Afleveringen

  • James Evelegh talks to Jim Bilton about the results of this year's Media Shapers poll, which asked the question, 'Which individual do you think is going to have the biggest impact on the shape of the overall media business in 2023 (for good or ill)? And why?'. 

    They talked about:

    Jim's belief that it's still people that make things happen in the media businessthe "unprecedented challenges" facing the media businessthe two individuals who topped the poll, neither of whom even appeared in the last surveywhy recent advances in AI mean that "the world of publishing will never be the same again"why Rupert Murdoch appeared in the first poll, this poll, and will probably feature in the next one toohow the opposing leaders in the Russia / Ukraine war "both share a common understanding of the power of the media"the growth of influencers, and how they are becoming more politicalwhy the current culture secretary features in the poll even though she's only been in the job since Februarywhat B2C can learn from B2B and vice versahow the findings of the Media Shapers poll dovetail with Jim's wider benchmarking project, Media Futuresand lots more...

    (This interview was recorded on 27th April.)

    We would like to thank our podcast sponsor, Air Business, a market-leader in distribution and subscription management services for the publishing industry. Its end-to-end service includes subscriber acquisition and marketing strategy, worldwide distribution, digital, mail and e-commerce fulfilment, and warehouse and freight logistics.


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • James Evelegh talks to Sajeeda Merali, CEO of the PPA, about: 

    the PPA’s focus on people, product and audiencehow communication lies at the heart of all successful business transformationsthe evolution of ‘sales’ and how it has moved away from selling by platform to selling by audiencethe skill-sets successful sales teams now requirethe PPA’s role in “unpacking the complicated stuff”why there is still a long way to go on ED&I but how the publishing sector is well placed to drive changewhy, when it comes to ED&I, everyone can do something, whether you’re a multi-national or a team of threehow an executive coach helped her think differently about her careerwhat the PPA hopes to achieve with its upcoming hackathonthe state of play regarding the ‘digital markets unit’ and the ‘online safety bill’and, why despite the challenging outlook, she remains optimistic about publishing’s future: the surfeit of “misinformation and fake news highlights the value of good journalism”and much more...

    (This interview was recorded on 7th October.)

    We would like to thank our podcast sponsor, Air Business, a market-leader in distribution and subscription management services for the publishing industry. Its end-to-end service includes subscriber acquisition and marketing strategy, worldwide distribution, digital, mail and e-commerce fulfilment, and warehouse and freight logistics.


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • James Evelegh talks to Claire Hodgson, editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan UK, about: 

    why putting the finishing touches to their 50th birthday issue was a “pinch-me moment”how they went about growing their digital audiencewhy print remains a key pillar for the brand: “it’s a shop window and has a huge halo effect on the rest of what we do”embracing the new and being excited about changewanting Cosmo to be its audience’s “best friend”the importance of data, but why it can never replace the work of skilled editorial teamswhy she insists on their entertainment coverage being fair, considered and fact-checkedthe importance of sincerity: “our audience does not have time for performative behaviour and can smell it a mile off”why magazine brands have to be clear about what they stand for and believe in itwhy, in today’s gender-fluid, non-binary world, there is no such thing as a “typical” Cosmo readerwhy they have a responsibility to talk about the “tough stuff”, but also the latest must-have mascara for a Saturday night outhow digital and social success comes from investing in great people; there are no short cutswhy each of a publishing brand’s platforms should behave like pureplayshow the secret of e-commerce success is great content and authenticitywhy she’s excited about ‘Summerverse’, Cosmo’s first venture onto the metaverse: “a lot of fun, so much opportunity”and much more...

    (This interview was recorded on 25th August.)

    We would like to thank our podcast sponsor, Air Business, a market-leader in distribution and subscription management services for the publishing industry. Its end-to-end service includes subscriber acquisition and marketing strategy, worldwide distribution, digital, mail and e-commerce fulfilment, and warehouse and freight logistics.


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • James Evelegh talks to Dave Musgrove, content director, history, at Immediate Media, about: 

    their HistoryExtra podcast hitting the twin milestones of 15 years & 150m downloadshow they're marking the milestones with a new series: '15 minutes of fame'introducing a UGC element to their podcastsdos & don'ts of creating a successful podcasthow the podcast started as a marketing channel but is now a monetisable producthow the HistoryExtra podcast team manages to deliver such prolific outputwhy the Bayeux Tapestry still resonates todaywhy they've put a paywall on the HistoryExtra websitetheir key paywall learnings to datehis thinking on incorporating a more "clubbable element" to the HistoryExtra offeringhis hopes for a possible new lease of life for the newsstand post-pandemicand much more...

