Green At Retail

Newsstand Marketing and Distribution: Green at Retail

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank our foundation partners for their generous financial support to the Green America Better Paper Project: Merck Family Fund, Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund, Town Creek Foundation, and Weeden Foundation.

We also thank the following people for their assistance on this paper: Thea Selby and Gary Ting at Next Steps Marketing; Dennis Greenia, Todd Larsen, Keaty Gross, Joelle Novey, and Natasha Abbas at Green America. 

August 2009

Preface

The Green America Better Paper Project and Next Steps Marketing present this paper to magazine publishers in order to help them understand the most effective practices within the newsstand channel that can increase revenue and sales, reduce expenses, and improve environmental stewardship. Today’s magazine publisher faces harsh economic and environmental realities that require a commitment to solutions from all stakeholders in the magazine supply chain. We will present solutions to publishers so they can achieve higher efficiencies, increased sale, and better brand awareness. These solutions will also have a positive effect on the environment. Progress has been made, but there is a long way to go before the magazine and newsstand channel can truly be called “green.” When we refer to “green,” we expressly mean practices that are both environmentally and socially responsible.

Newsstand Marketing and Distribution: Green at Retail



Table of Contents Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Preface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Newsstand 101. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Magazine Suppy Chain. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Newsstand Sales Trends . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Efficiency. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Tips for Socially Conscious Newsstand Marketing Better Efficiency. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Order Regulation Remove zero copy sale Move to non-returnable distribution

Better Marketing and Distribution. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Test new markets Limit risk Maximize your frequency Look at your cover price Examine paper options Explore environmental promotions

Conclusion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Appendices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Resources. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 About the Authors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 

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Introduction

In 

an ever-changing newsstand industry, it is important to stay informed and to seek opportunities to make the newsstand channel work more effectively. Improving the newsstand channel requires input from each stakeholder: the publisher, retailer, and wholesaler. As stakeholders in the newsstand channel look to increase efficiency, reduce costs, and provide improved service to publishers, incorporating environmental sustainability in the business model is proving to be a financial and environmental win-win for these stakeholders. The changing economy and the rise of the green movement has caused stakeholders in the newsstand channel to consider how it can improve and take more responsibility for the channel’s impact on the environment. This has led to a number of changes as more and more publishers switch to recycled paper, wholesalers embrace recycling unsold copies, and retailers—spearheaded by Green America Better Paper Project initiatives— support environmental leaders in the industry by providing premium retail placement to magazines printed on recycled paper. Wholesalers, retailers, and publishers are discovering that by implementing environmental practices they can reap benefits including additional revenue, greater newsstand sales, and improved brand image. The newsstand channel is considered complex because it involves so many different stakeholders and layers that can be difficult to navigate. In this paper, we explain how the channel works and how to strengthen your magazine brand by implementing environmental initiatives that can save money and increase revenue.

Newsstand Marketing and Distribution: Green at Retail



Newsstand 101

Having 

copies on the newsstand serves many purposes. In some cases, magazine publishers do it so that their magazine gains greater visibility. The value of potential readers and advertisers seeing the magazine at retail can boost overall awareness and help secure advertisers and subscribers. Revenue from newsstands generally lags behind advertising and subscription revenue, but it still impacts the bottom line. In the case of smaller, circulation-driven magazines, newsstand revenue plays a more significant role in contributing to the bottom line. Fluctuations in sales therefore strongly affect these smaller publishers. With the fluctuations affecting their cash flow and working capital, newsstand proves to be a very important channel for smaller magazines. Paying close attention to efficiency (i.e. the amount of waste in the channel) limits shipping and printing costs and reduces environmental impacts. In revenue terms, newsstand sales offer a greater price per unit than do subscriptions sales. This leads some to view the newsstand buyer to be more engaged in the magazine in question because they are paying full price rather than a discounted price through subscription or free through pass along. Generally speaking, 81 percent of newsstand buyers buy on impulse*, so when the economy experiences a downturn, retail sales are adversely affected because of less foot traffic in retail outlets and consumers’ heightened level of consciousness regarding purchasing behavior. The newsstand channel has diverse layers that all work to get the product to retail. The following magazine supply chain outlines the different layers and make up of the channel.

