MediaLife: Downward Trail of Tears for Trades

Ad pages for business-to-business publication fell 30% from 2000 to 2003, according to the Business Information Network. The B2B sector initially adopted the web as a companion much faster than their consumer conterparts who have seen "only" a 21% drop in ad pages for the same period, according to the Publishers Information Bureau. And this year to date, B2B lost another 5% in ad pages compared to consumer books gaining 3%.

Media consolidation, changing media consumption habits, and a cooling economic climate have all played a role in the decline of B2B magazines. Many think levels will not return to 2000 levels until 2007 if at all. And why would they? It's all on the Web. B2B publishers tend to put far more of their printed counterpart's content on their web sites than consumer publisher do. So who needs to wait for the printed version to arrive when you can jump on the Web?