

IPad deal: Publishers warn of hurdles  - mrphoebs
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/deee2a90-1a9a-11df-bef7-00144feab49a.html

======
blasdel
The magazine publishers will just end up using tracking links on not just the
ads but the content too. If they use a redirect through a page that has
doubleclick tracking pixels and whatnot, they'll claw back some significant
demographic data.

If they launch their own apps instead of going through Apple's iBooks, they
could fingerprint the hardware, show rotating/targeted ads, and even ask
bullshit survey questions too.

------
waterlesscloud
Hmmm. That is a headscratcher. The magazines really do depend on the reader
information, and Apple really can't share it. If they do, everyone in all the
other media will demand it.

Fun.

~~~
devin
They're forced to depend on reader information because they just don't sell
enough subscriptions and need to target to compensate for a weak readership.
Apple is providing them with a readership. All these publishers need to do is
focus on creating a quality product first, and who is buying it second.

If you think about it, the decision to not allow music companies access to
that data seems like it could potentially encourage music companies to focus
less on the targeting and more on the quality of the product. It's like Apple
is giving a silent lesson in how to sell a product. The iTunes store has been
a huge success. If I'm a betting man Apple will continue their string of
successes with a winning ebook store. To wit, being afraid to gamble is what
has been killing publishers these last few years.

~~~
barrkel
That information doesn't make sense for music companies because music
companies don't give away their product and sell their readership to
advertisers.

Newspaper subscriptions subsidize the cost of the product, but the news is
just a loss leader. Newspaper publishers rely on selling their readers to
advertisers. Without knowing exactly what that readership base consists of,
they would have a harder time selling to advertisers, who wouldn't know what
they're getting for their money.

