers sound Should you work 2 food brands 3 great makeover 4 binge, Netflix-style 5 off on Snapchat 6 with influencers? © 2016 Access Intelligence, LLC. Federal copyright law prohibits unauthorized reproduction by any means and imposes fines of up to $150,000 for violations. minonline.com Fast Company's Innovation Fest (cont'd from page 1) Editorial The festival takes its theme,“Find Your Mission. Deepen Your Purpose,” Editorial Director: Michele Shapiro seriously. In fact, attendees are encouraged to design their own agen- ([email protected]) 646/745-4152 das, choosing from keynote conversations, panel discussions and "Fast Group Editor: Caysey Welton Tracks" consisting of more than 100 behind-the-scenes tours of creative ([email protected]) 203/899-8431 companies and institutions across New York City such as PepsiCo’s De- Digital Media Editor: Steve Smith sign and Innovation Center and DoSomething.org's headquarters. ([email protected]) Along with an impressive lineup of speakers—did we mention that, 302/691-5331 Editorial Assistant: Jameson Doris in addition to Samantha Bee, Tim Armstrong and Melinda Gates (pic- ([email protected]) tured, right), Cher, designer Eileen Fisher, model/entrepreneur Karlie Business Kloss and FEED founder Lauren Bush Lauren are also confirmed to partici- VP/Publisher: Amy Jefferies ([email protected]) pate?—Fast Company has attracted an enviable list of event sponsors, Publisher: Roberta Caploe including Audi, Marriott, General Electric, Intel and American Ex- ([email protected]) press, according to Christina Cranley, Fast Company's chief revenue of- Director of Market Development: Laurie M. Hofmann ficer. Partners will be represented on panels and Fast Tracks as well as at ([email protected]) on-site activations. Senior Marketing Manager: Danielle Sikes The fest will take place at various locations around the city, including ([email protected]) New York University's Skirball Center and Civic Hall, a community center Marketing Coordinator: Zoe Silverman ([email protected]) for civic innovators in the Flatiron district. The talks and tours on offer Senior Account Executive: are all designed "to inspire creativity and innovation," says Cranley. Need Tania Babiuk ([email protected]) more reasons to take a sick day and attend the Festival? The brand's Production website has 25. Production Manager: Sophie Chan-Wood ([email protected]) (Continued from page 1) Graphic Designer: Yelena Shamis GH's New Seal ([email protected]) Nutrition director Jackie London explains the selection Data and Analytics Manager: Stacy Hill process: “Products are assessed for a number of key fac- ([email protected]) tors, including responsible use of ingredients, FDA Nutri- Access Intelligence, LLC President & tion Facts Panel and, of course, taste. To be awarded the Chief Executive Officer: Don Pazour emblem, brands must uphold the Lab’s core values: Sim- SVP, Media Group: Diane Schwartz Chief Operating Officer: plicity, transparency and innovation.” Heather Farley It doesn’t end there though. Once enrolled into the incu- Subscriptions/Client Services: bator program, the food brands maintain their relationship 888-707-5814 List Sales: MeritDirect, 914-368-1090 with GH to uphold the essential standards and continue ([email protected]) to innovate. (For this, GH will receive a consulting fee.) Nine brands have partnered with GH Advertising: 203-899-8498 for this rollout— Chelan Fresh, Dole, LUVO, Carrington Farms, Garden Lites Muffins, Reprints: Wright’s Media, 877-652-5295 ([email protected]) Jarlsberg Cheese, PANATEA Matcha, Benitos and Larabar. Editorial Offices: 10 Norden Place, “Our food incubator and consulting service is tailored to the specific needs of each brand Norwalk, CT 06855; 40 Wall Street, 50th floor, New York, NY 10005; and geared toward individualized interests, ideas and projects, which the brand and our lab Faxes: 203-854-6735, 212-621-4879; will outline together,” London says. “We'll work to provide insights based on what we’re www.minonline.com seeing in the industry—trendspotting, new and developing research findings that could be Access Intelligence LLC, 9211 Corporate Blvd, 4th Floor, Rockville, MD beneficial for use by brands, and so on.” 20850; Ph: 301-354-2000 Published 2016 © by Access Intelligence LLC. In addition to potential profits from the consulting services, the new seal is an edito- Distributed via email and online. For email and postal address changes, rial and audience development opportunity as well. “The emblem brings a renewed sense allow 2 weeks notice. Send to: Client Services or call 888-707-5814. For of understanding and relatability to the science and authority of GH’s history in consumer advertising info contact 301/ 354- advocacy,” says London. “It also helps to bring a new demographic to our magazine: First and 1629. Contents may not be reproduced in any form without written permission. foremost, we are advocates for consumer empowerment, and the emblem achieves this by Subscription Rate: $1,199.97 cutting through the clutter at the supermarket and arming consumers with the tools they need to make informed food choices for themselves and their families.” 2 Magazine Media’s Most Trusted Source Since 1947 10/31/2016 minonline.com Steve Smith's Reviews Hearst’s Elle Now Benefits from a Better USX The interface makes for easy navigation and chatting With Version 3 of its “Now” platform (Elle Now, Cosmo Now, Seventeen Now, etc.), Hearst has refined an already-usable platform approach to its branded media apps into an even more pleasurable experience. The Now platform app-ifies content from the branded websites. This review focuses specifically on ELLE NOW the advances that Elle Now has made in its most recent iteration. The watchword here is transparency, and there's a general lightness to the navigation. Visu- User Experience A- ally the app often seems to float, which is a good thing. The interface dispenses with the ham- Overall Design A burger menu style, now out of fashion. Instead, a top line dial menu surfaces the navigation for easy lateral movement across major categories. The platform uses pleasant visual stylings, like Social Integration B+ having the main feed recede as the reader taps into a chosen article. As in the previous version Mobile Utility B+ of Elle Now, the sharing interface is especially well done, with the persistent Save, Share, FB and Messenger icons slipping from vertical to horizontal alignment as you scroll. Current ar- Monetization B- ticles on the feed include a mix of eclectic fashion coverage (“Meet the Chinese Artist Dressing The Women of the Past”) and a requisite Gaga piece pegged to her album release (“77 Seconds Final Grade B+ of Lady Gaga Slaying at Carpool Karaoke”). Interestingly, Hearst appears to be emphasizing both Facebook and its messaging app here, signaling the increased importance of chat. The interface also makes content triaging and sharing prominent, by keeping bookmark/save and share icons on each article in the main feed. The overall layout of Now apps is superb. While I wish the text itself were larger or adjustable for smaller phones, the Sans Serif headlines and edge-to-edge images are generously scattered throughout most articles. Slideshows have been flattened, as is the current style, to run in a scroll. Tap into an image to isolate the slide and get a caption.