-
10.18.2012
Sonoco, one of the largest diversified global packaging companies, today reported financial results for its 2012 third quarter, ending September 30, 2012.
Third Quarter Highlights
•Third quarter 2012 GAAP earnings per diluted share were $.57, compared with $.76 in 2011.
•Third quarter 2012 GAAP results include a $.02 per diluted share net benefit stemming from gains on the sale of previously closed facilities and insurance recoveries, partially offset by charges related to previously announced restructuring activities. Third quarter 2011 GAAP results included a $.10 per diluted share gain from a net release of valuation allowances on deferred tax assets, partially offset by restructuring charges and acquisition expenses.
•Base net income attributable to Sonoco (base earnings) for third quarter 2012 was $.55 per diluted share, compared with $.66 in 2011. (See base earnings definition and reconciliation later in this release.) Sonoco previously provided reduced third quarter base earnings guidance of $.51 to $.53 per diluted share.
•Third quarter 2012 net sales were a record $1.20 billion, up 6 percent, compared with $1.12 billion in 2011.
click here
-
10.18.2012
Crown Holdings, Inc. today announced its financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2012.
Third Quarter Highlights: •Income per diluted share $2.20; Before Certain Items $1.00 •Global beverage can volumes up 5% •Beverage can production begins at new plant in Heshan, China
Net sales in the third quarter were $2,302 million compared to $2,423 million in the third quarter of 2011 and reflect a decrease of $106 million due to unfavorable currency translation.
Third quarter gross profit was $369 million compared to $396 million in the 2011 third quarter, reflecting $16 million of unfavorable foreign currency translation.
click here
-
10.18.2012
Positive growth in Asia, Latin America, Oceania and the Middle East allowed global paper and board production to reach a new record level of 399 million metric tonnes in 2011, despite declining production in North America, Europe and Africa, according to the 2012 Annual Review of Global Pulp & Paper Statistics published by RISI.
"For the third year in a row, China took the top spot for both demand and production of total paper and board, with the US remaining in second place. China accounted for 24% of world demand and 25% of global production of total paper and board in 2011," said Kevin Conley, Senior Economist of World Graphic Paper at RISI.
"In terms of pulp production, however, the United States remained the top pulp producing country in the world with 49.7 million metric tonnes in 2011. China came in second producing 19.5 million metric tonnes," Conley added.
click here
-
10.18.2012
Most consumers will take a conservative approach with their holiday gift-giving budgets, according to NRF’s holiday consumer spending survey conducted by BIGinsight. The average holiday shopper will spend $749.51 on gifts, décor, greeting cards and more, up slightly from the $740.57 they spent last year. NRF forecasts that holiday sales will increase 4.1% to $586.1 billion.
According to the survey, consumers will spend a considerable amount of time in stores and online this year looking for the best deal. Nearly two-thirds (65.3%) will shop at discount stores and more than half (57.8%) will shop at department stores. Clothing stores (36.2%), electronics stores (31.8%) and specialty stores (16.7%) will be popular with holiday shoppers as well. Grocery stores will also see increased foot traffic – 51.8% will shop at a grocery store for holiday items, up from 48.8% last year.
click here
-
10.18.2012
While the tipping point was predicted a few years ago, 2012 is the year. For the first time, half of Forbes, Inc.’s revenues will come from its digital businesses, according to Meredith Levien, the business media company’s chief revenue officer.
In a conversation at the American Magazine Conference, Levien was quick to point out that this proportional increase isn’t a result of shrinkage on the print side. Forbes' print revenues are also up, thanks to a 12.5% increase in ad pages in the first nine months of the year, per the Publishers Information Bureau.
That compares favorably with rivals in the business category like Fortune, down 2.4% in the same period; Inc., down 6%; and Money, down 6.4%. (For the magazine business as a whole, ad pages are down 8.6% in the first three quarters.)
Forbes’ digital revenues are up 27% through the month of August.
click here
-
10.18.2012
The U.S. Postal Service will test same-delivery of products from selected e-retailers, according to a recent filing with the Postal Regulatory Commission. The test of the Metro Post will take place in an undisclosed metropolitan area, start around Nov. 12 and could last a year or more.
To receive same-day deliveries, consumers would have to make purchases from participating online retailers between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m., with USPS personnel picking up the packages after 3 p.m., the filing says. Delivery to consumers will take place between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. The filing says the postal service plans to deliver no more than 200 packages a day during the “initial period of the market test.” The USPS did not name the retailers that would participate.
Nor did the filing disclose pricing, but it did note that the charge would be more than $2.70, or six times the price of a first-class stamp, which is 45 cents. The filing also stated, “The prices offered by competitors for same-day delivery typically fall within the price range that the Postal Service intends to test.”
click here
-
10.18.2012
Despite the pains Mary Berner, the MPA’s new CEO, took to defend magazines' place in the content hierarchy, speakers on day two of the American Magazine Conference (AMC) offered a grim future for print.
One of the first speakers of the day—Ben Horowitz, technology entrepreneur and co-founder of venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz—suggested that print will likely vanish completely as today’s younger consumers become the dominant generation.
“Babies born now will never read anything in print,” he told the audience of publishing executives. “At the same time, people in their 40s and 50s will never stop reading print.”
“Face the reality that print will eventually go away," he added.
Horowitz, who was being interviewed by Norman Pearlstine, chief content officer for Bloomberg LP and chairman of Bloomberg Businessweek, said that older audiences are passing away and people born in 2012 and beyond, will never be print enthusiasts, essentially cementing the end of an era.
“There is going to be a new business for us,” said Horowitz. “Anytime you change businesses, or go into the innovation business, the horrifying thing about it is you think you’re right but you don’t really know—you may well fail.”
Due to the extreme rate of change, Horowitz said, there is a great deal of room for innovation, something the media industry is just beginning to grapple with, since, he says, there hasn’t been a large change in print media since the introduction of the printing press.
click here
-
10.18.2012
CROWN Beverage Packaging North America, a business unit of Crown Holdings, Inc., received the ‘Most Cantacular Award’ for 2012, from Sly Fox Brewing Co., of Pottstown, PA. The award salutes the companies, people and places that help advance the packaging of craft beer in cans and was presented at the Sly Fox Brewing Company’s Can Jam festival.
