Custom Publishing Project.

Reed Science Group

Academic Sourcebook

Head of the Class

While some B2B companies may flinch at the idea of custom print launches, Reed Science Group embraced the platform while forcing competitors to rethink the medium's on-borrowed-time mindset. "I think the idea of writing off print as anachronistic is silly," says Sabrina Crow, group VP and managing director of Reed Science Group.

But what is far from silly is how the publishing company met its readers' and advertisers' demands with Academic Sourcebook: a glossy 76-page magazine reporting on the state of academic laboratories, funding forecasts for academia, top universities in the world, research leaders, spending profiles, enrollment trends, a career and salary survey, and reference information - basically a publication that lives up to its moniker as being a "source" for the academic community.

Reed sought to introduce a new product in the marketplace that would not only inform university researchers and scientists but also enable advertisers to reach those knowledge-thirsty academicians.

The Academic Sourcebook campaign ran in a series of science group magazines, Web sites, trade shows and in-person events such as the R&D 100 Awards in Chicago. Key was how the Science Group "sliced and diced" its controlled circulation by creating a database of its 11 other magazines to directly connect with its core audience and advertisers. "Whether you are large or small, when you listen to your ...