You’re right, your example isn’t an example of cross-media bundling (the contents of the site are available even if you don’t buy the book). But, it is a good example of how cross-media distribution assists in sales. By providing multiple points of entry (touch points?), consumers can find out about it in the medium or space they reside in most. As you know, one cannot reach everyone in one medium anymore.

It could be an example of cross-media bundling if they provided a pdf version of their book too. At present, the blog is a great way to draw people into their brand or property and hopefully buy the book (I’ve got it and love it); it also acts as a way for people who don’t have the book to get some of their insights; and for those that do have the book: it continues their investigations beyond the page.

A similar example, out of probably countless many, is the viral effect of blogs on book sales – I remember coming across Freakonomics initially through its blog, which is still diligently maintained by its authors, Levitt and Dubner. I’m sure the online publishing format would have helped contribute to offline retail sales of Freakonomics.

I’m not sure if my example counts as ‘cross-media bundling’, but it shows that different media formats can enhance seemingly competitive forms of distribution.