hypulp: From Web to Print for TV2 Nettavisen

From Web to Print for TV2 Nettavisen

Filed under: Navigation & Newspaper design & Online

[E-Media Tidbits] In a one-time marketing ploy, the online newspaper TV2 Nettavisen in Norway published 20,000 copies of a print version of the website on Friday (19/04/2004), with a resounding success: all media in Norway and many media outlets around the world have been talking about it. The paper was printed in tabloid format and distributed to commuters in Bergen and Oslo. "A very smart move, and a perfect way to visualize the broad content of a news site," a high-profile Norway media executive told me.

You can get the .pdf here (local copy).

The only elements that seem to have managed to cross over are the blue-underlined [Les mer] (read more) hyperlink-imitations indicating what page the rest of the article is on, as well as the navigation column on the left of the frontpage (mimicking the website's). I guess the rest of the print edition looks quite similar to that of a tabloid. Let me know what you think? Is it too much of a cross-over, too little, maladroit, gimmicky, purposeless?

On the left is the frontpage of the print edition, on the right a screen-shot of the frontpage of the online edition (I deleted the *huge* ad banners on the top and righ hand side...)

If you know of any other websites having made the jump to print, even one time, please let us know.

by Paul | 26 March 2004

7 Comments added

1. On 26 March 2004, eric said:

I think that it is not enough to simply mimick the existing website. The act of putting "les mer" does not suffice to create a 'navigational' system, it is really the same as putting "read the article on page 10". Not tha i have an answer, but it would have been better for them to just NOT do this. It is useless really. The only advantage that i see is that of a branding standpoint, where the tabloid and website are similar and hence recognizable and familiar for those who read both...

2. On 29 March 2004, Paulus said:

I agree that it seems to have been a pure marketing gag, simply because I would not know another reason to do such a thing. What is interesting though is how and what for it could be used effectively and convicingly. It would be interesting to find out how people reacted to it and employ these findings in reorganising analogue or digital appearances.

3. On 30 March 2004, Thomas Hammer said:

Yes, this was purely marketing. According to the editor, Gunnar Stavrum, this was done to show the extent of content the online newspaper feature every day: The paper version had 40 pages.

TV2 Nettavisen also say they made money on this one time project, but if they are to do it again, they expect additional costs. Distribution was free this time. Actually, the CEOs and editors of the online paper and the TV channel TV2 walking the streets took care of that. "I'm back to where I started as an eight-year-old," once a paper boy, now CEO of TV2, Kåre Valebrokk states.

How did people react? "Yes, this is fun. Everyone smile and accept the newspaper. Well, except one grumpy guy, he looked like he was on his way home to beat his wife," CEO Valebrokk says to TV2 Nettavisen...

4. On 30 March 2004, Thomas Hammer said:

Eric: Both online and paper versions would benefit from omitting "Read more" — in my opinion that phrase is obsolete as "read more" in itself conveys little or no information about what to expect when the link location is loaded. (At best "Continue reading [story heading]" can be used.)

A better solution would be to use relevant words in the actual text as links. I know this is contrary to common practice, but I believe it to be better.

Thanks to W3C and others, "click here" is not as used as it was. Hopefully "read more" will disappear too.

(http://www.w3.org/QA/Tips/noClickHere)

5. On 05 December 2004, Jack Yan said:

I am very partial as its publisher, but Lucire has made the jump from web to print, too, with two monthly issues out in New Zealand.

6. On 14 March 2005, Jack Yan said:

And there's another, launching a month before we did:

http://www.alwayson-network.com/

7. On 17 May 2005, Jack Yan said:

A couple here for fellow readers, to show that this is a growing trend. Synthesis magazine (www.synthesis.net) is another web-to-print, from Chico, Calif. Meanwhile, Lucire launches in Romania in print today. I don't know if that's a record of some sort, but AFAIK I haven't heard of the "web to print to print somewhere else" phenomenon.

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