The Los Angeles Dodgers outsourced the printing and production of the team's Dodgers magazine to httprint Inc.
In the three-year deal, httprint will handle design, production, promotion and distribution of the team's official publication. This signifies the Dodgers' intention to garner more revenue and loyalty from supporters as it shortens production cycles for the title.
“They're a baseball team, first and foremost,” said Mark Porter, CEO of httprint, San Francisco. “They have a certain amount of expertise inhouse, but this is what we do for a living.”
Under httprint, the magazine will aim to serve many purposes. Content will seek to drive traffic to the Web site at www.dodgers.com. Here, fans will be asked to participate in promotions for freebies and giveaways at games. There also will be more merchandising efforts to sell Dodgers-related premiums. In another change, the book will include the game scorecard, which earlier was sold separately.
Expected frequency of the magazine this year is about four issues. It could rise to six or eight a year if reader and advertiser response is positive. In yet another change, Dodgers will cost $4 per issue. Last year it was $3.
The title is distributed to attendees at Dodger Stadium and holders of season tickets for the stadium's skyboxes.
About 25,000 copies will be distributed April 2, when the Dodgers open the season against the San Francisco Giants. This opening 84-page issue will have 36 pages of advertising.
Httprint, which also handles house publications for DirecTV and British football team Leeds United, will get a fee and a share of the Dodgers magazine revenue.
