Fulfilling Full Service

Constant connectivity, endless to-do lists, and minute-by-minute planning (as opposed to hour-by-hour) puts an enormous amount of pressure on publishers, marketers, content curators and so on to produce quality efficiently. Automation has not generated the ample free time as it was expected. It has helped reduce the number of resources required for production but has not lessened the burden of time.

It is evident, when viewing digital editions across a number of platforms, that in many cases the final product falls flat. Let's define 'falls flat'. When we say 'falls flat' we are not referring to a digital publication that over-saturates the pages with multi-media such as video, audio or image galleries. We are simply referring to a website URL not being linked within an advertiser's ad space. This is a lost opportunity for both the publication and for the advertiser.

In discussions with other similar technology vendors we often resolve to a similar thought - the tools and features available are disproportionately underutilized. But is that really a surprise based on the opening paragraph? Time is of the essence. There is no time to read the email where the tool is introduced, learn about benefits of the tool, learn how to implement the tool and then to actually implement the tool into the digital edition. We get it.

And it is not uncommon to find out that a Flip Page edition is being circulated through one channel - a website. A website that has failed to generate recurring traffic due to it's static nature. No fresh content, no outgoing emails, no social media interaction, no digital advertising and essentially no chance for success. All of those things take time. Time is of the essence. We get it.

That is why Flip Page Publishing has expanded our solution set. With our extensive knowledge and experience we can help lessen the burden of time. Instead of missing opportunities with your Flip Page editions let us handle them entirely. We'll consult with you to maximize return. We'll help you generate a new audience. We'll help you communicate with your existing audience. We'll prolong the interaction between your audience and your brand. Time is of the essence. We get it.

Contact us for more details!

Q&A with CIO Today UK

CIO Today UK publisher Michael Azzopardi contacted Flip Page a couple of years ago looking for a solution to publish a digital magazine. He definitely had a concept in mind and needed a specific solution that would meet his requirements. In his words;

"Out of all of the products I tested, Flip Page was, without a doubt, the best value, most customisable and fully-functional tool I could find."

Having just celebrated their first birthday as a digital only magazine we asked Michael to provide some details regarding CIO Today UK and the success he and his team have enjoyed.

1. Who is Genisys Group?

Genisys Group are the magazine’s publishers. They partner with organisations around the world to help them realise the benefits of implementing and supporting technology, so making them the perfect investors in CIO Today UK Magazine.

2. What is CIO Today UK?

CIO Today UK is a C-level, B2B, UK-based, online magazine that focuses on issues important to senior corporate IT decision makers. 

3. What was the impetus for a digital magazine launch?

We felt it was a great time to be able to reach out to senior IT decision-makers with a strong message and provide a non-biased opinion on solutions, strategies, issues and best-practices. Whilst there are a small number of CIO Today UK ‘competitors’ in the market today, we wanted to provide a fresh-faced alternative to what was available at the time. A reader emailed us after the publication of the first issue and summed it up perfectly for us: “It’s hard to believe the November issue of CIO Today UK is also the first. The publication combines authority with stunning fresh design to arrive on the scene with a bang!”

4. Why launch digitally instead of print?

I was initially torn between going online-only, and a mixture of both digital and traditional print. I’m quite old-school when it comes to publications and still enjoy leafing through a new issue of a print magazine. This being said, as a tablet user, I fully understand and appreciate the flexibility of a digital magazine and am now starting to replace my print subscriptions with digital subscriptions. The cost comparisons, combined with the speed and efficiency of issuing a new magazine made perfect sense so I decided to go with digital-only; a decision I have never regretted.

5. Aside from the Flip Page version of CIO Today UK how else do you connect with your digital audience? Email? Social Media? Website?

The magazine enjoys a rapidly growing LinkedIn group and Twitter page as well as a popular website, which includes a daily RSS News Feed. We publish monthly articles on the website that are replicated within the magazine, creating synergy between the two mediums.

6. What marketing or promotional strategies have you employed in order to gain subscribers to your free magazine? Was one strategy more effective than others?

Due to the targeted readership of the magazine, some strategies have worked considerably better than others. We have found that utilising social media has been extremely useful in generating interest. To ‘test the water’, two months prior to the magazine launch, we created the LinkedIn group and used it predominantly as a news feed as well as a ‘recruiting tool’. I updated the group every morning (weekends included) with daily news and interest articles and saw the group’s member’s numbers increase daily. We used the group, as well as Twitter to pre-register people to receive a magazine subscription approximately a month before first publication date and used this as the initial database of subscribers. We also had splash page on the magazine’s website www.ciotodayuk.com for people to ‘pre-register’ prior to initial publication.