“As craft brewing continues to expand in the United States, so do the opportunities brands have to use packaging to stand out on the shelf,” said Brian O’Reilly, Brewmaster, Sly Fox Brewing Company. “Cans enhance the quality of beer, and they give brewers a chance to differentiate their brand through packaging. Crown has demonstrated enthusiasm and professionalism when it comes to helping breweries convert to cans and leverage the format to create new drinking occasions and help grow sales.”
Sly Fox became the first craft brewery in the Mid-Atlantic region to package its beer in cans in 2006 and the awarding of a Gold Medal to Sly Fox Pikeland Pilsner at the 2007 Great American Beer Festival in Denver marked the first time a GABF medal of any sort was won by a canned craft beer.
Events like Cantacular reflect the craft brewing industry’s increasing awareness of the benefits that metal packaging has to offer. Cans do not shatter, providing better physical protection for the craft beer versus alternative formats, as well as protecting the flavor of the beer by not allowing light or air to enter the package. Cans help protect the integrity of the brand and are also easy to pack, portable, and take up less space than packaging alternatives. In addition, environmentally-conscious shoppers can rest easy, knowing that metal is 100% and infinitely recyclable.
click here
-
10.18.2012
Haynes Publishing is launching its first range of eBooks, and interestingly is bypassing the ‘traditional’ means of selling them such as Amazon and Kobo, opting to sell them independently through its own website, reports The Bookseller.
While the UK-based publisher produces books across a broad range of subjects, it has carved a sizable niche for itself since the 1960s, with its range of illustrated Haynes Manuals aimed specifically at those seeking to do a little bit of DIY car-maintenance.
Now, the company will be coming into the 21st century with a range of titles published in the open eBook standard ePub format, and will see the books landing on iPads, Sony e-readers, Android and other compatible devices.
At launch, available titles will include Bernie Ecclestone biography, Bernie; and Formula 1 title Memories of Senna, though a range of non-fiction titles are available now.
click here
-
10.18.2012
Oil traded close to a one week-high after industrial output and retail sales accelerated last month in China, the world’s second-biggest crude consumer.
West Texas Intermediate futures were little changed after closing at the highest since Oct. 9. China’s industrial production increased 9.2 percent in September and retail sales rose the most since March, the National Bureau of Statistics said in Beijing today. The physical oil market is tight, according to Goldman Sachs Group Inc.
“The China numbers are in line with what people expected, so that’s the good news,” said Andy Sommer, a senior oil analyst at Axpo Trading AG in Dietikon, Switzerland, who predicts Brent crude will trade at $112 a barrel by year-end. “Chinese officials suggested fourth-quarter growth would be better, which is hopeful for demand.”
Crude for November delivery was at $92.01 a barrel, down 11 cents, in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange at 11:34 a.m. London time. The contract closed yesterday at $92.12.
click here
-
10.18.2012
In an email this week, Jack Widener, ABM’s postal counsel, advised that the Postal Service filed price changes for 2013 with the Postal Regulatory Commission, including an overall price increase of 2.56 percent for periodicals. The increase, pending approval, will take effect on Jan. 27. Widener notes that a publication’s actual increase will vary due to the more than 100 rate cells used to determine periodical postage (many cells receive different percentage increases).
Periodicals consist of two subclasses. The first subclass includes Outside County publications (increasing, on average, 2.55 percent), which Widener says most ABM members fall into. The second subclass includes Within County publications (which will report a 2.91 percent increase). To qualify for Within County rates, a publication must publish less than 10,000 copies or have more than 50 percent of its circulation distributed within the county of publication. Within County revenues account for only about $70 million of the $1.8 billion in periodical revenues.
“The Postal Service, in its rate filing to the Postal Regulatory Commission, recognized the value of periodicals to the public,” says Jack Widener. “They went on to say that in spite of being underwater (not covering its costs) the Postal Service was cognizant of periodicals’ value to the public when making its pricing decisions.”
The USPS is encouraging efficiency and containerization. Widener notes that smaller publications have more challenges using containerization, such as pallets, but says “USPS is being sensitive by keeping rate increases within a reasonable level for smaller publications who can’t fully utilize those efficiencies.”
click here
-
10.18.2012
Amazon.com, Inc. today announced “Whispercast for Kindle,” giving schools and business customers a simple, scalable online tool for deploying Kindle devices and Kindle content. Whispercast provides a single access point to easily purchase and distribute Kindle books and documents for educational, marketing and employee incentive programs across Kindle devices and free Kindle reading applications for iPad, iPhone, Android phones and tablets, PCs and Macs. In the coming months, Whispercast will support distribution of Kindle Fire applications. Whispercast works with Kindle e-readers and Kindle Fire tablets, including the recently announced $69 Kindle, Kindle Paperwhite, Kindle Paperwhite 3G, Kindle Fire, Kindle Fire HD, Kindle Fire HD 8.9” and Kindle Fire HD 8.9” 4G LTE. To learn more about Whispercast, visit http://whispercast.amazon.com.
“Hundreds of thousands of students around the world are already reading on Kindle,” said Dave Limp, Vice President, Amazon Kindle. “Today, we are announcing Whispercast, a free, scalable solution for school and business administrators to centrally manage thousands of Kindles and wirelessly distribute Kindle books as well as their own documents to their users. Organizations can also design bring-your-own-device programs at school or work using personally-owned Kindles, Kindle Fires, and other tablets using the free Kindle reading applications for receiving content.”
click here
-
10.18.2012
The American Forest & Paper Association released its September 2012 U. S. Containerboard Statistics Report today.
Containerboard production fell 4.8 percent over August 2012 and 2.2 percent compared to same month last year. The month-over-month average daily production decreased 1.6 percent. The containerboard operating rate for September 2012 lost 1.5 points over August 2012, decreasing from 97.5 percent to 96 percent.
click here
-
10.18.2012
The American Forest & Paper Association has released its September 2012 Kraft Paper Sector Report.
Total Kraft paper shipments were approximately 130,100 tons, a decrease of 2.2 percent compared to the prior month. Total inventory was approximately 77,900 tons in September. Unbleached Kraft shipments decreased, but bleached Kraft shipments increased year over year for the eighth month in 2012.
click here
-
10.18.2012
R. R. Donnelley & Sons Company today announced that it has been awarded a $25 million multi-year agreement by Parke-Bell Ltd, Inc. to provide prepress, printing, binding, and logistics services for the company's Touch of Class catalogs. Touch of Class is a leading multi-channel merchant of home décor and furnishings products. The agreement renews and expands the companies' relationship.
