News
PPA Awards 2022 – shortlist revealed
The PPA has announced the shortlist for its annual awards.
B2B & Trade Media
B2B publishing has quietly become one of the healthier parts of the industry. The trade press that once lived on display and recruitment advertising now earns more of its money from subscriptions, data, events and membership, and private equity has noticed.
The shift meant giving up some old habits. Controlled circulation made sense in print, but open websites gave away what the magazine kept for qualified readers, and the publishers doing best have taken back control of their audiences through registration and paywalls. The Lawyer moved from an advertising-led business to one where paid content brings in over 40 per cent of revenue.
Don’t delude yourself because the barriers to entry in publishing are now non-existent.
Amanda Barnes B2B media
Specialist knowledge is the defence. AI makes generic information close to worthless, so the value lies in proprietary data, tools readers rely on in their daily work and journalism only a specialist could produce, as Computer Weekly's Post Office investigation showed. Print hasn't vanished either. Some publishers now sell it alongside digital at the same price and let readers choose.
Below you'll find some of our best feature articles on B2B and trade media, from subscriptions and data products to events, print, consolidation and specialist journalism, alongside our latest news and industry commentary.
Essential Resources
Best Practice in Publishing
B2B media
We asked Amanda Barnes, chief executive of Faversham House, what does best practice publishing look like in B2B media? This is what she said…
FEATURE
Riches in niches
Rory Brown has enjoyed great success in business media. Having last year sold AgriBriefing and now following new paths in the B2B space, he takes some time out to tell us what he has learned on his journey so far…
A Celebration of Print
Our print strategy: Mark Allen Group
Print is certainly not dead, says Chairman Mark Allen. However, you need to offer readers choice and be neutral and agnostic about the outcome.
INTERVIEW
From controlled circ to enterprise subs
The Lawyer has been on quite a journey, successfully transitioning from a controlled circulation ad-driven model to a high value enterprise subs one. Andy Baker talks Meg Carter through the key stages and what they’ve learnt along the way.
Digital Horizons
What the ‘Intelligent Age’ means for B2B media
In the first of our new ‘Digital Horizons’ series, Tom Lake, director of product and technology at Infopro Digital, looks at the tech opportunities and challenges facing his company and the wider B2B sector.
COMMENT
Opportunities & Threats: B2B Media
The future of B2B lies in serving your sector in three connected ways: information, intelligence and events.
The Digital Transformation Journey
B2B media
John Barnes, chief digital officer, William Reed Business Media, tells Ciar Byrne about how the B2B media sector is managing the digital transformation journey.
Dickon Ross’s publishing world
The Post Office Scandal – 10 takeaways for B2B journalists
Computer Weekly deserves much credit for its role in investigating the Horizon IT scandal. Dickon Ross looks at what lessons other B2B journalists can take from their work.
MEDIA FUTURES
Gambling on M&A in 2025
The general expectation is that the buying and selling of media brands is going to increase significantly in 2025. A number of companies have been quietly building up their war-chests during a wobbly 2024, reports Jim Bilton.
COLUMN
Keep iterating
If you’re thinking of setting up a membership scheme, be prepared to play the long game because success doesn’t come overnight.
All Articles
VIEW FROM AOP STEERING GROUP
Quality over quantity
For too long, the quantity of a journalist’s output has been seen by many as being as important as its quality. As Steven Wilson-Beales, chair of the AOP Journalism Advisory Board (JAB), says, the pendulum is swinging back towards ‘quality’.
FEATURE
Context, creativity and attention: how to approach digital advertising in these turbulent times
The digital advertising industry is facing a period of upheaval as the world emerges from the pandemic and grapples with the increasing focus on consumer privacy & consent. A new mindset is critical for success in the changing advertising landscape.
News
Ascential acquires Sellics
Ascential, a specialist information, analytics and eCommerce optimisation company, has announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire Sellics GmbH.
News
Companies revise marketing budgets up to strongest levels since 2014
Total UK marketing budgets were revised up to an almost eight-year high during the opening quarter of 2022, according to the latest IPA Bellwether Report.
FEATURE
Optimising the publisher / printer relationship
The relationship between a publisher and their printer is a close one. Over the years, Pensord’s Heather Jackson has noted that successful publishers often display common characteristics…
News
Mark Allen reports £10 million EBITDA profits
Mark Allen Group’s audited results for 2020-21 are simply “exceptional”, says the company’s founder and executive chairman.
News
Haymarket unveils new look AsianInvestor website
AsianInvestor has announced a new site design with, it says, improved user experience, website categories and a single sign-on service.
News
MPP Global appoints Jeff Spies
MPP Global has appointed Jeff Spies as Head of Subscription Management, tasked with shaping and leading the delivery of their subscription management strategy and product roadmap.
News
Guild appoints Gregor Young
Guild, a platform for professional communities and networking, has appointed Gregor Young, formerly marketing technology director at the Financial Times as COO.
COLUMN
The human angle
Seismic events like pandemics or wars can be difficult for some magazines but, writes Dickon Ross, never forget the power of the personal story – and the privilege it is to publish them.
RESEARCH
Latest AOP survey reveals key industry themes for 2022
Earlier this year, the Association of Online Publishers conducted a survey – Digital Publishing; Meeting the Future. Here, Richard Reeves, the AOP’s managing director, summarises the main findings from the research.
SPOTLIGHT
Golfing magazines
Millions of people in the UK watch golf, play golf and spend their money on equipment, tuition and travel. There are publications devoted to all aspects of the sport, as Alan Geere finds out.
Q&A
Publishing software: 5 minutes with… Patrick Lidstone
Software makes the publishing world go round. We grab five minutes with Patrick Lidstone, co-founder of The Engine Shed, to see how independent publishers can use software to grow their businesses.
VIEW FROM AOP STEERING GROUP
Winning a bigger slice of the advertising pie
Publishers don’t get their fair share of ad revenue. What can be done about it? Lauren Dick, co-chair of the AOP Commercial Group, answers our questions about the key issues and challenges facing publishers’ commercial teams.
