OUR WORK
towards your north star
The first Subscriptions Academy in 2020 was a 9-month collaborative effort by the Google News
Initiative, the International News Media Association (INMA) and FT Strategies, helping news publishers strengthen their digital subscriptions capabilities and grow reader revenue.
- Formalised the Financial Times’ North Star framework, which it had used to reach its goal of one million paying subscribers in 2019, a year ahead of schedule, so that it could be applied to any business model
- Delivered program to four of the eight leading European publishers
- Lead author of the end-of-program report
The cohort achieved annual D2C revenue increases of more than 150%.
THE ART AND SCIENCE of experimentation for growth
The second Subscriptions Academy ran in 2021 with a fresh cohort of 8 European news publishers, including El Pais and The Irish Independent. This report drills down into a key feature of the North Star framework: experimentation.
- Adapted the FT’s mature methodology into a ‘lite’ version of the FT’s model to give businesses setting a new strategy the opportunity to test their hypotheses swiftly yet in a robust way
- Project managed overall delivery of the program and focused on delivery to four publishers
- Lead author of the end-of-program report
Publishers reported accelerated learning, cost savings, increased reader-centricity, and a better data-driven culture.
ORGANISING FOR subscriptions GROWTH
The third Subscriptions Academy in 2022 included publishers such as Der Spiegel, la Repubblica and The Irish Times. This report examines how D2C businesses can meet their ambitious goals, harnessing the power of their entire organisation.
- Developed the organisation principles and the practical initiatives that support these
- Directed the delivery of the program and led delivery to four publishers
- Lead author of the end-of-program report
The cohort reported better levels of communication, swifter resolution of conflicting priorities, and an increased focus on data as an internal language.
AI DESIGN SPRINT
In November 2023, FT Strategies brought together cross- functional teams from 19 publishers at Google’s central London headquarters to run an AI Design Sprint. This was
a full-day workshop which provided them with a way to make tangible progress using AI to support their business.
- Designed the format and content of the workshop
- Co-host of the day and solo delivered module on Action Planning – the people, processes and technology needed to implement AI in an organisation
By the end of the day, each publisher had an 80%-designed AI solution to help them take advantage of an identified business opportunity. Many of these have now been baked into BAU activity.
NORTH STAR FOUNDATION
A five-day hands-on programme with a cross-functional team from each of ~12 publishers. They are guided through each step of the North Star framework methodology by facilitators and additional experts. It helped them set an ambitious 3-5 year goal, establish the outcomes necessary to achieve this, generate hypotheses on tactics, and to test them robustly. It also taught techniques for action planning and embedding the output of the week in each business.
- Designed the concept and content of the program
- Led delivery of several virtual weeks to pan-European cohorts, and in-person in Dubai (MENA), Vienna (DACH)
The program has been a great success and rolled out to France, Poland, South East Asia, and Africa.
THE RISE OF THE DIGITAL AUDIO ADVERTISER
In 2017, DAX (Global), Europe’s largest radio company, commissioned MTM London to explore advertisers’ and media agencies’ perceptions of digital audio. In particular, the research focused on the role that digital audio advertising plays within media plans, the reasons why advertisers and agencies use digital audio, and on the industry’s expectations for the future trajectory of digital audio.
- Designed survey of 220 manager-level and above executives at media agencies and advertisers
- Conducted depth interviews with 12 senior executives from media agencies and major brand advertisers
- Co-authored report
engaging SOUTH ASIAN communities
In 2018, The England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) created a comprehensive and ambitious 11 point action plan to better engage with South Asian communities across England
and Wales.
- Ran workshops across the country, in key locations, engaging with a cross-section of South Asian communities, to gather invaluable feedback from nearly 600 people
- Analysed and evaluated data collated from surveys of tens of thousands of respondents
- Contributed to a further 20 focus groups, 16 in-depth interviews and 500 telephone interviews to build understanding of the community needs, challenges and barriers
PuBlic servce broadcasting in the internet age
In 2015, Ofcom conducted its third Review of Public Service Broadcasting (PSB). It considered the performance of the PSB system as a whole, the potential challenges it would face in the future, and ways in which the system might be maintained and strengthened.
- Conducted consultation and analysis over a 12-month period
- Co-ordinated roadshow events with stakeholders from across the industry
- Commissioned analysis across the range of issues covered in the review
- Lead author of final report
OFCOM ANNUAL PLAN 2012/13
Each year Ofcom compiles its Draft Annual Plan of its strategic purposes, proposed priorities and work programme for the following financial year. It takes into account ongoing wider market developments, including the changing consumer use of communications services, and legislative changes to its duties, including in this edition the regulation of postal services.
- Consulted and negotiated with Directors in each of Ofcom’s strategic areas
- Drafted the final list of priorities and activites
- Authored the final annual plan
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