My readers, and the subjects of my rants, know that I cannot stand when a rehashed idea is unjustly called an innovation.  When I see such things, especially when an industry “expert” is involved, I call them out on it.  Some people think I’m insensitive but I just tell it like I see it.  It does no good to the newspaper industry to applaud mediocrity, not at this critical point.  So in late August when I criticized newspaper designer Mario Garcia and his redesign business, I did just that.

I also understand that it is too easy to just criticize and offer up platitudes.  I must defend my definition of innovation, no?  Below is something I’ve been working on since 2007 that addresses many issues destroying the newspaper industry. It is a well thought out (if I don’t say so my self), well argued, and viable. It is a digital newspaper business model which could be launched TODAY should an investor or publisher choose to do so.  ENJOY!

The My Post Infinite Zoning model

Market Demand:
A paradigm shift in information streams has fragmented traditional newspaper and magazine business models. Former subscribers are fleeing print media to fill their customization and personalization needs online.

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Industry Need:
In an effort to serve the new information needs of customers and noncustomers alike, newspapers have been increasing their zoning capabilities both on press and in their mailrooms. The Washington Post for example has recently increased its pressroom and mailroom capabilities to break their circulation into 600 micro-zones.

INFINITE ZONING:
Infinite Zoning leverages the home delivery capabilities of print media publishers to offer expanded products, which are highly targeted and customizable. These are products that cannot be easily delivered by new media companies.

Technological Evolution:
Debuted at Drupa 2008, Hewlett Packard has just announced the creation of a 36.5” wide inkjet web press. This press allows for large formats, bigger press runs, multiple imposition plans and various quality paper stocks. The press is capable of print on demand variable data printing with a max speed of 2600 letter size pages per minute. Other digital presses also exist which can handle this type of variable data printing.

Automatic layout software is now available. This software can formulate text and images, aggregated by an rss reader, into a newspaper like layout maintaining the original structure including but not limited to: Bold headlines, paragraph structure, sentence structure, punctuation, and image layout. RSS feed reading software and rss usage is on the rise. This technology has many benefits, including indexing and search. My Post will utilize the technology to easily connect subscribers with content and advertisers of interest.

Solution:
My Post Infinite Zoning will set up a website interface through a print publisher’s website which will allow the following:

Allow subscribers the ability to create their own custom section consisting of personalized content, advertising, and images. The output will be a Portable Document Format (PDF) or similar digital output as well as custom My Post web page hosted by the partner publisher.

Allow users to designate many parameters including but not limited to: Text size, the advertisement to content ratio (min. 50/50), the text to image ratio, their personal news content of interest, keywords, locations of interest, content providers of interest, advertising of interest, geo targeting of advertising, and to weight the importance of their selections from most to least interested.

My Post then allows subscribers to select whether they want the PDF delivered electronically to them daily or weekly, or to be sent to the newspaper’s printer and inserted into their home delivery, or have only the custom section delivered, or any variation thereof.

Utilizing the PDF, the newspaper will print the custom section using the variable data printing capability of the HP Inkjet Web Press (or any other type of press that can generate this volume of variable data) at a pressroom or distribution center to print the personalized sections where the product can then be delivered using the existing distribution routes.

The website interface will allow users to visit their personal site at any time of the day and create a new custom newspaper section. The sections can be downloaded by the user and stored on a computer or removable device, sent to a mobile device, emailed, or printed. Users can also update their keyword list at any time to change and update their customized section as their needs change.

This personal My Post page will also give users social networking opportunities including but not limited to: allowing them to post a profile, share their My Post section with other users, share their keywords, rate content, authors, experiences and provide a forum for open discussion.

Value Addition to Reader and non-reader alike:
Personalized content not currently being offered by traditional printed newspaper product, created and delivered as the subscriber sees fit.

View not only content but also advertisements that match your keywords.

Invite particular advertisements when in the market for particular products or services for example jewelry stores when shopping for an engagement ring or car dealerships when looking for a new automobile.

Create special sections only you would know you like. Want Hungarian Olympics news for the month of August? No Problem!

Multiple sections can be sent to one household to fill the needs of all the residents.

Value Addition to Advertiser:
The advertiser will have their own website interface through the newspaper’s website where they can upload their advertisement images, create a simple advertisement, input keywords, and set geographic targets that will link them to similarly matched My Post customers.

My Post will feature a simplified online style advertising system with monthly spending limits and automated bill pay.

