Building resilient content strategies for publishers with David Buttle and Will Barker

May 9, 2025

David Buttle, founder of DJB Strategies and former Director of Platform Strategy at the Financial Times, teams up with Will Barker, Customer Success Manager at BluConnick, to discuss AI's transformative impact on digital publishing. They delve into how AI-driven search alters traffic flow, forcing publishers to rethink content strategies. Key topics include assessing AI risk, leveraging first-party data, and fostering audience engagement to build resilience. Learn how to adapt and innovate in an AI-first world while maintaining visibility and revenue.

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INSIGHT

Uneven AI Impact on Publisher Content

AI substitution impact varies strongly by content type and user intent.
Google's phased AI rollout creates an uneven disruption landscape for publishers.

ADVICE

Methodology to Assess AI Risk

Analyze AI risk by linking user intent to search queries and then to content.
Test AI effectiveness on intents experimentally to identify content at AI substitution risk.

ADVICE

Three AI Risk Criteria for Content

Assess your content on distinctiveness, emotional resonance, and accuracy sensitivity to gauge AI risk.
Use these subjective criteria to prioritize resilient content creation and strategy.

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AI risk and the tenacity required.

In this special episode of The Media Copilot podcast, we're diving into the seismic shifts AI is causing in digital publishing. I recently hosted a webinar on AI Risk and Resilience for Publishers, where we unpacked how AI search engines are disrupting traditional traffic flows and what that means for content creators. The implications are significant: if audiences no longer need to visit publisher platforms to get information, how do publishers maintain visibility and revenue?

To explore this challenge, I sat down with David Buttle, founder of DJB Strategies and former Director of Platform Strategy at the Financial Times. David has been at the forefront of analyzing how AI impacts media consumption, and he's developed a methodology to assess risk levels for publishers in an AI-driven world.

Joining us is Will Barker of BluConnick, a company focused on enhancing audience engagement through first-party data. Together, we discussed how publishers can create AI-resilient content strategies and maintain their audience relationships in the age of AI-generated summaries.

Key Topics Covered:

The rise of AI-driven search and its impact on publisher traffic
How to identify content most at risk for AI substitution
Strategic approaches to maintain audience loyalty and engagement
Leveraging first-party data to optimize reader experience

Listen in as we uncover the roadmap for resilient content in an AI-first world. Whether you're a publisher, content strategist, or media executive, this episode will equip you with the insights needed to navigate this technological shift.

And if you enjoyed this conversation, I’d encourage you to follow the show on Substack, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other podcast app that you want. Also, I’d appreciate it if you’d leave a rating or review — it really does help the show. And if you’re on YouTube, don’t forget to “like” the video and subscribe to the channel 🔔

🎙️ Guests:

David Buttle
Founder of DJB Strategies
Former Director of Platform Strategy at Financial Times
LinkedIn Profile
DJB Strategies Website
Will Barker
Manager for Customer Success at BluConnick
LinkedIn Profile
BluConnick Website

You can also subscribe to The Media Copilot newsletter (link in show notes) and visit mediacopilot.ai for exclusive resources, tools, and AI training courses built specifically for media professionals.

This episode of The Media CoPilot was produced by Pete Pachal, Executive Producer Michele Musso, and with video/audio editing by the Musso Media team. Produced by Musso Media. © 2025 Musso Media. All rights reserved.

Music: Favorite by Alexander Nakarada, licensed under Creative Commons by Attribution 4.0 License