The digital reset: a balancing act of content and targeted reach

Innovative media owners’ compelling content, and scale, is key to migrating audiences to digital platforms – even in uncertain times.

At first glance, neither revenue nor subscription data appears to indicate that the local media industry is currently “riding a tremendous wave of opportunity”, as Deloitte’s 2022 media industry outlook suggested.

Dig a little deeper, however, and it is clear the post-pandemic environment offers opportunities for innovative media owners.

Digital platforms received an unprecedented boost during the pandemic, growing subscriber numbers to record highs. The pandemic and lockdowns created an abnormal environment where people were stuck at home with time on their hands to search for information and content.

Declines in usage over the last 12 months were expected, as users returned to offices and resumed social activities. I view this period as a reset where audiences are going to find content in a post-pandemic world.

There is no question consumer behaviour has undergone a significant shift in recent years. This extends to how digital and even print media is consumed. During the lockdowns we saw a huge spike in niche content (most of it in print) like gardening, knitting, cooking and hobbies.

Now it’s load shedding impacting consumer behaviour

Fast-forward two years and load shedding is now impacting consumer behaviour. For example, shopping trips are more irregular, so opportunities to pick up a magazine while waiting to pay in a grocery store is for affected negatively.

We know that when consumers are online, they are looking to be informed of current events and entertained by escapist content.

This is quite an odd mix for traditional media brands: how do we tick all the boxes for our users on one platform without compromising credibility or entertainment value? This poses a massive opportunity for forward-thinking media owners.

Changes to business model

The biggest challenge for traditional media is obviously the change in our business model, as advertising revenue from traditional sources has shifted. In answer to this we refocused on our core premise: content. Delivering compelling, relevant, always-fresh quality content on world class platforms.

This has required significant investment, but we believe the digital subscription model is the answer to a changed business model.

To succeed in the current media environment, it is important to get closer to users and find ways to capitalise on those relationships. Audiences can no longer be judged on mere numbers; we need to know exactly who our audiences are, what interests them and what will hold their attention.

To achieve this requires staying abreast of changing trends, and holding one-on-one conversations with audiences as we find more effective and meaningful ways of engaging with them.

Restoring power to publishers

The imminent demise of third-party cookies restores power to publishers, who will create an environment where audiences feel comfortable sharing their personal information in exchange for access to quality content. The ultimate success – the holy grail – is when this value exchange is considered attractive enough for audiences to pay for it.

The resistance to paying for digital content was initially miscalculated by digital publishers across the globe. But Media24’s focus on delivering trustworthy content seamlessly to audiences is showing positive signs. Our successes include Media24’s Afrikaans news paywall platform, Netwerk24, which launched in 2014 and has now almost reached 100 000 subscribers.

Netwerk24’s success has been hugely dependent on our ability to provide compelling, original, and premium content for a specific audience. We have branched out by providing different content types, including audiobooks, games, short form soapies, and relevant video content. Essentially, it is content that is unique, exclusive, and compelling.

Significant audience credibility

SNL24.com launched in 2022 as a curated platform providing a home for Soccer Laduma, KICKOFF, Daily Sun, DRUM and TrueLove. It appeals to soccer fans and those in search of engaging news and entertaining lifestyle content.

Aimed at the middle and upper-middle markets, SNL24 boasts a potential target audience of 3.7 million and, when combined with an established print audience of 2.1 million, offers a comprehensive, integrated, and multi-platform communication opportunity for advertisers.

The brands represented on the platform all have significant audience credibility and loyalty and complement each other as a collective, together improving their individual abilities to retain eyeballs.

SNL24 taught us that scale improves our ability to migrate audiences to a digital platform – and it takes time to build new brands. The big opportunity for us now is to keep these audiences entertained and create compelling content that audiences are prepared to pay for.

We will continue to differentiate ourselves and build a more sustainable business model. The onus is on us to emphasise what sets us apart: Credibility and trustworthiness of our content and information. As well as the ease to access it. Because there is no question that a world without a credible and unbiased source of news, analysis and information would be a poorer one.