They also serve as an internal promotional tool

 companies that pursue custom publishing strategies currently avoid the hassle and expense of adding staff by outsourcing production of their publications. our free bimonthly e-newsletter and get a free special report: "Using Buzz To Create a Groundswell For Your Business. Recent studies by the Custom Publishing Council and Publications Management show leading U. And placing a company's message and brand before the target audience should always be the goal of any custom publication as questions about the concept's legitimacy continue to wane.

They also serve as an internal promotional tool.Once considered the stepchild of the publishing industry, custom publishing now claims a legitimate slice of the B-to-B MarCom pie. A major software developer, for example, developed a sponsored supplement (or "advertorial") featuring articles about data management challenges faced by hospitals as a means of raising its profile with an important marketplace.Whatever the goal, launching a custom publication as part of a B-to-B marketing campaign needs to be handled within the context of a medium and long-term strategy in support of overall business objectives.

These publications let suppliers know what's going on with the company's business and make employees aware of changes in human resources policies. Hodge specializes in strategic public relations and marketing communications for businesses, entrepreneurs and professional associations. But that may be changing, given bottom-line pressures.Chris Scott heads Hodge Media Group, the custom publishing arm of Hodge Communications, manual valve actuator Suppliers Inc. The 32-page advertorial, which also contained house ads for the company's new data processing software, was inserted into a magazine read by major hospital data managers nationwide.