CHICAGO, Illinois (Sept. 6, 2011) – The Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council, a global executive affinity group controlling more than $200 billion in annual marketing spend worldwide, has announced a multi-channel, multi-format publishing initiative that will deliver an in-depth and engaging peer-driven quarterly print journal and digital formats for web, mobile, tablets, like the iPad, and mail delivery to members and subscribers worldwide. The first edition of PeerSphere , the official journal of the CMO Council, will be launched in the fourth quarter of 2011.

Making the announcement at the annual GRAPH EXPO show, the CMO Council said it would use cross-media content development and print customization technology from Quark and Ricoh to develop the print and digital publication, as well as create more localized versions that will increase audience relevance, interaction, and interest in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Latin America. With a database of more than 60,000 marketers and some 2,000 content syndication partners, the CMO Council plans to combine the power, pull, and punch of print and digital publishing to further its global knowledge transfer mandate.

PeerSphere will be a high-quality, 40-page print journal with a companion digital magazine aimed at computer, tablet, eReader, and smartphone users. This will leverage the CMO Council’s extensive content engine and archive of CMO interviews, contributed articles, regional views and perspectives, case studies, award submissions, and best practice insights, as well as facts and stats. It will primarily showcase insights, best practices, and commentary from CMO Council members, experts, and academics, reaching a highly qualified audience of senior client-side marketing executives who have corporate, division, product line, or geographic marketing responsibility.

“PeerSphere will include pithy, pointed, and thought-provoking content,” noted Donovan Neale-May, Executive Director of the CMO Council. “We will rely heavily on peer-based perspectives, profile stories, and best practices. We will seek to inspire, enlighten, and engage with global insights and innovations from a cross-cultural, cross-border marketing world.”

PeerSphere print production will be handled by Frederic Printing , a Consolidated Graphics company (NYSE:CGX), using the InfoPrint 5000 digital production print system from Ricoh. Design work will be handled by Eric Trujillo of Studio Trujillo on the QuarkXPress9 dynamic design platform from Quark. CMO Council members include marketing leaders in both BtoB and BtoC markets across all industry sectors. The 6,000 members control an estimated $300 billion in marketing spend annually and are located in more than 110 countries. They are heavily involved in marketing planning and procurement, marketing mix allocation, technology acquisition, media buying, talent development, resource recruitment, and agency selection. The digital version will be offered on a subscription basis to global marketers, as well as marketing associations, institutes, universities/business schools, training centers, libraries, agencies, consultants, and solution providers.

"PeerSphere is a compelling example of data-driven, multichannel communications in action, and we are thrilled to provide our Precision Marketing solutions and expertise to help make this a global success," said Sandra Zoratti, vice president of marketing, Ricoh Production Print Solutions (RPPS*). "The CMO Council is uniquely positioned to derive relevant, engaging and practical content to marketers because of their stance as the creator and leader of the worldwide CMO peer-to-peer community."

"We’re thrilled to be partnering with the CMO Council in the publishing of the refreshing and innovative PeerSphere global journal," said Gavin Drake, Vice President of Marketing for Quark. "Digital devices are transforming how information is consumed. Print alone is no longer sufficient and publishing to print and digital devices is challenging. QuarkXPress 9 enables organizations to meet this new cross media challenge head-on and we're delighted that the CMO Council has chosen QuarkXPress 9 for print and digital design and publishing. With QuarkXPress 9, the CMO Council will be able to deliver high-quality design and output for print and provide the engaging, interactive user experience their members will demand on digital devices, such as iPad."

