How Tim Burrowes helped build Mumbrella into a $7 million media brand
Aug 21, 2024
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Tim Burrowes, co-founder of the renowned media brand Mumbrella, discusses his journey from traditional journalism to digital innovation. He shares how Mumbrella quickly gained traction with a lively comment section and industry events that raked in millions. Tim explains the strategic decisions behind selling the brand and dives into his latest venture, Unmade, emphasizing the power of Substack and an email-first approach. He also addresses the current challenges of launching media companies in a saturated market, highlighting the need for unique content and audience engagement.
Tim Burrowes co-founded Mumbrella in response to frustrations with print media's neglect of online publishing, rapidly building it into a major industry platform.
After selling Mumbrella, Burrowes launched Unmade, focusing on unique content and leveraging a newsletter model to adapt to a competitive media landscape.
Deep dives
Frustration with Traditional Media
Tim Burroughs discusses his early career in journalism, highlighting his frustration with traditional print media’s approach to digital publishing. He noted that during the mid-2000s, many journalists faced a similar discontentment as their employers prioritized print while neglecting online growth. This dissatisfaction motivated him to co-found Mumbrella in 2008, aiming to create a platform that embraced digital content with a focus on the media industry. His experience in various types of journalism, including local newspapers and B2B publications, equipped him with valuable skills to launch a successful online venture.
The Rise of Mumbrella
Mumbrella quickly gained traction due to its unique approach of publishing up to 15 articles daily, utilizing a gossipy comments section that attracted a devoted audience. The blog capitalized on the existing gap in the market by offering timely, engaging content while traditional competitors were still bound to a print-centric mentality. This niche focus on Australian media and marketing allowed Mumbrella to thrive, and within a few years, it became a prominent name, generating significant revenue through advertising and hosting influential industry events. The combination of social media, affordable email distribution, and a community-driven comment section amplified its reach and engagement.
Expansion and Revenue Diversification
Mumbrella evolved not just as a blog but also as a key player in the media industry events space, hosting conferences like Mumbrella 360. These events reinforced community connections and generated substantial revenue, showcasing the growing demand for industry-related networking opportunities in Australia. The strategic focus on a combination of online content and in-person events proved to be a lucrative model, attracting sponsorship deals from major media companies and agencies. Over the years, Mumbrella demonstrated its adaptability by diversifying its revenue streams beyond just advertising, laying a strong foundation for scalability.
Transition to Unmade
After selling Mumbrella in 2017, Burroughs launched his new media startup, Unmade, which aims to provide in-depth analysis of the Australian media landscape. Drawing upon insights from his previous experience, he took advantage of a more saturated and competitive digital media environment while focusing on creating unique content that differentiates his brand from others. Unmade leverages a newsletter model supported by Substack, balancing paid subscriptions with advertising to monetize its audience. Burroughs is also delving into multimedia with podcasts, underscoring his commitment to engaging with a contemporary audience while navigating the evolving media landscape.
Like a lot of journalists in the mid-2000s, Tim Burrowes grew frustrated with his employer’s print mentality and its tendency to treat online publishing as an afterthought. At the time, he worked for an Australian trade magazine that covered that country’s media industry.
So in 2008, he and two co-founders decided to launch Mumbrella, a competing blog that published upwards of 15 times a day. Its gossipy comments section quickly attracted an audience of bored office workers, and within a few years it was hosting multiple industry events that collectively generated millions of dollars.
In a recent interview, Tim explained how Mumbrella made such a big splash so quickly, why he and his co-founders decided to sell it, and what he’s doing differently with his newest media startup.
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