In an era when society is becoming increasingly green-conscious, audience developers and marketers are contending with devastating statistics-like the Sierra Club's estimation that magazines account for the loss of 35 million trees a year-that can make it harder to maintain and acquire new readers, especially in print. Some audience developers, though, are getting help from digital editions-an eco-friendly alternative to paper that is not only more friendly to the environment but also an audience marketing boost.

Penton Media's Natural Foods Merchandiser puts a "Digital Delivery: Eco-Friendly, Always on Time" logo on every marketing email, demo piece and e-newsletter it sends out, according to circulation manager Jim Ziegler. He says the magazine's digital edition has helped the title's audience grow, presenting a viable option for environmentally-conscious readers who don't want a print subscription.

"Offering this alternative against the print issue is very important to them," Ziegler says. "We had to do this and wanted to as well."

A digital edition was also essential to National Geographic's Green Guide when it transitioned from newsletter to full-scale magazine recently. "For our kind of magazine, digital will play an important role," founder and publisher Wendy Gordon said before the magazine launched. "Our subscribers feel a responsibility to the planet."

Organic Style, a quarterly magazine that was published in print by Rodale from 2001 to 2005-was "reborn" thanks to Texterity-powered digital technology. It relaunched in an online-only, digital edition format in February, "heralding a green era in digital media," the magazine touted at the time. "Digital publishing fits with Organic Style's philosophy of environmentally-responsible commerce," the title stated.

"By providing a green alternative to print, we show that we value what is important to [readers]," says Ziegler. "A digital edition demonstrates that they-and we-are serious about conserving resources."