In the news: Time Inc. has adopted programmatic ad buying technology for its print titles. What could this mean for the magazine industry?

Machine-brokered print ad buying is hardly a new practice in the digital advertising world. But earlier this month Time Inc. started using the same automated technology to sell print ads. The move has sparked widespread concern that this will undermine already flagging print ad rates.

What ramifications could this move have for the industry as a whole? Michael Sebastian of AdAge writes, "Publishers drop their unsold ad inventory into online auctions, where machines bid on them. What started as a way for publishers to get rid of excess inventory has morphed into a way for buyers to get audience segments cheaply, leading to price erosion that's cascaded across the industry." Read his full article here.

Also Notable

Can Native Advertising Scale?

According to Rahul Nirula of Adweek.com, the answer is yes. Although the media industry has debated the perks and pitfalls of native advertising for years, he believes that this can be a successful avenue for publishers. For the ads to succeed, they need to offer up compelling content, go viral on social media sites, and be optimized for mobile viewing. Read the full analysis here.

Magazine Circulation Down 2.2 Percent

According to recently released Alliance for Audited Media figures, circulation shrank by 2.2 percent during the second half of 2014. Also down were paid subscriptions (1.5 percent) and single copy sales (14.2 percent). Publishers have tried to compensate for the decline by touting verified circulation, which was up by over 5 percent. Read more here.

Ideas to "Rock the Magazine World"

What can magazine executives do to breathe new life into their publications? This week, Maria Rodale, CEO and chairman of Rodale Inc., discussed her top ten ideas. A sampling: increased personalization, "frictionless" customer service, and maintaining reader trust. Read her complete discussion here.

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