Will you gaze into the future with me a minute? With the myriad of opportunities technology has afforded publishers, do you wonder where else it could go? I found this fascinating video from IDEO - a global design consultancy ranked one of the most innovative companies in the world by the Boston Consulting Group (IDEO also worked with Zinio back in 2001).

The video, entitled The Future of the Book is a "design exploration of digital reading" which tours three product prototypes (named Nelson, Coupland and Alice) which re-imagine the digital book. The video originally created in 2010, could mean the future is not too far away. The idea won a number of awards and the technology could equally be applied to magazines.

3. ALICE (TOP PICK) - explores how we might experience written narratives in new and engaging ways. An interactive reading experience, where readers engage in the the storytelling process. The story unfolds and develops as the reader participates- unlocking back stories on characters and providing different perspectives of the narrative with plot twists as well as hidden chapters. Alice can use geographic data to build on storytelling and readers can even communicate with characters via SMS - which could be huge for a teen market.

If you've just watched the video, you'll see the potential opportunities for publishers, advertisers and audiences - particularly extending reader engagement and gamification of content.
The burning question is - are we there yet?

Images and video via IDEO.com

They tell me print is dead...so begins this inspirational ode to print publishing.
Produced by InkGlobal and written and produced by The Garden Studios.

***Update: 6 March 2013 this project has now been suspended by News Limited. ***

A South-East Queensland pilot, five year contracts and super territories of 10,000 newspapers per day featured in today's announcement from New Australia. In the long awaited announcement, News reconfirmed their commitment to print and a collaborative, phased approach though the pilot which will see 56 territories merge to 3 with sub-agent rights also transferred to new territory incumbents. 

Key Features of the new model as outlined by News Australia;

1. Separating distribution and retail
2. New consolidated territories
3. New remuneration structure for distribution
4. Bringing subscriber administration in-house
5. Standard retail commission continuing at 12.5% seven days per week
   

For News Limited's full FAQ document outlining the changes in more detail click here.

Journalism has always been about storytelling and I've noticed a move by some newspapers and magazines toward slick, movie trailer productions to sell their brand. Two great examples from Esquire and The Guardian (below) are a departure from traditional magazine and newspaper marketing and that's what makes them exciting. Notwithstanding the high production costs that come with ads of this calibre, both campaigns successfully bring the brands to life, create an emotional response and leave you wanting more.

Esquire Aug 2012 - Featuring fast cars, beautiful women (Ashley Greene) and a protagonist who echoes James Bond (Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker). The production is slick, fast and loud and alludes to the exciting life you'll lead with Esquire - including Jujitsu moves, well-cut suits and duffle bags stuffed with money. There's even a token bad-guy.

The Guardian, Three Little Pigs - Released early 2012 to critical acclaim, The Guardian re-imagines the story of the Three Little Pigs and how they might cover the story both in print and online. With over 1 million views and running just over 2 minutes, this piece captures the viewer from beginning to end and changes your viewpoint several times throughout. Do you know how the story ends?

The Guardian's Chief Marketing Officer, Daivd Pemsel said of the open journalism campaign "We have seen heightened interest and engagement on all of our platforms - page views, interactions and comments, video views, subscriptions and sales of the newspaper have all increased."

View the ad-free version below.

Could this be the next threat to newspapers? Wavii promises instant news feeds from any topic, has a similar feel to Facebook. It's the latest news aggregator to launch and it's getting plenty attention from investors.