Colin Bennett

Colin Bennett is MD of abannan, the digital publisher who’s digitisation of reading matter enables publishers to effortlessly optimise their content to offer a higher quality, slicker experience, within a 24/7 global network. The unique software offers publishers the opportunity to optimise return by introducing new revenue streams through targeted advertising; and offers advertisers highly targeted, high ROI campaigns through new routes to audience.

Colin was MD of Shorewood EPC Europe Ltd from 2000 – 2009 and witnessed first-hand how the digital revolution and the advent of iTunes transformed the music industry and its suppliers.

In 2009 Colin retired and began to travel around Europe in order to find a property to buy, however, in Italy he bought an iPad, got inspired, and returned to the UK to form the plan for abannan.

Replicate or re-design? How do you take a magazine online?

A year ago when we were researching the UK magazine market in an effort to assess the enthusiasm, or otherwise, of publishers for having tablet editions we concluded that they still had some doubts about whether they needed to have App editions of their titles or not.

Fast forward one year and, with the introduction of the Apple Newsstand, the majority of publishers are now aware that in order to survive the tablet and online revolution, they need to have a digital presence.

The question they now ask themselves is should they dive straight in or just dip their toe in the water?

So replicate or re-design? There are potentially pros and cons for both. And exactly how will digital readership generate revenue?