Content Matters

Day two at SIIA kicked off with an interview of Tad Smith, CEO, Reed Business Information, conducted by Hal Espo.

Snippets from the Q&A are below.

HE: Where is B2B media headed?
TS: B2B media will probably outperform GDP for a while; there is so much innovation going on and the opportunity to create new value.  Print will continue to slow down; I'm not sure whether that slow down will accelerate or not, but we know the direction will continue.

HE: What is RBI's strategy, moving forward?  What are the key priorities?
TS: We have four priorities:
First is to protect and manage our print decline; continue to get as much as we can out of that and continue to invest where appropriate.
Second, continue to accelerate investment online.
Third is to make sure that our acquisitions (like BuyerZone earlier this year) deliver as expected.
Fourth is to continue migrating the portfolio through continued subscription businesses and electronic products.

HE: In terms of challenges and opportunities, you recently announced the creation of a separate e-division.  But, as you look around, you'd expect it to be more closely integrated.  What are your plans for this?
TS: We have taken some parts of the business that made sense to have centralized and have done so, while others remain decentralized.  We will continue to experiment around the edges on that.  For example, our web templates are centralized, but creation of editorial content is not.  Anything where a critical skill is needed and domain expertise is not required, makes sense for us to centralize.

HE: So, how do you get the right e-DNA in the non-interactive group?
TS: That takes some cajoling.  We are having an internal conference next month in Chicago for editors and content creators, asking "what can you do to drive our electronic editorial process?".  The goal is for them to understand the dynamics of writing for the electronic market and to understand the importance of keywords.

We are also recruiting heavily on the interactive side and also hiring lots of "utility infielders" who understand both the interactive and print sides.

HE: How do you decide what to fund (e- or non-e)?
TS: We're really only funding the e-stuff right now.  We're not doing any acquisitions in the non-e stuff.

HE: What are you doing for user-generated content?  For example, Variety?
TS: Variety has added "pushy question" section where the editor poses questions and users can send in responses.  However, Variety is on an older platform and will be upgraded later this year to a more freeform platform.  We have done more on some of our other products.

HE: Let's talk about risks.  What keeps you up at night?
TS: Attracting, recruiting and developing talent is what keeps me up at night.

HE: So, can you tell us who's going to win the Oscars?
TS: I've seen all five of the best picture candidates.  And, all five pictures are worth seeing.  I'm rooting for Martin Scorcese's The Departed.