Trends in Media Business Models

You can tell a trend is transitioning from conversation to tangible reality when companies are restructuring teams based on a new normal in the market. Right now, this is happening at the intersection of affiliate and influencer marketing. We're seeing large, sophisticated companies merge their influencer, affiliate, and sometimes PR teams under a "Partnerships" umbrella to manage all the third-party partners, particularly with an acquisition/performance focus. Creators are slowly but surely taking over in the attention economy, and as a result, they're becoming the "affiliates" of the future. In the past, people looked to large media publishers like Wire Cutter or "Gift Guides" to figure out what to buy. Now, they get inspired to buy by the influencers they follow, oftentimes aligned with a passion or expertise they hold. This shift means brands are now interacting with people instead of large companies, which are totally different stakeholders with totally different priorities. Brand Partnership teams need to know how to appeal to someone whose business is their online persona, not a large, bureaucratic media company. I think this creates a HUGE opportunity for smaller, up-and-coming brands to break through without the systematic inertia and incumbent bias of the past, but you need to know how to build relationships, make those partners feel special, and stand out amongst the crowd. What Lily Comba and the team Superbloom are doing across IRL activations, dinners, and opportunities for creators and brands to connect and learn is most certainly the future. We're in the early innings of this transition, and I'm excited to see how both the influencer and affiliate worlds evolve and adapt to the new normal. One thing I know, we'll be right here building product to help brands win at Superfiliate! Would love to hear thoughts from some folks in the space who have been doing it a lot longer than me Krik D. Angacian Amy Scanlon Marshall Nyman ZeroTo1 🚀 456 Growth Media Sarah Crow Michael McNerney Jolie Jankowitz Ali Appelbaum Marc Rona Matt Frary

How FLYING Media Group has flipped brand publishing on it’s head --- and more proof that audience is *THE* asset Flying Media has flipped the concept of brand publishing upside down for me - and is expanding the map for how pairing a non-publishing business with a media arm can be both great for business and support *increasing* your editorial investment. Here’s the story of Flying, and what I am (for now) calling “reverse” brand publishing. In 2021, Flying Media acquired (among many other properties) Flying Magazine from Bonnier. The Flying Media team doubled down on content quality and production value, made the magazine sexy (something you’d be proud to have on your coffee table), and actually grew revenue. But that’s not even the most interesting part… In parallel, Flying also bought an aircraft financing company, and launched Flying Financial, a sister company for Flying Magazine that would leverage their brand + audience to drive customers for the small percentage of readers who were in market for an aircraft. Today, the financial product makes up a fraction of revenue, but you can bet that’s where they have their sights for growth. Brand publishing comes in many forms…  *A company hiring journalists and data scientists to tell stories from their proprietary data (Lyft, Experian) *A company buying an existing media company to bolt onto their core business and drive more relationships with customers/prospects (Hubspot/The Hustle, Robinhood/Snacks) But in each of these, the original “brand” is still the parent brand, finding ways to bolt on media to their core business. The Flying Team realized that an audience (and a trusted media brand) is *the* most valuable asset - and is bolting on adjacent businesses onto the media brand itself. Brand publishing as we know it today produces some phenomenal content, but as ad revenue declines, media companies need to find new business models - or new businesses. This “reverse brand publishing” model could make for an incredible way to make publishers more sustainable. Are there other examples of this out there? h/t Jacob Donnelly, Craig Fuller for dropping wisdom at the A Media Operator Summit. An incredible show.

Digital ad revenue has cratered. Facebook ditched news in 2022. Google’s algorithm changes and AI summary boxes have hollowed search referrals. Even Twitter no longer drives meaningful traffic . Outlets like Bustle and Business Insider tried chasing viral spikes. They hired teams, pivoted content. Then layoffs hit the same teams when the traffic dried up . Editorial strategy became a scramble for one-hit wonders rather than value-driven coverage. Now, publishers face a tougher choice. They must stop chasing mass audience volume and invest in direct reader relationships—newsletters, apps, subscription models . The Washington Post, GQ, and others are building original, voice-driven journalism—text, audio, and video formats grounded in identity and trust. This trend isn’t temporary. Big media calls it a “trafffic apocalypse.” It suggests digital publishing as we knew it—reaching anyone, anywhere for free—is over . That should prompt three reflections for communications leaders: 1. Reevaluate distribution. Don’t rely on platform algorithms to generate audience. 2. Lean into loyalty. Build channels that let core readers opt in, pay, and stick. 3. Prioritize voice & purpose. Content that reflects editorial intent and identity matters more than ever. The challenge demands embracing niche audiences, cultivating trust, and diversifying formats–not riding the viral wave. Would companies with strong subject-matter communities be better positioned? What models are most viable: member-paid, freemium subscriptions, donor-supported? https://lnkd.in/eqQDgMxi