    (This interview was recorded on 23rd June.)

    We would like to thank our podcast sponsor, Air Business, a market-leader in distribution and subscription management services for the publishing industry. Its end-to-end service includes subscriber acquisition and marketing strategy, worldwide distribution, digital, mail and e-commerce fulfilment, and warehouse and freight logistics.


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • James Evelegh talks to Alex White, MD (Food and Parenting) at Immediate Media, about: 

    what it takes to create a great publishing brandhow data is the engine room at Immediate Mediathe brilliance of the BBC Good Food editorial team at identifying and anticipating audience moodtesting the water with paid-for content through their new appthe multiple opportunities that have arisen from their busy Facebook communitythe editorial challenge of moving from one global crisis to anothermaking loyalty & engagement their strategic prioritiesthe keys to success in the competitive parenting market their diversity initiatives ("we're on a journey but our content is much the better for it")her experience as founder director of the AOPwhat excites her most about the future of consumer mediaand much more...

    (This interview was recorded on 28th April.)

    We would like to thank our podcast sponsor, Air Business, a market-leader in distribution and subscription management services for the publishing industry. Its end-to-end service includes subscriber acquisition and marketing strategy, worldwide distribution, digital, mail and e-commerce fulfilment, and warehouse and freight logistics.


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • James Evelegh talks to Emily Ferguson, Ecommerce Director at Marie Claire, about: 

    the recent launch of Marie Claire Edit USAthe key pillars of ecommerce successwhy the tech you use will either "make or break" your ecommerce operationwhy adopting an agile approach, based on test and learning, is so importanthow successful ecommerce relies on lots of different things (SEO, on-site optimisation etc) working in harmonywhy she makes sure she is looped into all customer servicesher advice for publishers starting on the ecommerce journey ("start small, start slow")and more...

    (This interview was recorded on 24th March.)

    We would like to thank our podcast sponsor, Air Business, a market-leader in distribution and subscription management services for the publishing industry. Its end-to-end service includes subscriber acquisition and marketing strategy, worldwide distribution, digital, mail and e-commerce fulfilment, and warehouse and freight logistics.


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • James Evelegh talks to Gavin Thompson, Newsquest's regional editor for Wales, about: 

    their decision to launch The National last year (in part due to London-based news media not fully understanding Welsh needs)about its mission to promote a sense of Welsh identity and pride in the countryits three core content pillars (Welsh culture, the devolution settlement & social justice)how print was an important part of their launch, and might be an important part of their future, but for now, is a distractionhow the new title fits in with Newsquest's existing Welsh titlesits dual focus on growing digital subs and audience reachhow newsletters will play an important role in subscriber retentionwhy they (indeed all journalists) need to get better at "talking about ourselves"how regional media has reached a tipping point and is becoming a growth business againwhy audience performance is such a key driver of business successthe importance of "feet on the ground" as opposed to reporting from a bedroom 200 miles awayand much more...

    (This interview was recorded on 6th January.)

    We would like to thank our podcast sponsor, Air Business, a market-leader in distribution and subscription management services for the publishing industry. Its end-to-end service includes subscriber acquisition and marketing strategy, worldwide distribution, digital, mail and e-commerce fulfilment, and warehouse and freight logistics.


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • James Evelegh talks to Rosie Nixon, editor-in-chief of HELLO! Magazine, about: 

    her new book 'Be kind' ("my lockdown baby")why HELLO! wears its kindness as a "badge of honour"why she has no hesitation in blocking toxic online comments; "they don't have a place in our world"how HELLO! responded to Covid, when glossy photo-shoots were harder to come bymaking royal coverage their USPwhy HELLO! is a multi-platform brand, but "print still sets the tone"making HELLO! a 24/7 brand and engaging with younger readers through Tik Tok et alwhy depth and exclusivity are what separates their content from the huge volumes of celebrity content available onlinewhy the office environment is still important ("as a journalist, you need to be seeing other people")why the future of publishing must be underpinned by a deep understanding of audience needs and... being agileand much more...

    (This interview was recorded on 30th November.)

