Sometimes bigger really is better! In this issue of Engage, we'll help you think big when it comes to your advertising strategy—multi-platform packages are the key to successful sales and partnerships. Don't forget to check out the latest launches, and our video interview. If you get even one idea, we'd like to think Engage is worth reading (and now watching)!

industry buzz

Magazines Launching Online Games
Some magazines, such as BusinessWeek and National Geographic, have started posting interactive online video games to their Web sites in an attempt to increase site traffic and time spent engaging with content. Check out some of the free entertainment...

New Life for Old Magazines
With ever-changing Web technology, magazines are constantly evolving to meet audience demands. But many never stop to consider that the key to new offerings may lie in the content of their past. Take a look at the inexpensive way that some publishers are unlocking years of historic content, on the Web.

Creating Content Across Platforms
Successful publishers have learned that the key to developing strategic business plans is to create content that reaches across all platforms: print, digital and more. Learn how the industry has transformed over the last five years to adapt to audiences who want their content delivered in a multitude of ways.

Disclaimer: Access to some sites may require registration.

diamond in the rough

Advertising's New Twist

Is your association ready to launch the "next big thing" in advertising? According to Karl Ely, publisher and advertising director of Associations Now, the monthly magazine of ASAE & The Center, multiplatform advertising is the way to go.

In an interview on the TMG Online Video Network, Karl notes that today's advertisers are looking for all-new ways to relaunch their brands and set themselves apart in response to increasingly competitive markets. Associations, he points out, are well-positioned to meet these objectives, thanks to assets that include custom content magazines, newsletters, membership directories, Web sites, online video, conferences and trade shows. Individually, these platforms already offer advertisers high-value exposure, but Karl advises that real success comes from "bringing all those products and services together ... in one bundled multiplatform package."

Multiplatform advertising represents a major change—and substantial ROI—for advertisers and associations alike. According to Karl, they are not simply buying presence by medium, "they're buying across all ... platforms and they're doing it for multiple years," thereby widening and deepening the relationship between associatons and advertisers. Associations Now, for example, has enjoyed success by creating a bundled package that gives advertisers presence in the publication's Web site and events. Karl says ASAE & The Center is considering adding video to the package.

Watch Karl's video interview

Clearly, multiplatform advertising packages can help associations manage revenue migration. They can also create all-new revenue streams by developing advertising support for emerging platforms such as online video and podcasting. The key is to customize multiplatform packages that are right for each advertiser and to consider pricing carefully. The bundling of products and services is not going to be for every advertiser; therefore it is important to create several pricing tiers.

With many associations getting ready to set their objectives (and budgets) for the coming year, the time to map out a multiplatform strategy is now. The starting point is making the mindshift from selling ads to approaching advertisers as partners. We offer some next-step guidelines in our new Best Practices Guide: Create Successful Multiplatform Advertising Packages

Connect    Create Successful Multiplatform Advertising Packages

Engage    Do you have a multiplatform question or tip to share? We'd love to hear from you!

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