SA to hold international customer publishing seminar

The first ever South African customer publishing seminar will be held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, on Thursday 15 February 2007, presented by customer publisher New Media. Four highly respected members of the international customer publishing arena will deliver keynote speeches: Andrew Hirsh, CE of leading UK customer publishing agency John Brown; Julia Hutchison, director of the Association of Publishing Agencies (APA) in the UK; editorial director at Cedar Communications, Mark Jones; and Jan Loovens, MD of Dutch relationship communication agency Media Partners.

5 Dec 2006

Andrew Hirsh, CE of leading UK customer publishing agency John Brown

"Customer titles are gaining tremendous momentum and recognition globally - both as a vital, turnover enhancing CRM tool and as a highly effective, targeted advertising medium," says New Media MD Bridget McCarney.

Locally, the quarterly ABC figures for April - July 06 alone indicate an increase of 28% in the customer title category. In the UK, the industry is now worth more than £385m, with year-on-year growth of 10%, and a projected value of more than £531 million by 2009.

Collectively the international speakers represent many of the biggest brands in the business, including BSkyB, The Walt Disney Company, KLM, Albert Heijn, Waitrose, Virgin Atlantic, Swarovski, Volkswagen, British Airways, Bank of Scotland, Tesco and Nikon.

According to Herselman the seminar will also include executive speakers from the biggest names in the local customer title category, namely New Media clients Edgars, Multichoice and Woolworths.

"We are delighted to have these prominent role players from the international publishing arena as our keynote speakers," says Naomi Herselman, executive director: corporate communication, marketing and events at New Media.

"This seminar features presentations, case studies and panel discussions, offering valuable opportunities to gain insight into what makes customer titles so successful. Delegates will be able to explore the potential for their own or their clients' brands and how customer publishing can add to the bottom line.

Topics to be covered include:

International perspective on customer publishing (including also local case studies and latest trends in integrated communication)
Publishing versus producing a customer publication
Should a customer publication be self-liquidating?
The role of the customer publication in the strategic value chain
Achieving measurable results - contribution to the bottom line
Customer magazines and CRM programmes: setting and achieving goals

"It will be of benefit to everybody who is anybody in publishing, marketing, CRM, strategic planning, sales, advertising, media planning and buying, and client retention. It is not a question of whether you should attend, but whether you can afford not to," concludes Herselman.

For more information, costs and to register online, go to www.newmediapub.co.za.