India Today Group ends paid for model online
Posted by Evan Fell on December 5, 2007 at 1:23 PM
India Today Group is planning a big digital move, creating a single Website that is to showcase all of its properties. The group is also shifting from a subscription-based model to free access.
The new umbrella site will offer print, video, and audio in Tamil, Hindi, and Bengali languages. Publications of the Group, including Men’s Health, Cosmopolitan, Good Housekeeping, Design Today and Golf Digest, would keep their respective Websites.
The Group has already launched Websites of some of its publications, including India Today and Business Today, and will be launching the websites of Money Today and Prevention India. Next, the group will focus on lifestyle and special interest magazines, as well as television channels.
The new sites already offer many innovative features. They have news that is updated constantly and exclusive features and blogs written by senior group journalists. The sites for each of the publications have an e-magazine. Money Today and Business Today sites have interactive calculators and personal finance tools. All of the sites have Q&A features to engage readers and help them build their own communities. On the India Today site, Editor and Group Editorial Director, Prabhu Chawla, replies to questions posted by readers every week. More features are to be added soon, including video clips and podcasts.
The group decided to change to a free access model for two reasons. The first says Sanjoy Narayan, Chief Operating Officer, India Today Group Digital, “Our earlier subscription model found takers mainly among Indians living abroad or those who wanted information about India. Also, that was a time when Internet penetration was low and the user base was small. Now, with both of these increasing rapidly, particularly among the younger people, we want to tap this audience.”
The second reason is revenue. Online ad revenue is growing and the group feels as though they can attract an audience by keeping their readers engaged everyday instead of just periodically when their magazines are released.
“Our aim is to offer our readers a combination of fresh content with the depth and perspective of the Group’s strong magazine brands,” said Narayan.
Source: exchange4media.com through Ifra Executive News Service
The Group has already launched Websites of some of its publications, including India Today and Business Today, and will be launching the websites of Money Today and Prevention India. Next, the group will focus on lifestyle and special interest magazines, as well as television channels.
The new sites already offer many innovative features. They have news that is updated constantly and exclusive features and blogs written by senior group journalists. The sites for each of the publications have an e-magazine. Money Today and Business Today sites have interactive calculators and personal finance tools. All of the sites have Q&A features to engage readers and help them build their own communities. On the India Today site, Editor and Group Editorial Director, Prabhu Chawla, replies to questions posted by readers every week. More features are to be added soon, including video clips and podcasts.
The group decided to change to a free access model for two reasons. The first says Sanjoy Narayan, Chief Operating Officer, India Today Group Digital, “Our earlier subscription model found takers mainly among Indians living abroad or those who wanted information about India. Also, that was a time when Internet penetration was low and the user base was small. Now, with both of these increasing rapidly, particularly among the younger people, we want to tap this audience.”
The second reason is revenue. Online ad revenue is growing and the group feels as though they can attract an audience by keeping their readers engaged everyday instead of just periodically when their magazines are released.
“Our aim is to offer our readers a combination of fresh content with the depth and perspective of the Group’s strong magazine brands,” said Narayan.
Source: exchange4media.com through Ifra Executive News Service
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