The Rebooting Show

Reid DeRamus, an expert in streaming video businesses with experience at Hulu and HBO Max, dives into the challenges and strategies of building independent media ventures. He highlights the shift from large media institutions to individual creators, emphasizing the importance of consistency and authenticity. The conversation touches on monetization techniques, discussing the balance between sponsorship and subscription models. Reid also explores audience engagement, adaptability, and the need for strategic revenue generation amidst the evolving digital landscape.

In this Spotlight episode, Josh Brandau, CEO of The Rebooting partner Nota, discusses how AI can be a critical tool for newsrooms in a more-with-less era. osh is a publishing veteran having been CRO and CMO at the Los Angeles Times. That informed his decision to create Nota since like other publishers he saw legacy media struggling to adopt technologies that underpin sustainable businesses. We discuss the inefficiencies inherent in a lot of newsrooms that end up taking scarce resources away from the actual news reporting, and how tasks like versioning, content optimization, SEO and tagging can be sped along with an AI assist. We also take a big picture view of where journalism goes in an AI world, licensing as a growing revenue source and how AI could create other new revenue streams as publishers inevitably move beyond efficiency and begin to create new products that improve the customer experience.

Fitt Insider, a media brand for the fitness and wellness industry, is a good example of the type of media brand that hits on many of the current trends in the industry:Niche. The fitness and broader wellness industry is a growing area that will only expand.B2B.  The most robust media models are B2B or targeting influential audiences with similar approaches.Direct. Fitt relies on podcasts for engagement and its 100,000 email subscriber list for audience data and a direct connection. Organic. Too many newsletters are growth hacked. Fitt Insider has traded slower growth for a quality list that has open rates near 75%.Expertise. Fitt Insider’s founders, Anthony and Joe Venare, are fitness industry experts, having owned gyms and invested in the space.Media flywheel. The best media models tend to make most of their money in media-adjacent areas. For Fitt, this is through its recruiting and consulting arms.Anthony Vennare joined me on The Rebooting Show to break down the Fitt Insider model, and how he views media more expansively. That’s led him to forgo the typical ads and marketing heavy approaches to monetization. 

This week, I was joined by one of my favorite media entrepreneurs, Adam White. Adam has built Front Office Sports from a college project to the $10 million in revenue mark, with backing from Jeff Zucker's Redbird IMI.Some of the topics we covered:Why investing in creative strategy is critical to break through with big brands. The “faces and franchises” approach. The limits of built-if-sold projects. The decision to put off subscriptions.

Adam Mendelsohn operates at the nexus of sports, media, business and culture. Adam is a longtime advisor to LeBron James and his business partner Maverick Carter. He’s a communications advisor to many athletes and companies. And he’s recently rolled out his own sports platform, OffBall, which is something of a throwback to a pre-algorithmic era where Drudge report and other curators reigned supreme.We discussed:The genesis and vision behind OffBall, a new sports media ventureThe long-term impact of "The Decision" on sports media and athlete communicationsThe shift towards human curation in content discoveryThe evolving landscape of sports journalism and brand partnershipsThe rise of women's sports and international leagues in the U.S. marketThe importance of storytelling and character development in sports media

This discussion dives into the pivotal antitrust trial against Google, scrutinizing its monopolistic grip on digital advertising since acquiring DoubleClick. Experts reveal the transformation of ad tech and the controversial rise of auction manipulation allegations. Discover how header bidding reshapes revenue opportunities for publishers, countered by Google's resistance. A deep dive into historical practices and their implications sets the stage for significant changes ahead in the landscape of digital advertising.

Scott Messer, founder of Messer Media and former senior vice president at Leaf Group, dishes on the shifting landscape of digital publishing. He highlights traffic declines as a top concern for publishers and discusses the move away from traditional ad monetization. Scott explores the rise of retail media as allies and introduces 'curation' as the newest trend, linking it to long-standing ad network practices. The chat also touches on how AI is transforming content quality and challenges the industry faces in adapting to these changes.

Lavin Punjabi, CEO of Affinity Global, offers a deep dive into the shifting landscape of affiliate marketing. He highlights how legacy publishers are racing to catch up with performance-driven models, often battling internal silos between editorial and sales teams. Lavin discusses the pivotal role of quality content post-pandemic and the potential of AI to bridge technological gaps. He also contrasts traditional institutions with emerging influencers, underscoring the need for authenticity in today's competitive market.

Ana Andjelic, a veteran brand executive and writer focused on the Sociology of Business, dives deep into the shifting landscape of brand marketing. She tackles the internet's impact on brand competition, emphasizing how traditional advertising has shifted to performance marketing. Ana also discusses the complexities of direct-to-consumer strategies, the importance of storytelling in maintaining brand identity, and how creating real-world experiences can drive genuine demand. She highlights the rise of niche markets, stressing the need for brands to adapt in a rapidly evolving ecosystem.

This discussion dives into how AI is reshaping the publishing industry. Experts emphasize the importance of direct audience engagement and staying true to a unique brand voice. Mundane tasks can be streamlined with AI, but using it ineffectively could dilute distinctiveness. The conversation also reflects on the historical evolution of publishing tech and the critical role of content management systems, especially WordPress, in maintaining a competitive edge amidst industry shifts.