Reporting by Cecilia Campbell

With the ever increasing popularity of mobile reading devices such as mobiles phones, net-books, and e-readers, many publishers are seeing the value in producing an e-paper alongside their print editions in order to boost subscriptions and readership. Speaking at the 2nd WAN-IFRA conference on e-readers in Paris last week, Charles Lansu, Marketing Manager for NRC Handelsblad and Olivier Delteil, Business Development Manager, Digital edition, for Groupe Les Echos gave the attending publishers their insight on developing an e-paper.

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NRC Handelsblad: the first Dutch newspaper on electronic paper

Dutch financial daily NRC Handelsblad is currently the only newspaper in the country offering it's readers an e-reading edition of its publication, following its launch in early 2008. Whilst the actual editorial content is the same for both the print and digital versions, the latter also employs it's own team of designers and publishers to negotiate how the content might be presented best on the reduced screen size or devices such as e-readers and mobile phones.

Acting independently of the daily print publication is essential to the success of an e-paper, stressed Charles Lansu, and there must be a seperate digital strategy. For NRC Handelsblad this strategy meant being available in a popular format (for example PDF, which is suited to both iRex and iLiad e-readers), offering all the content available in the print editions as well as some 'added benefits' and emphasising the 'infancy' of the product to customers, inviting them to offer feedback and help to improve the e-paper.

Based on the experience at NRC Handelsblad, Lansu gave participants a list of key advice on how to "launch an e-paper in 30 minutes":

1. Be up-to date with what is going on in the e-reading market and devices.

2. Think big but act small - draw a roadmap, but be realistic in your first steps.

3. Select the right partners- Which business model suits your business best? Do you have all the knowledge or do you need external expertise?

4. Set up a dedicated team- You need all the different functions; editors, designers, IT, marketing and suppliers (hardware, software, retail, publishing). Limit the size of the team, and keep them away seperate from the daily print publication.

5. Manage expectations- NRC Handelsblad launched a forum where all consumers were able to interact with each other and the paper - this removed expectations which may have been too high and provided a good space for feedback.

6. Be prepared- When you innovate you have to try new routes and this means trial and error. Many things will go wrong, the key is how you handle the situation when they do.

7. Be flexible- Do not focus on a specific medium or device. Adjust your strategy when the technology and/or market demands it and remember that the future is not predictable

8. Stay ahead- It's important to keep developing what you offer your readers.

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Les Echos: an e-paper to reinforce the brand

The French financial daily, Les Echos launched an electronic version of its paper two years ago. "The e-reading launch was about reinforcing and extending the brand as well as reinforcing our relationships with our readers, by providing them Les Echos content anytime, anywhere and on any platform," said Olivier Delteil.

In order to enhance it's e-reading offer, Les Echos introduced content from France's leading sports publication, L'Equipe, in 2008 to coincide with the Olympic Games for a four-month trial period. It proved to be successful, showing the newspaper that it was better to offer its customers more content from more sources. Delteil said that given the positive outcome of the trial, Les Echos are currently attempting to set up an e-reading kiosk offer with other newspapers, believing some will sign up before the end of this year. "If we can set up an offer with Le Monde and Le Figaro, we will give the customer contact info to the other newspapers as well, not keep it to ourselves," he said.

Delteil listed a number of key lessons he had learned from the development of an e-paper thus far: he reiterated Lanus' point, mentioning the importance of adapting the editorial content to the device, not only asthetically but technologically taking advantage of features such as constant updating and he also talked about the value of in keeping in touch with the customer.

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Taking the insight of both speakers on board, Charles Lansu's final words of advice seemed to conclude best what publishers needed to keep in mind when developing their own e-papers: "Remember that it's about digitising your journalism, not your newspaper."

For more information on the 2nd WAN-IFRA e-readering conference, click here.