7. Are there any 'digital only' tools that are being applied to CIO Today UK's digital magazine in order to engage readers?

We are utilising Flip Page's propriety BRC/Callback facility for advertisements that are placed within the magazine. To have an easy-to-use tool that translates directly to advertiser’s ROI is incredibly useful and a great selling point when it comes to pitching media sales within the magazine. The magazine will be 12 months old in October this year, and has gone through an organic ‘learning-curve’ through its comparatively young lifespan. Small changes have been made to the look and feel of the magazine, without deviating too much from the original business model and future plans do include a greater utilisation of available digital engagement tools such as embedded video.

8. What is the future of CIO Today UK?

We will be expanding the publication’s reach by creating CIO Today US and CIO Today IN for both a North American and Indian readership. Our publishers, Genisys Group has a presence in three continents, Europe, North America and Asia, so we are hoping to be able to assist in brand recognition throughout all of these.

Want to find CIO Today UK on the web? Click here. Want to view their anniversary issue? Click here.*

* CIO Today UK offers limited pages for complimentary viewing. To view the entire publication a registration form must be completed.

Firefox 32 Bug in Windows 7

Our valued clients,

We recently discovered that there is a bug in the Windows 7 version of Firefox 32 (initially released in September 2014) that randomly prevents that browser from successfully downloading required Flash page assets.  This bug may affect publishers who have selected to display content using our Flash viewer.
 
In order to ensure that pages are visible for affected users, when our application detects Firefox 32 on Windows 7 systems it is now redirecting issues set to use Flash to our HTML 5 viewer.  It is our understanding that Firefox will be releasing a new version 33 on October 15, 2014 that will fix this bug.  For unaffected versions (31 and previous and 33 and later), the Flash viewer will still display.

If you are using the Firefox browser on a Windows system and would like to update your browser manually you can follow the steps outlined here. Otherwise, your system should update to version 33 automatically assuming the update option has been left as default.

If you have any concerns or questions regarding the Firefox 32 flash bug or our solution for your readers, please contact your customer service representative.

HTML 5 Viewer upgrades Contents and Library View

Our valued clients,

It is likely no surprise that mobile views of our HTML 5 viewer are the quickest growing segment of page views on our platform. Recognizing this growing trend, Flip Page is happy to announce several updates to the HTML 5 viewer.

1. New Contents View: Clicking on the contents icon from the toolbar in HTML 5 will now take the reader to a more convenient and mobile-friendly content screen containing:

A scrollable article list with links to the text version of the content and to the laid out page on which the article exists; and easy swipe navigation to other associated documents or issues in your library. Want to see it action? Click here.

2. New Library View:  Archive content within your document’s library has been moved to a more convenient scrollable location at the bottom of the screen.

3. Default Start Page Settings:  In your dashboard you will have the ability to set the default start screen your readers see when first entering the digital edition. This default start screen can be set to the traditional page view, the new Contents View, or the new Library. You can even make these settings different for phone readers, who might prefer the text articles in the Contents View, than for other readers who might prefer the traditional page view.

These updates to our HTML 5 contents and library view provide users with a better reading experience on a multitude of devices and improved navigation within and between your documents.

If you have any questions regarding these updates please contact your Flip Page representative.

HTML5 Viewer supports Scrolls

Our 'scrolls' tool, which had previously only been available in our Flash viewer, is now supported in the HTML5 viewer as well. Not sure what scrolls are? See here or here. Wanna know why we implemented the scrolls feature for the HTML5 mobile viewer? Read below.

The Quest for Sea-worthy Scrolls

Not long ago I had taken upon shore to parle with the chowder-headed lubbers at Flip Page. They recognized me as an able seaman who responded when called 'Long John Silver'. Me vessel had been adrift for many a day and I was blethering aplenty (likely due to the abundance of grog) about me inability to 'oblige the scrolls on my talkin box'. Their land-lubbing nature was not immediately akin to me request.

"Am I speaking Double Dutch to yas" I bellowed.

I pulled out a thin, reflective piece from my ditty bag of loot. They was satisfied to see it wasn't a long scabbard aimed at their throats. It was, as I had spoken, a 'talkin' box'. I scuttled closer, weaving as I walked, as me legs were still of the sea.

