What exactly is convergence, and what are you doing about it. This is a primer for traditional publishers in emerging markets. Are you taking advantage of digital distribution? Is your content web-ready?

1. How To Be A
Digital Media
Company
In Five Easy Steps
Victor Amani
A Primer for Traditional Publishers

2. Why change? Why now?
 Keeping up with the Joneses – NOT a good
idea unless you’ve got cash to burn.
 Market pressures – fine, but what if they
abate? Will you ditch your Digital switch?
 Transformation is possible, BUT you must
pace yourself.

3. Why change? Why now?
 Traditional publishing value systems will need
to change. (Q: Do you have one, what is it
anyway?)
 Can’t slash and crash this like some sort of
short-term project. Commitment. YOU Must
Commit.

4. Step 1: So what’s the deal?
 Popular news brands NOT always popular on
the Web.
 Few regular updates, long news cycles, too
deep, not ‘spicey.’
 Textual, monolithic content. Few visuals.
 Site flow – restrictive.

5. Step 1: Culture/Values
This Is YOU
Dreamers
Ambitious
Consensus-
seekingIndecisive
RestrictiveReactive
Solitary
Compart
mentalize
d / Siloed
Secretive

6. Step 1: Culture/Values
This Is The Internet
Proactive
Utilitarian
Collaborative
Quick
CasualOblique
(Random)
Creative
Dynamic/
In A Flux
Open

7. Q: Do you see THE GAPS?
What should you change?

8. Step 2: Check your resources
 How popular is your brand?
 How’s your network? Local journos? Deploy
them to create a niche-player advantage.
 Goodwill: Are you trusted, credible? Is your
audience willing to pay for content?
 Corporate buy-in: Are your corporate
overlords even talking ‘Digital’?
Convergence?

9. Q: What ELSE do you have
going for you?
What assets/advantages can
you leverage to turn your
company into a DMC?

10. Step 3: What you need to do
 Change How You Work
Urgency, speed, responsive reporting as cultural
values. Links to:
 Decentralize
Upskill, Empower, Step Back, Lead From The
Middle. The Web is a democracy. Everyone is an
editor.

11. Step 3: What you need to do
 Share
Plans, Tips, Strategy. Collaborate. Don’t be
resistant. Kill the silos.
 Speculate To Accumulate
Spend. Buy Up, Buy In, Take Risks. It’s how Big
Media gets into tech.

12. Q: There IS a LOT more you
can/ought to do, so what else?

13. Step 4: When? How Soon?
 If you’re reading this you’re probably sort of late
already. So GO! Now!
 Macro factors: Greater access to the net (12-15%
of EA online), lower data costs, cheaper
connectivity (cheap smartphones, Mi-Fi,
unrestricted connection sharing).
 Are YOU taking advantage of ALL this?

14. Step 5: Emergent Digital Strategy
BANZAI!
ATTACK
RETREAT
REGROUP ADAPT
DEPLOY