    We would like to thank our podcast sponsor, Air Business, a market-leader in distribution and subscription management services for the publishing industry. Its end-to-end service includes subscriber acquisition and marketing strategy, worldwide distribution, digital, mail and e-commerce fulfilment, and warehouse and freight logistics.


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • James Evelegh talks to Tabitha Stapely, founder & director of Social Streets, about: 

    • being a digital first publisher launching a print magazine

    • their 'minimum viable product' approach

    • the hyperlocal community-led journalism model

    • the importance of community outreach and her aim to get people to fall in love with the place they live in

    • trying to become financially sustainable as a 'community interest company'

    • her journey from GQ intern to independent local publisher

    • her ambition to increase UGC and make 'Roman Road London' and their other sites, platforms for the whole community

    • the tech challenge facing all hyperlocal sites

    • why hyperlocal publishers should unite to facilitate ad selling across sites

    • why she thinks values-based publishing might be the way forward for the consumer magazine sector she used to work in

    • and much more

    (This interview was recorded on 18th November.)

    We would like to thank our podcast sponsor, Air Business, a market-leader in distribution and subscription management services for the publishing industry. Its end-to-end service includes subscriber acquisition and marketing strategy, worldwide distribution, digital, mail and e-commerce fulfilment, and warehouse and freight logistics.


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • James Evelegh talks to Rory Brown, co-founder & CEO of AgriBriefing, about: 

    • how good media is user-centric, not platform-centric

    • their journey from traditional B2B publisher to data business

    • how selling high value corporate subscriptions requires a different mindset

    • how success in the commodity pricing market is based on trust

    • why "volatility is our friend"

    • why he sees AgriBriefing being an integral part of the agri industry, not just a media company reporting on it

    • how his career has come full circle and how what was not fashionable in the early 90s is now

    • why B2B is all about helping the audience do their job better

    • his ambition to be one step ahead of his customers, offering them things they don't yet know they need

    • their ambitions to be a dominant player in the commodity pricing market

    • why good strategy is as much about what you don't do, as what you do do

    • why being a magpie and a collector of good ideas will always serve business leaders well 

    • and much more

    (This interview was recorded on 4th November.)

    We would like to thank our podcast sponsor, Air Business, a market-leader in distribution and subscription management services for the publishing industry. Its end-to-end service includes subscriber acquisition and marketing strategy, worldwide distribution, digital, mail and e-commerce fulfilment, and warehouse and freight logistics.


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • James Evelegh talks to Uwern Jong, founder & editor-in-chief of OutThere, about: 

    • why his preferred title is 'experientialist-in-chief'

    • why publishing should be as much about delivering inspiration, as information

    • why he's still in love with print ("there's nothing as tactile or experiential")

    • his approach to the pandemic ("I'm a glass half full type of person and not one to wallow in doom & gloom") and helping his audience to #keepyourmindtravelling

    • how the pandemic gave them a chance to take stock and work out what's really important for OutThere

    • how the publishing world is taking steps to become more inclusive, but "there's still a long way to go".

    • why every company should have a diversity strategy

    • how travel helps expand your horizons and make you a better person

    • his most memorable travel experience and which two destinations are top of his bucket list

    • why he believes that publishers should focus on creating outstanding content and ditch the clickbait

    • and much more

    (This interview was recorded on 21st October.)

    We would like to thank our podcast sponsor, Air Business, a market-leader in distribution and subscription management services for the publishing industry. Its end-to-end service includes subscriber acquisition and marketing strategy, worldwide distribution, digital, mail and e-commerce fulfilment, and warehouse and freight logistics.


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • James Evelegh talks to Will Page, author and former chief economist at Spotify, about: 

    • what publishers can learn from his book 'Tarzan Economics: Eight Principles in Pivoting Through Disruption' 

    • how the music industry was the first to suffer and the first to recover

    • how consumption is not the problem, monetisation is

    • how industries, when they face disruption, shouldn't fight change, but build something that's better than before ... "change is happening regardless"

    • how tech kills friction ("publishing still has a lot of friction")

    • how the future of publishing might be catering to the extremes: bargain & luxury

    • what lessons publishers can take from the rebirth of vinyl

    • how publishers need to aim much higher as their current subs numbers are "missing zeros"

    • how publishers can rethink the challenges they face

    • how the redesign of King's Cross station was publishing's "Napster moment"

    • why we should actually listen to customers: "customers have pulses, dashboards don't"

    • and much more…

    (This interview was recorded on 4th October.)

