Good times are no reason to ease up on publishing perseverance

Published: 28 Oct 2021
Author: Richard Reeves

In recent weeks, I’ve noticed a sense of mission accomplished sweeping across the industry as each new report brings more good news — including IPA Bellwether findings of bigger marketing budgets and confidence in Q3.

But welcome as signs of ongoing recovery are, my thoughts keep turning to some shrewd advice about maintaining forward motion. With more than an echo of previously quoted lines from Rudyard Kipling, former US president Barack Obama once said; “If you’re walking down the right path and you’re willing to keep walking, eventually you’ll make progress."

Right now, these words seem especially relevant. While positive numbers might indicate that we have made it through the greatest pandemic difficulties, this shouldn’t be taken as cause for complacency. Harnessing rising economic buoyancy in the media ecosystem will mean carrying on with a job that’s never done — strengthening the foundations of digital publishing by addressing key challenges, adapting to change, and driving mutual motivation.

Or in short: showing relentless determination to do better.

Closing fast-growing talent gaps

Attracting exceptional people is always important, but there are several reasons why it’s an increasingly major focus. Following COVID-19 lockdowns and home working, many individuals have had more space to assess what matters to them and discover new career paths that align with their needs, views, and values. Mass re-evaluation, however, has also fuelled higher cross-sector UK job vacancies than ever; reaching one million in July.

Alongside recruitment shortages, publishers have also faced specific industry concerns. During monthly AOP CRUNCH webinars, talent has proved a recurring theme; with members and speakers underscoring the requirement for different hiring approaches to boost industry equality, as well as enhancing audience trust in content truth. This not only includes discussions around how publishers can win favour with new generations of ethically minded leaders, but also which steps must be taken to tackle long-standing problems, such as under-representation of diverse communities among journalism teams.

Further conversation is clearly vital and that’s what we aim to achieve at CRUNCH 4.6. On 25th November, we’ll be looking at ways publishers can make working environments more inclusive and exploring best practices for avoiding unconscious bias, engaging with diverse talent and collaborating with advertisers and agencies to deliver greater change across the industry. Register for your place here if you’d like to be part of the discussion, we’re looking forward to hearing your ideas.

Taking the wheel of smart machines

Amid endless technological advances, publishers also have a constantly replenishing range of tools to choose from — and often more questions than answers about which solutions they should add to their stack. To regain control and seize varied opportunities for future-proofing their business models, enhancing revenue, and improving audience connections, it’s critical to keep up with the latest innovations through non-stop learning.

At the AOP, we believe in providing easy access to essential knowledge and this was the core thinking behind our very first Publishing Tech Talk event. Launched with founding partners Google and Xandr, the four-day event was curated based on feedback from our board members.

Sessions covered hot topics such as how publishers can use their first party data effectively with help from the latest tech. Deep dives offered guidance on earning optimal value from premium content in the complex advertising marketplace, in addition to smart management of subscription and membership packages. And there’s still more. Because we want insights to be widely accessible, they are viewable on demand via an open learning page; check out handy videos and articles, as well as podcasts where I quiz industry leaders on burning issues.

Finding new sources for motivation

Inspiration to aim higher and go beyond the norm has traditionally come from great leaders, such as the likes of Obama. While role models like these continue to spark enthusiasm or action, they are now joined by a greater array of people whose efforts went unsung before the pandemic outbreak. See, for instance, the frontline health, transport, and community workers recognised for their contributions in the 2021 New Year’s Honours.

For me, this shift has given a key lesson in valuing everyday achievements. The publishing sector is not only home to many organisations that helped lift the burden of pandemic challenges by providing useful and timely information — including The Lancet’s Coronavirus Resource Centre and free educational materials from Pearson — but also individuals quietly making a difference to their teams, colleagues, and businesses.

Taking motivation from our own ‘heroes’ will enrich the sector on multiple levels. As well as demonstrating more appreciation for outstanding people that elevates quality and innovation benchmarks, it will spotlight the need to keep refining industry culture: striving to stimulate extraordinary thinking by incorporating diverse voices, opinions, and abilities.

All too frequently, the benefits of perseverance are overlooked. Continuing to forge ahead even if the going is good doesn’t reveal a failure to recognise prosperity when it arrives. Steady action demonstrates wise understanding that success can only be sustained through persistent hard work and dedication. Despite the temptation to declare pandemic-mitigation complete, digital publishers must stay focused on putting themselves in the best possible position to tap upcoming opportunities.