* Source: IPDA/PBAA



August 2009

Magazine Supply Chain Publisher u Designs and produces magazine. u Works with national distributor or directly with magazine marketing channel to deliver and promote magazines to consumer.

Printer u Prints magazine and oversees shipment process to wholesaler.

Wholesaler u Packages and deliver copies to retail. u Collects unsold copies. u Compiles and analyzes sales data. u Collects money from retailer and provides it to publisher or national distributor.

Retailer u Sets up displays and places magazines on racks (sometimes performed by wholesaler/merchandiser).

Publishers work with a national distributor to help get their magazine to market and to help ensure that the right number of copies get to the right retailers to ensure best possible sales and efficiency.

National Distributor u Manages billing and collections on behalf of the publisher. u Acts as a liason between publisher, printer and wholesaler. u Manages print order on behalf of the publisher.

u Provides returns or point-of-sale (POS) information to wholesaler.

Consumer Newsstand Marketing and Distribution: Green at Retail

For more details about National Distributors see Appendix 2.



Newsstand Sales Trends

Based 

on sales, the top 25 newsstand titles control 35.4% of market share. It is estimated that the newsstand channel is made up of 6,000* consumer magazines, which means that less than one percent of magazines make up over one third of market share. These titles are considered “checkout titles” and make up the majority of checkout slots in major retailers. The mainline is very important for all other magazines and therefore highly competitive, as a large number of titles are competing for space and the attention of consumers. Units Sold (million) Sales Revenue (billion)

2007 $ 937 $ 3.35

2008 $ 831 $ 3.15

Variance -11.3% -6.0%

Worsening economic circumstances severely affected single copy sales in 2008. MagNet, the leading source of data collection from 98% of US wholesalers/distributors reported magazine unit sales declining rapidly throughout 2008 -- 7.4% in Q1; 12% in Q2; 12.7% in Q3 and 14.9% in Q4 (see Appendix). Audited checkout titles faced the steepest declines in sales as people dramatically reduced impulse purchases at checkout. These titles witnessed a -17.8% decline in units and -8.4% decline in revenue versus audited mainline titles that dropped by -5.6% in unit sales and -2.3% in revenue. Prior to economic conditions affecting the market, the channel had witnessed modest retail unit sales growth since 2003, averaging three percent per year. More significantly, dollar sales had increased by nine percent since 2003. During this period, cover price increases did not have an adverse effect on retail sales. Source: Harrington, J & Davis, B, Newsstand 2008, Trend or Anomaly



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Retail Units Sold: 1998-2008 2.00 1.90 (Billions of Units)

1.80

1.88 1.77

1.70 1.60

1.60

1.50

1.51

1.50

1.40

1.41

1.30

1.43

1.42

1.44

1.45

1.27

1.20

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

Source: Harrington, J. The Magazine Retail Sales Experience

Sales Revenue: 1998-2008 $5.10

$4.99

(Billions of Dollars)

$5.00 $4.90

$4.81

$4.80

$4.83

$4.70

$4.70

$4.61

$4.60 $4.50

$4.85

$4.53

$4.40

$4.67 $4.55

$4.43

$4.30

1998

1999

2000

$4.38 2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

Source: Harrington, J. The Magazine Retail Sales Experience Newsstand Marketing and Distribution: Green at Retail



Efficiency

The 

level of inefficiency in the newsstand channel has always generated a lot of debate. Many view the newsstand channel as a highly wasteful use of paper and resources while others acknowledge that the channel is not perfect but to reach desired sales numbers, adequate copies must be in the channel.

Targeting in terms of newsstand should also include the “right number of copies,” so efficiency matches goals.

