We had several industry experts who joined our annual Crowdynews kickoff to share their knowledge with our global team. Charles Groenhuijsen, a seasoned journalist and former correspondent in the US for the main public news program in the Netherlands, the NOS Journaal, was one of them. In this post we would like to highlight a few key takeaways from his speech. The most important lesson Groenhuijsen imparted is that you need to “change before you have to.”
Change Before You Have To
In quoting Jack Welch, chairman and CEO of General Electric, Groenhuijsen was highlighting an important lesson, not just to the employees of Crowdynews, but also relevant for today’s publishers. News media is constantly evolving, especially with the transition from print to digital a couple of years ago. It was pretty simple: transition to the web or die. We also see monetization models changing and the shift in distribution platforms. Digital publishers are keeping a close eye on these innovations and technologies that are shaping the future and changing the media world. Competition is fierce and being one step ahead of your competitors can only benefit you. The publishing industry is now adept at delivering content to mobile devices and needs to keep thinking of new ways to engage readers on their mobile devices. Your readers are always connected and even reporting the news themselves, on social media.
Think Different
Groenhuijsen shared some examples with us about industry veterans who successfully changed before they had to to stay relevant, and it worked. One example he shared was of Steve Jobs and Apple. In the late 1990s Apple launched their ‘Think Different’ campaign, which at that time said it all: if you want to succeed in your industry you need to think differently. We think this mentality is also appropriate for news media: As as publisher in today’s ever-changing news media landscape you need to follow – or even create – the latest trends and be the first to take advantage of these new developments.
Stay Ahead of the Game
What are some of the other ways publishers can change before they’re forced to? One example is to keep ad blocking developments in mind and monetization problems that come with these developments. But these are not the only areas where forward thinking & changing could be beneficial: We’ve highlighted the top 3 ways social media changed the landscape for online publishers in a recent post.
In conclusion, to stay ahead of the game (and your competition!) Sergeant Stan Jablonski, from Hill Street Blues, used to say: “Let’s do it to them, before they do it to us.” Evolving a little faster than both your competition -and the market- is now mandatory. To succeed in today’s rapidly changing world you have to focus more on competitors, and less on executing old success formulas. It is key to sustain your company’s success and to ensure its long-term growth.
Also read: Mastering the Journalism of Interruptions & Everywhereness
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