"Our customers trust Touch of Class to present a broad array of high quality products that will enhance the beauty, convenience and functionality of each room in their homes, so color reproduction in our catalogs is especially important," said Fred Bell, the company's CEO. "We believe that RR Donnelley's craftsmanship, prepress expertise and logistics resources will deliver exceptional value to Touch of Class as they help us bring our distinctive offering to our customers."
Under the terms of the agreement RR Donnelley will help to drive postage efficiencies for Touch of Class through its co-binding and co-mailing capabilities, both of which are designed to help customers take maximum advantage of the discounts offered by the USPS.
click here
-
10.17.2012
In response to the recent increase in reporting that electronic media is more environmentally friendly than print, Printing Industries of America is fighting back, rebutting these statements, and expanding its efforts to actively promote the value of print.
Now more than ever, it is vital to communicate that printed products are both environmentally and socially responsible. To advance the core message that printing is vital and a sustainable form of communication, Printing Industries of America has developed and provided information and resources to help increase awareness about print.
These tools and resources can be found on this website. Learn more about how Printing Industries of America is championing print by clicking the link.
http://value.printing.org/page/9052
click here
-
10.17.2012
Japs-Olson Co., one of the country’s leading commercial printing and direct mail production companies, has dramatically expanded its direct mail commingling and mail tracking capabilities. The expansion is part of the company’s postal logistics program designed to help clients reduce their postage costs and improve mail delivery.
Japs-Olson’s commingling postal optimization platform automatically combines multiple direct mail streams into a single mail stream to provide the best postal savings.
“Postage is the single largest cost of any direct mail program and our clients expect us to manage these costs in the most effective manner possible,” said Japs-Olson’s CEO Mike Beddor. “Our expanded postal optimization program will enable more clients to enjoy greater postal savings with greater saturation, enhanced speed-to-market and in-home delivery. We continue to improve our systems in order to track client mail through the postal system to the point of delivery.”
click here
-
10.17.2012
The Eastern Bag and Paper Group said that they have changed the company name and now operate as EBP Supply Solutions.
"The rebranding — which includes the renaming, a new logo and an all-new website, EBPsupply.com — was more than a year in the making," the company said in a statement.
"We evolved our name to better convey the broader scope of our product base and to underscore our dedication to provide a range of unique solutions that help businesses thrive," said Meredith Reuben, CEO of EBP.
The new brand platform reinforces the customer-centric approach that EBP focuses on making supplies work harder, so customers can work smarter. The company not only offers supplies, but delivery, consulting, training, and equipment repair services as well.
click here
-
10.17.2012
The Newark Group today announced its 2020 Sustainability Goals. The goals, part of the company’s sustainability project that began in late 2010, align The Newark Group with AF&PA's Better Practices Better Planet 2020 goal and with the company’s personal objectives.
“The Newark Group was founded on the concept of sustainability so it is only natural that we continue to do our part to align with the goals of the AF&PA as well as live up to our own standards,” said Frank Papa, President and CEO.
“Our commitment to sustainability is unwavering and encompasses not only the sustainability of the environment, but also a commitment to sustainable business practices,” Papa added.
Among the stated goals of The Newark Group are:
a 10% reduction in energy use and Greenhouse Gas Emissions;
a 12% reduction in Water Use; a 15% reduction in Solid Waste and;
a 30% reduction in Incident Rate to lead to improved employee safety.
click here
-
10.17.2012
Boise Inc. announced today it will permanently cease production on the company’s one remaining paper machine (H2) at its St. Helens, Oregon, paper mill. The decision will reduce Boise’s annual uncoated freesheet capacity by almost 60,000 tons and result in a loss of approximately 100 jobs, primarily at the mill.
"This is a difficult but necessary decision to focus our efforts and resources on the products and machines elsewhere in our system that drive the financial performance and cash flow of our paper operations," said Alexander Toeldte, president and chief executive officer of Boise Inc. "Despite the dedication and hard work of our employees, we have concluded the machine cannot compete in the marketplace over the long-term. We thank all of our employees, customers, suppliers, and the community who have supported this operation over so many years. We will work closely with our customers and suppliers to ensure a smooth transition."
The company expects to stop production on the machine by December 31, 2012. Eligible salaried employees will be offered severance packages and outplacement assistance. Negotiations will be scheduled with the Association of Western Pulp and Paper Workers Union (AWPPW) Local 1 to determine the effect for union employees.
click here
-
10.17.2012
Oil traded near the highest level in a week in New York on signs Germany may ease its resistance to a Spanish bailout and after industrial production rose more than forecast in the U.S., the world’s biggest crude consumer.
Futures were little changed after rising as much as 0.7 percent today. Two German lawmakers said the country is open to Spain seeking a precautionary credit line. Output at U.S. factories, mines and utilities rose 0.4 percent in September, twice as much as the median forecast of economists surveyed by Bloomberg News, data from the Federal Reserve in Washington showed yesterday.
“All the measures taken to show some progress in the European debt crisis should improve sentiment for commodities and for crude as well,” said Hannes Loacker, an analyst at Raiffeisen Bank International AG in Vienna, who predicts Brent crude will trade at about $114 a barrel at the end of the year.
Crude for November delivery was at $92.25 a barrel, up 16 cents, in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange at 11:33 a.m. London time.
click here
-
10.17.2012
Last week, SourceMedia’s Health Data Management brand premiered the Healthcare Innovation Center, a virtual experience showcasing the latest products and stories on new healthcare technologies. The Center, simulating virtual games like The Sims, is initially presented as a floor plan of a typical hospital. Visitors can click on any of the eight hospital units (Patient Room, ICU Unit, Emergency Department, Radiology, Surgery, Administration, Medical Records and Data Room) and find fully equipped rooms with cutting-edge products. Users can then click on products to get an overview, read articles, watch videos and more. The resource aims to give Health Data Management’s readers -- senior-level administrators, clinicians and IT staff -- an engrossing yet non-intrusive look into the hospitals of tomorrow.
