Open and connected

Open and connected

A media strategy for today’s networked economy

Matt McAlisterDirector of Digital StrategyGuardian Media Group

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

Closed Open

Closed Open

Connected

Standalone

Distribution Utility

Retail Participation

Closed Open

Con

nect

edSt

anda

lone

Business Models

Distribution Utility

Retail Participation

Closed Open

Con

nect

edSt

anda

lone

Business Models

clear paths to profitability by reducing cost, increasing sales

Distribution Utility

Retail Participation

Closed Open

Con

nect

edSt

anda

lone

Business Models

optimising user and advertiser relationships creates value

Distribution Utility

Retail Participation

Closed Open

Con

nect

edSt

anda

lone

Business Models

strategic partnerships uncover new opportunities

Distribution Utility

Retail Participation

Closed Open

Con

nect

edSt

anda

lone

Business Models

growing by making others successful has many rewards

Distribution(licensing)

Utility(taxes)

Retail(buy to own)

Participation(pay for access)

Closed Open

Con

nect

edSt

anda

lone

Business Models

(market creation)

Closed Open

Con

nect

edSt

anda

lone

Closed Open

Con

nect

edSt

anda

lone

the journey

has just begun

Closed Open

Con

nect

edSt

anda

lone

Defining success for what we do

Internal External

Internal External

Things

Ideas

Make Use

ShareEvaluate

Thin

gsId

eas

Internal External

Make Use

ShareEvaluate

Thin

gsId

eas

Internal External

Make

Band info via Last.fm

Buy tracks via Amazon

Videos via YouTube

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.

Use

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

0

750,000

1,500,000

2,250,000

3,000,000

May-08

Jun-0

8Ju

l-08

Aug-08

Sept-0

8

Oct-08

Nov-08

Dec-08

Jan-0

9

Feb-09

Mar-09

Apr-09

May-09

Jun-0

9Ju

l-09

Aug-09

Sept-0

9

Oct-09

Nov-09

Dec-09

Jan-1

0

Feb-10

Mar-10

Apr-10

May-10

Jun-1

0Ju

l-10

Aug-10

Sept-1

0

Oct-10

Nov-10

• curated publishing partnerships• 220 blogs and sites• 2m UVs, 30m ad impressions (mo)

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.

Share

UserTag

URL

UserTag

URL

Ad

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.

Evaluate

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.

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.

Applying the strategy

Product metrics unifiy efforts via MUSE framework.

Questions designed for easy comparison across portfolio.

Answers weighted and scored according to overall business

goals. Totals compared by MUSE metrics.

Product X

ProductY

Product Z

The journey to an open and connected world...

From To

Building things Empowering people

Selling things Creating markets

Thank you

Matt McAlister

matt.mcalister@guardian.co.uk @mattmcalisterhttp://www.mattmcalister.com/