    We would like to thank our podcast sponsor, Air Business, a market-leader in distribution and subscription management services for the publishing industry. Its end-to-end service includes subscriber acquisition and marketing strategy, worldwide distribution, digital, mail and e-commerce fulfilment, and warehouse and freight logistics.


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • James Evelegh talks to Jo Allan, chief executive of Newsworks, about: 

    • why the news media sector needs to tell a consistent and unified story

    • why younger readers have often turned to mainstream news brands during the pandemic

    • the industry's largest ever collaboration and the opportunities it presents in the future

    • Newsworks' efforts to raise awareness of blocklists (a "blunt tool")

    • their latest ad effectiveness research and how they're targeting brands who are under-investing in news media

    • how their biggest challenge is shifting perceptions in younger media planners

    • what news media can learn from the success of the big social media platforms

    • why the industry's efforts to improve diversity and inclusion are so important

    • and much more…

    (This interview was recorded on 21st September.)

    We would like to thank our podcast sponsor, Air Business, a market-leader in distribution and subscription management services for the publishing industry. Its end-to-end service includes subscriber acquisition and marketing strategy, worldwide distribution, digital, mail and e-commerce fulfilment, and warehouse and freight logistics.


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • James Evelegh talks to Helen Fish, group chief executive of Executive Grapevine, about: 

    • their transition from traditional publisher to marketing services company focused on lead generation

    • the importance of research and understanding your readers: "you've got to walk the steps with your readers".

    • how GDPR was the biggest opportunity to take market share

    • why 'time on page' is the key metric

    • why the future is in personalised content (though the audience might not be ready for it yet)

    • delivering an outstanding experience to all stakeholders through putting people first

    • the constant search for improvement: "I don't believe in relaunches; change happens daily".

    • why she has no intention of going back to being an office based business

    • her thoughts on the future of events - virtual vs in-person

    • the critical importance of having unique, sticky content: "invest in your journalists and you will reap the rewards".

    • and much more…

    (This interview was recorded on 12th August.)

    We would like to thank our podcast sponsor, Air Business, a market-leader in distribution and subscription management services for the publishing industry. Its end-to-end service includes subscriber acquisition and marketing strategy, worldwide distribution, digital, mail and e-commerce fulfilment, and warehouse and freight logistics.


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • James Evelegh talks to Alex Kersten, editor-in-chief of Car Throttle, about: 

    • passing the 3m subscriber mark on YouTube and becoming desensitised to the numbers

    • how they specialise in “relatable content”, videos their millennial audience can “watch on a Friday and replicate on a Saturday”

    • why the secret of successful branded content is “knowing your audience and not alienating them with branded content they’re not going to be interested in, no matter what the monetary reward”

    • what other journalists thinking of stepping in front of the camera need to do: “know your audience and speak to them on their level, and… research the hell out of the subject” (and “be you, but on a really good day”)

    • why you need to be ruthless when editing and cut the waffle. If you think something’s funny, listen back to it three times to make sure.

    • his new responsibilities as editor-in-chief, that include better aligning the three pillars of the brand: YouTube / web / social

    • Car Throttle’s plans for the future: “there’s no limit to how big it can get”

    • the secrets of success on social media, including posting consistently to ensure you remain top of people’s feeds, showing a personality that people can relate to, and collaboration – “caring is sharing, especially online”

    • and much more…

    (This interview was recorded on 5th August.)

    We would like to thank our podcast sponsor, Air Business, a market-leader in distribution and subscription management services for the publishing industry. Its end-to-end service includes subscriber acquisition and marketing strategy, worldwide distribution, digital, mail and e-commerce fulfilment, and warehouse and freight logistics.


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • James Evelegh talks to Marie Davies, managing director at Immediate Media Co, about: 

    • why subs and recurring revenues are the key to success and the bedrock of their business

    • why affiliates offer an exciting new revenue stream with the challenge being to create a seamless user experience

    • how their craft titles have helped alleviate mental health issues during lockdown

    • how the subs file on their craft titles has grown 45% in the last twelve months, partly on the back of new millennial crafters

    • the strategic thinking behind the merging (digitally speaking) of all their craft brands into their new site, gathered.how

    • their new weekly newsletter strategy

    • how, for a specialist title, readers have a sense of ownership. The titles "belong to them".

