Archive for the ‘people and culture’ Category
Top tips for teamwork under pressure
Sunday, March 20th, 2011This weekend I crewed in a yacht race in the Solent, invited by some of the people featuring in the pics on this website, and it taught me some valuable lessons about teamwork under pressure that can be applied to many business situations. I knew half the crew quite well, having sailed on a range of boats with them, but the others were complete strangers before meeting up on the Friday night. By the end of the weekend we had achieved a creditable third place in the regatta on a 40-foot yacht none of us had sailed before. Yacht racing involves mastering complex maneouvres with heavy loads, highly variable winds and tides, plus the actions of competing boats, all under time pressure, and with the added stress of a hefty damage deposit in event of a collision. We made many mistakes, but there were a few factors that helped us, and these are the ones that I believe can be applied to any team working under pressure: (more…)
Tags: clear roles, decision making, dry runs, managing setbacks, observation, specialist media show, teamwork, yacht racing
Posted in events, implementation, people and culture
How editors can contribute to commercial success
Sunday, October 24th, 2010As commercial pressures increase on media businesses, editors are being urged to get more involved in supporting ad teams. This can be fraught with difficulties. Many “old school” editors struggle to fully understand and work within commercial constraints. As advertisers increasingly seek ways to get more involved in editorial content there is a risk they will subtly influence editorial content to suit their own marketing objectives, to the detriment of providing independent advice to readers. However, my experience of working in more specialist consumer and b2b markets shows that a commercially-minded editor with a strong specialist knowledge can dramatically improve the success of a media business across print, digital and events: (more…)
Tags: commercial partnerships, editorial integrity, editors, industry expertise, specialist media, Specialist Media Network
Posted in b2b, consumer, content, people and culture
Why specialist titles thrive with independent publishers
Saturday, August 21st, 2010Media giant IPC are in the process of disposing of around 28 niche titles - like Guitar and The Railway - and reportedly are selling to several small publishers rather than as a job lot. This set me thinking about specialist media businesses and whether they actually do better under independent ownership than as part of a large media organisation. At Emap I disposed of several niche specialist magazines that were deemed to be uneconomic. They moved to independent publishers, where they were nurtured and started growing again. Here’s my thoughts on why niche media businesses can actually do better when independently owned: (more…)
Tags: Emap, independent publishers, IPC, Media Pioneers, niche titles, specialist magazines, specialist media, specialist media show
Posted in b2b, business strategy, consumer, news, opinions, people and culture
How publishers can streamline operational costs
Friday, June 12th, 2009With advertising revenues still in decline, and increased investment required in digital, many publishers are having to review their editorial, advertising and marketing costs. The temptation is to simply cut back on pages and editorial content, but this runs the risk of reducing value to readers and advertisers. The situation is further complicated by the need for editorial, advertising and marketing teams to work across print and digital platforms. I believe publishers can learn from manufacturing and service industries, who have been practising lean operations techniques for several years, and using them to prioritise what really matters to customers, identify the wasteful activities and create new more effective processes. Here’s a simple introduction to lean operations thinking for publishers: (more…)
Tags: Add new tag, capacity, customer value, lean operations, map process, operational costs, Penmaen Media, people and culture, publishers, publishing, waste
Posted in implementation, people and culture
Making the multi-platform editorial team a reality
Monday, February 23rd, 2009Creating an editorial team that works across print, video and web is now not just a long term aspiration, it’s a requirement for survival. See my recent blog on the Guardian’s web strategy for their take on integrated edit teams. Many media companies are still being held back by not knowing how to make this change, and how to avoid the pitfalls. I’ve provided some basic hints and tips in this earlier blog.
Simon Penson , a former editor at Emap, has lived this challenge for the last four years. Below he outlines some of his key learnings: (more…)
Tags: consumers, content, editorial team, people and culture
Posted in content, implementation, people and culture
Learning from The Guardian’s web strategy
Thursday, February 12th, 2009Yesterday I listened to Tim Brooks talking about the web strategy for Guardian News and Media. Now Tim is probably in the most enviable position of any media executive, with the backing of the Scott Trust, and having just moved to modern premises at King’s Place, but I think his views - which were, as ever, very strongly expressed - have relevance to those of us with much more modest budgets…. (more…)
Tags: blogging, content, editorial team, GNM, Guardian, integration, quality journalism, strategy, Tim Brooks
Posted in business strategy, content, news, people and culture
Common pitfalls for magazine websites
Tuesday, February 3rd, 2009I love magazines and have worked with them for years. I have a particular respect for magazine editors and their instinctive knowledge of what readers want to read and how to grab their attention visually. Yet when it comes to creating a website alongside their print brand magazine publishers often struggle to create a strong proposition. Here are some common pitfalls and how to avoid them: (more…)
Tags: content, design, editorial team, people and culture
Posted in business strategy, content, people and culture
Five questions to ask before you relaunch your magazine website
Saturday, January 10th, 2009Not happy with your magazine website? Want a refresh for the new year? Before you rush to your developer and get distracted by the details of design take the time to ask yourself the following five questions - and answer them honestly. (more…)
Tags: brand, consumer, e-commerce, relaunch, targeting, top tips, UGC
Posted in advertising, consumer, content, implementation, marketing, people and culture