“As publishers, we have an obligation to our readers to always come up with engaging ways to present content,” says Rob Whitaker, a SourceMedia senior vice president and group publisher. “We wanted an immersive environment that would let our readers ‘experience’ content. Unfortunately, that platform didn’t exist, so we started building it by bringing together the folks who had experience in different areas.”
click here
-
10.17.2012
Stagnito Media has acquired Private Label magazine from E.W. Williams Publications Co. and will marry the magazine with its own Progressive Grocers Store Brands to form a new publication, Private Label Store Brands (PLSB). The newly formed print magazine will take advantage of the trend of more consumers purchasing store brand products.
"With this merger, we'll produce an exciting new publication for the market, one that will appeal to a wider range of retailers and industry suppliers," said Steven Lichtenstein, vice president and group publisher of Stagnito Media, in a video statement. "Store Brands' highly strategic approach will perfectly complement Private Label's statistical and private-based information."
Accompanying the new publication is the creation of the website plstorebrands.com. Stagnito will also up the frequency of its e-newsletter Store Brands Strategies from weekly to daily. Lichtenstein, who will head the entire group, says the new publication will focus on "the why and how" rather than the "who and what," targeting senior-level management, purchasing and merchandising executives. The acquisition also included other Private Label products, including Private Label International and Private Label China.
click here
-
10.17.2012
Pearson, the world’s leading learning company, is announcing today the acquisition of EmbanetCompass from an investor group led by Technology Crossover Ventures and Knowledge Universe, for $650m in cash.
EmbanetCompass partners with leading non-profit colleges and universities in North America to provide fully online learning solutions for more than 100 university programmes. It provides a full range of services including: programme design and development, marketing and student recruitment, faculty training and support, data-driven student retention and learning analytics; student services (counselling, tutoring, mentoring), technology support and launch funding.
Institutional services are one of the fastest growing areas of the US higher education market. Out of 6,700 degree-granting institutions in the US, approximately 175 institutions engage third-party vendors to power online programmes. Of a total post-secondary student population of 22 million, 2.5 million participate in purely online programmes with over 6 million taking at least one online course. Pearson believes the number of students learning online and the number of institutions serving those students will grow rapidly, as academic institutions seek low-risk and cost-effective ways to better serve new and existing customers by boosting student access, affordability, achievement and retention.
click here
-
10.16.2012
Trade sales for the first six months of 2012 rose 13.1%, to $2.33 billion, according to figures released this morning by the Association of American Publishers as part of its StatShot program. Total industry sales were up 4.4% in the period, to $5.79 billion. The figures come from data from 1,186 companies.
Within trade, which the AAP classifies as including adult, children’s, religion and university press, the children’s/young adult segment had the strongest gain with sales up 40.7% boosted by strong sales of the Hunger Games trilogy. Adult fiction and nonfiction sales rose 8.3%, with the Fifty Shades series leading the way. Sales in the religion category were down 9.2%, while university press sales rose 5.5%.
By format, adult e-book sales jumped 34.4%, to $621.3 million at companies that report to AAP, moving e-books ahead of hardcover as the second largest adult format. Hardcover sales were up 2.1% in the first six months, to $556.2 million. Trade paperback remained the largest segment as sales rose 5.2%, to $720.8 million. The size of the mass market paperback business continued to shrink, however, with sales off 20.3%, to $198.9 million.
In the children’s segment, hardcover led the way among print formats with sales up 37.1% followed by paperback and board books which had gains of 12.9% and 12.7%, respectively in the period. Sales of e-books jumped 251%, to $146.4 million, a figure that trailed hardcover (sales of $387.4 million) and paperback ($266.4 million).
click here
-
10.16.2012
Asia Pulp & Paper Group (APP) has received an Advanced level rating in SGS’s independent assessment for ISO 26000 social responsibility standards, making it the first in its sector in Asia-Pacific to receive this recognition from leading independent global industry auditor Société Générale de Surveillance (SGS).
ISO 26000 is a set of globally recognized best-practice guidelines on organisational governance, labor practices, the environment, fair operating practices, consumer issues, community involvement and development. IKT achieved a level four verification, out of a possible five, giving it an Advanced status. The assessment is based on the SGS Performance Standard on ISO 26000.
“The objective of the SGS Performance ISO 26000 method is to identify how organizations can improve their performance in various areas of social responsibility. We are pleased to see that a corporation such as APP has chosen our method, and values continuous improvement, demonstrating commitment to internal and external stakeholders. Benchmarks and best practices in sustainable fields were provided to APP to enable a path of ongoing improvement and evaluation of performance," stated Mr. Guy Escarfail, Managing Director, SGS Indonesia.
This new Advanced designation compliments the APP Sustainability Roadmap Vision 2020 launched on June 5th. The Roadmap details the company’s path forward towards social and environmental best practices in sustainability. ISO 26000 guidelines align with the goals of the sustainability roadmap including human rights, employee welfare, and community empowerment.
click here
-
10.16.2012
Gannett Co., Inc., a leading international media and marketing solutions company, today reported strong third quarter financial results. Earnings per diluted share, on a GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles) basis were $0.56 for the third quarter of 2012 compared to $0.41 for the third quarter last year. Excluding special items in 2012 and 2011, third quarter earnings per diluted share were $0.56 this year compared to $0.44 for the third quarter of 2011.
Net income attributable to Gannett totaled $133.1 million in the third quarter of 2012. Net income attributable to Gannett on a non-GAAP basis was $130.9 million, an increase of 23.3 percent from 2011. Reported operating income was $217.2 million in the third quarter of 2012. Non-GAAP operating income totaled $231.9 million, 12.1 percent higher than the third quarter last year. Operating cash flow in the quarter (a non-GAAP term defined as operating income plus special items, depreciation and amortization) was $280.4 million compared to $255.8 million in the third quarter a year ago.
Total operating revenues for the company in the third quarter were 3.4 percent higher than the prior year and totaled $1.31 billion. Broadcasting revenues were substantially higher in the quarter increasing 36.0 percent driven by significantly higher ad demand associated with the Olympics and political spending. Digital segment revenues were up 4.7 percent due primarily to revenue growth at CareerBuilder. Publishing segment revenues were 3.0 percent lower reflecting softer advertising demand partially offset by a 5.6 percent increase in circulation revenue due to the positive impact of the all access content subscription model.
click here
-
10.16.2012
Mary Berner, the new CEO of MPA, set a feisty tone for the 2012 AMC right from the start. “I’m pissed because we have others hijacking our narrative,” Berner said in opening remarks here Monday morning. “By letting others hijack our story, it has become one of doom and gloom, demise and even death. And that conversation is affecting our business.”