Meeting ratebase can affect efficiency as some publishers use newsstand as a significant piece of their ratebase statement, while others want highly efficient distribution to reduce waste and costs. Traditionally, larger publishers with big ratebases want a significant number of copies distributed to retailers and are less concerned about efficiency than smaller publishers who rely less on advertising and more on diverse revenue streams (including circulation) to generate profit. Often forgotten is the golden rule of targeting--the right product in the right place at the right time. Targeting in terms of newsstand should also include the “right number of copies,” so efficiency matches goals. Higher efficiency can help all members of the channel (wholesalers, retailers and publishers) become more profitable. Retailers and wholesalers continue to make efforts to make the channel more efficient. But for publishers, there has always been a delicate balance between maximizing sales and maximizing efficiency. There is tension between selling a high percentage of the draw (for efficiency’s sake) and selling the most number of copies. Reducing the draw may, counterintuitively, reduce the number of copies sold. 10

August 2009

For example, if you have seven copies on the newsstand and you are selling three copies on average, you would think that to reduce the number of copies to four would be a better use of your resources. You would waste fewer copies, and you would sell the same number. Unfortunately, it does not work that way. When you reduce your draw to four copies, you find you sell less than three copies on average. Why is that? That is because your magazine gets lost on the newsstand when there is less of a “stack,” or presence. So, when you get down to two copies, they might start to slump and be less visible and attractive to the reader. They look used because the copy/copies that are left have been perused by readers over the period of time. So, there is this delicate balance between saving money on your printing, wasting fewer resources on shipping and paper, maximizing your sales, and being environmentally conscious. This delicate balance must be in the forefront in the discussion about distribution efficiency as wholesalers, retailers, and publishers investigate how to improve sell-through efficiency.

Environment

Less Paper / Cost Savings

Newsstand Marketing and Distribution: Green at Retail

Maximizing Sales

11

Newsstand Marketing Tips The harsh economic and environmental realities the magazine industry faces require decisions that save money and reduce harm to the planet. The tips that follow provide “win-win” solutions for both the financial and environmental bottom-line.

Better Efficiency

1

Order Regulation.

After reviewing the distribution line-by-line and comparing it to two or three similar titles, reduce or remove the distribution location where your title is not selling and request that the distribution manager increase copies in retail locations where your comparative or competitive set is selling well. This is possible at the wholesale level when you can actually go to a wholesaler and conduct the entire business in front of the distribution manager, thereby making sure that the distribution manager actually fulfills your request. This has gotten harder to do as the wholesalers have restricted publisher access. Order regulation, however, is still quite possible at the direct distribution level. Contact your account executive at the direct distributor (Ingram or Source Interlink) and request your distribution retailer by retailer. Where the copy count is too high, request changes be made. This can be done on a store-by-store basis, or you may ask them to reduce the number of copies to reach a certain efficiency across the board. This pro-rating of

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distribution does not always create the desired result for the reasons noted in the Efficiency section (page 10-11). After recently undertaking a process of order regulation on Make magazine, Next Steps Marketing witnessed a 10 percent increase in efficiency with limited lost sales. This resulted in significant cost savings for the publisher, O’Reilly Media.

2 

Remove zero copy sales.

If you have a national distributor, you can request a report that puts your sales by retailer into “buckets.” One bucket might be locations where you don’t sell any copies; another, where you sell 0-1 copies; and another where you sell greater than 3, etc. When you get this report, you can request that the national distributor strip out the retailers where you are showing consistently poor sales. This is a relatively new way of doing order regulation. Removing zero copy sales can save you a significant amount in production and shipping and will help protect the environment by reducing resource consumption. This is one of the most effective ways to increase your efficiency.

3

Move to non-returnable distribution.

Recently, a major specialty distributor in the market started to offer non-returnable distribution. This means that you are paid on your entire draw at a greater discount, reducing waste, shipping costs and printing costs. The distributor is eager to ensure smart distribution where sales are guaranteed because they are penalized for non-sale. This can result in a win-win situation for the publisher and the wholesaler. The downside of non-returnable distribution is that the wholesaler may take fewer copies, which may affect sales potential. In addition, if you are audited, you may be forced to take something other than the percent sale agreed upon.

Newsstand Marketing and Distribution: Green at Retail

13

Better Marketing and Distribution

1

Test new markets.

