Digital publishing service provider Zinio has introduced two new opportunities to increase distribution for its publisher clients.

Zinio now offers clients branded applications and print/digital subscription bundling. The new services will eliminate the common cross-channel marketing barriers that publishers often face from a monetization standpoint.

?With the Zinio Unity platform, consumers can buy magazines anywhere the Zinio reader is available, which is great if you know who Zinio is,? said Jeanniey Mullen, global executive vice president and chief marketing officer of Zinio, New York. ?What our publishers are asking for is for us to offer branded apps to extend the publisher?s reach.?

Branded apps
Working with publisher clients, Zinio will create dedicated, commerce-enabled, publisher-branded applications.

With early strong sales and readership results through Zinio Unity for the iPad, the company has extended its application, cloud-distribution system and commerce platform for participating client brands.

Zinio?s publisher clients will be able to deploy a similar buy-once-read-anywhere strategy with their own publisher-branded applications as a new channel for distribution.

Sporting News is an example of one such publisher.

"Specifically, we are excited that Zinio has a large audience of engaged, digital readers, many of whom like sports," said Jeff Price, president/CEO of Sporting News, New York. "While Sporting News is currently focused on converting our existing free users into paid subscribers, Zinio will be able to attract an entirely new audience for us through their database. 

"Once we have our own branded Sporting News Today app, we'll be able to reach out to new sports fans directly on devices such as the iPad that aren't currently Zinio customers," he said.

The publication will bring video highlights, rich photo galleries and touch-screen scoreboards into the iPad experience -- as well as across every device where Sporting News Today.

What?s more is that publishers can push other mobile offering such as non-editorial apps, Web sites and more through advertising within their branded application by Zinio.

?There is a ton of advertising and revenue potential and expanded reach with the branded apps,? Ms. Mullen said. ?Publishers can sell sponsorships of their apps, they have a lot of control in that aspect.?

Print/digital bundling
Zinio accommodates the convergence of all reading platforms, including print.

By simultaneously offering print with digital single issues or subscriptions, Zinio launches the ability for publishers to retain current subscribers, target potential digital subscribers and increase digital adoption.

Elle, Maxim and Southern Boating are leveraging bundling strategies, which have proven generate additional revenue streams by maximizing the readership audience.

This pairing offers reading fans the ultimate in convenience by linking their print issues to an on-the-go and enhanced digital experience.

?Before the iPhone, most publishers felt that readers had to choose between print and digital,? Ms. Mullen said. ?And then when the iPhone came out, people were saying they love getting their print issue at home, but hate bringing it out with them and prefer a digital edition on the go.

?People are willing to pay a little more for a print edition with a digital subscription because of the added value,? she said. ?So now we are offering print and digital bundles for all publishers.?