Letter From The Publisher: The Media Evolution
As publishers of the Worcester Business Journal and business publications in Maine and Connecticut, our company has long been focused on delivering quality journalism in the business-to-business market across New England. So, it's not surprising that for many years we've contemplated how we can better serve the MetroWest/495 business community.
As we pondered the idea of a MetroWest publication, we held meetings with numerous businesspeople who ply their trade in the region and debated the pros and cons of several different approaches.
During a series of meetings about how to best deliver for MetroWest in 2007, we got some very valuable advice from Deborah Penta, founder and CEO of Penta Communications in Westborough. She wisely told us, If you are going to launch a new venture in MetroWest, start with an electronic product.
It might not sound like a radical strategy, but it is for a publishing company that was founded on print as the medium for communication, it was a reorientation. But we took Deborah’s advice to heart and challenged ourselves to be innovative.
As some of you may know, in early 2008, instead of creating a new print publication, we launched a weekly e-mail newsletter called Metrowest495 Biz. The feedback from the business community was immediate, positive and strong — and by the fall of 2008 we had doubled its frequency to two times per week.
Fast forward to March 2010 and here we are extending our established electronic brand into a quarterly publication, the first edition of which you hold in your hands (or view on your computer screen if you are reading our digital edition).
In the not so old days, an established print brand might spin off a web site or a newsletter. In our case, the chicken and egg changed their order, and a print publication is following in the footsteps of its intrepid electronic sister.
What makes this all so interesting is that, as I’m sure you’ve heard, “print is dying.” But we’re not betting on a funeral just yet. After all, a similar story was told when radio became popular at the turn of the century. Then, the death knell was rung for both print and radio when television took hold in the 1950s. But neither printed publications nor radio have disappeared. Instead, each has evolved, played to their strengths, and stayed an important part of the media mix.
While we embrace the Internet and all the powerful communication tools it continues to unleash, there remains a place for the printed word. In-depth features, personal profiles that dig below the surface, the clean presentation and analysis of data to help tell a story — are all best presented on the printed page.
As we’ve been working on this special first issue, we’ve heard again and again from businesses in the region that it’s about time a publisher figured out that the business community of MetroWest deserves its own publication.
And while the region may lack a true urban center, it certainly does not lack for vital, innovative, growing companies. All that innovation gives us ample opportunity as publishers to tell compelling stories and help connect business people to new ideas. Inside this issue, we expect you’ll find some familiar faces and some new ones as well.
Our main feature is called “10 to Watch” and it includes profiles of some of the movers and shakers who are helping shape the future of the local economy. Our writers have also looked into the growing green economy in the region, the future of Genzyme locally as well as the evolution of the tech industry along I-495. MetroWest495 Biz will also include regular features like our Out & About section of local events and photos, as well as our By the Numbers page, which presents vital stats on the region in clean, easy to understand graphics.
You can expect us to build on this inaugural issue throughout 2010. We’d love to hear your feedback on the premier issue and ideas for the future. Please e-mail pstanton@nebusinessmedia.com with your comments, criticisms and suggestions.
Our next quarterly edition will come out in June. In the meantime, you can stay on top of local business news at WBJournal.com/MetroWest495Biz. See you in print and online!
Peter Stanton Publisher, CEO
WBJ Web Partners
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