Once a retailer has accepted your magazine into its stores (retail authorization), enter the new retail outlets strategically to minimize costs and wasted copies. For example, you might want to target a region that suits your magazine best; you can do this by identifying your top subscriber zip codes and then targeting their regions. Different retailers have different ways of breaking out their stores. It may be by region, by demographics, by psychographics, or by sales of similar titles. How do you decide what to test? Look where your sales in similar retailers is good. Look where your competitors or comparatives are doing well in this store. Give a risk factor to your venture. That is, if this is a big deal for you and you have little excess cash, start small. If you need a big splash for advertisers and are willing to risk more, go into the retailer in a bigger way. But always use the data at your disposal and consider the costs before investing a lot of money in a new market.

2

 Limit risk.  By promoting regionally or with targeted promotions, you can reduce

risk by making sure you promote in the best possible locations. Partner with retailers to develop promotions that make sense for your magazine. The key to target marketing is the right product, in the right place, at the right time, in the right quantity. By embracing this technique, your efficiency and sales should increase.

3

Maximize your frequency.

If you are a monthly, you can come out 10 times a year and still be perceived by your audience as a monthly. If you’re a quarterly, do a

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cost-benefits/analysis and see what you would need to make it profitable to go to 6 times annually. Newsstand sales and retailer acceptance tend to be better with a frequency greater than 4 times per year. Exceptions are high-priced quarterlies, where the cover price and the amount the retailer makes from that cover price makes up for the fact that you have fewer issues.

4

Look at your cover price.

 Lowering your cover price might raise your efficiency and sales (don’t forget to change Canadian and International prices too). If you are printed on recycled paper, communicate this so your consumer is aware of your commitment. Readers may be willing to pay more for a “green” publication. One simple way to do this is to place a printed on recycled paper logo (available through the Better Paper Project) on your cover near the price.

5

Examine paper options.

You can cut costs and play your part in protecting the environment by making changes in paper or production techniques. Some publishers have made the switch to recycled paper and discovered cost savings; others have reduced trim size to reduce costs while being more environmentally friendly. Bear in mind that the paper itself will impact your reader and affect sales. Many surveys have shown that “printed on recycled paper” creates a positive impression with readers*. Tricycle magazine, for example, received many positive comments from readers since their switch to recycled paper. The readers find the magazine to provide a more enjoyable reading experience.

6

Explore environmental promotions.

The Green America Better Paper Project in conjunction with Next Steps Marketing has developed in-store promotions to build awareness of magazines that print on recycled paper. Retailers like Barnes & Noble, Hastings, Universal News, and Amazon.com all offer premium space for magazines that print on recycled paper. In many cases, these promotions are discounted or free and they can provide your titles with greater awareness and sale. *Source: Opinion Research Corp 2005, BBMG 2008, and Hearst Corp 2008. Newsstand Marketing and Distribution: Green at Retail

15

Conclusion In these challenging economic times, a hyper-efficient newsstand model that gets the right number of copies to the right place at the right time can help newsstand sales become more profitable and more “green.” It helps reduce costs incurred due to printing and shipping excess copies, and benefits the environment by reducing the demand for diminishing natural resources required for production. By now, you should have a better understanding of distribution and sales in the newsstand channel. You have garnered tips to help balance the scale between being environmentally conscious and making the most of your newsstand sales (sales + visibility). Today’s evolving economic and environmental dynamics may be laying the groundwork for a new model of newsstand distribution that is more efficient, economical, and environmentally beneficial than the one we have today. However, until that time, the tips in this paper will help magazines and all stakeholders enjoy a financial and environmental win-win. As a publisher, in addition to increasing the efficiency of your own newsstand distribution, you can contribute to the overall efficiency of the distribution system by using recycled paper for your publication. Many unsold publications are sent for recycling. By using recycled papers, you will “close the loop” and decrease the environmental impact of the industry. You will also stand out on the newsstand as a publisher that cares about the environment, particularly if you use the Better Paper project logo on your masthead or cover. Become part of this effort by examining your environmental policies and practices, and identifying how your company can make changes to create a positive shift in the newsstand channel. 16

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Appendix 1: Magazine Supply Chain Publisher hires a:

National Distributor

(such as Curtis, Comag, TWR, Kable, RCS, Disticor) which handles all the billing and returns:

Copies are distributed from printer via CDS, UPS, or other shipper

Specialty Distributors

(such as RetailVision and New Leaf ) which distribute to: some speciality retail chains and independent specialty stores, (e.g. Tractor Supply Co.).

