1. Open and connected
A media strategy for today’s networked economy
Matt McAlister
Director of Digital Strategy
Guardian Media Group

2. Summary
✤ Positioning a media business in an open and connected world
✤ Measuring success through the M-U-S-E framework
✤ Applying the strategy to real projects

3. Closed Open

4. Connected
Closed Open
Standalone

5. Connected Business Models
Distribution Utility
Retail Participation
Standalone
Closed Open

6. Connected Business Models
Distribution Utility
Retail Participation
Standalone
clear paths to profitability by
reducing cost, increasing sales
Closed Open

7. Connected Business Models
Distribution Utility
Retail Participation
Standalone
optimising user and advertiser
relationships creates value
Closed Open

8. Connected Business Models
Distribution Utility
strategic partnerships uncover
new opportunities
Retail Participation
Standalone
Closed Open

9. Connected Business Models
Distribution Utility
growing by making others
successful has many rewards
Retail Participation
Standalone
Closed Open

10. Connected Business Models
Distribution Utility
(licensing) (taxes)
reat ion)
(mar ket c
Retail Participation
(buy to own) (pay for access)
Standalone
Closed Open

11. Standalone Connected
Closed
Open

12. Connected
rney
th e jou
st b egun
Standalone
h as ju
Closed Open

13. Standalone Connected
Closed
Open

14. Defining success for what we do

15. Internal External

16. Things
Internal External
Ideas

17. Things
Make Use
Evaluate Share
Ideas
Internal External

18. Things
Make Use
Evaluate Share
Ideas
Internal External

19. Make

20. Band info via Last.fm
Buy tracks via Amazon
Videos via YouTube

21. We know we’re doing well when...
✤ We make things quickly and cheaply
✤ Our work is high quality
✤ We make interesting, creative, groundbreaking things
✤ ...the things we make are appealing and useful.

22. Use

24. • self-serve content feeds for re-use
• 3,500 developers
• 400k UVs, 1M ad impressions (mo)

25. 0
750,000
1,500,000
2,250,000
3,000,000
M
ay
-
Ju 08
n-
0
Ju 8
l-0
Au 8
g-
Se 08
pt
-
O 08
ct
-
N 08
ov
-
D 08
ec
-
Ja 08
n-
Fe 09
b-
M 09
ar
-0
Ap 9
r-
M 09
ay
-
Ju 09
n-
0
Ju 9
l-0
Au 9
g-
Se 09
pt
-
O 09
• 220 blogs and sites
ct
-
N 09
ov
-
D 09
ec
-
Ja 09
n-
Fe 10
b-
M 10
ar
-1
Ap 0
r-
M 10
ay
-
Ju 10
n-
1
Ju 0
l-1
Au 0
• curated publishing partnerships
g-
Se 10
pt
-
• 2m UVs, 30m ad impressions (mo)
O 10
ct
-
N 10
ov
-1
0

26. We know we’re doing well when...
✤ Many people see or buy what we offer
✤ Customers dive into our products, spend time there, find them useful
✤ Many partners use our stuff, and they are making money as a result
✤ Our market share in all the things we offer is strong
✤ ...people value what we do enough to expand on it.

27. Share

32. User
Tag
URL

33. Ad
User
Tag
URL

34. We know we’re doing well when...
✤ People both implicitly and explicitly indicate interests in things
✤ They spread our work across their networks resulting in more actions
✤ They contribute information and participate in conversations
✤ ...what people share improves what we know.

35. Evaluate

38. The cost of flying the British (and
other) flags: £95,506, as reader
Sam Keir points out.
A spokesperson for the Department
for Culture, Media and Sport said it
was responsible for providing and
managing the flag-flying services for
ceremonial state occasions,
including state visits, trooping of the
colour and special flag days, for
example Commonwealth Day, UN
Day and Europe Day.

39. We know we’re doing well when...
✤ We see important trends early. People share important info with us.
✤ We can handle a lot of inputs, and our cost of analysis is low.
✤ We are good at verifying information. We are honest and fair.
✤ ...what we learn improves what we make.

40. Applying the strategy

41. Product metrics unifiy efforts
via MUSE framework.
Questions designed for easy
comparison across portfolio.

42. Answers weighted and scored
according to overall business
goals. Totals compared by
MUSE metrics.

43. Product X

44. Product
Y

45. Product Z

46. The journey to an
open and connected world...
From To
Building things Empowering people
Selling things Creating markets

47. Thank you
Matt McAlister
matt.mcalister@guardian.co.uk
@mattmcalister
http://www.mattmcalister.com/