media, digital agency

1. The business
of media
RHODES UNIVERSITY 2018
MATTHEW BUCKLAND, MDIF | BURN MEDIA | PARADIGMB

2. About me
DIGITAL MEDIA, MARKETING, ENTREPRENEUR ON A SABBATICAL
MOUNTAIN BIKER, BURN MEDIA, MDIF ENTREPRENEUR IN RESIDENCE
CAPE TOWN, 2 KIDS, 1 WIFE, 2 BIKES AND A WEIMARANER

3. RHODES
UNIVERSITY
THE STAR
NEWSPAPER
What have I been up to?
BBC ONLINE
Beeb.com
Iafrica.com
Carte Blanche
Mail & Guardian
Online
news24.com
NASPERS
M&C Saatchi
Creative Spark
Burn Media

4. What I do now

5. TRANSALP
600KMS
18000M
7 DAYS

6. Digital media
WHERE ARE WE NOW, WHERE HAVE WE COME FROM
AND WHERE ARE WE GOING

7. 14th Century
RENAISSANCE
PRINTING PRESS
1993
FIRST BANNER
1990s
INTERNET
ARRIVES
2000s
IABSA, DMMA
& OPA
2004-
GOOGLE ADS
2007-
FACEBOOK ADS
2012..
PROGRAMMATIC
DISPLAY ADS
1900s
MASS MEDIA AGE
OF TV & RADIO
2005
CENTRALISED
ANALYTICS
A brief timeline of the
rise & disruption of media
SOUTHAFRICA
WORLD

10. RevenuesThe biggest threat to media’s independence is
its own, outdated business model, (not
governments, advertisers etc). Media businesses
built on funding and donor money are rarely
sustainable, nor have the breathing room to be
truly innovative and expansionary.

11. Future mediaDon’t compete on scale, but compete on quality, your
community, trust and credibility.

12. Media’s business
model must change
adapt & innovate
THEPAST
THEFUTURE
DIVERSIFY
REVENUES
PLATFORMS
FORMATS
PAYWALLS SHOW
SUCCESS
…AND ?
FOCUS ON QUALITY,
NICHE & COMMUNITY
NOT SCALE
NATIVE
ADVERTISING
INNOVATION
MOBILE &
DESKTOP
DISPLAY AD
INNOVATION

13. ENTREPRENEURSHIP
SOME THOUGHTS ON BUILDING A BUSINESS

14. Starting your business
15 years of corporate to learn, build network, build confidence
Started the company as a moonlight venture (declared)
Was not about money, was about life experience, creating something new
The Idea: formed in the execution.
Don’t wait for the perfect idea/eureka moment. There is no perfectionism in business.
Started a media company, became a web dev company, then a social media agency, then a full-
service digital agency. Could not have predicted that

15. How to get funding
I could not raise funding, but it was a service business so generated own cash
What are you: Service, distribution, social/for good business or product business?
Funding ladder: friends&fools, angel investing, VC/Private equity – builds credibility
Get an intro, never go direct
Teams are better: Your first deal is actually your partner (but not a hard rule))
Ideas are never funded. Post revenue (even R1), but definitely post concept and product

16. Building the business
Imperfect process of many mistakes, failures, problems
Things don’t go according to plan, people let you down
Terrible ratios: 1000 failures/disappointment to 100 success
But the successes move you forward
Hire slowly, fire quickly. Look for a values fit.
If you are not sure, its probably a no. If you are energized, it’s probably a yes
Be an opportunist. See every opportunity as a door that could open 100 more doors

17. Building the business
Processes and templates are key, allows you to “live like a ghost in the business”
Starts off as a family, by 75 staff it was a “machine”
Started off as egalitarian, then management structures came: exco, senior
management, account management structures
”Go the extra mile” culture, client-first culture
Culture in a company is important: People work for meaning, not work itself

18. Selling the business
I sold my business in year 5, worked for 3 years on an Earn-out
Entertained 5 advances, and kept learning + growing each time
Even if they say no, and walk out the boardroom – you are still negotiating
Get someone to help you – you cannot sell your own business (you are blind)
Stick to your principles, and they will respect you more

19. Qualities of an entrepreneur
Need to be rich
Need to be clever
Need to have experience
Need to have failed at business at least 7 times
Persistence/perseverance/never-give-up attitude
Completely opportunistic, but also stay focused
No rules: Entrepreneurs of all ages, types, businesses, sizes, lifestages

20. 20

21. About me
DIGITAL MEDIA, MARKETING, ENTREPRENEUR
WHAT PEOPLE SEE
SUCCESS!
FAILURE
MORE FAILURE
HARD WORK
MORE HARD WORK
CRAY-CRAY HARD WORK
HARD WORK LIKE YOU HAVE NEVER SEEN
PERSISTENCE
COURAGE
LATE NIGHTS, EARLY MORNINGS
MANY DOUBTS
BUT ACTION
THE
REALITY

22. CONTACT ME @
twitter.com/matthewbuckland
instagram.com/matthewbuckland
matthew@memeburn.com
Thank you