Secondaries

(such as Small Changes and Armadillo. These are basically small independent wholesalers/distributors). They distribute to: mostly independent retailers in their region

National Wholesalers

Ingram and Source Interlink

(such as The News Group and Source Interlink). They distribute to many locations, including:

which distribute to:

airports, bus/train stations, newsstands, chain drug stores, chain grocery stores, mass merchandisers (e.g. Wal-Mart)

mainly chain book stores (e.g. Barnes & Noble and Borders).

International Distributors

(Source Interlink, have an Int’l distribution dept.) which distribute to: all international locations

Newsstand Customers Newsstand Marketing and Distribution: Green at Retail

17

Appendix 2: 2008 cATEGORY pERFORMANCE 5.0%

3.8%

2008 vs 2007 Units Sold Variance

2.1%

-1.1%

0.0%

Pets

News

Business/finance

Ethnic

-8.1%

-9.0%

-3.8%

-7.1%

-7.2%

-10.0%

Regional

Computer/Gaming

Enterntainment

Outdoors

-5.1%

Social/Literary

Hobby

Science

Teen/children

Food

Automotive

Mens

Family/Home

Sports

Weekly

Womens

-5.0%

-9.1% -10.3%

-11.5%

-15.0%

-13.5%

-12.7% -13.8% -14.4%

-17.7%

-20.0%

-19.1%

-19.8%

Source: ABC

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Appendix 3: The Newsstand Channel Recycling Process

The Newsstand Channel Recycling Process The Newsstand

ChannelRecycling RecyclingProcess Process The Newsstand Channel

The Newsstand Channel Recycling Process

Retailers

Retailers

-return unsold magazines to distribution warehouse

Distribution Warehouse

Retailers Retailers Retailers The Newsstand Channel Recycling Process u Returns unsold magazines to -return unsold unsold magazines -return magazinestoto -return unsold magazines to distribution warehouse. distribution warehouse distribution warehouse distribution warehouse Distribution Warehouse

-magazines invoiced and bundled to be shipped to retail s Warehouse -magazines shipped toDistribution retail Retailers ces Distribution Warehouse Pro returns truck or ups cling-processes Distribution Warehouse -return via unsold magazines to y c invoiced and bundled -sorts returns to be recycled or-magazines saved e R l -magazines invoiced and bundled distributionhwarehouse nne -magazines to be recycled are to shredded and to retail a -processes returns be shipped -sorts returns to be recycled or saved nd C bailed to be shipped totoretail ta -magazines shipped retail -sorts returnstotobe berecycled recycledare orshredded saved wss and -magazines -Paper bales are sent to recycling plant e Ne -magazines shipped to retail

-processes returns -sorts returns to be recycled or saved -magazines to be recycled are shredded and Distribution Warehouse bailed Distributionreturns Warehouse -Paper bales are sent to recycling -processes plant

Distribution Warehouse*

Thshredded and -magazines to be recycled are u Processes bailed bailed -Paper bales are sent to recycling plant returns.

-Paper bales are sent to recycling plant

u Magazines invoiced and se ups via truck ouor dled arehand bun bundled to W n ed tio ribu invoic il be shipped to Dist azines d to reta to retail g Distribution Warehouse -ma shippe shipped e retailers. to b azines ps -magazines invoiced and bundled u g

zine

s to

-ma uck or via tr

Processing Plant -Sorts

bailed u d eho ave ed and Warrecycling d or splant -Paper bales are sent tion to hred ns cled u r b c tu i r re y d are s t re s s e i e b D cess cle to y Processing Plant s c lant n e p -pro retur to be r ng ts cycli -sor azines -Processing Sorts to re t n g e a Plant

u Magazines to be shipped to retail -magazines shipped to retail shipped to via truck or ups retailers via

