Halogen

Just got a Kindle from Amazon. So this will probably kill off the last of my print-based subscriptions or purchases (even at airports), with the exception of the Sunday NYTimes. I actually read through the manual on this device, something I rarely do – so was using the device within 30 minutes.

Great screen, decent navigation, impressive array of content – and also like, for travel, the ability to send a document to a Kindle email and get the attachment on the device to be read on the plane or over the weekend.

Biggest disappointment is design – it’s a Buick to Apple’s BMW. Packaging and first product impressions not that cool or buzz worthy. Integration to Amazon, one-click etc all very strong.

I am having a hard time holding it in both hands and not by mistake clicking on the page forward bar, which is annoying. Need to see how others handle it. Bottom-line: looking forward to see if it becomes indispensable (like all my Apple devices) over a summer of lots of business and vacation travel.

But back to the airport: when traveling, I usually buy print copies of the WSJ and NYTimes, and as the same time when in the store, pick up some magazines – Robb Report, Architectural Digest, Travel and Leisure etc. But this trip, no need to buy the newspapers, since I was carrying Kindle – so no opportunity to grab the magazines.

So, I am not suggesting that Kindle kills off magazines – just that technology continues to encroach on the need to buy and read them, and the pace of that encroachment is accelerating. For luxury marketers, the implications are obvious – these new devices are in the hands of their customers and prospects, but the medium is different. While you can subscribe to magazines on a Kindle – like Forbes – glossy real estate or travel ads won’t look great.

I used to think that magazines like DuPont Registry had a future – albeit a diminished one – as the print magazine read at airports and in dentists’ waiting rooms. Even that future looks uncertain.

This most recent press mention reminded me of the challenge of describing what Halogen Publishers does. If we adopt the “ad network” moniker I think we risk two reactions: jaded (how many ad networks have been launched in the past year?), and “low value” (since most networks sell remnant, below the fold ad inventory for sub $5 CPM’s.

In fact, we behave more like a site specific advertising rep firm, but with ad network capabilities and functionality. Like others (Federated Media, Sportgenic, and Consorte Media) we represent a relatively small stable of quality publishers, and sell their audience directly to clients and/or their agencies. We try to package high-value above the fold inventory into specific campaigns – often integrating custom components as well. Our CPM’s are typically $10-30 depending on the site, and advertisers can choose specific sites in the network.

But we will also offer some of the benefits of a network – extended audience reach, Neilsens @Plan measurement and comprehensive campaign measurement and reporting.

So, I think we have a hybrid model, and probably need a new name – Luxury Media Network?

Like others, I have attended three Luxury Interactive Conferences in the past year – two in NYC and one in London. The most recent was last month and in general I would describe the vibe as cautiously optimistic, in terms of luxury brands and marketers seeing the opportunities online, yet aware of the risks. Instead of standing on the sidelines, it felt that the attendees were committing their brands to more online programs – doubling down on what is working, and willing to allocate budget to more testing.

As usual, there was lots of hype around the “new thing”, which this year seemed to be social networks and community-driven content – somewhat stealing some of the attention from Google. But at least no one was raving about mobile, which still seems to be years off to have any impact for luxury marketers.

Cal Simmons did a nice summary of the conference over on his blog.

I will be speaking at a Luxury Marketing Council event next month in NYC – Wednesday July 16th at the Plaza Athenee at 8am. The topic is:

The Future of the Web – How its Radically Reshaping the Luxury Market

I am on a panel with the following people:

Susie Ellis, President, SpaFinder, Inc.
Steve Nobel, Co-Founder and Chairman, The Luxury Home Alliance; Founder and Principle, NOBELINKS
Michael Sheldon, Chairman and CEO, Portero
Tim Vasko, Founder and Chairman, REALESTOCK.COM

If you are a member of the Council, I hope you can make the event. If not, I will be in NYC that week if you want to get together.

We are excited to announce that TripKick, one of Time’s 50 Best Websites of 2008, has joined Halogen Publishers Travel & Luxury Lifestyle vertical.  Led by travel industry veteran Bryant Waters, TripKick aims to take the guesswork out of finding the best rooms for your hotel experience.  TripKick goes beyond other travel review sites by thoroughly documenting the dimensions of the room, the view, how far away from the elevator along with other details that make your hotel stay perfect.

For media buyers looking to reach the hotel hopping elite, TripKick along with other publishers in the Travel & Lifestyle vertical such as Perfect Escapes and Luxury Travel Magazine, deliver a targeted group of discerning travelers online.