The Tablet PC and the Future of Publishing

tablet-pc-and-future-of-publishing

The tablet PC is revolutionizing the way we consume media, but what does this mean for the future of publishing?

On the April 3rd Apple's greatly anticipated iPad hit the stores of America. Since it was ceremoniously unveiled in January, the technology giant's first tablet PC has received a phenomenal amount of hype, even by their publicity standards. Journalists, reviewers and bloggers quickly divided into parties of iLove and iHate, producing catalogues of materials about the device's chic aesthetics, its lack of USB port, its variety of convenient functions or its short battery life. Regardless of personal opinion, it has become impossible to deny the success of the iPad, with unit sales hitting the 2 million mark in a matter of weeks and that figure projected to double by the end of the year. But while writers busied themselves with either praising or berating Apple, a more pressing issue for the publishing world has received comparatively little media attention.

Whatever the iPad itself may lack, it is impossible to ignore the effects that tablet PCs of this kind are having on an industry already reeling from a recession. Mobile internet access combined with features such as electronic reader technologies and popular newspaper applications allow users to access everything from the latest headlines to their favourite magazines on a single device, transforming the way people consume media. The publishing industry is in the process of undergoing significant changes to adapt to the digital market and, according to industry experts, publishers looking to stay relevant will need to incorporate these changes into all levels of the business.

Lynne Seid, former president of Foote, Cone & Belding advertising firm and head of the digital marketing unit at the leadership advisory firm Heidrick & Struggles, suggests that while publishers must incorporate personnel with digital expertise into the business, those new media experts must have experience of traditional publishing in order to ensure a successful business model.

"Organizations need talent at the top that can bridge the old and new worlds," says Seid. "Rather than looking for change agents, companies need truly transformational leaders who can add on capabilities to the organization."

This shift in media consumption does not come as a surprise. Since the rise of the internet people have turned to the digital world for their news, sales of traditional publications have steadily fallen and publishers for the most part have managed to establish strong, content-rich websites. But while there has been a shift in focus towards digital media, few publishers have made the changes necessary to fully integrate digital media into the existing publishing business structure.

"The implications of consumption from print to digital devices will echo back into the publishing organization itself," explains Seid. "Publishers will have to ask themselves whether they have the right structure and right talent for this new world."

One of the biggest changes for publishing companies is the shift in demands placed on employees. More emphasis on components such as search engine optimized content and video reports or interviews will mean journalists and editors must be familiar with a much broader range of skills than was previously necessary. In addition, firms must have enough technological expertise in place to stay on top on the fast moving digital world without significantly reducing profits. On top of that, the change in publishing medium will have huge consequences for the advertising revenue a publication can generate, as well as hard copy sales.

Tablet PCs do not bring a complete transformation for the publishing industry - digital media has been steadily evolving since the mid 1990s - they certainly represent the next stage in media production. Publishers must meet the changing demands of the industry as we move into the era of the tablet PC. Seid explains, "The shift is forcing a new way of thinking about what it means to publish a newspaper or a magazine or a book, and executives must understand this dynamic process or they will simply have no place in the new world."