By this point we do expect the news to be challenging. But even from the sidelines, the carnage gives me pause. I spent more than 15 years as a magazine editor before heading online and turning to branded content at iCrossing, the digital ad agency whose owner, Hearst, claims many of the country's biggest titles. Only recently have I had enough distance to notice that I can't recall any detailed, specific discussions with my colleagues about audience data.

That's odd, given that magazines must be about the purest type of branded content on the market. Cars, banks, fashion labels -- these brands can build their identity through the branded content they publish online or post in social media. But a magazine isn't a car. Its brand identity is its content. These aren't discrete concepts supporting each other. They're indivisible.

Lees verder op adage.com.