Agfa’s Rainer Kirschke talks the future of mobile publishing

[Sponsored:] Rainer Kirschke is the Business Manager Mobile Publishing at Agfa. He will be at the Digital Innovators’ Summit in Berlin to talk more about why Agfa is eyeing mobile publishing as an opportunity, and how its technology can help publishers develop their mobile value proposition. He spoke to us (via email) ahead of the DIS.

Hello Rainer. To get going, first tell us a little about yourself?
I probably have newspaper ink pumping through my veins such has been my interest in news – as a youngster, a student and throughout my professional career. During my last 27 years with Agfa Graphics I have also seen the industry – news and other multi-channel content – evolve dramatically. I continue to be fascinated by how companies tackle change management in terms of technological advances and the evolution of the next generations’ behaviour in response those changes.  I believe innovation drives the multi-channel industry, but it’s our response to it that will steer how technologies continue to evolve.

Agfa Graphics is of course a well-known brand, but people arguably associate it most strongly with photography. Briefly tell us about how the company develops other digital services in general and for publishers in particular.
Agfa Graphics has accumulated a massive amount of software development knowledge over the last decades, through own experience and acquisitions. We’ve become specialized in the fields of automation, standardization and modular integration. Agfa Graphics was the very first company to showcase a PDF workflow back in 1997. In parallel, Agfa Healthcare pushes a lot of developments in the IT area of hospital networks and database management, where the Agfa cloud hosting around the world was also established. It is all about industrialized data handling and data flow management. In the graphics industry, Agfa is a leader in the field. In publishing, Agfa focuses on being the future leader of diversified content streaming in mobile.

What in your view are the next steps publishers will need to take to answer the future needs of their readers?
The next step is selected, personalized and situation- or context-based delivery of content, which in addition has to provide a high degree of entertainment. Publishers furthermore have to think cross-platform and cross-device communication, and always consider how to improve on ease-of-use. Content must be adapted to situations, much like today where there may be differentiation between content for the smartphone during the day and for the tablet when users are likely in a more relaxing environment at home. They will have to consider social integration, and also create opportunities for active user participation. Interfaces (apps) will need to be configurable, to deliver personalized information and know-how.

What do you see as the biggest challenges and/or opportunities for publishers today?

• Change managers across the business have to focus more on younger consumers; which includes enrichment of content with videos, photos, audio (including voice), games, transactional opportunities and much more;
• Monetization of content and services to subscribers/readers;
• To see Google, Facebook and likes as an enabler of new business not as purely an enemy; and
• To increase the effort to analyze what actual readers like, dislike or want from publishers

What is your experience in the market with the implementation of mobile projects? What advice can you give?

• Analyse your audience: what do they want (or not) in a digital product?
• Check your own infrastructure first; is your editorial system structured enough to deliver data for automated content integration into an app?
• Define all milestones, and set realistic timelines for the project. It’s better to define it over a longer time frame, e.g. a year is too short to fully realize the potential of a mobile product
• It is not about copying across from your print product. For example, advertising has to be dynamic, vivid and interactive
• Set up a qualified project team to manage all internal IT, editorial, advertising and marketing demands.

How can publishers encourage deeper reader engagement? Should apps be interactive? What does the market tell you?
As seemingly with everything there are different trends and experiences. App solutions are however in part increasingly video- and less text-based. They include a lot of opportunities for interaction such as quizzes, games and more. Others are more focused on providing a smooth user-experience with fewer distractions, high-quality content and with more content depth. When it comes to millennials, publishers also have to find ways to offer their products in parallel to Snapchat, Facebook, Deezer and other platforms.

Very briefly, tell us if, or why, you are still you excited about the future of media?
Media (print & digital) plays and will continue to play a very important cultural role in our lives. It gives people the freedom, helps their personal evolution and it supports education, know-how and transparency across borders. This will not change.

Don’t miss Rainer’s DIS session on the Mitte stage, at 12:00 on 21 March. You can also meet with him at booth 4 in the DIS expo area.