Jonathon Whiteley spent more than 25 years at the UK-based B2B Incisive Media, including seven years at CEO, latterly including as CEO (Europe) of the Arc Network which had acquired the 27-year-old company in 2022. In May, he left to become CEO of the pe-owned Real Deals Media, provider of media and events – to private equity. Whiteley told us the 10 things he had learned as a virtual lifer at Incisive…
1. Success in media businesses hinges on people and culture. Top media companies focus on hiring and nurturing talent, fostering a culture that is positive, curious, risk-taking, inclusive, and celebrates success. Humanity, decency, and integrity are essential for success.
2. “Perfection is the enemy of progress.” Successful media companies thrive on continuous momentum. While everything doesn’t have to be perfect, standing still is not an option.
3. A vibrant culture of high-standards journalism is essential. Strong editorial brands create a halo effect that supports subscription, data, event, and marketing services businesses.
4. Stay focused on the key drivers of success. It’s easy to get distracted by new and shiny trends, but maintaining strategic focus is crucial.
5. B2B media is only as robust as the industry it serves. A deep understanding and ongoing investment in audience and client engagement are vital. Market dynamics, digitisation, regulation, and supply chains are evolving rapidly across all sectors, and we must keep pace with these changes to serve our audiences effectively.
6. The most valuable, resilient, and sustainable businesses are those that focus narrowly but deeply on a few valuable sectors. They achieve growth through organic product development and targeted M&A to create or acquire additional products and services for these sectors.
7. There is a difference between having a good year and building a growing business. Focus on the underlying processes – content, product, and go-to-market strategies that drive sustainable growth over the long term.
8. The best brands are continuously reinvented. They honour their heritage and core values while staying relevant to changing audiences and markets.
9. Develop a core set of valuable KPIs and prioritise them. Media businesses often track too many, sometimes conflicting, metrics. Identify and focus on the data points that truly reflect your business’s performance.
10. Enjoy the journey. Our sector is one of the most vibrant, intelligent, creative, and fun. Take time to reflect and appreciate the people and their impact.
