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Merriam-Webster: A Case Study in Cross-Media PublishingIn the midst of the digital revolution, publishers are exploring ways to incorporate new business models with old, to stay viable in the fast-paced realm of information technology. Accepting and embracing this shift has proven to be the formula for success for Merriam-Webster, the 100+ year-old publishing house whose Collegiate Dictionary has been a perennial best seller in the reference book arena. At the AEP Publishing Forum in February, president and publisher John Morse spoke about the company's approach and reasons for adopting the cross-media business model. "At Merriam-Webster, we are building products for the future and refreshing our brands,” said Morse. "We are publishing in what Richard Saul Wurman has called the 'Age of Also,' in which there is no best way to do something, just good ways." While some publishers have expressed fears that digital product sales will subtract from print sales, Merriam-Webster adopted a firm belief early on that cross-media publishing was the right choice for them strategically, even though the financial rationale was not immediately apparent. Morse presented three reasons for this: Greater brand exposure "Putting the dictionary online for free was one of the biggest, potentially most controversial publishing moves we ever made, but nothing has helped us more in the ongoing effort to promote the Merriam-Webster name." Closer contact with users "We've gone from 1,000 pieces of mail per year to 1,000 emails per month. Keeping tabs on customer needs and interests - knowing what words people are looking up, for example - helps to create a roadmap for our product development." Positive message to customers "We want to be the leader for all Americans utilizing reference materials – including those who get their information free online. Through our cross-media development, we've managed to remain relevant in the digital world." "Merriam-Webster is doing an amazing number of things right," said Jon Winder, vice president at Interactive Constructs. "Through approaches like versioning, partnering, mixing print and online products, and keeping in close contact with their using community, they've managed a successful crossover into the digital world." A prime example of this is their recent release of the eleventh edition of the Collegiate Dictionary. On July 1, 2003, it simultaneously became available in print, on CD-ROM, online, in handheld format, and as a download for PDA's. "We are convinced that people don’t want their information in just one way," said Morse. Morse also said that there is no publishing system within Merriam-Webster that supports all of this. They've accomplished much of their expansion through strategic partnerships with companies such as LeapFrog, AOL, and Franklin Electronic Publishers. "A quiet little dictionary company in Springfield, Massachusetts, was able to make its content accessible to all over 20-plus years of cross-media publishing by relying on good sense, hard work, and good planning," said Morse.
Questions, ideas, or in need of more information? Please contact Stacey Pusey at 302-295-8349. |
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