-De-inks, cleans and finescreens -Processes to paper pulp

truck or UPS.

s

e s ar -De-inks, cleans and finescreens iled

Printer

ba er bale --Processes Sorts -Pap to paper pulp

Paper Pulp

is mixed with virgin pulp and used to make recycled paper products like recycled paper for magazines

-De-inks, cleans and finescreens -Processes to paper Printerpulp

t

Plan

ens

g scre -purchases recycled sinpaper fine ces Paper ndPulp Pro -prints magazines on recycled ulp ns a er pwith a ts r le o is mixed virgin pulp and used to make -S inks, c to pap paper s paper products like recycled -De Plant sserecycled eto Processing c -Ships magazines distribution o r -P paper for magazines warehouses -Sorts

Processing Plant

u Sorts. -De-inks, cleans and finescreens u De-inks, cleans, -Processes to paper pulp Paper Pulp and finescreens. is mixed with virgin pulp and used to make u Processes recycled to e paper products like recycled mak Paper Pulp d to use led paper pulp. d n paper for magazines lp a ecyc is mixed with virgin pulp and recycled paper products like paper for magazines

used to make Pulp gin1pu like r r vir cts recycled Papmeixed witahper prodeus is cled p gazin a y rec r for m e pap

Paper Pulp is mixed virginlook pulp * see Appendix 4 on pages 20-21 for morewith in-depth atand used to make recycled paper products how magazines are recycled at a distribution warehouse. like recycled paper for magazines

Newsstand Marketing and Distribution: Green at Retail

-magazines shipped to retail via truck or ups

via truck or ups

u Sorts returns to be recycled or saved. Retailerusnsold meahgoause Distribution Warehouse rn war -retu ibution u Magazines be recycled are shredded Processing to Plant -processes returns distr -and Sortsbailed. -sorts returns to be recycled or saved -De-inks, cleans and finescreens -magazines to be recycled are shredded and -Processes to paper pulp u Paper bales are sent to recycling plant. se

m

Distribution Warehouse Distribution -magazines invoiced and bundled to be shipped to retail Warehouse

Printer

Paper

d pa

per

le yc ter ecyc n rec Prin chases r zines o

led

o ibuti -pur ts maga distr s to -prin r zine e a p g a a p sm s -Shipehouse war

n

u Purchases recycled paper. Printer u Prints magazines -purchases recycled paper on -prints recycled paper.on recycled magazines paper u Ships magazines -Ships magazines to distribution warehouses to distribution warehouses.

-purchases recycled paper -prints magazines on recycled Printer paper -purchases recycled paper -Ships magazines to distribution 1 -prints magazines on recycled warehouses Pulp

paper -Ships magazines to distribution u Used to make recycled paper products warehouses

1

like newsprint and boxboard. It is also Printer sometimes mixed with virgin paper fibers -purchases recycled paper to create magazine-grade -printspaper. magazines on recycled

paper 1 -Ships magazines to distribution warehouses

19

Appendix 4: Return Process Flow Photos by Gary Ting

Crates are opened and placed on treadmills to be scanned.

Returned magazines are stacked in crates at the return processing station.

20

Workers scan magazines from open crates.

“Save” copies placed on top belt and transported to replenishment area.

Computer signals to either “Save” or “Destroy.”

“Destroy” copies placed on lower belt heading towards air pump to be processed.

August 2009

Shredder: Shreds magazines. Filter: Filters out plastic, premiums, nonpaper materials.

Airpump: Uses air currents to push magazines through process (filter-shredder-baler). Freight Trucks: Loads the paper bales and delivers them to the recycling plant where it is processed into paper pulp.

Newsstand Marketing and Distribution: Green at Retail

Paper bales are fork-trucked to loading dock.

Baler: Compacts shredded magazines into bales.

