VIRGO's 2013 Plan Focuses on Digital Media, Content Marketing

PHOENIXVIRGO released its 2013 Marketing Guides for the Health & Nutrition Network with significant focus and investment in digital media, content marketing and lead generation programs. Development and implementation of these digital strategies over the past 18 months have resulted in a 100-percent increase in website traffic and attracted more than 20,000 registered site members who are downloading content from the Food Product Design and Natural Products INSIDER websites.

This expansion includes more online news and analysis through articles, blogging, image galleries and video available through the websites, along with registration-based thematic digital-only issues of the magazines, and reports that offer a deep dive analysis on pressing industry issues and legislation/regulatory compliance.

"At VIRGO, we focus the majority of our efforts on listening to our audience to ensure we can deliver what they need, when and how they want it," said VIRGOs CEO John Siefert. "Im thrilled at the explosive growth we have seen in our trafficliterally doubling our page views for both Food Product Design and Natural Products INSIDERand it is our mission to continue this level of engagement with our audience, and create new and effective content types that serve their needs."

VIRGO is also evolving its print magazines to play a "journal" role with its audience, by offering more strategic and analytical content regarding the decisions they need to make with a focus on the future of the supplement, food, beverage, sports nutrition and ingredient applications spaces. Print magazines still play a role for our audience, but that role has changed from being one of news and broad based industry coverage, to more of an industry journal that outlines the future of the category and what our audience needs to focus on long term," Siefert said.

The print magazines will now be offered at a 6X frequency through 2013, ensuring content resources are focused squarely on delivering the information the audience wants in the context best suited for their needs.

"Our approach of shifting to a 6X frequency enables us to focus on those aspects, and deliver them through the print magazines, often linking the audience member to deep information they can access via our websites, and nurturing them to engage with us in both mediums, instead of considering them separate functions," Siefert noted.

Print magazines will offer this strategic analytical view, while standard-form online content, like articles and image galleries, focus on the pressing or urgent decisions the audience is looking for help with on a daily basis. The longer form reports and digital-only thematic issues give a premium content view into those industry related topics of deep interest to the audience.

"Brand extensions like our Content Libraries, Thematic Digital Issues and Analyst Reports have gone significantly past our expectations for engagement, with more than 20,000 online registrants who have downloaded this content in the past 12 months across the brands," Siefert added. "This tells us we are delivering the sort of premium content that has made its way into the work flow of our audience, and we will be driving this strategy even further in the new calendar year."

VIRGO also announced details of its further investment into digital. The company has expanded its videography, program management, performance marketing and audience marketing departments to accommodate the growth in digital.

"The present and future is being driven by digital, and we embrace that," said Jon Benninger, vice president of VIRGOs Health & Nutrition Network. "Print still plays a role, but as one important piece of the big picture. By investing in people and resources aligned with this digital focus, we are positioned to best serve our industries, audience and clients."

To learn more, download the 2013 Food Product Design Marketing Guide or the 2013 Natural Products INSIDER Marketing Guide.