About:
Informa is a professional information provider, with a focus on academic and professional publishing, and informational events. Informa has 150 offices in 40 countries.
To achieve its goal of being “the world’s best knowledge provider," Informa develops corporate subscriptions, mainly for digital services, seeking growth via geographic expansion and events. Almost three quarters of its publishing revenues come from digital services.
Informa is defined by research-based, proprietary information for an expert audience. Informa publishes over 2,500 subscription products and services. delivered electronically and in hardcopy, and 45,000 books.
Informa includes well known academic brands such as Taylor & Francis.
This ranking accounts for the Academic and Scientific and the Professional division, but not the Commercial division, which mainly organizes events.
Key company developments in 2011 & 1st half year 2012
Financial:
In 2011, Informa recorded robust academic division growth that surpassed initial expectations, following a strong year-end that included a large content deal in Russia.
Academic represents 25% of the Group’s revenue and 35% of the adjusted operating profit. The Professional and Commercial Information (“PCI”) division, which includes Informa Business Information (IBI) and Informa Financial Information (IFI), has also grown due to earlier investment. The publishing businesses now represent 54% of Group revenues and 69% of adjusted operating profits. The majority of the PCI division’s income is derived from high-value subscription income.
Events and Training, which encompasses a wide range of products, from large exhibitions to small training courses, is growing organically and has benefited from successful acquisitions in 2011.
Informa's subscription revenues have increased to 36% of Group revenues and 67% of publishing revenues.
In 2011, 74% of all publishing revenues were derived from digital activities.
The significant drop in publishing revenues after 2008 includes a restructuring of the group and its reporting.
Ownership, mergers & acquisition, internal organization:
Informa experienced a broad academic journal renewal in 2011.
International:
Informa's academic products have found success in Russia, and the Com series has grown in Africa.
In 2011, Informa spent over 68 million GBP in Brazil to transform its events business as part of a broad expansion plan of "geo-cloning," which covers 20% of the larger events.
Digital:
In 2011, 74% of all publishing revenues were derived from digital activities.
E-book sales have grown by 11%, now representing 12% of academic book sales. E-book delivery, as well as the increasing use of print on demand services and online marketing of back catalogues, has been a significant driver in improving the quality of the books business.
In 2012, Taylor & Francis Online will facilitate the sale of the ever increasing number of e-books, which now exceeds 38,000. Print on demand now plays a significant role.
Bestselling authors & titles:
n/a
Key points for analysis & conclusions:
In recent years, Informa saw continuous growth in revenues and profits, with a strategic shift toward renewable print subscriptions as digital accounts for three quarters of its revenues.
International expansion, particualrly with academic content in Russia and the “geo cloning” of events, reflect the company's strategic outlook.
Earlier developments:
Recent organizational change: In early 2009, financial analysts acknowledged growing concern about Informa’s debt, which had accumulated to 1.34 billion GBP, cutting its final dividend. In May, Informa announced the move of its tax domicile from the UK to Switzerland to escape “double taxation.” The company also announced plans to reduce its debt below 900 million GBP by the end of 2009.
“On 30 June 2009, pursuant to a Scheme of Arrangement (the Scheme) under Part 26 of the Companies Act 2006, Informa plc (Informa), a public company limited by shares, incorporated in Jersey with number 102786 and domiciled in Switzerland, became the new parent holding company of the Informa group” (Annual report ).
The Group introduced five newly identified reportable divisions in 2009: Academic Information (AI), which includes the Taylor & Francis publishing business and provides a portfolio of online and print publications for academic users across the science and technology spectrum; Humanities and Social Sciences; and Professional and Commercial Information (PCI). This division, which includes Datamonitor, Informa Business Information, and Informa Financial Information, provides information across a range of formats on a global basis to a variety of sectors: Medical, Pharmaceutical, Financial, Law, Commerce, Commodities, Maritime and Telecoms.
Informa called 2009 “an extremely demanding year,” with revenues declining on an organic basis by 14%.
Note: Figures are based on sales generated in calendar 2011 or—for corporations with a fiscal year—from fiscal 2011. Data are from publicly available sources and include sales of books, journals, and digital products. Because publishing data were unavailable, Pannini and Disney/Hyperion are excluded from the rankings. The listing and publisher profiles were compiled by international publishing consultant Rudiger Wischenbart under the aegis of Livres Hebdo.