"It doesn't unfurl on here as it should. It's ramshackle!" I stammered.

They took a small step forward, as if they was on the edge of the plank, and peered down. I was, in my most obliging manner, awaring them that their scrolls was not configured for sea. Their crew circled as though blowing the gaff and I clasped my cutlass in case of a mutiny.

"Aye" they pronounced and bobbed their noggins as if in agree-ance. - assurin' me of me request. Days gone by and I was beginnin' to feel marooned. I was readyin' the noose for the first codger to set sight on my eyes.

"Ahoy, Silver" I heard from afar. "Yer scrolls is complete" they boasted.

I placed me 'talkin box' atop the hogshead and verified their tale. "Aargh" I exclaimed. "There will be no need for the hempen harness today, my boys" I trumpeted to me crew. I set me sights on me coxswain and shouted "Anchors a-weigh" as we hoisted the Jolly Roger. I pulled the final drops out of the bottle of rum and passed it down my gullet and as I did I began to sing a familiar tune "Yo ho, ho ho"...

- Long John Silver (excerpt from September 19 aka 'Talk like a Pirate Day')

Flip Page certified as PCI Compliant

Our Valued Clients,

Recently Flip Page Publishing received notification that we are PCI Compliant. What does that mean? Here is an explanation from the governing body;

The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) is a set of data security standards established by the Payment Card Industry Council to help protect your business from a data security breach. As a business that accepts credit or debit cards - whether you do it over the phone, in person, online, through a third party service provider, or in small quantities - you are required to comply with PCIDSS. All card data environments must be certified each year, and failure to comply may lead to financial penalties.

In a nutshell it means that the policies and procedures that are in place for handling credit processing have been approved by a third party and are deemed 'satisfactory'. We take our clients privacy seriously and have adapted to ensure your information is safe with us!

If you would like to get more information about PCI DSS you can access the website here.

Brand New Look for our Website

If you had visited our digital hub prior to August you will likely have noticed that there is a a different look and feel to our website now.

All of the information as it relates to us is still there but hopefully it is presented in a cleaner, more aesthetically pleasing manner. We spent many hours choosing and creating images and selecting words that we thought best represented our business and culture.

If you have visited this space previously you will also notice that we have expanded our tool belts. We have always worked closely with clients assisting them to get more out of their print media. We have now expanded our role to help our clients distribute or circulate their Flip Page properties for maximum exposure and ROI. If you would like to learn more about how we can help just contact us!

A special thank-you to all those involved in getting our new site off the ground!

HTML 5 Viewer goes Multilingual!

¡Saludos!   Saudações!   Salutations!  您好！Grüße! Greetings!  

Flip Page has officially launched internationalized menus for our HTML 5 viewer. The following six languages will be supported: English, French, German, Portuguese, Spanish, and Traditional Chinese. Please note that these enhancements apply only to the HTML 5 viewer and not to our native apps or Flash 2.0 viewer. 

Here are some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) regarding this update;

Question: Can the menu language be different for each publication and/or each issue?

Answer:  Yes. Publishers will have the ability to set the default language for the menus at the issue level using the the “Edit Settings” function within the dashboard.

Question: Which language will appear in the menu? 

Answer: If the reader’s browser is set to one of the six languages supported by this upgrade  the menu will automatically present the same language as the browser.  

But, if the reader’s browser is set to an unsupported language, the default language set by the publisher will display in the menu.

Question: Can readers choose the menu language?

Answer: Yes. Readers can change the language presented in the menu to any of the six supported languages via the “More” option located at the bottom right corner of the viewer menu.  

Question: Does this feature work on desktop and mobile devices? 

Answer: Yes. This feature will be supported by all HTML 5 viewer supported devices and browsers.

If you have any questions related to this update please contact us!

Integrate Flip Page editions into Facebook!

You may have heard of Facebook. Facebook is a social networking service that was launched in 2006. To date it has 1.23 billion registered users per month which has made it a formidable marketing tool for business.

It is extremely simple to post a Flip Page edition to a Facebook page or share a Flip Page edition to Facebook. But, did you know that it is possible to leverage your Flip Page editions by integrating them into a Facebook App? All of this can be done with a couple clicks of a button.

What does it look like? How does it perform within our Facebook page?
You can check it out here! Just click on the 'Flip Page App Sampler' demo listing.

