The consumption of news and information is shifting more and more to mobile devices. It is paramount for newspapers and the media to rethink how content is distributed, accessed and consumed.
To keep a loyal audience and gain new customers, publishers seek ways to distribute their content in a more flexible, faster, and more appealing way while keeping production costs efficient. To support this digital shift, iApps has launched p4p™ RED. This intelligent and intuitive publishing solution enables a seamless transformation and enhancement of content into multimedia and premium digital editions. As a result, the audience receives an appealing and superior experience.
With p4p™ RED, print editions are converted and streamed almost automatically to digital. They can be easily edited and enriched with photos and videos, and intelligent automation significantly reduces time and costs. We have developed p4p™ RED in close collaboration with our customers, such as Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (F.A.Z.), Stuttgarter Zeitung and DIE ZEIT.
Currently, iApps is implementing p4p™ RED with other large publishing houses, and in June this year, we will launch a fully automated version of p4p™ RED.
Example 1 - Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
DESCRIPTION
The F.A.Z. relies on p4p™ PUBLISH and p4p™ RED to publish their digital editions. Additionally, they use p4p™ ANALYTICS to evaluate and improve conversions in the apps and web portals.
In its pioneering role in the German market, the F.A.Z. has been using different products to create its digital multimedia edition. p4p™ RED was connected to the online CMS Polopoly, Hermes’s print production system, and the media assets management system. The project team created custom-fit templates for content, optimized click paths and included editorial approval processes. As a result, content updates can easily be integrated into finished articles.
All digital editions can be edited and enriched with multimedia content such as photos and videos. Since the system uses intelligent automation, it considerably reduces time and costs for content management.
„We chose iApps for the implementation because we already knew from our previous collaboration that iApps is an uncomplicated, motivated and fast partner“, says Nico Wilfer, deputy CDO Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. „It only took six months to complete the project, and during this time, the F.A.Z. teams and iApps worked in an agile and cross-functional way. The result is a very good, reliable and stable system.“
You can download the iOS application of the FAZ Kiosk here, and the Android version here.
The final distribution to end devices is also automated and can be combined with individual push notifications. The publishing solution independently optimizes the content for various display formats within mobile and desktop applications. The high adaptability of the solution also allows connection to existing systems, thus improving publishing efficiency.
iPad (vertical view)
iPhone Portrait (vertical view)
Desktop View (Safari)
Example 2 - Die Zeit
DESCRIPTION
Since 2011, DIE ZEIT has been working with iApps Technologies to publish e-papers for iOS, Android, Windows, Kindle and the web. DIE ZEIT uses p4p™ PUBLISH as well as p4p™ ANALYTICS.
DIE ZEIT also integrated our p4p™ AUDIO, allowing readers to consume audio content based on a high-quality text-to-speech module.
Since 2021, p4p™ RED has provided the technical platform for the new award-winning app of the German newspaper. DIE ZEIT already had an app for its digital readers, but the underlying production systems and the usability of the apps no longer corresponded to the current state of the art.
The previous ZEIT app was based on a content management system that was not sufficiently specialized for app publishing, requiring the publisher to make numerous adjustments in various systems when streaming content. In close cooperation, iApps and DIE ZEiT integrated and adapted p4p™ RED to the publisher’s needs, taking the requirements for layout and navigation and the demands on the flexibility of the CMS into account.
THE SUCCESS SPEAKS FOR ITSELF
The new app won the prestigious Red Dot „Brands & Communication Design“ Award 2021, and Android users rate the app with 4.6 stars in the Playstore. And not only the design and the user experience convey its success, but also the numbers: With the new app, DIE ZEIT increased its traffic by 20% and saved resources by automating internal processes.
“For us, the decision for p4p Red was also a decision for a specialized system in app publishing. We were dealing with particular and demanding requirements from the editorial side, which could only be met with a customized system – based on extensive experience and proven components.”
Thorsten Pannen, Director Product Development at ZEIT ONLINE
You can download the iOS application of DIE ZEIT here and the Android version here.
iPhone Screenshots
iPad Screenshots
Example 3 - Stuttgarter Zeitung
DESCRIPTION
SWMH is the 2nd largest newspaper publisher in Germany. For SWMH, iApps has developed and managed the publishing of e-paper titles such as Süddeutsche Zeitung und Stuttgarter Zeitung, using p4p™ PUBLISH for iOS, Android and web.
Although a digital edition of Stuttgarter Zeitung had been available for a long time, inefficient structures hindered a seamless workflow, costing a lot of time and money.
iApps worked closely with the Department for Digital Product Management of Media Holding Company Süd Digital (MHS Digital), and involved all relevant departments. The objective was to create a product that maps, optimizes and facilitates internal workflows and adds value for the readers.
The project team connected p4p™ RED to existing systems, created complex article templates, and extended the XML export for automatic filling. To simplify the production of regional editions, the team defined reusable widgets for various article types, allowing for easy integration of local content within the app.
What are the results? After the launch, 50% of the readers switched to the modern view. Also, the Playstore rating for the Android app has increased from 3 to 4.1 stars, continuing with an upward trend. And by using p4p™ RED, the STZ saves around three and a half hours per day when producing the digital edition.
„For us, the implementation of p4p™ RED is a milestone that helps us to make our digital offering more attractive for user groups with a high affinity for print“, says Alexander Kratzer, Managing Director of MHS Digital GmbH.
You can download the iOS application of Stuttgarter Zeitung here and the Android version here.
The paper can be read in classic or modern view
