March 29, 2013

New York magazine has rolled out an iPad application featuring complete versions of its weekly publication, in addition to a live stream of recent content from its network of sites.

The app could be available on April 1, timed to the 45th anniversary of the launch of recent York, which had an April 8, 1968 cover date.  The app might be available for subscribers and single-copy purchasers through Apple’s App Store.

“The strategy is to provide an app that reflects the whole scope of our content and business – we’re an organization that produces both a weekly magazine and nearly 150 stories per day on our network of websites – and to answer user behavior in a wise way by making both daily and weekly content available in a continuing, integrated package,” said Michael Silberman, general manager of nymag.com, Manhattan.

“We know the foremost successful apps are used everyday,” he said. “We also know that freemium is a brilliant app business model.

“We’ve built an app a good way to encourage both daily use and upgrading from free to paid.”

Mobile content
New York magazine will offer both annual subscriptions and monthly, auto-renewing subscriptions. 

Once print subscribers validate their subscriptions, they are going to be in a position to receive the digital edition as a good thing about their print subscription.
 
Through the iPad app, users can browse articles from the magazine and its four Web properties – Vulture, The Cut, Grub Street and Daily Intelligencer – on categories equivalent to politics, sports, business, general news, entertainment, fashion and food.

Moreover, the app may also update editorial content in the course of the day and include breaking news.

According to The big apple magazine, the app is a crucial new channel for the publication to expand its footprint and deepen the connection with its audience.

“We’re seeing both mobile and tablet monetization increase,” Mr. Silberman said. “This new app might be an incredible new consumer-paid revenue stream and produce in incremental advertising dollars besides.”

Advertising opportunities 
While a few of the print ads from the magazine may even appear at the app, in keeping with rules from the Alliance for Audited Media, the daily digital stories shall be separately sponsored, per Big apple magazine.

Tekserve, Big apple City’s largest independent Apple consultancy and retailer, is the official launch sponsor of the iPad app.

New York magazine worked with The Wonderfactory at the creative work behind the app, along with touchscreen publishing pioneer Mag+. 

“We want our content to be available and simply readable on every device,” Mr. Silberman said.

“The Cut, our fashion, beauty and women’s lifestyle site was built responsively; Vulture.com, our entertainment site, released mobile templates last summer and may be making a responsive desktop/tablet experience later this year; we’ve responsive pages for viewing our restaurant, bar and store listings on mobile and tablet,” he said.

“As the year goes on, progressively more of our content would be optimized for viewing on any device.”

Final Take
Rimma Kats is associate editor on Mobile Marketer, New York