Advertising with a more focused targeting model than Direct Mail or
Hometown Shoppers. Advertise in a publication with an established brand and following.

Advertisers can send their catalogs, coupons, and product information directly through the publisher to a targeted individual interested in their products and services.

Value Addition to Newspaper Publisher:
1. New revenue from companies currently advertising online, through Direct Mail campaigns, or storefront signage.
2. Increase revenue from existing advertisers by charging for premium advertising placement and targeting opportunities.
3. Stabilize and grow readership by appealing to customers’ demand for personal content.
4. Partner with other newspaper publishers or non-traditional, niche media sources such as the local high school newspaper, international news sources like Xpatloop.com and the BBC, or online syndicators such as Voxant, Creative Commons, RedLasso.
5. Attract a wider audience, i.e. (younger, non English speaking, transient)
6. Leverage your home delivery capability, it is a great asset
7. Use the MY POST INFINITE ZONING model to expand your product line into non-newspaper products such as catalogs and product samples.

Resources & Equipment needed:

Partner or develop software to:
o Fulfill customer orders

• Advertiser
• Reader

o Automatically paginate pages and sections
• HP Inkjet Web Press to print the product
• Folder to cut and fold the product
• Innovate logistics for delivering the right product to the right individual

Conclusion:
Current printing technology does not allow a complete newspaper to be printed using a digital press. The HP inkjet web press is new technology that allows the timely and cost effective creation of one 2 to 8 page custom section for a newspaper or magazine.

By using the print on demand variable data printing capabilities of the HP press, newspaper publishers grow with their audience and technology. My Post allows infinite zoning and growth potential in print and online. The model also encourages new innovation in Delivery, Customization, Personalization, Social Networking, and Software Enhancements, which have been sorely lacking in publishers’ offerings.

Consider:
Every time a reader decides he’s going to quit his print subscription and make the move to the world of online news, he’s confronted with a new set of decisions. Instead of the local paper, he has his choice of thousands of papers and content providers. The goal of the newspaper at this critical point is to get their readers to stick to their paper even when they make the switch to online.

A publication that doesn’t do this well will lose their readership, but one that does has the chance to increase its readership as they steal customers from the competitors falling all around them. Infinite Zoning couples a print reader’s habits to their online habits, forming a bridge that leads them directly to the paper’s website when, in the future, they decide to make the full switch.

This print/offline strategy slows the print to digital transition without waiting for it, creating a buffer, creating time for the paper to monitor it’s reader ship and ease the transition along.

EXAMPLE OF MY POST APPLICATION IN USE

Customer:
Robert Ivan is a subscriber to The Washington Post and lives in Alexandria Virginia. He reads it for politics and local news information and relies on their journalistic integrity. He is also interested in news about the Local Music Scene, Saltwater Fishing, State of the Newspaper Industry, Internet Technology, Hungarian News, and a handful of company stocks he owns. Additionally, his wife likes reading about equestrian events.
Problem:
Due to the ubiquity of the Internet, Robert and his wife are increasingly going elsewhere to find information about their personal interests. The newspaper has already removed the stock tickers from the daily paper so Robert must go to Yahoo Finance for that info. It is getting to the point where they are considering cancelling their home delivery subscription.
Solution:
My Post -Infinite Zoning- has partnered with The Washington Post. He logs on to the Washington Post’s web site and fills out a standard form stating his and his wife’s interests, some questions to determine layout, and some more questions to weight the categories for importance. The whole process takes less than 5 minutes. Now when their newspaper arrives in the morning it contains their personalized My Post inserted into the paper as a section. His wife opted to receive the electronic pdf version because she’s always on the go.

Conclusion:
1. The Ivans are now happy newspaper subscribers who tell their friends and family about how great their newspaper is.
2. Advertisers are happier than ever because of the higher ROI associated with the targeted custom insert.
3. The Washington Post is happy because they are growing advertising revenue and readership.
4. My Post –Infinite Zoning- is happy because newspaper publishers around the world want to incorporate the product into their offerings.
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The creation of My Post Infinite Zoning is the brainchild of Robert Ivan with collaborative input from Brian Pratt, and Jonas Martinsson
Robert Ivan is a M.A. candidate at NYU studying Graphic Communication Management and Technology. He has many years newspaper industry experience and maintains www.metaprinter.com
Brian Pratt is a MBA candidate at George Washington University. He is a published author and former Army Aviator.
Jonas Martinsson is the creator of Feedjournal, an RSS to print auto pagination software.