For nearly 50 years, SDM published a print trade magazine. Now, coronavirus claims its latest victim.
While SDM will continue in digital / web versions as well as print versions at industry events, the flagship print version will stop in the next few months, SDM confirmed to IPVM.
In this note, we examine the move, what it means for SDM and the industry at large.
Stopping *****
*** **** ****:
** ***** ** *****-** *** *** changing ****** ****** ** *** ********, a ******** *** **** ** ******** our ************ ** * ******* ****** starting **** ******. ** **** ***** be ********** *** **** *** ********* product ** *** ******** *** ** this *** ******. *** ******* *** advertisers **** ******, ** ********, *** we *** ******** ** **** ******** method. ******* ******** **** ** **** out ** *** ******* ***********, ** well ** *** ********* ******* ** engage **** ** *** ***********.
***** ****** ** ***** *** **** is *****.
*** ******** *** ****** **** ******** first, *** ** **** ******** ** put *** ******** ***** ** ** deliver *** ****, **-***** *******, *** analysis **** ******* **** ******* *** our *********.
***** *** ******* ***** ******** **** end, ******* ******** *** ****** *** planned ** ********, *** **** ****:
** *** ***** **** **** **** be ****-********, ******** ****** *** *** ***** ********* to ** *****, ********* ***** *** print ******** ** *********** ******** ******.
*******, **** *** *** **** ******** industry ****** **** ** ** ** important ******** ** *** ***.
************,*** **** *** ********* *************** *** **** ** ***********:
Other ***** ********* ******?
**** *** *** **** ***** ******** so *** **** ** **** ***** are ******** ***** ***** *********.
** *** ******** ****, *** ** likely ***** **** ** ***** ****** sense ** **** ******** ********* ********* to ******* ***** ****** *** ****** down ** ******* **** **** (*** more ********* ***** ******** ****** ** the ****).
** *** ******** ** ** ***** risky ****, ***** ********* ********* ****** heavily ** ***** *********** *** ******* and ***** ******* ******** *****. ***** not ******* ***** ******** **** **** on ******** *** ************ *****, *** revenue **** ***** *** *** **** dramatically ****** **** *** ****** ***.
Strong *********** ** *****
*** ********* ** **** ****** *********** in *****. ***** ****** **** *** has ****** ** ***** ** *****, SDM ********* ** **** ~*** *****, with ****** **** ***********. *** *******,*** ***** **** *****:
****** **** *** *** *********, *.*.,* **** **** ****** ****** ******* *** *** **** ******* *********** among ***** *********. **** ***** *** alarm ******** **** **** *** ***** publication. *** **** **** *********** *** *******, ***** *** ****** *****.
** *** ***** ****, ***** ***** Publisher***** ******** *** ** **** ** ****** an ********** *** ****-**** ******-**-********** ******** **** *******. ***,***** *******, ********** ******** ******, ** ******-**-*****.
Online ******?
****** ***, ***, *** **** ***, SDM *** *** ******* ** ******** its ****** ********. ******,***** *** **** *** ********** ** ******* ** **** **,*** page ***** *** ***** ** ***'* website. ** ********, **** **** ****** 10 ***** **** ******. *** *** us, **** ***** *** *** ** central ***** ** ** *** **** advertising.
******, *** **** ******** ***** ****** / ******* ******** *** ***** ******* will ** *** **. *** ****** question ** ******* **** **** ** enough ** ********** *** *** **** of ***** ***********. ********, *** **** SDM, ***, ***, ***, ***., ******* against ******** *** ******** *** *** now ***** **** ****** ***********.
**** *** *** ** *** ***** in *** *****, *****, *** *****, it ******** ******* * ******* ****** of ***** ***** *********. ***, **** compete ******* *** ******** **** ******** and ********, * ******** ** *********. Both ** ***** ********* ******* ****** segmented ********* ******** ** ******** ********* at ********** *** *****.
** **** ** *********** ** *** what ****** *** *** *** ***** magazines **** ** ** ************ ****-***** world.
Digital editions
I have never understood why "digital editions" are a thing. Unless your content is SUPER layout-centric, just publish to standard HTML. It is even worse when the digital edition follows the print edition format of splitting something across non-contiguous pages ("Continues on page 89").
Follow the model of every major news website and just publish content "normally".
My theory is that the 'digital edition' is a benefit for the advertisers. With that format, ads are huge and really pop, e.g., this Axis one:
You can miss a banner ad on a webpage but a full-page one is much harder.
Also, maybe people who have been reading trade magazines since the 1970s like that format even online. But certainly, as you mention, the standard even for publications that are a hundred plus years old (NY Times, WSJ, FT, etc.) is normal online publishing.
My theory is that the 'digital edition' is a benefit for the advertisers.
Me too. This is the only logical reason for forcing this format on readers. You are forced to weed through all the ads. You can't use and ad-blocker, you can easily skip them. A major downside though is you couple the typical short reader attention span with having to go through multiple ads/clicks to find the actual content, and it is not a recipe for high engagement.
You also cannot easily comment on, or share, the articles. There is a sharing option, but it's kind of convoluted to find, and not on the article itself in the digital version.
You know, I’ve often remarked to myself that the ONE thing IPVM is missing are those 3x5 blow-in subscription cards that would inevitably fall out of my SDM Magazine.
If John Honovich could do something to maintain my toilet-time reading status quo in light of SDM’s printing exodus, maybe he could have one of the staff come by in the morning and at the very least sprinkle me with index cards as I parse the morning IPVM headlines from my throne— It would really help me get by during these already trying times. Something to consider, anyway.
ouch!
this couldn't come at a worse time, right in the middle of a nationwide TP shortage...
My local community paper went digital-only a month ago. The parent company owns 14 similar suburban community publications. Only one week after making the digital-only announcement, the parent company fired everyone - ironically over a Zoom call - and closed their doors.
Thanks to SDM, more specifically Susan Whitehurst and Laura Stepanek…. for helping me share my “observations”. For nine years during the 80’s they were published monthly in SDM … for five years under the Column titled, “MARKETING INSIGHTS”, then another 4 years under the title of “TIPS & TACTICS”. Also I transferred my “Ranking-25” to SDM about 1990, which was then restructured and published as the annual “SDM 100”. Examples of how SDM has supported the hundreds of fragments of the alarm industry.
FYI, see link to crude annual Ranking-25 circa 1986. Note how the names and ranking has changed over 35 years.
Thanks Again SDMLee Jones; Support Services Group
