The Economist is letting digital and print subscribers fully access its iPad and iPhone application as well as get a weekly sample of articles chosen specifically by the editor.
Users who do not have a subscription can purchase full issues of the publication via in-application purchases each week. Once a user downloads an issue, they can read the newspaper in full without an Internet connection.
“We want our readers to be able to read us wherever and however they want, and for an increasing number of people that means via a digital device,” said Oscar Grut, managing director of digital editions at The Economist, London.
“People who read their news and analysis on mobile digital devices will be attracted to the greater variety of ways to enjoy The Economist – on your iPad, on your iPhone, in audio, online, on Kindle and on Zinio – as well as in print, of course, where our circulation has grown every year for the last 30 years at least,” he said.
“Our goal with the iPad and iPhone apps is to deliver the same Economist content, in the same weekly package as print, through this new medium. We have redesigned the newspaper completely to make the most of the devices, while retaining that Economist feel – and like in print, it's free from distractions.”
AgaveApps built the iPhone application and TigerSpike built the iPad application for The Economist.
Each issue features a full audio edition, with all articles read by professional newscasters.
“We decided to integrate our popular audio edition into both apps, with all articles from the print edition read by professional newscasters, and synced to each article,” Mr. Grut said. “This lets readers switch easily between reading and listening to our articles.
“We did this because is struck us that audio is such a natural fit for portable digital devices, particularly the iPhone and iPod Touch,” he said.
The Economist is getting the word out about their new applications by putting promotional cover wraps on all issues, emailing news of the launch to subscribers and other contacts and its regional teams are also planning regional campaigns.
Mobile reading
Currently, users can read the publication in print, online, on iPhone, iPad, Kindle and Zinio.
The company is talking with other potential platform partners and looking at new platforms on launch on, including Android and BlackBerry.
“Our print circulation has continued to increase despite the turmoil in some parts of the print industry,” Mr. Grut said. “Our readers have, until now, generally preferred The Economist in print, but that is changing dramatically with tablets and smartphones, which are perfect for reading and listening to our kind of publication.
“This is one of the very exciting aspects of our apps,” he said. “We are obsessed, first and foremost, with creating elegant applications that deliver a wonderful, immersive reading experience to our customers,” he said. “I think we have succeeded in this mission.
“And by grabbing our readers' attention in this way, we offer a unique advertising opportunity to our clients to reach an engaged audience with beautiful full screen ads and rich media advertising.”
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