Paid for Comment, Part Four.

Our editor got stuck in Iceland (not Kerry Katona's hangout - the country) hence we went a little quiet. He's OK, a little shaken and looks like he's come out of a Laurel and Hardy explosion.

In the meantime I snuck out to a media exhibition for small and specialist publishers to share ideas and experiences. It was very interesting and great to know that there is not a single market or interest not covered by an incredible number of enthusiastic and skilled entrepreneurs. Everyone seemed to have a story to tell about how they were combatting weak revenues on and offline and having a ball doing it.

Honourable mentions to the likes of..

Stylist Media - Creating a network of female entrepeneurs. 

Songlines - Online retailer relationships.

K9 Media - Digital Editions and re-use of content.

Take a look at the conference review here... http://tinyurl.com/43hh3ax

One of the larger publishers not represented at The Specialist Media Show was United Business Media (UBM). We think that in terms of creating products that engage the user and please the sponsor, that there's no-one in B2B doing a better job. Their 'Built Environment' group are the ones really breaking the mould and are showing strong production standards in telling good and visual stories in online broadcast. Here is the first in series around sustainability in the Building trade.... http://www.building.co.uk/duluxtrade

There's a lot of good things happening in publishing and I daresay we will be looking to share them with you in the coming months.

jon@thepeloton.tv

www.thepeloton.tv

Paid for Comment, Part Three

We filmed at the PPA's annual Publishing conference on May 4th. If ever there was a bunch of people looking for a break then there were 526 of them, about an A4 expense sheet away from Westminster Bridge.

The Professional Publishing Industry loves a bullet point and, not to disappoint, here are our conclusions:-

- The Publishing industry has suffered from a collective nervousness - until now.

- There is nothing better than seeing people who have taken a beating dust themselves off and start to fight back, even if they are a bit nerdy.

- A few enlightened and energetic individuals are all it takes to move on a group of chattering execs.

- Publishers have realised that people will pay for their content and sometimes pay quite hefty sums

- Print magazines are profitable and will remain so for some time (16-24 year olds are their biggest consumers)

- Get 5 B2B Publishing Directors in a room and they will still talk about Google rather than the subject at hand.

- The Buggles sang Video Killed the Radio Star. Not Elvis Costello.

- To some Social Media is a distraction, to others it's essential - anyone for an App?

- No-one and we repeat No-one knows how the publishing industry will look in 5 years' time.

- Video needs to be well produced as the only enduring non reader revenues are sponsorship. Here, Adrian of the Peloton tells you how...

 http://www.brandrepublic.com/news/1068709/ppa-2011-video-publishers-taking-advantage-video/

jon@thepeloton.tv

www.thepeloton.tv

Paid for Comment, Part Two.

Would you credit it, it's like the number 19 bus. You wait ages for a decent revenue model to come your way and then 4 come along at the some time!

 

On the face of it, publishing is in a state of psychosis. After 40-50 years of a very comfortable run, brimful of confidence, ideas and cash, it's all gone a little haywire.

There was a time when a publisher and their team could go to work confident that they would produce their information-packed newspaper for an eager audience full of high-price recruitment and branding ads. That was 10 years ago. Since then the internet, the recession, nervous marketing managers and corporates, the internet, customer data, increased competition, social media and the internet has turned that once well coiffed and handsome publisher into a nervous, confused wreck who gets out of bed every day fearing the worst.

However we at The Peloton spy some green shoots of confidence in Publishing Central.This article in The Guardian paints a picture of an industry finally getting to grips with the challenges of the last 10 years.... http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/apr/25/trade-magazines-online-only.

In The Peloton's dealings with publishers, we see similarly bold and thoughtful people beginning to make their mark with content solutions for their clients. Thus allowing them to pay for their own independent and well crafted content.

Remember, these organisations have the greatest strength of all. They know with their eyes closed how to produce the right information for their audience. Specialist and professional content requires paying for and it is thrilling to see the likes of UBM and Incisive Media charging their readers for it - and charging a lot.

