Quad/Graphics Invests in Digital Publishing

Quad/Graphics takes minority position in London-based Yudu Media to connect clients printing work with online channels.

-- Graphic Arts Online, October 22, 2009

SUSSEX, WI, USA and LONDON, UK - Quad/Graphics, the largest privately held printer in the United States, and YUDU Media, the UK's leading provider of digital publishing solutions, have entered into a strategic alliance that makes Quad/Graphics a minority shareholder of YUDU Media and adds YUDU's digital publishing solution to the printer's range of products.

Through YUDU, Quad/Graphics will provide publishers, catalog marketers, retailers and advertisers with innovative solutions that connect print and online channels. The partnership will also facilitate YUDU Media's expansion into the U.S. market.

Joel Quadracci, President & CEO of Quad/Graphics, says, "We are excited by the benefits this partnership will bring to our clientele, who are increasingly using multiple communication approaches to build their businesses."

Quadracci continues: "Digital publishing does not replace ink on paper, but rather enhances it. It's a multichannel world and we aim to be at the forefront of bridging the print world with the electronic world to create even more value for our clients and their customers."

Richard Stephenson, CEO of YUDU Media, says: "This is a key moment in YUDU Media's history. Not content to rest on our laurels of being the UK's leading digital publishing specialist for magazines, catalogs, books and newspapers, our partnership with Quad/Graphics will allow us to expand aggressively worldwide, especially in the fiercely competitive U.S. market."

Stephenson continues: "Quad/Graphics is the perfect partner not least because, just like YUDU Media, the company is privately held. This will allow both companies to move forward with a long-term plan, not a short-term ‘crash and burn' venture capital strategy which many of our competitors suffer from."

Quad/Graphics will market YUDU Media's digital publishing solution under the name Quad/Graphics Digital Edition. In addition to video, audio and Flash-rich active media, the solution offers infinite zoom; search and archive functions; bookmarking and reader page notes; digital catalog order forms (that integrate and connect directly to a shopping cart); digital rights management; third-party subscription/payment; and one-click page printing.

Quad/Graphics will deliver the Digital Edition via a url link to the publisher, catalog marketer or advertiser to post on Web sites or include in email or other e-commerce efforts

Quad/Graphics Digital Edition will also help clients fine-tune their marketing and content, tracking data to give clients insight into how the end users interact with the electronic version of their printed piece. For example, Quad/Graphics Digital Edition can tell how many users read an edition, what stories/pages/products are read or viewed, what users spend the most time reading/viewing, what ads they link to, what products they purchase, and more.

 

About Quad/Graphics
Quad/Graphics (www.QG.com) is the largest privately held printer of magazines, catalogs and other commercial products in the Western Hemisphere, and the third largest printer - public or private - in the United States. Headquartered in Sussex, Wisconsin (26 miles west of Milwaukee), the company provides services ranging from front-end design and photography through digital imaging, printing, finishing, mailing/distribution and data-driven marketing solutions such as data optimization and analytics. Its focus: to make print more immediate, targeted and relevant. With 11,000 employees and $2 billion in annual sales the company prides itself on service, quality and technological innovation.

About YUDU Media
YUDU Media is an award-winning provider of innovative digital publishing solutions for magazines, newspapers, catalogs and books, helping companies and individuals all over the world benefit from the growth in online publishing and reading.  With offices in London, Lancashire and Boston, MA, YUDU offers advanced professional publishing with YUDU Pro ( www.yudupro.com) and free publishing at YUDU.com, the eLibrary and marketplace that also allows publishers to promote, share and sell their publications and other digital content with the world.