“Revenue diversification shouldn’t be the starting point”: Amanda Wigginton on why customer centricity comes above all else

Leading media consultant, Amanda Wigginton, will participate at Revenue Europe (Berlin, Tues Oct 1st) where she will host a panel looking at ‘Audience First: Building the direct-to-consumer revenue model’. In advance of the event we asked her to introduce herself as well as glean her views on media trends and recent developments.

Amanda Wigginton has enjoyed a storied career which saw her rise to become Group Customer Strategy Director at TI Media where she was responsible for data, insight and analytics as well as ensuring customers were central to the organisation’s growth strategy across content development, audience growth, marketing and advertising. 

She is now one of the media industry’s leading consultants working across B2B and B2C media, and is also the PPA’s Audience Measurement Consultant representing the organisation’s members on various industry measurement boards.

Amanda will be joining us as an interviewer at Revenue Europe where she will host a panel that includes Atlas Consulting’s Abi Spooner, Schibsted Media’s Bård Skaar Viken, and Tomas Bella, Denník N’s Chief Digital Officer. The panel theme? ‘Audience First: Building the direct-to-consumer revenue model’.

In advance of her appearance in Berlin, we asked Amanda to introduce herself and garner her thoughts on a very fast-paced media environment.

Imagine our audience will meet you for the first time. Can you briefly introduce yourself and your company?

I work with businesses to transform their customer data into actionable growth strategies. Many companies have a wealth of customer information – data, face-to-face interactions, and surveys – but many struggle to know what to do with it or how to convert that knowledge into concrete plans that drive action. 

I specialise in uncovering the most valuable customer insights and work with businesses to translate them into practical plans that drive their objectives.

My clients span all sectors (B2B and B2C) and projects range from driving audience growth, data transformation, product and content development, information marketing communication and advertising. Anything where customer knowledge can help you and your business make money!

Prior to being a consultant, I worked at TI Media (now Future PLC) as Group Customer Strategy Director where I built a cross-company customer strategy team bringing together all customer facing teams.  I also led the centralisation of all data into a customer data platform to help with revenue generation and growth initiatives. 

The only way for media to survive commercially now is through building diversified revenue models. Could you briefly explain to what extent you agree/disagree with that statement and why? And any experiences you’d like to share with us from your career?

So I’m going to disagree! Customer centricity should be the cornerstone of business success. Prioritising customer needs not only drives revenue growth but ensures long-term commercial viability. The customer needs to be at the heart of every business strategy and boardroom discussion. The output might be diversification, but it shouldn’t be the starting point. 

A recent report by the PPA, which represents multi-platform media businesses and publishers, reinforces the importance of a customer-focused approach. The report revealed a clear shift in the industry. Publishers are now prioritising consumer direct revenue streams, such as subscriptions and events, over the pursuit of digital scale at any cost. Additionally, the traditional print versus digital debate has been replaced by a strategic focus on all formats and revenue models that effectively connect with the customer.

The PPA Market Sector report also highlights the necessity of ruthless prioritisation. In the past, publishers often spread resources thin by attempting to diversify revenue in multiple directions. Today, success relies on a concentrated effort to build sustainable businesses by deeply understanding and responding to customer needs.

You have built a successful consultancy, and have been at the sharp end of a world class international publisher, TI Media. What media organisations are impressing you today with regards to revenue strategies?

This is a hard question. Identifying a single organisation is challenging, as success often hinges on individual brand performance.

For me a common characteristic of high-performing media brands is a relentless focus on the customer. Organisations like The New York Times, The Economist, The Athletic, and the Financial Times are great examples here, demonstrating successful revenue diversification through (brave) experimentation.

Meanwhile, brands such as Vogue, Wired, and National Geographic have leveraged their highly engaged communities and deep connections with their audiences, allowing them to evolve their digital offerings.

And then there are the brands that have stood the test of time and evolved their offering beyond media – Good Housekeeping Institute, renowned for its product testing expertise, and Time Out which has translated its in depth knowledge of city life into curated food experience via real life food halls across the World.

One more thing to call out here – in addition to a strong customer focus, the strategic use of data and technology is often a critical factor in these brands’ success too. By deeply understanding audience behaviour, these organisations can optimise content, products, and overall experiences to deliver increased value.

Looking at the future, how do you see Revenue Technologies shaping revenue growth and profitability in the media sector?

Any technology that can deepen customer relationships, harness vast amounts of data and help drive revenue growth should be an essential part of a businesses tool kit NOW.  

At TI Media I worked both directly, and in partnership with teams, to build and implement revenue technology in advertising and to maximise the value of customer data. I’ve seen first-hand that by embracing revenue technologies, they can unlock new opportunities, make a difference to the bottom line, and gain competitive advantage. 

Since I’ve been a consultant I continue to work with companies to help them to make sense of their data, and advise them on potential approaches or tech tools. Interestingly, in nearly every case, projects start with high levels of confusion and a lack of clarity on what they need. 

They struggle to determine what steps to take first, what tech to buy, what resources they need. And then there’s the question of how much will this all cost?

My approach is to start with the business objective – obvious but often not the case. Future investments in data and tech investments need to link directly to business objectives – whether that’s revenue optimisation, identifying new revenue streams, enhancing customer experience, embedding data-driven decision making or improving efficiency. Starting with the money and proving the value that tech like this can bring can maximise return on investment.  

You will host a panel at Revenue Europe in Berlin. Off-stage, what are some of the conversations you’d be keen to have with fellow attendees?

So top of my list will be talking to people about how they are dealing with the key pain points and challenges in the industry – building sustainable subscriptions scale, measuring and using LTV to build loyalty, protecting ad revenues etc. It’s a great opportunity to brainstorm ideas, find solutions and share success stories. 

I’ll also be swapping data and tech gossip. I know how to live! Love to hear what tools people are using, their experiences, and the impact. 

Also I have a feeling that I might end up banging on about AI. I’m really keen to learn and discover more here about how people are not just using it in their businesses but also how it’s making them money. 

Meet Amanda and your peers tasked with monetising media at our Revenue Europe summit in Berlin on 1st October. Find more information and sign up here. We hope to see you there!