Goal For The Green

When it comes to saving money and the environment, I jump at the chance to champion a cause I believe in. The thing I like about this program, is you are saving storage space and cutting down on clutter around the house. You are saving time by not having to recycle, and most importantly you are saving trees and helping the environment. I think this is a win-win answer for anyone’s reading pleasure.

New York, November 5, 2008—It’s an important time to think GREEN. As in money. While environmental sustainability is always at the forefront of the world’s consciousness, the green we’re talking about also extends to the stuff in your wallet. With a looming recession and extreme stock market volatility, now is the time to keep an eye on every discretionary dollar.

That’s why Zinio has developed a program that helps consumers SAVE green—by READING green. In a time when the whole world is pinching pennies, Zinio invites the public to get something for nothing: a free one-year subscription to a magazine of their choice. “There is no better way to demonstrate Zinio’s commitment to preserving the high quality editorial we all love and rely on than through The Read Green Initiative,” Said Rich Maggiotto, Zinio’s President and CEO. “The entire world is experiencing a time of great change. The economy is pushing us to create new and innovative ways to enjoy things we love the most, like our favorite magazines.”

Zinio’s digital effort, The Read Green Initiative™, is the largest magazine subscription sampling program in history. They have partnered with publishers to provide over 50 million FREE one-year subscriptions digitally to any one of a number of popular titles, including US News and World Report, Readers’ Digest, Parenting, Saveur, Men’s Journal and more. All interested readers need to do is visit the website at GoReadGreen and enter their email address to start enjoying the digital magazines delivered directly to their computer each week or month. This paperless initiative is being selected by many companies’ Corporate Responsibility Executives as well to provide cost-effective alternatives to traditional Holiday gifts for clients. The program has many benefits for all parties involved.

This program is designed to increase the consumer awareness and use of digital reading alternatives. Many of the world’s most prominent magazine publishers, including Bonnier and Greenspun Media, have teamed up with Zinio to offer up to 50 million free annual subscriptions to the digital versions of over 200 publications through The Read Green Initiative™ website: GoReadGreen.com. Free magazine subscriptions are limited to one free subscription per person.

The Read Green Initiative™ was inspired by a growing number of efforts pioneered by leaders in the publishing industry to improve the environmental performance of magazines. These include increasing the recycling of magazines, improving newsstand efficiency, and using more environmentally friendly paper. 12 billion magazines are published in the U.S. annually. That’s A LOT of paper! The Read Green Initiative is offering millions of people FREE access to an alternative and eco-friendly way to enjoy their favorite magazines, books and other publications online. Just think of all the trees that will be saved!

“It is our hope that The Read Green Initiative™ will be successful in creating an enjoyable, interactive digital reading experience that can further enhance the environmental successes we’ve already seen,” said Rich Maggiotto, president and CEO of Zinio.com. “Our research has shown that one of the main reasons consumers enjoy reading digital magazines is because they feel like they are doing something good for the environment. The Read Green Initiative™ will support and embrace this consumer interest as well as introduce the public to a medium that responds to their needs, without affecting the bottom line.”

Publisher participants in The Read Green Initiative™ include representatives from many of the largest publishing houses in the nation. A limited number of the publishers’ magazines will be available on GoReadGreen at no cost. Visitors can also buy a subscription to these digital titles and more on The Read Green Initiative™ site. A portion of the proceeds for all sales made will be redeemed in exchange for eco-unit credits that will contribute to the greening of school and university campuses, through the planting of trees, to commemorate Earth Day 2009. The full suite of Zinio publications will still be available for sale at Zinio.com.

“As a magazine industry leader, it’s incredibly important for us to stay on the crest of change; that means providing our readers with the opportunity to receive our content in new and innovative ways,” said Beatrice Hanks, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Black Enterprise. “The industry is undeniably evolving, and the digital medium has opened a massive outlet for Black Enterprise to increase our audience exponentially in a way that is environmentally responsible. This is why we enthusiastically back The Read Green Initiative.™ Offering our publication in a digital format exposes us to a global audience with a paper-like reading experience, but provides all the eco-friendly advantages of going paperless. For us it’s clearly a win-win.”

“The Read Green Initiative™ is a thrilling new project. We are constantly seeking innovative ways to reach a wider audience. Our publications lead the pack in regional news and features for the Annapolis area, but through Zinio and an outlet like The Read Green Initiative™ we can continue to extend our growth potential beyond city limits, even beyond country limits,” added Veronica Tovey, publisher of What’s Up magazine. “Now if someone in Japan wants to learn about Annapolis, he or she can— instantly. The implications of an endeavor like this are tremendous.”

In addition to the commitment from publishers, The Read Green Initiative™ has also received support from a number of leading corporations and personalities. Supporting companies include Dell, The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, and PlasticLogic. Notable industry supporters include Jennie Saunders, founder and CEO of CORE: club, and Stan Rapp, founder of the Rapp agency, current Chairman, Engauge, and noted author. Supporter statements from these backers will appear on The Read Green Initiative™ website during the duration of the project.