Top veterinary publications introduce new look, features in 2013

A project that started almost a year ago is finally coming to light. DVM Newsmagazine (which is changing its name to dvm360 in January), Veterinary Medicine, Veterinary Economics and Firstline are all welcoming the New Year with a fresh look and feel—and plenty of new resources for veterinarians.

“We always want to make sure we’re moving the needle with the content we create,” says Marnette Falley, content director for Advanstar’s veterinary group, which publishes these properties. “So we’re constantly asking ourselves what we can do to help veterinarians and their teams make their practices stronger and serve pet owners better.”

To find these solutions, Falley’s team conducted reader surveys, led a series of focus groups, solicited feedback from key opinion leaders and analyzed the publications’ current methods of content delivery to better understand what resources veterinarians really want.

Here are the key requests that came out of these sessions and drove the redesigns:

• Relevance. Veterinarians who provided feedback said they want straightforward solutions to the common medical, business and team issues they encounter in practice. To that end, the publications will feature even more practical, step-by-step instructions for putting ideas into action.

• Dialogue. The magazines will also present opportunities for readers to engage in dialogue with their colleagues and the teams that produce the publications. Veterinarians and their staffs (like all media consumers these days) are more interested in two-way communication than the didactic presentation of information.

• Technology. Print is no longer a static medium. With the use of QR codes, quick links to related Web content, and invitations to share via Twitter and other social media sites, readers can interact with printed content in ways never before possible.

• Efficiency. Out of respect for veterinarians’ busy schedules, material will be presented in the tightest, most efficient way possible. Veterinarians made it clear that they don’t want to compromise on the quality of their educational material—but they do want it to be easier to consume a piece at a time in the short snatches of time between appointments, over lunch or while the kids are in the bathtub.

One way that the publications will be addressing the need for even more practical resources is the introduction of a “toolkit” inserted into each issue of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinary Economics and Firstline magazines. The dvm360 Toolkit will focus on one wellness topic each month, such as dental care or nutrition, and provide veterinarians with medical and client-related materials to encourage preventive care and wellness. The kits will even include social media posts tailored to clients, saving veterinarians time by putting well-written client education resources at their fingertips every month.

In addition, the magazines will feature a more visually appealing layout, one that incorporates design elements that closely mirror digital properties of dvm360.com and the dvm360 iPad app. This new design will further reinforce the sense that all of the content platforms—print publications, website, mobile technology and social media channels—are intricately connected, providing a comprehensive package of video, audio and written content that encompasses all of the elements of veterinary medicine.

“We didn’t just pick a new color palette or change the typefaces in the magazines,” Falley says. “We thought about the whole market and how we could serve veterinarians and their teams better. That’s what we’re delivering. This redesign is the next generation of smarter information delivery for veterinarians.”