Cygnus to Outsource Fulfillment

Trade publisher says audience development management will not be affected.

By Jason Fell
Thursday, December 17, 2009

Cygnus Business Media has started a process to phase out its fulfillment, or order entry operations, and outsource those duties to database marketing firm Omeda Communications.

As a result, 18 full- and part-time fulfillment positions based in Cygnus’ Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin headquarters will be gradually eliminated between January and the end of July. The outsourcing will not impact the publisher’s audience development managers, a company spokesperson said.

“This was a strategic decision,” said the spokesperson. “In b-to-b publishing, we have to be able to understand our audiences as intimately as possible. We will take our data and utilize Omeda’s technology to better compete in the marketplace.”

A number of magazine publishers—including Taunton Press and IDG—have recently outsourced all or portions of their circulation operations.