It's official: The Industry Standard is coming back
During the session at the Future of Business Media Conference on technology business media, Bob Carrigan, president of IDG Communications confirmed that the organization is bringing back The Industry Standard. The details are that a group of InfoWorld folks are developing social media platform to do predictions of what's going to happen in the market and using the brand that has a lot of history. There's a parallel effort now to build in advertising and promotion, and IDG is looking to hire an editor. In essence, it's being brought back mainly in blog form, emulating the GigaOm and TechCrunch models.
I found it somewhat ironic considering other blog posts I read today on the topic of the Web 2.0 bubble. Of all of the publications that celebrated the last bubble, The Industry Standard probably was the most raucous -- the rooftop parties, the 300+ pages of ads, etc. So is this another landmark on the road towards another bubble?
Carrigan made it a point to say that it isn't. The "announcement" came during a panel that talked a lot about how the winning formula for tech media going forward is going to be about giving the audience a great experience at the intersection of community and content, with bloggers playing a big role.
Others on the panel included Neil Ashe, CEO of CNET; Om Malik; and Greg Strakosch, CEO of TechTarget. Each discussed what it is doing to expand its audience, with community being a very important aspect. Approaches vary, but the consensus was that a community-driven approach with content that gives the tech audience much of what they need to make purchasing decisions is the model that makes the most sense going forward.
Om Malik described GigaOm as an adjunct to the traditional properties like the IDG books and CNET. As he says:
They do one form of media, we do something more in tune with today's time. Many people want information quickly in a fast food fashion. We do that. The others provide the entrees and last I checked, the fast food industry is doing well. And so are establishments that serve great entrees.
The point he's making is that there's still room for blog-based outlets alongside traditional ones, as long as the content is good, and the bloggers behind the sites are effective in connecting with its audience and facilitating conversation. Does that mean that there's room for the Industry Standard, especially in an environment that challenges everyone's attention? Perhaps, but we'll have to wait to see if it's content and community offer something not already available.