Instead, Berner said, the magazine industry is well positioned to thrive, if it has the “balls and the chutzpah” to prevail. Changing the conversation, she said, “has to be faster, louder and with one strong freakin’ voice.”
Berner took the audience of 200-plus attendees through a quiz in which each multiple-choice question had one answer that told a negative gloom-and-doom story, and another that had the often much-happier reality.
For example, total magazine-audience numbers have increased by 4 percent since 2010, and there has been a 57 percent spike in the number of brands advertising on magazine media platforms (tablet, online and print) since 2010.
click here
-
10.16.2012
FiberMark, a manufacturer of specialty cellulose and synthetic fiber-based printing media, announces the availability of DigiScape™ PVC Free Digitally Printable wall covering. DigiScape is an environmentally responsible alternative to PVC wall covering products.
DigiScape is a 17 mil thick, 350 gsm, latex saturated, wet strength, commercial wall covering product. DigiScape is manufactured with a combination of 30% post-consumer waste cellulose fibers, virgin fibers, and synthetic fibers, making it strong and durable.
click here
-
10.16.2012
The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) announced the launch of the Data-Driven Marketing Institute (DDMI) – an initiative put forth to provide research, consumer education, and advocacy to stand up to data-regulating legislation.
“There seems to be a lot of fear-mongering out there that's just inaccurate. There's just no other way to say it,” said DMA acting CEO and president Linda Woolley. “When the chairman of the FTC talks about going online and buying a deep fryer and having consumers be afraid that they're going to be denied health insurance, that's just flat wrong. We decided that it's time to correct some of these mis-characterizations and misapprehensions.”
Woolley said the DMA aims to devote more than one million dollars to the program and intends to implement lobbying efforts, research on consumer attitudes and economic impact, and tools and education regarding consumer online behavior. Woolley listed DMAchoice, a tool that allows consumers to opt out of receiving advertising mail, as an example of DMA's consumer assistance.
“We believe that consumers absolutely have the right to know what's going on and opt out if they don't want it,” Woolley said.
Woolley maintained that marketing with consumer data is not only good for the economy, but is also a way of life for consumers.
“The use of consumer's personal data is…something they expect, something they want, and something that is so ingrained in their lives,” she said. “Lots of parts of the economy are not growing. Not so with direct marketing." Woolley said that if consumers were overly concerned about their privacy, they would take more action.
click here
-
10.16.2012
Brent crude traded at the highest premium in a year to futures in New York amid concern that supplies from the North Sea and the Middle East will be disrupted and speculation U.S. stockpiles are increasing.
Brent in London climbed to as high as $24.28 a barrel more than West Texas Intermediate as WTI remained little changed near a three-day low. The European Union tightened sanctions on Iran’s energy exports, while Nexen Inc. (NXY) declined to give a specific date for resuming its Buzzard field in the North Sea after maintenance. Crude inventories in the U.S., the world’s biggest oil user, rose 1.5 million barrels last week, according to a Bloomberg News survey before a government report tomorrow.
“The Brent market has been inflated by declining North Sea production and hiccups in that production, like the recent problems with Buzzard,” said Christopher Bellew, a senior broker at Jefferies Bache Ltd. in London. “The price of WTI is also being distorted by the huge increase in U.S. domestic oil production.”
Crude for November delivery fell 32 cents to $91.53 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange at 10:38 a.m. London time.
click here
-
10.16.2012
Packaging Corporation of America today reported third quarter 2012 net income of $40 million, or $0.41 per share, which included after-tax charges of $13 million, or $0.14 per share, from debt refinancing charges. Net income, excluding these charges, was $53 million, or $0.55 per share, compared to third quarter 2011 net income of $43 million, or $0.43 per share, which excludes energy project asset disposal charges.
The $0.12 per share earnings increase, excluding special items, was driven by higher containerboard and corrugated products volume ($0.07), and lower costs for energy ($0.05), recycled fiber ($0.04) and chemicals ($0.02). These items were partially offset by higher costs for labor and benefits ($0.03), interest ($0.02) and depreciation ($0.02).
Excluding special items, net income for the first nine months of 2012 was a record $142 million, or $1.45 per share, compared to $122 million, or $1.21 per share, in 2011. This earnings increase of $0.24 per share was driven by higher containerboard and corrugated products volume ($0.23), lower costs for energy ($0.14), recycled fiber ($0.08) and chemicals ($0.05) and a lower share count from share repurchases ($0.04). These items were partially offset by higher costs for labor and benefits ($0.09), depreciation ($0.07), interest ($0.06) and transportation ($0.04), and lower export pricing ($0.05).
Net sales were a record $723 million, up 8% compared to the third quarter of 2011, and year-to-date net sales were a record $2.1 billion, up 7% over 2011.
Corrugated products shipments per workday were up 5.7%, including 3.1% from acquisitions, and were up 4.0% in total with one less shipping day this year. Outside sales of containerboard were up 8,000 tons over last year’s third quarter. Containerboard production was 670,000 tons, up 20,000 tons over the third quarter of 2011. Containerboard inventories at the end of September were 9,000 tons below second quarter levels.
click here
-
10.16.2012
UPM Finesse workbook was selected as a finalist in the prestigious printing industry competition "PrintStars 2012” described as the innovation award of the German printing industry. The event took place in Stuttgart, Germany on October 9 and featured more than 420 participants and 900 companies that showed their best printed products. UPM was a finalist among 12 within the flyers, leaflets and brochure category.
UPM participated in the event by creating a printed product denominated "True consistency," a brochure consisting of 52 pages of impressive artwork, conceptualized and produced in partnership with Münich-based agency Pantos. The final work showcased a sophisticated printed product that suggests a wide variety of printing techniques options for those in the printing industry.
The "True Consistency" brochure is made of UPM Finesse paper, an exclusive wood-free coated paper renowned industry-wide for its consistent high quality.
