The fall season marks the beginning of the calendar year budgeting and strategic planning cycle for many of our clients. With that in mind, I thought I'd provide a quick look at what Microwave Journal is planning for the coming year.
On the print side, we’ve finalized our "Editorial Calendar" for 2013. You won't find any major changes to the monthly lineups, but some of the show distribution has moved around to accommodate new event dates. Our three special supplements will remain the same, with the "Cables & Connectors" piece in March, "Military Microwaves" in August and "Mobile Communications" in November. I have noticed an increase in insert and outsert activity this year, with some very creative implementations. Take a look at the piece polybagged with our October issue as a good example. I've also seen an increase in the use of bellybands, the marketing messages that get wrapped around the magazine. You'll see a series of these beginning in our November issue. These are high-impact programs, ideally suited for new product launches or as a cost-effective method to distribute your company literature to a highly targeted audience.
On the electronic media side, we've seen a big increase in white paper postings, with many companies taking advantage of our integrated program, which combines print, newsletter and website promotion for branding and lead-generation. We've also seen a continued increase in webinar activity on both the custom and sponsored programs. The custom webinars allow companies to present their products/technology directly to the audience, while the sponsored version provides the content and speaker while including your branding and messaging. Both versions generate high quantity and quality of leads and significant branding through MWJ promotion.
Our new website, launched at the beginning of this year, was designed to provide content by product and technology "channels." These channels offer the opportunity for exclusive sponsorship, wherein a company "owns" all of the banners within a channel. We’ve seen several companies take advantage of this new opportunity in 2012. In fact, our "Test & Measurement" channel is currently sponsored if you’re interested in seeing it in action.
We’re in the process of developing our first mobile app for Android and iOS devices which will include a mobile version of the magazine plus RSS feed updates for items such as industry news, blog postings, etc. Subscribers will be able to view past issues, download each issue for offline reading, bookmark favorite articles and share comments. Various banner ads and other unique advertising opportunities will be available for sponsorship within the app.
You’re likely aware of the launch of MWJ China this year, which has been met with enthusiasm by both readers and advertisers. We’ll continue publishing six editions in 2013 with an eye toward monthly publication the following year. Likewise, you’ve probably seen our promotions for the Electronic Design Innovation Conference (EDI CON), to take place in Beijing next March. The exhibition hall floor is filling out nicely, with an impressive list of both large and small companies looking to expand their reach in China.
Currently, we’re working on our November issue of MWJ, the November/December issue of MWJ China and our annual “Mobile Communications” supplement. Editor David Vye provides a synopsis of each issue in his contribution to this month’s newsletter and you can check advertising deadlines and bonus distribution details on the monthly "Ad Bulletin."
The 2013 media kit will be available within the next few weeks. In the meantime, your MWJ sales representative is available for consultation at any time.
Best Regards,
Carl Sheffres
Publisher