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Resources Green America Better Paper Project (www.BetterPaper.org) U.S. nonprofit working to protect forests, climate, and communities by assisting magazine publishers and their partners in printing magazines in an environmentally responsible manner. All magazines on recycled paper and FSC paper signed up on www.BetterPaper.org are eligible for free and discounted promotions at national retail chains and online retailers such as Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com. Next Steps Marketing (www.NextStepsMarketing.com) Next Steps Marketing (NSM) solves audience-building challenges in a creative and customized way for media companies. NSM uses practical “call-to-action” marketing techniques, where the return is clearly measurable by clicks, online subscription sign-ups, responses to direct mail, or newsstand sales. NSM oversees online and retail promotions for Better Paper Project members.

Canopy (www.canopyplanet.org) Canadian nonprofit that safeguards forests and the environment by harnessing the power of the marketplace and changing business practices by shifting heavy paper-consuming sectors away from unsustainable sources. Canopy works primarily with the Canadian book, newspaper, magazine, and print industries.

Environmental Paper Network (www.EnvironmentalPaper.org) A network of leading non-profit organizations working collaboratively to advance social and environmental transformation in the paper industry. The EPN has created tools, research, and guidance for purchasers to choose responsible papers and find organizations with which to partner to achieve their environmental goals. If your magazine is printed on recycled or FSC paper and you are interested in participating in promotions at Barnes & Noble, Hastings Entertainment, Amazon.com, Universal News, and others, sign up at www.BetterPaper.org and email Gary Ting at Next Steps Marketing at [email protected].

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About the Authors

Next Steps Marketing (www.nextstepsmarketing.com) builds and engages audiences online, in print, and at the newsstand. Next Steps Marketing solves audience-building challenges in a creative and customized way for media companies. They use practical “call-to-action” marketing techniques, where the return is clearly measurable by clicks, online subscription sign-ups, member benefits responses to direct mail, or sales at newsstands. From direct mail to e-mail marketing to retail and social marketing, Next Steps Marketing connects audiences to your products. Máire Walsh has a wealth of direct experience as a newsstand marketing manager and as an enthusiastic and creative marketer. At Indy Press Newsstand Services, Máire successfully launched numerous magazines on the newsstand nationally and internationally and formed key partnerships with retailers and distributors in the industry. Máire joined Next Steps Marketing in 2007 as Client Services Director, where she still ardently enjoys growing online and print retail sales. Since 2007, Máire has worked to build awareness of magazines printed on recycled paper through developing retail and online promotions in conjunction with the Green America Better Paper Project.

Green America (www.GreenAmericaToday.org) is a 25-year old nonprofit that uses the economic power of businesses, individuals, investors, and the marketplace to solve social and environmental problems. The Green America Better Paper Project (www.BetterPaper.org) has helped over 120 magazines establish and implement stewardship policies that protect forests, climate, and communities by using environmentally responsible paper, that is, better paper. Frank Locantore directs Green America’s Better Paper Project and has been cited by journalists from such varied publications as the New York Times, Folio:, E magazine, Publishing Executive, CNN/Fortune, AdAge, PBS’s Media Shift, Grist, and Ecorazzi among other TV, radio, and print stories and was named as one of the top industry influencers on the Folio: 40 list in 2007.

Newsstand Marketing and Distribution: Green at Retail

23

Our Vision is a paper production and consumption economy that repairs, rather than damages, our environment while creating sustainable jobs for the community.

Our Mission is to foster collaboration between paper manufacturers, merchants, investors, businesses, nonprofits and consumers to achieve our vision and encourage the production of socially and environmentally responsible paper – Better Paper.

Our Objective is to work with magazine industry stakeholders to communicate their green intentions to their supply chain by implementing environmental stewardship policies and purchasing practices.

WHAT WE MEAN WHEN WE SAY GREEN At Green America, we define “green” beyond solely a concern fot the environment. Critical to our mission is to convey that green brings everything together. We live in the “and.” Economic and social justice. Environmental and community health. People and planet. To achieve a truly green America requires a biodiversity of solutions. Toward this end, we mobilize people in all their economic roles: as consumers, workers, business leaders, and investors. We tackle climate change, build fair trading systems, stop corporate abuse, support local community investment, and help dedicated green businesses emerge and thrive. This holistic approach is essential to our mission and our identity. Our Better Paper Project is an important part of our effort to achieve a truly Green America.