It was standing room only for Phil Scott’s presentation this morning, Friday 11th November. The ACP Magazines Managing Director was reporting back from October’s 38th FIPP Congress in India.

In the teeth of plummeting international sales figures, Scott countered optimistically: ‘Australia is in a fundamentally better position than the US, UK and Europe.’ Australians’ early uptake of new technology is only helping. ‘I’m a great believer in new technology. It’s transformational for our business.’ Scott continued. He claimed Apple’s Newsstand had ‘turbo-charged’ ACP’s sales, both single copy and subscriptions.  

Mind you, he pointed out, the success of Women's Weekly Royal Wedding issue just goes to show the valuable opportunities still in print.

Nevertheless, he ended with a warning to complacent publishers: digital editions alone are not a silver bullet, magazines must reinvent themselves, not just re-purpose their print editions, for new media.

Ryan Dohrn, Founder and CEO Brian Swell Media from the US delivered a stern directive to publishing sales teams to cease following the path of insanity in ‘selling print in the same way and expecting different results.’

“People today require more stimuli than ever before to make a decision, advertisers need more stimuli to make a decision… and it requires more and more stimuli to get excited.”

He added that the days of the aggressive ‘hunter’ sales executive are over, and the modern publishing sales executive needs to be a ‘farmer’ with a hunter’s instincts. ‘Media buyers are not looking to buy another print ad. Advertisers and media buyers are looking for creative ideas, innovative ideas and something new.’

To publishers he advised: ‘train your sales team to understand multiple touchpoints. Your sales person needs to be a change agent, one that is able to educate advertisers on how engaging with your brand is going to impact their business financially.’

The Trade Show was busy again today, with exhibitors demonstrating new services and their latest products. Derek Holt from Future Sources was busily handing out brochures to new Interstate contacts and said he was delighted with the leads he had gleaned.

Over at the Gumiyo stand, Phil O’Brien had also acquired a handful of new leads. “This has been a very worthwhile exercise is terms of raising brand awareness and reinforcing existing relationships face to face.”