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The control of costs had been its greatest strength. But it was now the greatest weakness. The company had spent so many years trying to reduce expenses that this imperative was hardwired into its practices, processes, and organizational design. When executives tried to shift gears, to expand into new markets and introduce new products, those old ways of doing business also had to change.

Meanwhile, consumers were growing increasingly sophisticated. They wanted more information about Amberville’s products. So did institutional customers, such as schools and restaurant chains. Some Amberville marketers saw the opportunity to build Web sites and use other online channels to connect directly with consumers. But these efforts faltered amid the sheer complexity of multiple product categories. And their failure led many people in the company to conclude that even the business units that were closest to Amberville customers had lost their market focus and speed.

ut, Weiss said, “We’re hoping to catch up and replace [About] in as many categories as we can.” He also said Quamut offers publishers opportunities to revive backlist titles through licensing deals. The company has purchased content from Globe Pequot on fly fishing and from TFH Publications on pet care.

About, said its writers are “journalists and professionals.” The company trusts its writers to post content before it is reviewed by About’s editorial staff. Health information is the exception; a medical review board examines content before it is published. But everything else is created on a “publish-first model,” said Daecher, with writers “fact-checking themselves.”

Christopher Reggio, book publisher at TFH, said Quamut initiated the licensing deal. TFH created some content exclusively for Quamut, while other material came from its existing titles. It has already supplied Quamut with 50 articles and is in the process of providing 50 more. Now that the site has officially launched, Reggio is hoping that links to other TFH books for sale at BN.com will result in book sales. Weiss expects Quamut to drive traffic to BN.com and to boost book sales.