Farah Qayum's breakdown of the evolving content landscape is excellent! The old models of funding, distribution, and audience engagement are rapidly shifting, and those who don’t adapt will be left behind. A few key takeaways that resonate with me: Broadcasters & Streamers Are Playing It Safe – The push toward returnable series and known IP makes sense from a risk perspective, but it also creates a gap for new voices. The challenge for creators is proving urgency—why now? Brand-Funded Content Is No Longer a Side Hustle – We’re moving past mere product placement into deeper integrations where storytelling and brand values align. The Red Bull model is a great example of doing this well. Owning IP Is More Critical Than Ever – As consolidation continues, the real power lies with those who control their rights. The smartest producers are thinking beyond a single sale and looking at how many times (and ways) they can monetize an idea. Multi-Platform Thinking Isn’t Optional – Content that lives across YouTube, TikTok, podcasts, live events, and beyond has an edge. This isn’t just about extending reach—it’s about meeting audiences where they are and designing formats that thrive in different ecosystems. We’re not just in a fight for funding. We’re in a fight for attention, sustainability, and long-term creative ownership. Looking forward to Part III of this series. #MediaTrends #ContentStrategy #IPOwnership #AttentionEconomy

The media landscape changed DRAMATICALLY in 2024. But I think that was nothing compared to what's coming this year. 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 7 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 2025: #1 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚 📰 Decades of awful business decisions and overhead (printing) costs destroyed local newspapers. But local media is getting rebuilt with digital-first outlets making direct-connections with their audiences through newsletters and events. #2 𝐀𝐈 𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐎𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 (𝐀𝐈 𝐒𝐄𝐎 𝐨𝐫 𝐋𝐋𝐌𝐄𝐎) 🤖 Search results are getting eaten by AI chatbots. But someone needs to feed the AI. Media companies and businesses alike will begin to think about how to output data (not just content) that feeds a chatbot or AI voice assistant. #3 𝐎𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐎𝐟𝐟 👥 In a world where AI generates and curates so much content, human connection will be at a premium. Communities capitalize on a larger media trend (hyper-specific niches) and offer AI-proof connection to like-minded people. #4 𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 🛍️ TikTok Shops, Whatnot, and Amazon Live will lead the way as brands sell directly where the attention is. Why send customers to a website when they can buy with one swipe of the thumb on social? Best to do it? I'm obsessed with what Cole Schaefer and Brian Waddick have done with SMACKIN’ -- they built a brand by giving sunflower seeds to Major Leaguers on TikTok. They just opened a 50,000 square-foot warehouse and achieved 1,000% growth in 2024. #5 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐐𝐮𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐬 📈 Prediction markets went mainstream in the run-up to the election, and they'll grow rapidly in 2025, especially if Robinhood enters the game. Prediction market data will rapidly find its way into news stories as a way to check lazy narratives. #6 𝐁𝐞𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐢𝐯 𝐁𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐟𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 🐝 Just like Shopify has become the centralized platform on top of which retail experiences are built, beehiiv will do this for owned audiences. They've started by becoming the best content newsletter platform. But I suspect they'll rapidly evolve into messaging and communities, giving creators a one-stop-shop to own, engage and monetize their audience. #7 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐀𝐜𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐀𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 💸 In 2024, businesses got smarter about owning the relationship with their customers through content. Many creators and newsletter operators who are having a hard time monetizing their content will sell to brands looking to better engage customers. The biggest opportunities? Targeted B2B newsletters, and influencers on platforms with social shopping features. Somewhere I feel like Alexis Grant is all over this. --- Do you feel like I missed a major trend? Disagree with any of these? Leave a comment and let me know.