Future of Media 2013 Speaker Bio: Joseph Barbieri
Joseph Barbieri is Founder & President, BESPOKE Group Inc. and he sits on the Board of Directors of the Custom Content Council.
A marketing industry leader and expert in content marketing, Joseph brings more than 20 years of business development, marketing, media, advertising, publishing and executive leadership experience. His talent for growing relationships across multiple business categories has resulted in successful working relationships with global and North American blue-chip clients like P&G, GIECO, Bank of America, Aeroplan (AIMIA), Century21, Scotiabank, Mazda International, Sobeys, Canadian Tourism Commission, GM, Sotheby’s, L’Oreal, Kroger, Kraft Foods, Coca-Cola, Sears and more.
Joseph was responsible for securing one of North America’s largest branded media programs for P&G Beauty reaching 11 million consumers in Canada and the United States. Joseph’s accomplishments also include the launch of the GEICO NOW custom media program to 11 million customers across the U.S., and he took a lead role in the development and launch of the Mazda Zoom Zoom Global CRM program that reached nine countries in five languages, including the UK, U.S., Canada, Germany, Spain, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and in South America.
Joseph Barbieri is the former Senior Vice President Marketing & Business Development at Totem Brand Stories and Javelin Custom Publishing, and VP Content Solutions at TC Transcontinental. Under Joseph’s leadership Totem Brand Stories (formerly RedwoodCC) grew from a team of 12 to over 170 with over $60 million in revenues, making it a North American category leader. Joseph is an Ominicom alumnus, managing North American and global collaboration with executive leaders within the agency network, including; BBDO, Proximity, Integer, Fleishman Hilliard, Targetbase, Interbrand and more. He was responsible for RedwoodCC’s rebranding effort and the launch of the Totem brand, and played a key M&A role to support the acquisition of Totem by TC. Transcontinental Inc., a leading North American marketing communications company with more than $2.2 billion in annual revenues.
Follow him on Twitter at @JosephBarbieri
Future of Media Preview: A Q&A with Globe & Mail’s Steve Ladurantaye
The Future of Media event is under a month away, and we want to whet your appetite for the insightful analysis from media leaders from across North America. We first told you about BuzzFeed’s Jonathan Perelman and his views on content marketing. Now you can learn more about the intersection of advertising and journalism from Steve Ladurantaye, media reporter for Canada’s Globe & Mail newspaper, who will also appear at our March 14 event in Toronto.
Ladurantaye covers print media, publishing, broadcasting, but also touches on issues related to sports and entertainment businesses. As he describes his work day, he spends “a lot of time reading financials and talking to executives about what they are doing to salvage their businesses in some of the toughest conditions the industry has ever seen.”
We chatted with him about the role of branded content in journalism, emerging business models for newspaper and where he sees the Globe & Mail in five years.
Since we’re talking about branded content at Future of Media, tell us what you think about the rise in brand journalism, both in Canada and abroad? Is this good for journalists? The media field?
Anything that helps replace the money papers are losing on the print advertising side is good for journalists, provided we’re not crossing any ethical lines as we blur editorial and advertising. And that’s where the biggest misconceptions lie – branded content isn’t the same as advertorial. For as long as there have been trade magazines and papers, there have been special sections that run off of an editorial calendar so that the ad department can sell around the content.
But the advertiser has no say in the actual content, except maybe in a very broad sense (i.e. they’ll buy ad space as long as the stories are about a certain industry). So would a newspaper necessarily be all that interested in writing a series on the sustainable fibreglass Christmas tree industry? Probably not – but if an advertiser wants to underwrite that I’m sure there are some interesting stories to tell.
And while that’s all happening, the rest of the journalism gets to keep happening in the rest of the paper. Ideal situation? I’m not sure. But I personally prefer it to letting that money walk out the door permanently.
Your newspaper recently featured a piece about brand journalism. “Businesses that do it properly can create a huge competitive advantage, while increasing their credibility and relevancy in the marketplace.” Do you agree?
Sure. But first of all let’s call brand journalism what it is – it’s just PR with a fancy name. Think of how awesome it is for NASA to be its own broadcaster when it launches a piece of machinery to Mars and starts bossing it around. Is it good for the brand? I’m sure the positivity of it all casts a warm glow on the companies that do it well.
But I still think there’s something to be said for getting that same exposure from an outside source that is able to broaden the story, put it in context and package it in a way that makes it understandable. And this probably goes without saying – but in terms of the broader public discourse I’m not sure anyone would want to see a world where the main source of corporate news is the corporations themselves.
