(5)+Case+Studies

__** Case Studies **__ While some companies have learnt to embrace the digital age, others have decided to stay faithful to print instead. If companies want to maintain their sales in the 21st century they must adapt and learn to make full use of the digital age, with convenience and price being strong factors which will attract consumers. The following are several case studies with regards to the issue at hand.

__**Amazon Kindle**__ The Kindle is an e-book reader developed by a subsidiary of Amazon.com, Lab126. It utilizes wireless connectivity to allow users to download, browse and read numerous forms of digital media such as e-books, newspapers, magazines and blogs. Apart from allowing the user to conveniently read digital media, users can also bookmark, highlight and look up content. Pages can also be ‘dog-eared’ for reference and notes can be added to the content. The Kindle also has a built-in dictionary, which users can utilize to search for synonyms and definitions while a book is open on the display. Another selling point of the Kindle is its use of an E Ink electronic paper display which not only minimizes power use but also simulates reading on paper. This wide range of uses, encased in one compact device, has resulted in the Kindle accounting for 59% of e-readers shipped in 2010. Amazon has stated that the price of Kindle book will not cost than US$10. Furthermore, many titles on the Kindle, including some classics, are offered free of charge or at significantly lower price, which has been stated to relate to the cost of adapting the book to the Kindle format. Newspaper subscriptions on the Kinda cost from US$1.99 to $27.99 per month, while magazines charge between US$1.25 and $10.99 per month. Up to date, more than 65,000 books are available for download. The steadily increasing sale of the Kindle is testament to its success. In 2009, Kindle book sales overtook print for just one day on Christmas Day. However, in May 2011, Kindle book sales have exceeded all of its printed book sales and this statistic is expected to stay this way for the next few years. Indeed, the Kindle is an example of a device which has fully embraced the digital age, making reading an even more interactive experience than before.

media type="youtube" key="oi2q5gTlu6o" height="349" width="425" align="center"

Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City and is distributed internationally. It has been the second-largest news weekly magazine in the United States for most of its existence, with the largest news weekly magazine being Time. Globally, Newsweek is published in four English language editions and 12 global editions written in the language of the circulation region. While worldwide circulation exceeded 4 million in 2003, circluation has decreased to 1.5 million in 2010. This decrease in circulation can be attributed to several factors. Firstly, the digital age has redefined the idea of ‘recent news’. With the onset of the digital age, news cycles are now measured in hours rather than days. Hence, by the time the typical recipient of a reader of newsweek reads an article, the news would be considered outdated. In a society where people have grown up with the web, a company which is unable to keep readers with the latest news will definitely be on the losing end. Another vital issue that has to be taken into consideration is the new demands of the target audience. With the proliferation of countless news options online, there is an increased demand for news which is customized to their wants. Readers are no longer interested in reading the same generic mix of news everyone is reading. Instead, they are more interested in selectively reading subjects they are only interested in, a demand which the digital age fulfills for the readers. While Newsweek’s formula of providing print news to the masses might have worked in the past, sticking to the same formula will not work in the 21st century, where readers want to stay constantly updated on the topics they are interested in. Lastly, in the digital age, readership is driven by the ability to participate in an online conversation and getting other sites to link to and comment on your articles. Readers in the digital age prefer a two-way communication between publisher and reader, preferring an interactive mode of communication rather than solely obtaining information from the publisher. Hence, Newsweek’s drop in circulation can be attributed to her failure to embrace the digital age and cater to the different demands of 21st century readers.
 * __Newsweek__**

The Straits Times is an English language daily broadsheet newspaper based in Singapore and is currently owned by Singapore Press Holdings (SPH). It is Singapore’s highest-selling paper, with a current daily circulation of approximately 400,000 copies. The weekly Sunday edition is known as The Sunday Times. The Straits Times is an example of a newspaper which has successfully embraced the digital age, whilst maintaining its high circulation islandwide. The Straits Times Interactive is the online version of The Straits Times. Launched on 1 January 1994, it was initially free of charge and granted access to all the sections and articles found in the print edition. On 1 January 2005, however, the online version required registration and became a paid-access-only-site. Currently, there is a free section on the site, featuring frequently updated podcasts, vodcasts, radio-news bulletings and a selection of news stories. Only subscribers are able to read all the articles on the Internet. Hence, while The Straits Times still manages to maintain a high circulation rate throughout Singapore, it is not limited by hard copy prints alone and frequently updates its online version as well. The Straits Times is an example of a newspaper which has successfully catered to both audiences, resulting in a sustained readership throughout Singapore.
 * __The Straits Times__**

__Additional resources__ [] __http://www.crunchgear.com/2009/02/25/10-reasons-to-buy-a-kindle-2-and-10-reasons-not-to/__ [] http://www.foliomag.com/2008/newsweek-mulls-dramatic-drop-circulation