The position of UPM Finesse as a high-quality paper is highlighted on the brochure’s image reproduction and pre-press, and from printing and finishing to bookbinding. The paint technique was of the highest technical level; hot and cold foil, iridescent pigments, special colours, embossing and die cuts were used to create an original and attractive workbook.
click here
-
10.16.2012
Ahlstrom's sales volume development during the remainder of the year is expected to be weaker than the company had earlier estimated due to lower than expected demand in key markets. Demand has been reduced due to the continued slowdown especially in the economies in Europe. In addition, recovery in China has been delayed.
Ahlstrom anticipates that its net sales and operating profit excluding non-recurring items for 2012 will be lower than the company had previously estimated.
The company now expects its net sales from continuing operations to be between EUR 1,550-1,630 million and operating profit excluding non-recurring items from continuing operations to be EUR 48-58 million. Ahlstrom had previously forecast its 2012 net sales to be EUR 1,575-1,735 million and operating profit excluding non-recurring items to be EUR 60-80 million for 2012.
click here
-
10.16.2012
Meredith Corporation, the leading media and marketing company serving American women, today announced that Traditional Home, the largest upscale shelter magazine in America which celebrates the union of timeless design with modern living, has been named to Advertising Age's 2012 Magazine A-List.
Advertising Age said the following about Traditional Home:
"There's no reason to lie down in the face of a tough economy or challenges to print publishing. Take a look at Traditional Home, which is finding younger and richer readers with TradHome, a shoppable online magazine it created last year with all-digital shelter mag Lonny, and expanded to two issues this year. But Traditional Home is also succeeding in print, where ad pages in its January through October issues increased 11.5% while monthlies as a whole slipped, according to MIN. Its October ad pages were the highest for that month since 2008. Traditional Home also increased single-copy sales in a difficult newsstand environment."
"This A-list win for Traditional Home is a true reflection of our A-team's dedication and hard work over the past two years," said publisher Beth Fuchs Brenner. "It speaks to the relevance of traditions in our family lives, and the home as the nucleus of all we hold dear. We couldn't be more excited."
click here
-
10.16.2012
Gov. Paul LePage and his forest products advisor Rosaire Pelletier are among the key players who will be invited to help the new Great Northern Paper Co. LLC celebrate its one-year anniversary on Oct. 25, the company’s spokesman said.
“It is a great achievement, and the mill and its workers have earned a moment of celebration — particularly the workers,” spokesman Scott Tranchemontagne said Friday. “This is about congratulating them for their hard work and for all the extra work and moments where they have gone above and beyond over the first year.”
Other federal and state leaders, plus leaders from the Katahdin region, are among the invited guests, Tranchemontagne said.
“It is not lost on us that a lot of people came together to reopen this mill, and they should be recognized,” he said.
Today employing 272 workers, the mill is on-track to produce about 160,000 tons of newsprint and telephone directory paper with its No. 5 and 6 machines in 2012, company officials have said.
LePage culminated weeks of hard and largely secret work by his staff and local leaders and announced on Sept. 17, 2011 that Cate Street Capital of Portsmouth, N.H., had purchased the Main Street and Millinocket paper mills on undisclosed terms.
The deal was made final on Sept. 28 and the East Millinocket mill restarted on Oct. 17, 2011, with 215 workers, though its initial restart stopped a day or two later and was postponed by about a week due to mechanical problems.
The mill had a full year of orders and as of today has a confirmed 38- to 42-day order backlog for No. 6 and customer commitments to buy paper every 30 days or so for the rest of the year. The No. 5 machine runs three days a week, officials have said. The Millinocket mill, which has been shut down since September 2008, remains shuttered and company officials are not optimistic about its restart possibilities.
click here
-
10.16.2012
Sonoco, one of the largest diversified global packaging companies, announced today that its CorrFlex point-of-purchase (POP) display and packaging services business will now operate under a new brand, Sonoco Display and Packaging.
Sonoco acquired CorrFlex in 2004. The business designs, manufactures, assembles, packs and distributes temporary, semi-permanent and permanent POP displays. It also provides contract packaging, co-packing and fulfillment and supply chain services for major consumer product companies around the world.
"When we purchased CorrFlex, it made sense at the time to maintain the CorrFlex name because of its brand recognition in the marketplace. But our brand today has become more aligned with Sonoco, and it only makes sense that we make this transition," said Jeff Tomaszewski, general manager, Sonoco Display and Packaging.
"Clearly, the new name and brand more accurately describe what we do – display and packaging. But it also allows us to better leverage the Sonoco name – its long history, financial strength and reputation as a low-cost global leader in customer-preferred packaging."
click here
-
10.16.2012
Grainger today reported results for the 2012 third quarter ended September 30, 2012. Sales for the 2012 third quarter of $2.3 billion increased 8 percent versus $2.1 billion in the 2011 third quarter. There were 63 selling days in the quarter, one less than in 2011. Sales on a daily basis increased 10 percent versus the 2011 third quarter.
During the third quarter, the Company recorded a $70 million pre-tax reserve for a settlement in principle to resolve pricing disclosure issues relating to government contracts with General Services Administration (GSA) and United States Postal Service (USPS). The proposed settlement, which covers 12 years of sales to the GSA and 10 years of sales to the USPS, remains subject to the approval of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). In addition, the company has established a $6 million pre-tax reserve for resolving tax, freight and miscellaneous billing issues with these government customers.
Excluding the reserve, net earnings increased 11 percent and earnings per share of $2.81 increased 12 percent. Including the reserve, reported net earnings for the third quarter decreased 15 percent to $155 million versus $182 million in 2011 and earnings per share of $2.15 decreased 14% versus $2.51 in 2011.
Sales in the 2012 third quarter increased 8 percent, 10 percent on a daily basis, with 11 percent daily sales growth in July, 10 percent in August and 9 percent in September. The 10 percent increase in daily sales in the quarter included 3 percentage points from acquisitions and a 1 percentage point decline attributable to unfavorable foreign exchange. Daily organic sales for the quarter increased 8 percent including 4 percentage points from volume and 4 percentage points from price. Daily organic sales growth by month was as follows: 8 percent in July, 7 percent in August, and 8 percent in September.
Company operating earnings of $254 million for the 2012 third quarter decreased 16 percent. Excluding the reserve, operating earnings increased 9 percent to $330 million. This earnings growth was driven by higher sales and improved gross profit margins. The increase in the company's gross profit margin and expenses were driven by a number of factors that are examined at the segment level that follows.
click here
-
10.15.2012
N-Photo was awarded the prestigious Consumer Magazine of the Year title at the Pixel Trade Awards on Friday 12th October.