The media industry is still in turmoil. Paywalls are coming up to try to drive digital revenue. Social media managers are scrambling to ensure content goes viral. What do you see as a prescription for success for a print media outlet in Canada? What would you recommend to a publisher looking for advice?
If I was in a position to give publishers advice I’d be making a lot more money than the typical reporter, I suspect. But the one thing that I hear from a lot of people who spend their time thinking about this sort of thing is that the only advantage media companies have over their competitors at this point is staff – there are simply few other sources in any given community that can match the reporting firepower of the local newspaper.
Lots of other functions can be outsourced and centralized, but the true competitive advantage of companies who rely on content to make money are the people who generate that content. I think in the coming years we’ll see that owning and operating everything else – distribution, printing, HR, office management – will increasingly be seen as expensive luxuries.
Where do you see a publication like the Globe in five years from now? How will it look, how will it be consumed by readers?
I don’t think anyone knows that answer to that. The only thing we can do – and I’m speaking in generic terms here and not about any one paper – is make sure we’re investing the money that we are making now to build something that is going to start making money for us down the road.
What’s that going to be? Considering the pace of change and the way it’s accelerating – I think maybe we should start investing in news androids we can program to visit each subscriber’s house every morning. They could make them coffee and give them massages while reading them the day’s news. That would totally save journalism.
For our Q&A with Jonathan Perelman of BuzzFeed, also appearing at Future of Media on March 14, go here.
Future of Media Preview: A Q&A with BuzzFeed’s Jonathan Perelman
Media leaders from across North America will join a panel discussion at Digital Journal’s Future of Media event in Toronto on March 14, and we’re happy to have BuzzFeed represented at this event. Jonathan Perelman, Vice President of Agency Strategy and Development, focuses on educating advertising agencies on the BuzzFeed platform and ad products, known as a pioneer in sponsored content.
Before joining BuzzFeed, Perelman spent six years at Google, most recently as the Global Lead for Industry Relations.
To give you a taste of what he’ll discuss on March 14, Perelman answered questions about content marketing, the rise of the mobile Web, and why it’s important to create the most shareable online content.
Explain what you do daily at BuzzFeed and what your average day looks like.
Perelman: My days are all different which makes things exciting. I spend lots of time meeting with agencies and clients, educating the marketplace on BuzzFeed, our offerings, native advertising, developing a newsroom and more. I’m working on creating deals with agencies to have an always-on strategy, as those campaigns work best. I’m also doing a lot of work building our strategy for international expansion.
I always try to keep up on what’s happening in the industry, and I’ve been doing lots of speaking engagements. I also advise a politician, involved with foreign policy groups and non-profits, involved in a few start-ups and most importantly I have a wife and two amazing boys at home.
What has BuzzFeed done with its native advertising initiatives and how would you rate its success? What metric do you use to analyze efficacy?
Perelman: The only advertising we do is native. We have never run a traditional banner ad, and firmly believe that native and content is the future of advertising. I think we’re doing a great job ;), and the growth of our business seems to prove this out. More and more agencies and brands are coming to us to get into the native ‘advertorial’ game. We have over an 80% renewal rate (advertisers keep coming back), which is a testament to how well the product works. As for measuring the success of a campaign, we are driven to create the most shareable content on the web.
Our editors are doing that with amazing original reporting, and on the business side we are doing that with captivating, shareable ads. We average a 30% earned media lift (through sharing on the social networks) for campaigns, and we’re always looking to beat that benchmark. Engagement beats scale every time in my book!
How has your experience at Google informed your work at BuzzFeed?
Perelman: Google is among the most innovative companies in the history of the world, and that spark never leaves you. I learned so much from so many people, but a quote from Larry (CEO) ‘have a healthy disregard for the impossible’ is something I think about everyday. Five years ago the notion of a self-driving car was the stuff of science fiction; it will be in a dealership near you in the next five years. You learn that it’s important to have audacious goals and shoot for the moon. Google’s an amazing place; I’m honored to have been a part of it.
When you joined BuzzFeed, you were quoted in a press release stating “BuzzFeed is providing the product that agencies and holding companies are asking for…” Can you elaborate on how BuzzFeed is doing this?
Perelman: The notion of social, content marketing is something that I was hearing more and more from agencies and brands. Many have called 2013 as the year of content marketing and budgets are growing. I saw a study recently that said 70% of companies will use content marketing this year. I think this stems from the past several years brands were driving likes and followers, doing a great job of growing a base of fans.