And while you are there - like us!

Want to know how to integrate your Flip Page edition into Facebook? Contact your account representative for details!

You Say You Want Resolution...

There always seems to be a little bit of confusion over resolution especially when trying to compare the terminology between print and digital. Since we re-purpose print files onto digital platforms we thought we would shed some light on the matter.

Let's look at the word 'resolution'. According to Wikipedia, image resolution is the amount of detail that an image holds. The amount of detail a digital image can hold is dependent on the number of pixels. So, wait, what is a pixel? A pixel represents the smallest element that can be manipulated in a digital image or on a digital display (wikipedia). Huh?

Let's see if this helps. Think of an image. Any image. A wedding photo, family picture or a 'selfie with your bestie' (FIG. 1). Now place an imaginary square grid, like a sudoku puzzle, over top of that image so that it spans outward to each edge (FIG. 2). Although rudimentary - each one of those squares would represent a pixel.

The only problem with the above illustration is that each pixel can display a number of colours but only one colour at a time (FIG. 3). That means that your wedding photo would not be very discernible since sudoku puzzles only have 9 columns and 9 rows (81 squares or pixels). But what if we changed the number of columns and rows in the square grid? What if we made the grid 100 columns by 100 rows? What about 1000 columns by 1000 rows? If we used the 1000 x 1000 grid that means we would have 1,000,000 individual squares of colour. If we placed the 1000 x 1000 grid over the wedding photo that means that the size of each square (pixel) in the grid would be much smaller (FIG. 4). It also means that more image detail would be available because of the increase in total pixels or squares (FIG. 5). The wedding photo would appear more clearly. That's resolution.

Digital resolution is measured in PPI which stands for 'pixels per inch'. Pixels per inch is a representation of the number of pixels that exist within one square inch. An image with a greater PPI has a better resolution than an image with a lower PPI.

What about printing?

When an image is being outputted to a printer it typically requires a minimum resolution of 300 PPI to ensure quality. Higher PPI values can be achieved but do not necessarily indicate better result. Why? The resolution quality of an image being printed is limited by the printing device. In other words you can't print a 300 PPI high resolution image using a dot matrix printer than can only produce 96 DPI. Wait a minute, you mean PPI right? No. DPI is kind of the resolution cousin of PPI. Printers apply ink in a linear fashion and DPI (dots per inch) represents the measure of the number of dots that can be 'printed' within a one inch line. Similar to PPI, the greater the number of DPI the better the print quality of an image. 

Display devices offer the same 'resolution conundrum' as print devices. The resolution of the input image is limited by the output resolution of the device. Despite the term 'high definition' being used to describe computer displays and television screens they are relatively limited in their ability to produce 'print quality' resolution. Monitors tend to have a display resolution between 72-96 PPI. The MacBook Pro with retina display has a display resolution of 144 PPI and represents the best retail available output. So can I tell the difference between a 300 PPI image and a 150 PPI image if I am viewing it on a 96 PPI display? Not likely. So why does Flip Page Publishing suggest higher resolution images in Flip Page editions when most displays can't output that quality? There are a couple of reasons; 

1. Flip Page software offers a 'vector zoom' tool which allows a user to magnify page content. Our vector zoom is loss-less which means that if a high res. image is provided as input it will display crisp and clear when magnified. Conversely, low resolution images which are pixelated or grainy will display as such when magnified.
2. When 'Print' or 'PDF download' tools are made available in a Flip Page edition a higher resolution PDF will offer better print quality compared to a low resolution version. 
3. High resolution images that are rendered as raster within a PDF file tend to inflate the size of the file dramatically. This is not the case with Flip Page editions so there is no reason to lower resolution. 

When it comes to displaying your brand, your print media, on a digital platform, aim high. High resolution.

Interview with an Empire

Roger's Publishing is a division of one of the largest media companies in the world. The publishing division of Roger's turns out 75,000 magazines a year across a number of different interests and sectors. We pulled a senior advertising executive from Roger's aside and grilled him on how they are handling advertising in the digital age. You can read the Q and A here.

New Feature 'Mobile Notes'

Flip Page Publishing is pleased to announce that we have added the ‘Notes’ functionality to the HTML5 viewer. As we had outlined with the initial release of the new HTML5 viewer we are continuing to add more tools to complement the Flex/Flash viewer.  

Want more information? Click here.