Will ads on print-outs boost revenue?

The targeted ads will be placed on pages of the publishing groups' online editions which are printed out by readers. Initially the partnership will be tested with content from Good Housekeeping.com but very soon ads are expected to be offered on printed content from Cosmopolitan, Esquire, Redbook, Seventeen, House Beautiful and other Hearst magazines.

"A printed Web page demonstrates a motivated and interested reader, which affords a unique targeted marketing opportunity," said Ethan Holien, CEO of Format Dynamics. "With the deployment of CleanPrint these advertisers have the opportunity to deliver a message at a new and unique point of user engagement. Messaging users on printouts is a powerful new way to reach a target audience, and can also be combined with onscreen advertising to create highly effective new re-messaging opportunities."

Is this a good idea for publishers? It is no secret that traditional publishers need a new business model, which means testing new ways to generate revenue through advertising and content subscriptions. Although simply printing an ad along with content doesn't guarantee a sale or conversion, it is an unobtrusive way to keep the brand before the consumer.

As mentioned above, if a consumer is willing to print online content they are very interested in it; this means they will also likely engage in the advertising content printed with the content.

Tags: Format Dynamics, Hearst Magazines, magazine ads, magazine content, online advertising, online content