Posts Tagged ‘Penmaen Media’
Creating profitable communities from media brands
Monday, July 20th, 2009Media brands have always principally defined themselves in terms of the quality of the content they produce. However, an equally powerful asset is being able to create a community around a particular topic or point of view, especially a community that is appealing to advertisers. See my recent post on the media futures conference for more on the idea that media brands will be a meeting place for conversations to take place rather than just a collection of great content. So how can media owners develop profitable communities; in particular how can they create a “meeting place” that can charge an entrance fee? Media businesses will have to go far beyond the usual collection of savings, offers and discounts to create a valuable community. Here are some principles that may help you in your thinking: (more…)
Tags: access, Add new tag, belonging, contribution, exclusivity, influence, media brands, meeting place, networking, Penmaen Media, profitable communities, user content
Posted in news
Thoughts from the Media Futures Conference 2009
Thursday, July 9th, 2009I took part in a panel discussion at the Media Futures Conference last week (#mfc09), organised by the multi-talented and well-connected Nico Macdonald. A wide range of media gurus from BBC, LBS, C4, ITV, PA, Techcrunch, Enders, Bloomberg and many more contributed their, often radical, ideas on the future of media: covering consumer behaviour, technology and funding models. There was a focus on broadcast entertainment and news, but the conclusions are applicable I believe to all media businesses and those who supply them or use them to reach key audiences. Here’s my take on the main themes: watch this blog for more thoughts as it all starts to sink in. (more…)
Tags: #mfc09, broadcast, convergent devices, media brands, media business models, media futures conference, media spaces, newspapers, Nico MacDonald, Penmaen Media, print, sushi oconsumer, TV
Posted in b2b, business strategy, consumer, content, news, opinions
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
How traditional media businesses can create online subscriptions packages
Friday, June 5th, 2009The debate is still raging among traditional media businesses, particularly newspapers, over how to drive revenues from online content. Pure online news no longer will justify an entry fee, especially with the BBC providing such a comprehensive service for free. See my earlier post on reinventing online content for more thoughts on the implications for editorial teams. Meanwhile, online-only information businesses are carving out profitable niches serving very targeted groups, eg econsultancy. Publishers will need to think hard about how to use their editorial expertise to create specific packages that niche audiences will consider worth paying for. Rather than trying to charge multiple micro-payments for piecemeal chunks of editorial, I believe there is mileage in creating online subscription packages that combine a number of useful content-based elements for a carefully defined audience. Here are some suggested steps for media businesses who want to create an online subscriptions package: (more…)
Tags: digests, membership, networking, niche audience, paid-for content, Penmaen Media, privileged access, reports, subscriptions, tools, webinars
Posted in b2b, business strategy, consumer, content