Correction: Chris did not have an active role in the deal between Transcontinental and Redwood.
It is no secret that the print world changing, some compare it to the creatures that walked the Earth millions of years ago. Some companies have killed their print version of their publications, others have folded completely and some are in the midst of strike talks with their unions.
Is there any hope in this dark and bleak world of print and print advertising? Yes, it is in diversifying the business model and looking to where the growing opportunities are, the online world. If we take a look at one of Canada’s largest publisher, Transcontinental and we look at some of their acquisitions over the last year there has been a trend of the organizations move more and more online. They consolidated their content management system which would allow their publishing side to create and distribute online content faster, back in March of 2008 we broke the story that Transcontinental acquired ThinData for an undisclosed amount. Transcontinental also acquired Redwood Custom Communications, a deal that Chris was involved in helping with. In January they also acquired a leading print to web based solution provider Conversys, another deal that I’m sure Chris had some influence on.
Is Print Dead?
Personally I don’t consume my news from newspapers anymore, instead I tend to get my news online, whether it be a website, blog, Facebook status update or Twitter. Print isn’t dead, its growth has just slowed down, partially by the economy and also because consumers want content in other forms. Many marketers won’t give up their print empires, sitting on piles and piles of print, even though advertisers are increasingly shrinking their print budgets. Pick up a newspaper and you will see a decrease in major brands advertising in print, Microsoft made a major shift years ago, Cisco now relies on print to supplement an existing online campaign.
What is the future of Transcontinental?
Transcontinental has deep pockets and is on an acquisition path. Chris Carder’s a smart guy, he and the team have built a great company over the years. Now he has the opportunity to be part of an even larger infrastructure, keep his autonomy with ThinData and help influence Transcontinental, not a bad gig if you can get it!
Perhaps they will acquire a social media agency next or a search marketing firm to round of their capabilities. Either way I’m sure Chris Carder will be a big influence on Transcontinental in the years to come.
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