NEW YORK ? With more consumers reaching for their handsets for daily news, publishers face a problem when developing mobile initiatives that reach a broad range of users.

However, an executive from the New York Times said that HTML5 might be the saving grace for an industry that has struggled with fragmentation. Additionally, ?The always on consumer drives innovation at The Times,? panel at OMMA Global presented opportunities for publishers and how readers? expectation for high quality content has not changed with technology developments.

?It?s hard to believe, but as of April 2010, we didn?t have a mobile team,? said Denise Warren, senior vice president and chief advertising officer at the New York Times Media Group, New York.

?We?ve learned that developing applications is not like developing for the Web,? she said.

Follow suit
According to Ms. Warren, one of the biggest challenges for publishers is knowing which mobile platforms to invest in.

?Bets have risks and we still have a lot to learn,? Ms. Warren said. ?Our goal is to eventually launch an app that enhances our content."

?We have to break down the silos between online and print,? she said.

In particular, The New York Times has had difficulty transitioning its content onto mobile devices where consumers access pools of data and information.

?Readers still expect value from us that is timely and accessible, which is our challenge,? Ms. Warren said.

Unlike a majority of publications, the executive said that the New York Times has insight into who its readers are because of the required registration needed to read an article.

The publisher has also found that its mobile platforms work as a multiple-screen experience for users.

Ms. Warren presenting at OMMA Global

Eighty percent of New York Times readers? who view the content on an iPad read the publication on two platforms.

Additionally, more than half of mobile readers juggle reading content on two or more platforms.

Snack attack
According to a recent study The New York Times commissioned, the majority of consumers are using their mobile devices to read little nuggets of information while they are on the go.

The majority of mobile content read is utilitarian and focuses on fact-driven articles.

The publisher offers three digital subscription models that all involve mobile.

Consumers can bundle unlimited desktop access to either a smartphone or tablet app.

A third subscription model gives consumers access to the publication?s three digital platforms via The New York Times Web site, smartphone app or tablet app.

As of the second quarter of 2011, The New York Times has generated 1 million digital subscriptions.

?More than anything else, users value content,? Ms. Warren said.

The publisher has put a massive emphasis on getting to understand how its readers are interacting with digital content.
 
?Digital tools give us sophistication, but nothing substitutes physical interaction with readers,? Mr. Warren said.

?Only then can we get behind what our customers do and why they do it,? she said.

Final Take
Denise Warren, senior vice president and chief advertising officer at the New York Times Media Group, New York