Hearst has incubated a startup to prove that multichannel publishing can be both cost-effective and profitable.

LMK, which stands for "Let Me Know" is "a startup within a large enterprise," says Christina Bender, senior director of product and project management at LMK.com. The division is fast, nimble, and taking a unique approach to the app environment. Instead of trying to figure out how to make apps for Hearst's brands, the group has figured out how to develop apps in a scalable and cost-effective manner.

From idea to app in 60 minutes

The company has developed a means of creating iPhone/iPad apps, Android apps and Facebook apps via its content management system, Drupal. Bender described how one LMK team member, using a collection of RSS feeds, could create an LMK app on all three environments in under an hour. With apps for Alex Rodriguez and Lady Gaga, LMK needs to be able to create apps quickly and easily to execute their "long tail" app strategy. These apps are priced at $0.99 to $1.99 and are very niche. So, the time and financial investment need to be kept low.

Full Story: Hearst's LMK uses Drupal to create Facebook, iPhone and Android apps