KATAHDIN MEDIA MANAGEMENT
Photo by Paul Cyr
Emerging models for evolving publishers
Let our decades of experience transforming media companies around the world help you transform yours
OUR MISSION
We’re changing the way media companies find their future
While readers and business partners demand more differentiated content and business services, resource cuts continue to stretch the capacity of teams, many of whom are often unable or unwilling to make the pivot. Many lack the expertise or time, or both, needed to develop and execute the changes required to secure their future. We are the change agents who can help you and your team execute those changes. Introducing Katahdin Media Management…
Creative Commons photo courtesy of Pixaby
A UNIQUE APPROACH
We blend our global experience with your local knowledge
Using individual interviews with every staff member (or as many as we can), we include them in the process of determining what's working, what's not, and what is not being done that would help the company succeed. We also talk with readers and advertisers to determine their unmet needs and what we can do to meet those needs. Then we and your teams collectively develop solutions, thus ensuring buy-in because the people charged with executing the changes have a hand in creating them. We transform change-averse teams into change leaders, and challenged companies into profitable, happy teams.
DELIVERABLES THAT PRODUCE RESULTS
We quickly deliver results that make an immediate difference
We don't waste your time or ours. We work in one- and two-week sprints to deliver measurable results. We are not only fast but we are also obsessed with practical solutions. You get actionable recommendations and a roadmap to get where you need to go. The results and roadmaps are informed by the intelligence we gather (staff, readers, and business partners tell outsiders things they would never tell you). Then we help execute the roadmap, letting your teams take the lead with our guidance and expertise.
OUR EXPERTISE
-
Corporate Strategy
-
New Revenue Streams
-
Leadership Training
-
Change Management
-
Digital-First Reorganization
-
Audience Development
-
Digital Marketing
-
Sales Force Revitalization
-
Social Media Optimization
-
CEO Therapy ;-)
OUR PRODUCTS & SERVICES
-
30-Day Corporate Health Assessment/Prescription
-
Business Turnaround Strategies
-
Strategic Roadmaps
-
Strategic Change Management
-
Brand Soul-Search
-
Community/Advertiser Outreach
-
New Owner Onboarding
-
Audience Insight Reports
-
Fractional Executive Services
OUR DIFFERENTIATORS
-
Human-centric, not spreadsheet-based, analysis and solutions
​
-
We listen, to you, your staff, advertisers, and readers…and only then do we make our recommendations
​​
-
Bespoke, situation-specific, locally-based solutions, not tired templates used for other clients like so many other consulting firms do
-
Plans and execution: We don’t just dump a plan on you; we help you execute it (the hard part!)
​
-
A partnership approach: We are in this WITH you, not working at arms-length
​
-
We give your team the tools and confidence to succeed
SUCCESS KEY #1
Diversified revenue streams, especially reader revenue
The media companies that survived the recession and are thriving through COVID have done so by developing a rich, creative, varied offering of revenue streams, enhancing the reduced flow of ads and sponsorships with virtual events, memberships, paywalls, ecommerce, data services, education, branded content, agency services, affiliate marketing, paid newsletters, archive sales, curated trips, brand extensions, and more. We help you explore which streams will work for your business partners and your audiences, and, thus, for the future of your business.
SUCCESS KEY #2
Unique content
meeting unmet reader needs
In terms of content, giving readers high-quality content that meets their unmet needs and is unavailable anywhere else is the only way to get them to pay for content. We help your team mine reader behavioral data to understand readers' preferences in terms of medium (text, photo, video, audio, etc.), platform (blog, website, social media, etc.), time of day, style (short, medium, long), device (mobile, tablet, desktop), etc. to maximize reader satisfaction and drive subscriptions, memberships, renewals, and loyalty.
SOMETIMES YOU
JUST NEED HELP
We offer "fractional" executive help to get you through projects, transitions, and crises
Sometimes, you don't need a consultant or a full-blown change project, you just need reliable, experienced, executive assistance so you don't have to rush to replace a key player or so you can develop a project no one has time to tackle or so you can launch a new system, consolidate your data, do outreach, test new products, etc. We are here for you on a part-time ("fractional") basis for a fraction of the cost you'd pay a full-time executive. Ask us how we can come to your aid...
WHY USE KATAHDIN?
Building, not cutting, your way to your future
Where other consultants rely heavily on spreadsheets or on templated solutions that may or may not work for you, we recognize that your challenges are unique. While your challenges may include some issues common to the media industry as a whole, your solutions must uniquely resonate with your staff, your business partners, and your readers. Unlike most consultants, we also focus on the human side of change, involving them at every step to ensure that your team is behind you. We deliver bespoke, human-centered solutions that will transform your business into a profitable, happy, sustainable 21st century media company.
OUR EXPERIENCE
100+
YEARS EXPERIENCE
12
COUNTRIES WORKED IN
200+
TITLES WORKED ON
10,000+
STAFF SUPERVISED
OUR TEAM
The three principals of Katahdin Media Management have a combined century of experience in media organizations of all sizes, shapes, platforms, and niches, from tiny rural newspapers and regional magazines to national and international brands, from traditional print operations to hybrid print and digital companies to totally digital. We have written stories, sold ads, led teams, built (and cut) budgets, survived recessions, launched start-ups, rescued dying legacy media companies, and worked with boards of directors.
PETER MEDWID
My favorite word in business is "leverage". I’m good at understanding assets, identifying opportunities, and building strategies that capitalize on built-in market power. I have been successful at running leading sales organizations by seeing problems from a different perspective and uncovering the leverage points that create demand and declare relevance to the market. Serving as head of sales, I have driven consistent financial results for some of the world’s best-known media brands. I am a problem solver, a dot connector, and a creative partner in the business of building revenue.
