WHAT'S NEXT: INNOVATIONS IN NEWSPAPERS

As you know, Mr. Magazine is the nickname of the well know US magazine expert, professor Samir Husni.

He wrote in his Twitter:

MrMagazine: The only book you will need to learn all about Innovations in Magazines. A must have if you want to be in the know. http://wp.me/p3FXF-TU

Well, he is not an INNOVATION consultant, client or friend but his review of the report is fantastic and deserves our gratitude.

Said that, this report is an old great idea that INNOVATION consultants Thomaz Souto Correa (Brazil) and Juan Caño (Spain) promoted many years ago and that thanks to FIPP and the editing work of John Wilpers and Juan Senor today is a reality.

And now, Mr. Magzine:

It seems as if the word innovation is occupying the center stage in anything “magazine-ish” these days. However, a great effort by the London based International Federation of the Periodical Press (FIPP) has resulted in the first ever compilation of examples of “how technology, out-of-the-box thinking and old-fashioned hard work are enabling innovation that is delivering new readers, revenues and relevance to magazines around the world.”

The result is the first ever Innovations in Magazines 2010 World Report, a well illustrated, 100 pages book that brings the reader an up-to-date round-up on what is going on in the world of magazine innovation world-wide. FIPP is not stranger to being on the cutting edge of what is best for the magazine industry world-wide. Chris Llewellyn, President and CEO of FIPP reminds the book readers of FIPP’s mission, “to strengthen links between magazine publishers world-wide in order to exchange knowledge, experience, and ideas.” This book is just one example of what FIPP has done and continue to do to help the periodical industry world-wide.

The range of innovative techniques and methods mentioned in this book brings the reader to a knowledge level that is required for anyone involved in the publishing industry. In fact, it almost leaves nothing to the imagination. It’s all in the book. A swift course at the fraction of the price that it will cost anyone to do all the research needed for this handy up-to-date information. Innovation in Magazines finally nullifies the definition of insanity that has been raging like a wild fire in our industry. It no longer talks about the same things time and time again and expect different results every time. The book does not talk about change or the need to change; it is “change in progress.” Grab it, read it and learn a lot from it.

As the book editors John Wilpers and Juan Señor write, “While many magazines cope with revenue and circulation losses by cutting back and retrenching, many others are countering hard times with hard work, imagination and innovation. This book highlights and celebrates this brilliance.”

A must have brilliance celebration. To order your own copy click here.

The report is almost old out, so if you want a printed copy, order now.

And thank you again Mr. Magazine!

The 2010 INNOVATIONS IN MAGAZINES World Report will be on sale and available online next Monday.

FIPP will be launching the first Innovations in Magazines report at its Digital Conference on 1 March 2010.

INNOVATION’s Juan Senor (London) and John Wilpers (Boston) are the co-editors of the new 100-page report.

The report is a global look at the most innovative initiatives to increase magazine reach, relevance, revenue, and readership.

The survey will highlight a series of magazine case studies and interviews showing initiatives that have a proven track record of being successful, focusing on identifying innovation in content-driven solutions. The study will be co-published by Innovation Media Consulting, which has also produced the annual World Association of Newspapers World Report for more than 10 years.

John Wilpers said: “If press reports were an accurate thermometer of the health of the magazine industry, publishers, editors and sales people would be out in droves looking for jobs in different industries. Instead, IINNOVATON found the brightest minds in the magazine industry to be bursting with innovative energy. Good news never makes the nightly television broadcast, but there is an abundance of good news as technology, out-of-the-box thinking, and old-fashioned hard work are enabling innovation that is delivering new readers, revenues and relevance to magazines around the world. The future of magazines is indeed bright, and we’ll show how and why in the first annual Innovations in Magazines report.”

Illustrated by Deborah Withey and Luis Grañena, and designed by Javier Zarracina, the first INNOVATIONS IN MAGAZINES is a fantastic report inspired by our two INNOVATION’s magazine gurus: Juan Caño and Thomaz Souto Correa.

Our first annual world report about INNOVATIONS IN MAGAZINES is almost ready to go to the printer.