Editor Chris George collected the award in front of an audience of luminaries from the imaging industry. It is the first time any Future photography title has won the award, and completes a remarkable first year for the title which launched in November 2011. N-Photo bagged the top award ahead of sister title, Future’s Digital Camera, and IPC’s Amateur Photographer.
It brings N-Photo’s awards tally to three this year: in April 2012 it won two British Media Awards for ‘Social Media and Marketing Innovation’ and ‘Consumer Magazine Innovator of the Year’, beating shortlisted rivals including Cosmopolitan, The Economist, Good Food, and The Huffington Post.
Its Pre-launch Email Campaign has also been shortlisted in November’s PPA Customer Direct 2012 Awards.
click here
-
10.15.2012
As part of its harmonious multichannel customer experience, Musician's Friend recently debuted a digital, interactive catalog. The musical instrument Internet retailer aims to use the catalog to propel e-commerce and build customer engagement.
“This is an interactive, commerce-enabled portable catalog. Within it, it's connected to our commerce platform so you have a shopping experience available to you within the catalog itself,” says Musician's Friend's director of brand experience Ryan Villiers.
According to Villiers, the built-in commerce component separates the publication from other digital catalogs.
“Any other form of a digital catalog that you might have seen actually takes you out of the experience if you want to purchase a product. The interesting thing about this experience is that it keeps you in the catalog while you're going through the shopping experience,” Villiers says. “As you shop within the catalog, it collects that data, makes a call to our shopping cart, adds the item to the shopping cart, and then allows the user to continue to shop within the catalog or to pass through to our payment processing system to finalize the purchase.”
By teaming up with Zmags' Verge platform for the interactive catalog, Musician's Friend is providing its musician customers with the personal, hands-on experience of shopping for a guitar through the inclusion of 360-degree photos, video, static imagery, audio samples, and swiping action,Villiers says.
click here
-
10.15.2012
Buckeye Technologies Inc. announced the release today of its 2012 Sustainability Report. This report (which summarizes calendar year 2011 results) highlights Buckeye’s continuing efforts to reduce fossil fuel usage, water usage, solid waste production, and air emissions. Buckeye has reduced greenhouse gas emissions which are generated by fossil fuels and purchased electricity by over 10% per ton since 2007, and now generates 77% of its total energy needs from renewable biomass. In addition, significant reductions of water used daily were achieved (down 6% since 2007) while reducing wastes by 30% since 2007. The report also shares information about Buckeye’s social impacts, including employees’ impressive response to a renewed corporate-wide commitment to safety, reducing the Total Incidence Rate from 3.5 to 2.0 during the reporting period.
Buckeye announced separately in May 2012 that our Foley plant located near Perry, FL, achieved certifications from three internationally recognized organizations that promote responsibly managed forests: the Forest Stewardship Council™ (FSC), the Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI), and the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC™). These certifications followed a rigorous year-long process of developing documents, manuals and procedures to guide fiber procurement and track fiber chain of custody. The purpose of these certifications is to ensure that companies which use forest resources meet society’s needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Buckeye is committed to monitoring and reviewing its sustainable forestry programs and to continually improving and broadening the practice of sustainable forestry. Certification to these standards further demonstrates Buckeye’s commitment to meeting customer demand for products that are derived from forest fiber that is legally harvested and well-managed.
click here
-
10.15.2012
Oil traded close to a four-day low in New York amid concern that the global economy is weakening, threatening to curb demand for fuels.
Futures slid as much as 1.1 percent. Bank of Israel Governor Stanley Fischer said the world is “awfully close” to a recession, adding to concern raised at annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund last week. Hedge funds and other speculators trimmed bets that oil will rise, data from regulators showed on Oct. 12. Iran reiterated an offer to suspend domestic production of medium-enriched uranium before European officials meet to discuss tighter sanctions on the Persian Gulf country.
“The crude market is currently well supplied and prices will remain volatile before refinery demand picks up throughout the fourth quarter,” said Guy Wolf, a strategist at London- based commodities broker Marex Spectron Group Ltd., who predicts Brent crude will recover toward $125 a barrel by year-end.
Crude for November delivery fell as much as $1.04 to $90.82 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange, its weakest level since Oct. 9, and was at $91.61 at 11:03 a.m. London time.
click here
-
10.15.2012
Factoring in the absence of political and Olympic advertising, Magna Global downgraded its U.S. ad spending forecast to $154.4 billion next year, up 0.8% over this year. In its July forecast, Magna had projected growth of 0.9% next year.
This year, political and Olympic advertising will help boost U.S. ad spending growth 4.6% over last year, Magna said in the report.
The ad category experiencing the most growth this year will be digital media (up 12.8%), followed by television (9.0%) and out-of-home advertising (4.2%).
Print advertising has continued to suffer this year. Magna projected ad spending in newspapers will be down 8.6%, while magazines will be down 7.5%.
click here
-
10.15.2012
Amcor announces today, the sale of three flexible packaging plants in Australasia. These sites were acquired as part of the Aperio acquisition and focused on non-core industrial and agricultural markets.
The purchaser is Integrated Packaging, a privately-owned Australian business, and the transaction is subject to ACCC approval. The sale consideration is $22 million and was based on the same EBITDA multiple as Amcor paid for Aperio.
Synergies from the Aperio acquisition are not impacted by the sale and remain at $25 million by year three.
click here
-
10.15.2012
Disney has announced it will be eliminating paper connected to the destruction of endangered forests and animals from its operations and licensees, while maximizing recycled content and fiber sourced from Forest Stewardship Council-certified forestry operations. The company’s new policy calls for the elimination of paper products from illegally harvested woods; from High Conservation Value Areas (such as endangered forests and areas of old growth) being degraded by poor land use practices; from areas where paper fiber is harvested in violation of internationally accepted instruments protecting the rights of indigenous or forest-dependent peoples; from areas that have been converted from natural forests to plantations and other land uses after November 1994; and from plantations using genetically-modified trees.
The commitment also means Disney will not be sourcing from controversial paper giants Asia Pulp and Paper and Asia Pacific Resources International Holdings. APP is reportedly the third largest paper company in the world.
