I just read a recently published report from Mather Economics, a firm well known within the membership of America’s Newspapers, which outlined the challenge for publishers in managing the transition toward a digitally dominant subscription economy. https://www.mathereconomics.com/2021/08/26/e-edition-engagement-a-leading-indicator-for-print-to-digital-conversions
As the PAGE Cooperative is owned by its newspaper members, we are aware of these challenges and PAGE is actively presenting solutions for its members to help bridge this migration to digital.
When PAGE was founded in 1984, internet and mobile channels supplying digital content and the devices to read that content, did not exist. PAGE brought quantifiable value to its membership through the collective buying power on the critical components necessary to print the paper, e.g., newsprint, ink and plates.
The Cooperative was very successful in using this purchasing power as even papers with small circulations — and thus printing requirements — benefited from the strength of PAGE to improve their bottom line while accumulating rebates and dividends. We are proud of that contribution and success.
However, as the study indicates, in 2021, print volumes are trending down, while digital volumes are trending upward, and what was once the stuff of science fiction, such as video calls, artificial intelligence and reading digital content on portable devices is now an everyday habit for the newspaper reader.
So, PAGE has stepped up with solutions and services to cross that bridge by promoting digital solutions from existing preferred partners as well as bringing on new partners with leading edge products and services for digital applications, digital editions, digital marketing and digital revenue.
Even the PAGE Cooperative’s well-read newsletter PAGEone will be going digital next month, so it can be searched, archived, provide hot links to other digital sites, and easily read on a mobile phone.
The PAGE Cooperative home page has been updated to be interactive and now includes a chat feature for rapid response for cost comparisons and savings.
PAGE is proud of its longstanding heritage of providing the best prices for key components in the traditional printing of newspapers. However, we are equally proud of the loyalty of our membership, and we seek to educate and promote digital applications that are leading edge with special pricing for PAGE members as they build the bridge to digital subscribers. For more information on services and membership visit, www.pagecooperative.com.
For those not familiar, the PAGE Cooperative was founded in 1984 and owned by its publishing and commercial printing members. PAGE provides newspapers and commercial printers collective strength to negotiate pricing and obtain services. Cooperative membership also simplifies billing and returns PAGE members with dividend payments at the end of each fiscal year.
For more information, contact Gary Blakeley, CEO of PAGE Cooperative, at gary@pagecooperative.com.