With metered paywalls, ad funded content, subscription content, sponsored video, the future is far from bleak for B2B publishers. In fact, we'd go as far as saying that the goldrush starts here... 3rd May 2011.

jon@thepeloton.tv

www.thepeloton.tv

 

A whole lot of P's...

ThePeloton will be out in force at the publishing event of the year, the PPA's annual conference on May 4th. We'll be filming and interviewing the great and good of the publishing world for the PPA and for Brand Republic. We'll also be showing off our interactive video solution.

One of the major themes at the event is a subject close to our heart:- developing digital revenue streams. It's also a subject recently covered by The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/apr/25/trade-magazines-online-only

To watch our video preview of the PPA's annual conference, click here...
http://www.publishing2011.co.uk/

See you on May 4th!
www.thepeloton.tv

Paid for Comment, Part One.

It is The Peloton's long held belief that the effectiveness and value of advertising on the internet is catastrophically eroded by the price that media agencies are willing to pay for it. If online publishers want to survive and thrive they will have to turn towards new ways of making money to pay for the marvellous content they produce.... Why go to work and produce top class content which loses money, sadly good media businesses will go bust.

Much has been made of the News International (http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/) paywall which asks users to part with a small sum to view their content. It's probably too early to tell in terms of its success but FT and some specialist publishers have had success in generating revenue this way.

The BBC and significant sites such as The Guardian's (http://www.guardian.co.uk/) determination to keep its content free to all don't help NI's cause, so we would like to suggest to our friends in Wapping that there is an alternative

This blog, Let's call it the Paid for Comment blog, aims to highlight what we think is good and isn't in ad funded content. This is where the advertiser pays to be the sponsor of an area of content on a website. It is our view that websites will need to turn to brands to fund their journalism.

Kudos to the Guardian. They appear to insist that the sponsor accepts the rigour of editorial independence. The content needs to have meaning and value for the audience, the sponsor gets to connect and be associated with great content that is close to their heart.  http://www.guardian.co.uk/poverty-over?INTCMP=ILCSPRTXT3589

Why are The Peloton banging this drum? Well, we've got to fill the blog up with something... Video, though is and will continue to be a part of this and we're good at making that.

jon@thepeloton.tv

http://www.thepeloton.tv/

 

To Shrewsbury and beyond...

ThePeloton and the leading technology website,The Register, are teaming up to produce a series of videos on cloud computing and its practical application. But it's not as dry as it sounds. So far we've interviewed the man who came up with a scheme to use the cloud to reduce graffiti across London. And we're just back from Shrewsbury after filming a fascinating interview with Rod Plummer who runs a tech firm called Shoothill which creates deep zoom mosaics, pictures that are made out of hundreds of high resolution images.

Shoothill recently created one of Kylie Minogue to celebrate the launch of her new album, Aphrodite. Follow the link. http://music.uk.msn.com/xclusives/kylie-minogue-deep-zoom.aspx

Our series of films is presented by the lovely Tim Phillips from The Register and it will be going live soon. Here's a shot of Tim and ThePeloton's Matt Warnes on the road at Shoothill's offices. Next stop for the Reg roadshow team, Hayes in Middlesex..what a glamorous life we lead.
                                     

Just Media Founder Sarah du Heaume joins ThePeloton.tv

The entrepreneur and founder of Just Media, Sarah du Heaume, has joined the board of the business video content producer ThePeloton.tv.

Du Heaume has over twenty years worth of experience in brand management, digital media and the technology sector. She started Just Media in 1995 and sold it to Aegis Media plc in 2005. She now runs the business consultancy Fledge.

On joining the ThePeloton.tv, Sarah says “Brands are fast creating and owning content. Video will be their chosen platform due to its immediacy and engagement. With ThePeloton.tv's experience in broadcast journalism and brand communications they are set to be at the forefront of this. There is a determination and passion here to make great content and I can't wait to help them grow and fulfil their potential.”

ThePeloton.tv's Director and Executive Producer, Adrian Smith, says “Sarah joining the good ship Peloton means that our teams can focus on making innovative and effective content with the knowledge that the business is in good hands.”

http://www.thepeloton.tv/