    • the importance of setting clear objectives and KPIs for social media activity

    • why video will play an increasingly important role in the future of their craft titles

    • why she's excited about the future: "I think the entire business is a really exciting place to be; there's always something new to learn".

    • and much more...

    (This interview was recorded on 1st July.)

    We would like to thank our podcast sponsor, AdvantageCS, a leading global provider of subscription and membership management software. Capabilities include marketing, sales, payments and customer relationship software for publishers, membership associations and information providers.


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • James Evelegh talks to Jim Bilton, creator of the recent mediaONmedia survey, about: 

    • how rewatching Citizen Kane during lockdown got him looking into what other media films were out there

    • how what started out as a bit of "lockdown fun" has thrown up fascinating insights into the present state of the media sector

    • why a film from the 1970s encapsulates what journalism is all about

    • which recent news media events might make good material for a future film

    • why the newsroom provides such fertile ground for TV gold

    • why former Sunday Times editor Harold Evans dominates the book lists

    • the enduring appeal of Evelyn Waugh's Scoop

    • why he added a supplementary question about the "most influential people in the media" and the interesting people it threw up

    • how someone described by one survey respondent as "clueless and conscious-free" dominates world media today

    • the prospect of Trump, the media mogul

    • and much more...

    (This interview was recorded on 10th June.)

    We would like to thank our podcast sponsor, AdvantageCS, a leading global provider of subscription and membership management software. Capabilities include marketing, sales, payments and customer relationship software for publishers, membership associations and information providers.


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • James Evelegh talks to Sharon Cooper, chief digital officer at The Economist Intelligence Unit, about: 

    • the nature of organisational change: people want change until they actually have to make the change

    • why she sees her role as not automating people out of a job, but automating them into a better job

    • how EIU's new Viewpoint product focuses on the user experience, allowing for both 'deep dive' and 'horizon scan' usage

    • how expectations of website design have changed: users now expect everything to be as simple as the best B2C experience

    • why business information providers should avoid getting "too fancy"

    • how, with clients increasingly being able to access the data themselves, business information providers need to remain laser focused on where they add value

    • the rise of real-time data and how to avoid data overload

    • how to embed yourself into a client's workflow without getting in the way

    • why there's nothing necessarily wrong with legacy tech, just legacy tech that's not looked after

    • why clients and users are both the biggest threat and the biggest opportunity to business information providers

    • and much more...

    (This interview was recorded on 27th May.)

    We would like to thank our podcast sponsor, AdvantageCS, a leading global provider of subscription and membership management software. Capabilities include marketing, sales, payments and customer relationship software for publishers, membership associations and information providers.


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • James Evelegh talks to Ed Walker, audience and content director (regionals) and editor-in-chief of InYourArea.co.uk, at Reach PLC, about: 

    • what he learned working in some of Reach's regional newsrooms

    • quickly growing a digital audience in Birmingham

    • how InYourArea grew exponentially during lockdown

    • why local journalists shouldn’t always stand back and observe, but offer solutions too

    • Reach's plans for every county to have a 'Live' site by the end of next year

    • why we should never stop experimenting; the day we do, we're in trouble

    • why the best bit about being a journalist is seeing the difference you make

    • why we should never be complacent; as in Formula 1, we can always make another tweak to enhance performance

    • why a sustainable future lies through getting closer to your readers and by being relevant

    • and much more...

    (This interview was recorded on 13th May.)

    We would like to thank our podcast sponsor, AdvantageCS, a leading global provider of subscription and membership management software. Capabilities include marketing, sales, payments and customer relationship software for publishers, membership associations and information providers.


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • James Evelegh talks to Mike Sewell, managing director of CPL, about: 

    • the thinking behind their recent MBO and his plans for the future

    • the transition from contract publisher to content marketing agency

    • why storytelling skills, words and pictures are still fundamental 

    • why membership organisations need to work out what their message is before worrying about the channels

    • why print still has a vital role to play in the content mix

    • why the hero / hub / hygiene model still applies

    • how Covid has accelerated pre-existing trends but also given organisations the opportunity to go back to first principles

    • the challenges of onboarding new staff during a pandemic (10% of CPL's staff have started during lockdown)

    • the important role the office has to play in the future

    • and much more...

    (This interview was recorded on 6th May.)

    We would like to thank our podcast sponsor, AdvantageCS, a leading global provider of subscription and membership management software. Capabilities include marketing, sales, payments and customer relationship software for publishers, membership associations and information providers.


    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.