​
​Most recent experiences: CRO, Hearst Magazines (Cosmopolitan, Women’s Health, Seventeen); SVP, Head of Sales, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia; Head of Sales, People magazine.
​
​Specialties: Cross platform ad sales; digital/video/print; planning and strategy; event sponsorship; content creation/native; team leadership; staff development; strategic partnerships; data and insights.
JOHN WILPERS
I focus on people first. When everyone from staff to management is part of the change process and sees the value in it, solutions flow. Those solutions have immediate buy-in because they are organic, originating with the people who have to execute them. Internal teams, not outside consultants. become the change agents. We begin with confidential interviews with everyone in the company (or as many as possible) and include everyone in the process. This has worked globally from Chennai and Oslo, to NYC, Johannesburg, DC, Dayton, and more.
​
Most recent experiences: As a consultant with Innovation Media Consulting, I worked with TU Media, Oslo (world's oldest tech magazine); Elevate Dayton (a BIPOC-owned start-up); Tatler Asia (Hong Kong high-end media group); ALM (a legal, financial B2B in NYC); Cayman Compass (national daily newspaper); Vikatan (multi-title media group in Chennai).
​
Specialties: Organizational change; editorial workflows; content structure; consumer outreach; revenue-generating editorial products; editorial training; data-informed editorial strategy.
Lately, we have been helping media organizations transition from print to multimedia, from losses to profits, from shrinking circulation to expanded audiences, from bleak futures to paths to sustainability. We help transform media companies from dysfunctional, depressed, silo'd fiefdoms to energized, collaborative teams successfully generating content and revenue 24-7 on all platforms.
KATHLEEN CAPETTA
I have been at the helm of two media organizations, leading each through extensive change from legacy publishing businesses to modern, sustainable media companies. I thrive bringing the business and editorial strategies together. My focus is on creating strong teams, a compassionate and high-achieving company culture, and keeping the editorial product at the core, all while increasing revenue streams and artfully managing expenses.
​
Most recent experiences: Publisher of Compass Media in the Cayman Islands (staff of 60), where I did a complete turnaround from a legacy company to a modern, multimedia enterprise. Editor in Chief of Down East magazine.
​
​Specialties: Diversification of revenue streams; organizational change and restructuring; recruiting; management and HR; content and publication development and redesign; financial analysis; e-commerce; audience development.
JEFF HOWLAND
I was part of the technology management team that grew a Fortune 500 company's footprint in New England over a 10-year period. Then, during the media industry's shift to digital marketing I worked with small organizations to establish their online brands and pivot to an online revenue generating model. I use a content-centric approach and philosophy focused on the stories and imagery that form the true foundation for a brand and its audience.
Most recent experiences: Over the last seven years I directed online audience development at a regional publisher, with titles ranging from Down East and Maine Homes, to Shooting Sportsman and Fly Rod & Reel, where I advanced their digital strategies into revenue and customer generation ecosystems that fostered print subscription growth and ancillary revenue streams in areas like experiential, email, and e-commerce.
Specialties: Marketing strategy, project management, process improvement, content strategy, cross-team collaboration, e-commerce, email marketing and growth, online audience growth, customer nurturing and workflows, brand development, new revenue
Proven success in revenue, content, and management
Barb Newton,
Pres./CEO, Cal Travel
"When people talk about Peter Medwid, it's amazing how often the phrase "I love that guy" comes up. I have heard it so many times from clients, salespeople, editors, marketers, and colleagues. And with good reason. As a leader, Peter understands his business clearly, is 100% committed, stays focused on what is important, and inspires loyalty and best efforts. As a sales manager, he pushes people hard, but with so much support, and never less than he pushes himself. And as a colleague, he is collaborative, generous, and trustworthy. The combination of such high integrity and strong determination to succeed made him incredibly effective at Sunset, and I am sure would translate well to success to any quality organization."
.
TESTIMONIALS
Jan Moberg,
CEO, TU Media, Oslo
"We worked with John Wilpers twice as a consultant for our tech media publishing company. The decision to go for John was anchored with our board and our owners. Both stakeholders John worked with to ensure a balanced and realistic assessment of our operations. John also swiftly leveled with our entire staff through meetings with groups and one-on-ones. His genuine enthusiasm and professionalism was highly appreciated and supported the credibility of his "state of the union" address of how things looked for the company. The review was then used to map strategic options for our business and for establishing a renewed mission statement. John communicates on a truly professional, friendly, and efficient level. His experience from the media business is vast, deep, and current. I give John my very best recommendation."
Paul Doiron
Former EiC, Down East magazine
"Kathleen Capetta was my best hire ever. There wasn't a challenge I could give her that she didn't rise to meet. There wasn't a task I could assign that she didn't complete beyond my expectations. She is the quintessential self-starter who takes responsibility the right way: she wants the job, along with the accountability that comes with it. She is brilliant, personable, and emotionally intelligent (an under-appreciated quality in the workplace, in my opinion). I can't recommend Kathleen highly enough."
Why the name "Katahdin"?
Katahdin (pronounced ka-TAH-din)) is the highest mountain in Maine, the state where our company is based. It is considered the single most difficult mountain on the storied Appalachian Trail with a rise of 4,000 feet over a short distance. As such, it represents the kind of daunting challenge media operations face in transforming themselves into sustainable 21st century companies. (Photo courtesy of Paul Cyr; paulcyr.zenfolio.com)