‘Golf Digest’ App Shows Publishers How to Bundle Content for a Digital Era
Imagine, for a moment, that you are Golf Digest magazine. You have been publishing golfing instruction month after month for 62 years. Some of that advice has, of course, been regurgitated now and again, while a wealth of original instruction has been divided among individual issues moldering in the basements of some long-running subscribers, likely never to be rediscovered. How, with the many new opportunities that digital technology now affords, do you repurpose that great archive to make it more useful and accessible for your readers? One smart solution is to combine the technology that powers the most popular mobile app for golf, Golf Logix, with your own content. Golf Digest Live, which is available through the GolfLogix app, helps users navigate courses, and tracks and analyzes their game performance — think of it as Nike+ for golf. The app then serves up a personalized magazine made up of tips and video drills from Golf Digest designed to address weaknesses players exhibited during their last game. That advice, which can be read on your tablet or computer as well as your smartphone, comes directly from the many acclaimed instructors and players Golf Digest has worked with over the years. The idea, as Lou Riccio, a statistics professor at Columbia University, says in the video above, is to “produce a magazine not on a monthly basis for the masses, but for you specifically after every round.” Beyond personalized, post-game instruction, the app also serves up some welcome content in-game. Some, like the audio library of golf jokes, is pure fun. But there’s also warm-up drills, tips and videos players can pull up to help address an issue they’re having mid-game, like how to hit from an uphill or downhill lie. Access to Golf Digest Live costs $19.99 per year with a free, 30-day trial. It’s available for more than 60 smartphone models, including iPhone 3G and up, as well as many Android and BlackBerry devices. With newsstand sales suffering from heavy declines, coupled with the growing popularity of content discovery and aggregation apps like Twitter, Flipboard and Instapaper, it may be time for magazine publishers to rethink the way they’re bundling content. This is a start. Golf Digest Live The main menu. Analyze your latest round, and access warm-ups, drills and video lessons designed to guide you through range practice. Access quick video tutorials during practice. The app also offers up content designed to be consumed mid-course. Some of it, like jokes and inspiration, is meant to be fun; other parts are more useful. The app also offers up content designed to be consumed mid-course. Having a panic moment? The app displays advice designed to refocus your game. The app uses GPS to help players navigate courses. Access your stats after every round. An example of post-round advice. An example of post-round advice. Read more: http://mashable.com/2012/08/16/golf-digest-live-app/