Disney also says it will work to reduce paper consumption, and increase the recovery of paper and packaging for recycling.
Disney is the world’s biggest publisher of children’s books and magazines. The new paper policy will be applied to the company’s entire global operations and those of its supply chain. The commitment includes Disney’s media networks, theme parks, resorts, cruise ships, and all its product packaging, copy paper and book publishing, as well as the 3,700 licensees that use Disney characters. It will also influence the operations of 25,000 factories in more than 100 countries that produce Disney products, including 10,000 in China.
The company says its policy is the culmination of two years of conversations between executives and the Rainforest Action Network. Disney says it will continue to work with non-governmental organizations to identify and prioritize regions with poor forest management and high rates of deforestation.
click here
-
10.12.2012
Beginning early next year, the Postal Service will introduce a First-Class Mail Global Forever Stamp. The new stamp will allow customers to mail letters anywhere in the world for one set price of $1.10, and is among new mailing and shipping services filed with the Postal Regulatory Commission today.
The price for First-Class Mail single-piece letters will increase by just a penny when prices change in Jan. The new 46 cent Forever stamps will allow customers to mail letters to any location in the United States. Forever stamps are always good for mailing a one-ounce letter anytime in the future regardless of price changes.
Highlights of the new single-piece First-Class Mail pricing, effective Jan. 27, 2013 include:
•Letters (1oz.) — 1-cent increase to 46 cents
•Letters additional ounces — unchanged at 20 cents
•Letters to all international destinations (1oz.) — $1.10
•Postcards — 1-cent increase to 33 cents
The Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) will review the prices before they become effective Jan. 27, 2013. Today’s Shipping and Mailing price filings will be available on the PRC website at www.prc.gov and the new Mailing Service prices will also be available at http://pe.usps.com.
click here
-
10.12.2012
The production of notebooks induces significant environmental impacts. However, these impacts are seldom considered by consumers in their purchasing decisions. Against this background, the Federal Agency of Environment in Germany commissioned the Öko-Institut e.V. and the Fraunhofer IZM with a study to address following questions:
1.What is the share of different life cycle phases in the total greenhouse gas emissions of a notebook.
2.When are the environmental impacts, which are associated with the production, distribution and disposal of a new notebook, compensated as a result of energy efficiency gains in the use-phase of the new notebook.
3.Which energy efficiency gains should be possessed by a new notebook, if the replacement of the older and less energy efficient notebook can be justified under the consideration of environmental concerns.
The results show that production phase, with about 56% (214 kg CO2e in 5 years) of the total greenhouse gas emissions of a notebook, casts a significantly higher impact than the use phase. Moreover, the environmental impacts of the production phase of a notebook are so high, that they cannot be compensated in realistic time-periods by energy efficiency gains in the use phase.
In the case of a 10% increase in the energy efficiency of a new notebook as compared to the older one, replacement of the older notebook can only be justified after 33 to 89 years, if environmental concerns are considered.
click here
-
10.12.2012
Nippon Paper Industries Co., Ltd. (President: Yoshio Haga) is pleased to announce the completion of construction of diverting the existing continuous digester for producing dissolving pulp at Kushiro Mill (Kushiro, Hokkaido), with a ceremony held to celebrate the completion of construction on October 11.
Construction had been proceeding since spring this year as the Company sought to expand its dissolving pulp business on the back of rising demand for dissolving pulp in recent years. The amount invested is about 2.2 billion yen. The production of dissolving pulp using an existing continuous kraft pulp digester is the first of its kind in Japan. It has been decided that the company will receive a subsidy for the development of equipment for the verification and evaluation of advanced technologies, a project organized by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry to support innovation hubs.
Going forward, verification and assessments will be conducted and the production scale will expand to 30,000 tons a year.
click here
-
10.12.2012
No recession here. Well, at least not for Google...or Facebook. According to the latest report from the Interactive Advertising Bureau and PwC Us, Internet ad revenues hit a record $17 billion in the first half of 2012, a gain of 14% over the same period in 2011. Despite economic sluggishness that many businesses and media companies hoped were gone, there seemed to be no sign of a slow-down as the year progressed. The quarterly online spend was also up 14% over the same second quarter of last year, $8.7 billion vs. $7.7 billion.
Leading the way in terms of growth, mobile advertising topped $1.2 billion for the first half, up 95% from the $636 million same period last year.
Also proving a continued center of growth, digital video was up 18% to $1 billion.
But Google's core business proved to be the main driver. Search marketing showed no signs of giving up share to other media, since its spend was also up 19% to $8.1 billion in the first half.
There is one cautionary note to magazine brand publishers, however. Display advertising continued to show relatively sluggish growth overall, up only 4% from the same half year in 2011 to $5.6 billion. Display was responsible for 33% of overall ad revenues online in the first half of the year. "Ramifications of this data are significant, especially for players who are dependent upon display-based advertising," he writes in a research brief. "The industry is not growing, as most types of advertisers generally choose to buy audiences rather than the context in which those audiences appear.
click here
-
10.12.2012
With the American Magazine Conference coming up next week, the MPA (the Association of Magazine Media) has unleashed research showing that magazines are gaining traction and building audiences via digital platforms, including smartphones.
In one new study, “Magazine Media Readers and Their Smart Phones,” GfK MRI examined the media consumption habits of adults 18-34 with a focus on their ubiquitous handheld devices, especially Apple iPhones and Android devices, as well as attitudes toward content sharing, advertising, QR codes and e-commerce.
Among the study’s main findings: among adults ages 18-34 who read magazines and own a smartphone, 83% have accessed or downloaded a magazine branded app via a digital newsstand, downloading an average of 2.6 magazine apps, while more 35% use a newsreader to view magazine digital content. Eighty-six percent have accessed digital magazine content on their smartphone from home, while 43% read the content at work, and 31% during their commute.
In terms of content categories, the most popular magazine apps for smartphones are food, news and sports magazine apps, followed by celebrity/entertainment and science/technology. Seventy-seven percent say that pictures and photo galleries enhance the smartphone magazine reading experience.
On the advertising front, 66% read or tap on advertisements appearing in digital magazines on their smartphones, and 65% have snapped QR codes, Microsoft Tags or other links in response to ads. Moving to e-commerce, three out of 10 respondents said they would like to be able to buy products and services directly from articles and features in magazine content on smartphones.
click here