The inaugural issue of the CMO Council’s PeerSphere Journal will feature:

• A cover story on “Geo-Political Turbulence and the Marketing Consequence” featuring interviews with Middle East marketing leaders


• A deep dive into MasterCard’s strategy and approach to maximizing the value and return of its $40 million sponsorship of the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand


• A wide-ranging interview with the president of Safeway’s marketing division covering agency relationship management, competitive challenges, and marketing complexities in the North American grocery business


• Prodile of RAK Ceramics, a $1 billion emerging market success story, growing largely in stealth mode, but poised to make a major global impact

Regular content and features will include:

• PunchLine—Opinion editorial from CMO Council executive director


• Guest Gab—Commentaries from subject matter experts and academics


• Get to Know a CMO—Q&A with global marketing leaders in both BtoB and BtoC markets


• Insights + Intelligence—Research, analytics, and trend data from information service providers, futurists, and social media monitoring firms


• Report Round-Up—Highlights from new CMO Council studies and thought leadership initiatives


• Localize to Globalize—Case studies and contributions from regional advisory board members


• Extracts + Abstracts—Content selections from new book releases, white papers, and strategic briefs provided by authors, consultants, and academics


• Situation Central—Lessons learned from CMOs facing real-world marketing issues, obstacles, crises, and brand recoveries


• Innovation from Automation—Where and how technology is impacting customer experience, engagement, acquisition, retention, revenue optimization, and marketing operation


• Hit + Miss—Winners and losers in new product introductions and line extensions in both BtoB and BtoC sectors


• Digital Discourse—Roundtable discussions, views, and opinions from members of the Digital Marketing Performance Institute


• TalentTalk—Performance management pointers and perspectives around how to achieve “more gain and less strain” in staff/agency relationships


• Campaign Corner—Spotlight on award-winning campaigns that integrate multi-channel components and evidence tangible business value creation

About the CMO Council
For more than a decade, the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council has been growing its Peer-Powered Global Affinity Network™ with membership now drawn from 110 countries and 1,500 cities worldwide. More than 6,000 senior marketers controlling more than $300 billion in aggregated annual marketing spend are actively engaged in global knowledge transfer with the CMO Council. Seven regional groups, each with a dedicated and influential advisory board, contribute to the CMO Council’s ever-expanding base of intellectual capital, conversation, content, and community. More than 60,000 marketers across all industries and titles are registered in the CMO Council database. Its rich and informative website attracts nearly 10,000 unique visitors per month and hosts more than 30,000 page views per month. Scores of CMO Council reports, studies, and thought leadership programs have highlighted, explored, and audited significant marketing issues, challenges, and complexities. CMO Council news, content, statistics, and insights are sourced by more than 2,000 media outlets, bloggers, and online groups, as well as associations representing marketers on a functional, geographical, and vertical industry level. In addition, the CMO Council operates strategic interest groups with dedicated microsites and communities. These include the:

• Customer Experience Board


• Marketing Supply Chain Institute


• Coalition to Leverage & Optimize Sales Effectiveness (CLOSE)


• Digital Marketing Performance Institute


• Advertising Effectiveness Center


• Loyalty Leaders Forum


• GeoBranding Center

About Ricoh Company, Ltd.
Ricoh Company, Ltd. is a Fortune Global 500 company specializing in technology and services that transform high volume, document intensive business processes into more efficient ones. This is achieved through Ricoh’s expertise in Managed Document Services, Production Printing, Office Solutions and IT Services. By working with Ricoh, businesses can streamline the way they work, become more efficient and profitable, and share knowledge more effectively within their organizations. With a global workforce of more than 100,000, Ricoh operates in Europe, the Americas, Asia Pacific, China and Japan. Ricoh’s worldwide sales were ¥1,942 billion (approx US$23.4 billion) in the year ended March 31, 2011.

About Quark
Quark Software Inc. (www.quark.com) is a leading provider of publishing software for professional designers, small and mid-sized businesses, and large organizations in more than 160 countries. Two decades ago, Quark’s flagship product — QuarkXPress — changed the course of traditional publishing. For more than 25 years, Quark has built on its knowledge and experience in design and publishing to provide software solutions that support collaborative workflows and automated publishing across multiple channels. Today, Quark is revolutionizing publishing again by setting new standards in XML-based publishing across print, the Web, and digital media, as well as by helping owners and employees of small and mid-sized businesses promote their products and services easily, professionally, and affordably. Denver-based Quark Inc. is privately held.

*Ricoh Production Print Solutions (RPPS) is a strategic business unit within the Ricoh Family Group of Companies which includes InfoPrint Solutions Company and other Ricoh production print organizations.

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