There are ways to compensate for rising costs. One publisher, Scranton Gillette Communications, offsets expenses by assessing production strategies and evaluating mailing options. The company's president shares other proactive ways to counterbalance the hike. When publishers first went to the Web, they had difficulty determining whether the online product should be a destination or complement the magazine. Those that created separate departments with different workflows now lack a coherent strategy.
Integration is the key.
However, companies must first overcome cultural and procedural hurdles. R.R. Donnelley subsidiary Red Rover Digital examines efficiencies and develops an implementation plan for publishers. Industry consultant Ralph Monti explains how print and online divisions can work as one. R.R. Donnelley's Premedia Technologies not only manages digital assets, but it also helps publishers access new outlets. For example, through syndication, Premedia Technologies, and its partner ScreamingMedia Inc., transforms print content into electronic content and delivers it through new revenue-producing platforms.