Publishing

Publishing

Brief Excerpt from Industry Overview Chapter:

Companies in this industry publish newspapers, magazines and other periodicals, books, directories, and mailing lists, as well as items such as calendars, greeting cards, and maps. Major companies include Advance Publications, Hallmark, Hearst, and News Corp (all based in the US), as well as Axel Springer (Germany), Pearson and RELX Group (both based in the UK), Thomson Reuters (Canada), and Wolters Kluwer (Netherlands).

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Demand for books, magazines, and greeting cards is driven by consumer income, while demand for newspapers and directories is related to local population growth and local ad spending. The profitability of individual companies depends on marketing expertise, efficient operations, and new customers. Large companies benefit from the ability to share resources across multiple content outlets. Small companies can compete effectively by specializing in niche topics and markets. The US publishing industry is concentrated: the 50 largest companies generate about 60% of revenue.

PRODUCTS, OPERATIONS & TECHNOLOGY

In the US, advertising space in printed publications account for about 25%, followed by general newspapers for about 15%. Periodicals, professional and scholarly books, and textbooks each account for about 10%. Other items account for about 30%.