However, they are asking ‘now what?’ The answer is content that is shareable, that’s exactly what we are doing at BuzzFeed.
What do you see as the challenges for brands to adopt a comprehensive content marketing program?
Perelman: The biggest challenge for bands is running the first campaign. With 70% of brands expecting to do content marketing this year, that barrier will be overcome. Often a brand wants to get it 100% right the first time. Content marketing is a process and brands have to be willing to give it appropriate attention, budget and people.
Brands should have realistic expectations for these campaigns, and know the more you do, the better they become.
What ‘s the future of social advertising? Where do you think it’ll go, globally?
Perelman: I think we are finally starting to get over calling it ‘digital media’ and now just calling it ‘media’. I hope we are also close to stop talking about mobile as a separate and distinct entity. Having a mobile strategy today is like having a laptop strategy 15 years ago.
With that said, the future is the mobile web. Over 1/3 of American adults own a tablet, and in the last 7 years Android and iOS have gone from 0% to 45% of operating systems connecting to the web. North America will lead the pack, however, Europe and Australia will be right behind. Soon after that Asia and Latin America will see the value and jump in. There has never been a more exciting time to be in this industry.
The upcoming Future of Media event will take place Thursday, March 14, 2013 at Toronto’s Drake Hotel Underground (1150 Queen Street West) at 8 p.m. Doors open at 7 p.m. and admission is free and open to the public. Note: Seating is limited so it will be first-come, first-served. Previous events have hit capacity very quickly so early arrival is highly recommended.
Future of Media event to discuss & debate branded content with experts from Digiday, Globe & Mail and /newsrooms
All-star panelists to delve into world of native advertising, brands as publishers, journalism’s role in sponsored content and where digital media is headed. Follow #FOM2013 on Twitter for updates
TORONTO — Digital Journal Inc. announced its next Future of Media event featuring some of the most influential leaders in media and branded content.
The event will take place March 14 in Toronto and will feature executives and leading experts from the Globe & Mail, Digiday, /newsrooms and the Custom Content Council.
Future of Media events are panel discussions that explore how current trends, technologies, business practices and social media innovation affect both the media industry and its audience. At this year’s event the focus will go beyond just media and look at marketing and advertising as well.
The upcoming Future of Media event will take place Thursday, March 14, 2013 at Toronto’s Drake Hotel Underground (1150 Queen Street West) at 8 p.m. Doors open at 7 p.m. and admission is free and open to the public. Note: Seating is limited so it will be first-come, first-served. Previous events have hit capacity very quickly so early arrival is highly recommended.
On the panel discussing the booming trend of branded content is: Josh Sternberg, reporter at digital media news outlet Digiday; Steve Ladurantaye, media reporter at the Globe & Mail; Sabaa Quao, Chief Marketing Officer of Digital Journal Inc. and co-founder of /newsrooms; and Joseph Barbieri, Founder & President of BESPOKE Group Inc. and Board member of the Custom Content Council. Future of Media discussions are must-see events for anyone interested in the rapidly changing landscape of media, the Web and digital technology. The March 14 event will focus particularly on a trend the digital media world is clamoring to talk about: brands as publishers.
The panel discussion will focus on the following topics:
- What is the role of branded content (aka brand journalism or content marketing) in media?
- How will branded content play a role in the future of media for both brands and media companies?
- What do brands need to know as they make the transition into becoming publishers?
- Should media companies and brands invest in branded content, and what are the pros and cons?
- Does sponsored content create an unholy alliance between brands and media companies?
- What role does everyone play in the branded content industry?
- How will agencies, marketers, journalists, brands and media companies collaborate and compete?
These are just a few of the hot topics to be discussed at the Future of Media event in March. The event will feature a live panel discussion followed by a Q&A session. Future of Media will be covered live on Twitter via the hashtag #FOM2013 and questions will be taken via Facebook and Twitter to pose to panelists.
Future of Media 2013 Speaker Bio: Josh Sternberg
Josh Sternberg is a Media/Publishing reporter for Digiday, covering the industry’s transition from an analog to a digital world.
He’s been published in The Atlantic, The Awl, The Huffington Post, Mashable & Mediaite., among other publications.
He first started his professional life as a professor at two New Jersey universities teaching communications and media courses.
After stepping out of the Ivory Tower, Josh went on into the public relations field, helping clients navigate through the messaging waters.
Following a almost a decade in PR, Josh made the transition to the journalism world to follow his love of words and the never-ending intriguing world of media.
Follow him on Twitter at @joshsternberg