Friday 1st December: There’s no such thing as a B2B customer

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Mx3 AI is next week! Join Media Makers Meet and the Media Voices team in London on Dec 7th to explore how local news orgs, nationals, magazines and B2B publishers are getting to grips with AI.

I have to admit to a little “Hell Yes” moment when I read this piece in the Drum. We’ve been thinking a lot about the idea that publishing people are people too for The Grub Street Journal; that’s why we just published a feature on the tattoos people in the magazine industry have. And the Media Voices team has always tried to bring a wry eye to our media coverage. So reading Chris Adams’ call for a fresh approach to B2B marketing resonated deeply.

He says: “Regardless of whether they're investing in a software-as-a-service platform or buying a new pair of Crocs, customers are individuals with dreams, desires, and personal goals.” Of course he is right, it’s obvious. Sticking to the ‘functional and product-centric playbook’ is what earns B2B advertising and editorial its reputation for being boring and turning people off.

We can’t abandon statistics, strategies and case studies; other people’s learnings are incredibly useful to businesses looking to survive and thrive. But equally a new approach to B2B media that includes emotion, personality and human stories is much more likely to engage. Adams says, “Emotions play a crucial role in decision-making, and B2B buyers are no exception.” HELL YES!!!

The latest instalment in Toolkits’ series exploring consumer attitudes to digital subscriptions says the majority of leading consumer-facing publishers continue to offer introductory discounts and free trials because they work. Research conducted by Toolkits and NRG shows 73% of consumers are more likely to subscribe when offered an introductory discount; more than half say they’re more likely to subscribe if they are given access some content for free.

In an interview with Press Gazette, Dow Jones CEO and Wall Street Journal publisher Almar Latour has said the demand for high quality, reliable information is there and intensifying. Off the back of the company’s best quarterly results since Dow Jones was acquired by News Corp. in 2007, Latour said: “The arc over time is more interesting. We’ve doubled our profits since pre-Covid… We’re now 80% recurring revenue, we’re at 80% digital.”

If you are looking at reporting on the COP28, Covering Climate Now has a very useful guide on what’s going on at the UN climate summit taking place in Dubai until December 12th. It highlights key issues, noteworthy dates, story prompts, and provides resources to help in your reporting - whether you’re there or keeping your carbon footprint down and covering developments remotely.

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