Nº 252: 10 a observar en Contenido y Comercio

Quien controle la oferta y la demanda dominará Internet. Los editores reconocen que deben convertirse en ecosistemas completos para prosperar y el comercio es un componente clave (de nuevo).

El movimiento "contenido y comercio" se daba por muerto cuando Ben Lerer (Thrillist) y Jason Ross (JackThreads) decidieron separarse. Este fracaso (pista: en realidad no fue un fracaso) animó a muchos en el mundo editorial a proclamar que el comercio no funcionaba.

En todas las redacciones, de costa a costa, muchos ejecutivos de la industria editorial ignoraron la inversión en comercio electrónico entre 2014 y 2017. Se dio prioridad a los equipos de marketing de afiliación sobre los de ventas de anuncios y, como resultado, los artículos bien escritos pasaron de ser escaparates literarios a collages de productos para comprar. A medida que las ventas de anuncios siguen disminuyendo y las ventas de afiliados se mantienen en terreno inestable, muchos de los editores digitales más saludables tuvieron una especie de cambio de paradigma:

• ¿Cómo nos independizamos de plataformas como Facebook?
• ¿Cómo protegerse contra la caída de las ventas de publicidad y el debilitamiento del mercado de afiliados?
• ¿Cómo fomentamos la comunidad entre nuestros lectores?

Para muchas publicaciones digitales, tanto de suscripción como de no suscripción, el merchandising se ha utilizado para abordar cada una de estas cuestiones. Al crear comunidad, las publicaciones se convierten en un destino. Digiday cubrió este fenómeno: "La historia detrás de esa bolsa de mano del New Yorker".

El símbolo imprescindible de la sofisticación urbana en 2017 no fueron los Yeezys ni los vaqueros rotos. Fue un bolso de mano que The New Yorker regala a los nuevos suscriptores.

La bolsa en sí no es nueva -ha sido un regalo que la revista ha dado desde 2014-, pero gracias a Donald Trump y a un diseño icónico, la bolsa se convirtió en un éxito. El departamento de marketing de la revista ha distribuido más de 500.000 entre los nuevos suscriptores y los ya existentes, que pronto empezaron a pedir sus propias bolsas.

So below, we have super powers of ten publishers that are ahead of the curve:

GOOP (venture-backed digital publisher):

Gwyneth Paltrow’s venture is unabashed about commerce promotion and her journalists are on board. Though Goop has journalism careerist in Elise Loehnen on staff as the Head of Content, eCommerce takes the top billing, above the fold. Though their digital platform is clearly eCommerce-first, the first two issues of the new print publication is as journalism-first as it gets. It’s a well-done magazine.

Crooked Media (podcast network): 

Jon Favreau and Jon Lovett are running the most powerful podcast network in America. They aren’t just building a new-aged content business, their super power is simple: Crooked is the tip of the resistance spear. In 2017, they launched eCommerce with Cotton Bureau and moved 40,000+ units that have ended up on community members on TedX stages and NBA post-game press conferences.  With the advent of a new Crooked.com, they’ve taken control of their audio / journalism / and merchandising plays and it seems to be working.

BuzzFeed (venture-backed digital publisher): 

When Ben Kaufmann took over at BuzzFeed, I knew that greatness was in store. And he hasn’t disappointed. His leadership has seen an increase in commerce activity and it’s clear that BuzzFeed’s commerce super power is agility. Here is a shortlist of their active stores and direct to consumer plays: buzzfeed.com/shopping tastyshop.com homesick.com shop.nifty.co shop.buzzfeed.com wordywine.com duplobricknames.com muralkit.com glamspin.com socialsabotage.com

Barstool Sports (venture-backed digital publisher):

You can disagree with Dave Portnoy’s antics and still recognize that Barstool has something special. This New York office’s super power is that male adolescence sells. Just ask Rob Gronkowski’s marketing agent. And for now, at least, college-aged men are still attracted to this rambunctious lifestyle.

Criminal (top podcast): 

Phoebe Judge and Lauren Spohrer led the charge and developed a true-crime podcast that would influence dozens of others. They have had great success in commerce, eventually shutting down their own store for Cotton Bureau’s new store offering. Their super power is focus. Because they’ve outsourced all eCommerce operations to Pittsburgh’s Cotton Bureau, it’s allowed them to stay ahead of the curve in a tightening podcast industry.

Gear Patrol (independent digital publisher):

Eric Yang and Ben Bowers cofounded this company in 2007 and I am proud to have worked with them. This publisher’s super power is diversity in the senior ranks of the company and the autonomy to move on hunches.  One bi-product of that diversity was a refocused effort between the ad sales and commerce teams. The Westerlind x Gear Patrol digital / bricks partnership emphasize an effort to lead in outdoorsman-focused lifestyle and merchandising.

New York Times (publicly-traded digital publisher): 

I was standing with NYT’s Talis Lin when he foretold the Times’ revamped efforts with Shopify Plus and these new efforts haven’t disappointed. Like Crooked Media and the New Yorker, the Times’ executive team has recognized that a readership is a community and they’ve built a selection of products that foster this community. One of the most trafficked pages in the store? Merchandise for The Daily is moving like hot cakes. The New York Times’ super power is thinking like a young, independent publisher.

The West Wing Weekly (top podcast):

Joshua Molina and Hrishikesh Hirway launched TWWW as an homage to one of the most beloved shows on television and it happens to be one of the most well-merchandised podcasts in the industry. They just get it. Community is about highlighting hidden jokes and themes that only the biggest fans will recognize. Merchandising is more than logos, it’s a badge of honor for community members.

Here is a one-off exchange from Season four of The West Wing, it inspired one of their most popular products:

JOSH: Who’s at the event?
DONNA: Aimee Mann, the Barenaked Ladies, Chrissie Hynde, Sixpence None The Richer, Aaron Neville, Diamondback Whale, Daisy Chain, Next Big Thing, The Cruel Shoes, and Single-Cell Paramecium.
JOSH: You’ve just been practicing for when I asked the question, right?
DONNA: Yes.
JOSH: And you made up Cruel Shoes?
DONNA: No, Single-Cell Paramecium.

Uncrate (independent digital publisher):

This Columbus, Ohio buying guide has featured some of the coolest things on the internet. Years of those features will lead to some strong relationships. In 2017, Uncrate launched Supply and sourced a succession of product collaborations that were well-designed. Product sourcing is this independent publisher’s super power. 

Showtime (publicly-traded subscription service): 

Axe Capital is one of the most intriguing fictional companies on television. It should be no surprise that I’ve stumbled upon a handful of sophisticated finance-types wearing these branded hedge fund vests on a spring day in Manhattan. They are in on the joke.

But more than just intellectual property hawking, Showtime is innovating here. Their store software is capable of overlaying store content on screen during broadcasts.

Connekt’s patent for T-Commerce enables seamless and secure viewer engagement and checkout by combining consumer profiles with pre-existing registration services.

Showtime is preparing for an Apple TV-driven entertainment world where purchasing products is as simple as authorizing your iTunes account to spend $44.95 for the XL vest that Bobby Axlerod was wearing. Hey, he’s the rare villain that you root for.

As media and brand converge, controlling the ecosystem is key for many players. Success in merchandising is a foremost indicator that a publisher’s existing community can grow by word of mouth and without the pull of fickle social networks or a decreasing advertising business.

Web Smith, Editor | web@2pml.com | @web