Like the INNOVATIONS IN NEWSPAPERS Global Report that we have done since 1999 for the World Association of Newspapers, this new one was requested by the International Federation of Periodical Publications (FIPP) in London.

INNOVATION’s John Wilpers and Juan Senor are the co-editors of this new report that will be presented in Berlin at the third FIPP Digital Magazine Media Conference, the Digital Innovators Summit, that will take place at the Deutsche Telekom Conference Center in Berlin, Germany, on 1-2 March 2010.

The conference is hosted by FIPP along with the association of German magazine publishers, VDZ.

The 100-page report will be available in print and pdf versions after the conference in our website.

Thomaz Souto Correa and Juan Caño, INNOVATION directors and very well known magazine-gurus were the main contributing editors of this new project.

LIBERATION is a very combative newspaper.

And has been a very peaceful project.

Today Juan Senor, our London director, was is Paris checking the last details for next Monday’s launch of the new formula of LIBE.

INNOVATION’s Javier Errea and Antonio Martin are going to be there working with the editorial and graphic team of LIBERATION.

This is an old client.

Many years ago we were hired by Serge July and Evence Coppe but at that time the new graphic formula didn’t work and Pentagram’s partner David Hillman (a real gentleman!) was unable to gain the support of the newsroom and his superb prototype died after long months of “mais oui, mais non”

I had great time in Paris working with our loved Leo Bogart and Claude Jean Bertrand. Tino Fernandez and Juan Fernando Dorrego did also an excellent work in our editorial and newsroom management audit.

Later, we were asked by Vicent Bollore, chairman of HAVAS, to develop a tentative plan to use the LIBERATION newsroom resourccs for his new TV venture Direct 8, but he couldn’t get support from the shareholders of LIBE.

And almost one year ago, the new board of directors of LIBE headed by Edouard de Rothschild, hired us again this time to produce a full graphic redesign of the paper with a new editorial formula developed after several meetings in Paris with Laurent Joffrin and his team.

L’info est un combat is the new slogan for the launch campaign to emphasise that LIBE is back to quality, punchy, investigative and non-conformist journalism of the politically incorrect.

LIBE is “chic again” and `cool again’

On Monday BMW and Trudot, two top luxury brands will have six full ad pages.

And as I said, this has been a very happy and rewarding experience.

First, because our ideas got the full support of LIBERATION.

And second, because the board of directors, the CEO Nathalie Collin, the editor, and all the newsroom have been very open minded and our discussions ended in a terrific prototype.

Our special thanks go to Stephanie Aubert and Paul Quinio, two great journalists!

And, of course, to all the INNOVATION team that I lead with Juan Senor ()UK), Javier Errea (Spain), Antonio Martin (Spain), Pablo Errea (Spain), Andrew Jaspan (Australia), Thomaz Souto Correa (Brazil), Juan Cano (Spain), Deborah Withey (UK) and Sophie Bougneres (France).

Next Monday you will see the new LIBE, but wait also for the new weekend edition and the new supplements.

We enjoyed the work in Paris.

Thanks Edouard, Nathalie and Laurent, Stephanie and Paul!

In the pictures: Juan Cano, Javier Errea and Laurent Joffrin in the hall of LIBE, in its glorious top terrace, and the fantastic view of Paris from the room where the INNOVATION team made the first presentations.

I asked INNOVATION Director Thomaz Souto Correa about the ASME winners and these are his remarks:

The best cover of the year is really … the best cover of the year: New Yorker, September 11.

It is a double cover, and – in my view – has to be shown in two steps.

First, the reader sees the white cover, with the walker suspended in the air.

When you open the magazine, you see a second cover, where the reader sees ground zero

down below.

It’s brilliant and innovative.

The second best cover, in my opinion, is Time’s cover with the elephant going away.

It’s the winner in the “best concept cover,” and it’s also brilliant and innovative.

Creativity has to be reinforced, because it is in a very low moment…

Thomaz Souto Correa was the executive vice president of Editora Abril and past president of the International Federation of the Periodical Press (FIPP), and now is working with Juan Cano and Guillermo Nagore on the first Innovations in Magazines Global Report.