As the internet continues to grow, so do the media and their understanding of how to use the web to their advantage. Times have changed and media companies have recognized that the internet is the medium where consumers receive majority of their information. Media companies realize that online usage has increased, thus making it a priority to shift their focus of delivering more information from traditional media sources to online.

November 25, 2006 will mark another day where a print publication will close its doors and remain exclusively online. Transcontinental Media announced that TV Guide Canada will circulate its last printed issue, and will transition TV Guide to a web publication. Natalie Larivière, president of Transcontinental Media, said in an interview, “The idea is to adapt it even more to the digital era we are in." Launched over 30 years ago, only the Canadian edition of TV Guide will be exclusively an online publication. Transcontinental has joined the trend of a long list of publications that have shifted their operations to be exclusively online. Other popular publications that have converted online include Dose and Teen People Magazine. These companies understand that an online migration is not a cost cutting approach, but a strategic way to stay in front of their audience in a place they constantly visit.

It comes as no surprise that as Internet audiences grow, newspapers and magazines are increasingly moving their content online to capture the advertising dollars that are flowing to the Web. Media planners will justify an increase in online ad spending due to higher numbers of unique visitors on popular websites. The recent boom of social networks and video-sharing sites like My Space and YouTube, have created this shift in an increase to online spending. User-generated content is the biggest reason the popularity of these sites have grown. Content becomes the key, due to the viral aspect of these sites. An interactive environment is more appealing to consumers rather than holding on to a magazine or a tabloid newspaper. Media companies understand that internet users view this medium as their primary source for information gathering and search tools. Currently, internet users spend nearly twice as much time online searching for information as they do for entertainment purposes. With so much information delivered to a person’s computer, media companies realize they need to create innovative approaches to online content and advertising. Using Rich Media to advertise a brand, wrapping a promotion around content and placing unique incentives for users to visit a site are just a few examples of creative innovated approaches to online content.

Publications such as People magazine and Canwest Mediaworks understand the strategy of shifting the focus of its youth-oriented brands like Teen People and Dose online is paying off. They provide the same content to customers seen in traditional print however; you will see an interactive approach to keeping customers involved. Online forums, blogs and testimonials are some examples that allow users to contribute to the content presented. User generated involvement allows marketers to seamlessly insert a promotion that can be wrapped around the content a user is involved in. The interactive involvement of a user creates a “stickiness” to a site, resulting in an increase amount of time spent on a website. What is paying off for these publications is how they include advertising and promotions around their content. Increased budgets in online spending create a strategic approach to translate an advertisement or promotion. An entertainment website that offers not only a ticket to a live concert, but an opportunity to interview the band for it’s brand’s content is just an example of how marketers wrap online promotions around their website to deliver integrated content.

As online content continues to grow, we must understand that it can be the driving force that integrates a whole campaign or promotion to deliver results. At Henderson Robb, we understand the importance of an online presence directed at integrating content with promotions and advertising. We work together with online companies like Colonies.com Lifestyle Social Networks to deliver promotions and advertising around their current content that is endemic to their target audience. Colonies.com offers niche lifestyle activities to a particular audience (i.e. Snowboarding, Skateboarding, Wakebaording, and more). Along with that, Colonies.com delivers its own online publication; The Snowboard.com Magazine. Their current members contribute to the site with user-generated content of Action Sports and Lifestyle content. Henderson Robb understands these members and presents unique promotions that are seamlessly integrated with current Colonies.com content. Visit www.hendersonrobb.com to view a case studie of Warren Miller to understand how we have worked with media companies to deliver exciting online campaigns that were integrated into the Colonies.com page, and offline to events.

How we view information is constantly changing. In today’s digital world, people will often visit a website rather than pick up a newspaper or magazine. The online transition will continue to grow. A branded online experience can extend to traditional media with unique approaches. In today’s world, media can no longer function solo; an integrated approach can drive people online to offline and visa versa. The transition of information from traditional media to online is a growing trend that will see the internet as the leader of delivering information to the world.