Groundbreaking Initiative Teams Leading Publishers, Major Corporations, and Industry Leaders to Further Efforts to Continue Environmental Responsibility
by Michael Smith
Finally The Read Green Initiative™ is going live. On September 23rd, 2008 Zinio, the global leader in digital and interactive publishing, announced the launch of The Read Green Initiative™ but it did not go live until now.
The program is designed to increase the consumer awareness and use of digital reading alternatives, and a good idea this can be too. Even more so if, like many newspapers now, at home and abroad (at home means in the UK), who make their editions available free online, there is a download feature available to clip pages in PDF, for instance.
Many of the world’s most prominent magazine publishers, including Bonnier and Greenspun Media, have teamed up with Zinio to offer up to 50 million free annual subscriptions to the digital versions of over 200 publications through The Read Green Initiative™ website: www.GoReadGreen.com. Free magazine subscriptions are limited to one free subscription per person.
The Read Green Initiative™ was inspired by a growing number of efforts pioneered by leaders in the publishing industry to improve the environmental performance of magazines. These include increasing the recycling of magazines, improving newsstand efficiency, and using more environmentally friendly paper.
“It is our hope that The Read Green Initiative™ will be successful in creating an enjoyable, interactive digital reading experience that can further enhance the environmental successes we've already seen,” said Rich Maggiotto, president and CEO of Zinio.com. “Our research has shown that one of the main reasons consumers enjoy reading digital magazines is because they feel like they are doing something good for the environment. The Read Green Initiative™ will support and embrace this consumer interest as well as introduce the public to a medium that responds to their needs, without affecting the bottom line.”
Publisher participants in The Read Green Initiative™ include representatives from many of the largest publishing houses in the nation. A limited number of the publishers' magazines will be available on www.GoReadGreen.com at no cost. Visitors can also buy a subscription to these digital titles and more on The Read Green Initiative™ site. A portion of the proceeds for all sales made will be redeemed in exchange for eco-unit credits that will contribute to the greening of school and university campuses, through the planting of trees, to commemorate Earth Day 2009. The full suite of Zinio publications will still be available for sale at www.Zinio.com.
"As a magazine industry leader, it’s incredibly important for us to stay on the crest of change; that means providing our readers with the opportunity to receive our content in new and innovative ways,” said Beatrice Hanks, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Black Enterprise. “The industry is undeniably evolving, and the digital medium has opened a massive outlet for Black Enterprise to increase our audience exponentially in a way that is environmentally responsible. This is why we enthusiastically back The Read Green Initiative.™ Offering our publication in a digital format exposes us to a global audience with a paper-like reading experience, but provides all the eco-friendly advantages of going paperless. For us it's clearly a win-win."
“The Read Green Initiative™ is a thrilling new project. We are constantly seeking innovative ways to reach a wider audience. Our publications lead the pack in regional news and features for the Annapolis area, but through Zinio and an outlet like The Read Green Initiative™ we can continue to extend our growth potential beyond city limits, even beyond country limits,” added Veronica Tovey, publisher of What’s Up magazine. “Now if someone in Japan wants to learn about Annapolis, he or she can— instantly. The implications of an endeavor like this are tremendous.”
In addition to the commitment from publishers, The Read Green Initiative™ has also received support from a number of leading corporations and personalities. Supporting companies include Dell, The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, and PlasticLogic. Notable industry supporters include Jennie Saunders, founder and CEO of CORE: club, and Stan Rapp, founder of the Rapp agency, current Chairman, Engauge, and noted author. Supporter statements from these backers will appear on The Read Green Initiative™ website during the duration of the project.
Zinio is the global leader in digital and interactive publishing products and services, currently distributing over 1,000 digital magazine titles currently in its stable. Partnering with American and International publishers, Zinio opens opportunities for revenue growth and wider circulation. Zinio also designs marketing programs that focus on consumer acquisition and retention, cross-promotion, and driving revenue. Zinio is also the founder of The Read Green Initiative™ (www.GoReadGreen.com).
As a worldwide distributor, Zinio has offices in San Francisco and New York and Distribution partners across the globe. Zinio’s partners include Bonnier, Hearst, IDG, Gruner + Jahr, Hachette Filipacchi, IPC Media, Mariah Media, McGraw-Hill, The National Magazine Company, Playboy Enterprises, Rodale, Rogers Publishing and Ziff Davis. Zinio is also the exclusive home of VIVmag, the world’s first fully digital and 100% interactive women’s luxury publication. For more information, or to purchase any of the digital magazine-specific titles offered by Zinio, please visit www.zinio.com.
I have had a look at the website – obviously – and, as I know the kind of service that is offered by Zinio it should a very fine effort though, I am sure, I could and will find a number of suggestions to make – once I have taken up a subscription, maybe, myself.
The first suggestion, if it is not already part of the service, is to create a possibility for readers to download articles from the magazines that they have a subscription to for them to be able to keep as reference or such. One of the many reasons that people buy paper magazines for, e.g. to keep the entire magazines or just particular articles from them for future reference and/or use.
Providing paperless magazines is also the reason for the very existence of the online magazines such as the Green (Living) Review here. I do, however, know that there are many people who would like to have, if paperless, magazines, anthologies of the same, or simply the facility to clip articles, in PDF.
One of the reason why this publication is still looking into the possibility of producing an occasional anthology of the best articles or series or articles and also and especially the product and book reviews, and such, in a PDF e-book.
© M Smith (Veshengro), November 2008
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ZINIO LAUNCHES THE READ GREEN INITIATIVE™, THE WORLD’S LARGEST FREE DIGITAL MAGAZINE OFFERING FOR CONSUMERS
