At Media Makers Meet – Mx3, we have a special relationship with FIPP – Connecting Global Media, the now almost 99-year-old global media industry body with its heritage in magazine media.
We provide selected content and commercial services to FIPP and organise and host FIPP’s flagship FIPP World Media Congress on license every year. Last but not least, we are good friends with many of the people in and around FIPP, having established relationships over several years of working together and meeting up at FIPP events worldwide.
Recently, our colleague James Hewes, President and CEO of FIPP, announced an end to his very successful six-year tenure at the organisation’s helm. It is the end of an era, but the show goes on for an organisation and industry that has withstood an incredible amount of change over the years.
With the FIPP board and team, the organisation remains in good hands. Alastair Lewis is one of the people who will play a key role going into 2024.
Alastair is well-known in the industry as a publisher at companies such as Haymarket and Future, owner of Quested Consulting, host of FIPP-training programmes in association with FT Strategies and Google, and also donning the hat as MD of FIPP Consulting over the past year.
With James’ departure, Alastair will step in as acting MD of FIPP until the new successor as President and CEO of FIPP is appointed around the time of the next FIPP World Media Congress, on 4-6 June 2024 (registration page here).
We spoke to Alastair to tell us more about his career, developments in the industry, FIPP and the FIPP Congress, and how people can connect with him.
Mx3: Tell us about your career
I started my career at Haymarket back in the last century, selling ads in B2B titles, including Marketing and PrintWeek.
In 2003, I moved across to be Ad Director of F1 Racing magazine, which quickly led to me joining Haymarket’s growing international business. We took F1 Racing into over 30 countries and then did the same with Stuff, FourFourTwo, Eve, Autocar, and many more of Haymarket’s brands at the time. Running that international business brought me into contact with many friends and colleagues worldwide that I am still working with today — all thanks to being an active member of FIPP.
When Haymarket’s consumer business was sold to Future PLC in 2018, I became MD of the Hobbies division. In 2019, I left to establish my own Consulting business, Quested.
Quested Consulting works with publishers and media owners to help them diversify their revenue streams. We also consult to tech suppliers and other businesses that provide services to publishers and help them understand and develop their value proposition to serve those publishers better.
Recently, James [Hewes] asked me to extend that service to FIPP members under the FIPP Consulting banner, and we have recently completed consulting projects for RBA in Spain, Stibo DX in Denmark, a leading UK newspaper and a variety of other clients, all keen to take advantage of our unique Network of Associates, with individuals across the world able to provide expertise across a wide range of sectors and geographies.
Mx3: Share your thoughts on industry developments, challenges, and opportunities
2023 has been another challenging year for many in media.
A general decline in revenues across the board has led to some very hard decisions to be made. We have seen unprecedented numbers of jobs lost across the board in both digital and legacy businesses.
However, the move away from a reliance on 3rd party display advertising driven by ever-increasing reach and low-value clicks and the structural movement of brands away from media and towards search and social platforms has made publishers renew their focus on their own first-party data strategies.
I believe 2023 has been the year of the registration wall, and the number of businesses now establishing robust newsletter and/or registration strategies is really good to see.
I expect that trend to continue developing and for publishers to recognise the huge value in really knowing, and owning, their audiences first-hand. Those of us who are legacy magazine publishers have been working on this for many years. I see a lot of opportunity here, and positive signs that high-quality, well-targeted specialist content will always win out.
Obviously, we can’t ignore the biggest single development in our space that has really driven incredible changes (already), and that is the rise of generative AI and LLMs.
This leads to what we might expect to see in 2024…
No one could have imagined the impact that this has already had – and I don’t expect that pace to slow down at all in the coming year. There are already some fantastic examples and case studies of how publishers use these new technologies to improve their efficiencies, identify opportunities, and reach audiences in new ways. These will only develop in 2024.
However, I also believe 2024 needs to be a watershed moment.
Despite all of the opportunities this technology brings, it also threatens to cause irreparable damage if we don’t take action quickly to ensure content owners and publishers receive the attribution they deserve and that rights and IP are protected. Our industry needs to come together and take collective action to ensure we can, one day, look back and see 2024 as a breakthrough year.
Mx3: What does 2024 hold for FIPP?
James Hewes is leaving FIPP after 6 years as a quite brilliant CEO and President. He has led the Association through unprecedented times and challenges and been responsible for ensuring we are today a forward-looking community of media owners from all over the world.
The FIPP board has asked me, alongside our brilliant Operations Director, Nikki Simpson, to step in and lead the organisation whilst we take stock and decide on the best next steps.
Part of that will be helping the Board to understand what kind of replacement is needed for James, how we want to grow FIPP, and where we see opportunities to work more closely with a range of other bodies and institutions in our space.
Given the challenges I referred to above, I genuinely believe there has never been a more important time to be a member of FIPP. We will continue James’ excellent work in leading a cross-party working group of publisher bodies to tackle the myriad questions around AI, and we will represent all FIPP members in those conversations and any actions that might need to be taken to protect and future-proof the industry.
I am also really excited by the plans we have for member-only training courses in 2024, our groundbreaking DEI tracker, and the upcoming FIPP Insider events in Lagos and Rwanda – underlining the breadth and reach of our organisation and, in turn, helping local publishers as well as introducing members from outside of those markets to be able to do business there in future.
That is what FIPP has and always will be about.
Mx3: 2024 is the 99th year of FIPP and the 46th FIPP Congress…
I have been lucky enough to attend, I think, 8 of the previous 45 editions of Congress, and I can’t wait for number 46 and my 9th in Cascais, Portugal in June (more details here).
FIPP is all about community, networking, learning, and collaborating. The Congress is the best single opportunity we have to come together each year to do that.
Members will hear from a brilliant lineup of internationally renowned speakers and from other members on how they are transforming their businesses and growing in multiple sectors.
Lasting relationships will be made, deals will be done, and inspiration and learning taken from the breadth of sessions and workshops on offer.
The fact that last year’s Congress had participants from 43 different countries attend just underlines the global nature of the Congress and showcases why anyone looking to understand global trends and work outside of their home territory really must attend. And even for those that are only focused on their core market, there will be plenty to learn, people to meet, connections to make and all under the beautiful blue skies of Cascais.
I can’t wait to see you all there in June.
Mx3: How can people connect with you?
If we are not already, please connect with me on LinkedIn and/or drop me an email at alastair@fipp.com
I am very much looking forward to meeting you next year.
