The consumer evolution: what will drive growth for publishers in 2025 and beyond?

The publishing, media, news, and entertainment industries are at a turning point. As customer behaviours evolve, competition intensifies, and distribution channels fragment, the old playbooks don’t scale like they used to.

In this webinar, Douglas McCabe (CEO & Director of Publishing, Enders Analysis) unpacked the findings from the recent PPA x Enders Analysis Report, offering data-backed insights and strategic guidance on how B2C and B2B publishers can adapt, innovate, and drive sustainable growth. Keep reading for the key takeaways from the session.

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Key takeaways from the webinar

Consumers’ fundamental needs haven’t changed, just their consumption habits

Serve your audience content that genuinely means something to them. They want, and need, content that is useful, sparks joy, fosters community, and deepens their knowledge. Building and maintaining a community of like-minded people is crucial as it increases the value of your product and enhances the consumer experience.

There is no space for generalists now, especially on the internet – specialist content gives trusted editorial brands a unique advantage. As the fight for attention and mistrust continues to intensify, we must remember that other sectors or independent content creators can’t do what our sector can. Audiences will remember your brand, and how you make them feel, not hours of endless scrolling.

Long-term strategy should be the focus – use it to optimise the short-term

During a challenging climate and ever-evolving landscape, it is essential to balance the day-to-day running of your business with a sustainable growth strategy.

The businesses that will be most successful will prioritise revolution over tweaking. Don’t get bogged down and neglect the future. Spend more time being forward-facing, rather than remaining stagnant in the past or present – what are you striving to achieve and how will the decisions you make today get you there?

Hire the best product people, and trust them to deliver

Product teams champion the only person that really matters, your consumer. They get granular, they’re passionate about seamless experiences, and crucially, they disrupt siloed working. They are the nexus between every department and the end product(s) – this oversight allows your product team to drive your entire company to serve the needs of your audience.

Innovation requires hiring the best of the best. Make the wrong product decisions, and you’ll no longer be a player in the game (think BlackBerry’s meteoric downfall vs Apple’s growth). You’d be mistaken if you think only Big Tech can attract the world’s leading talent. Play your ace card – you are doing something unique, with huge opportunities and immense value – our sector can attract the best product people out there, you just need to tell a great story to get them interested.

The website is dying, but don’t panic

Websites and articles will not enjoy the same traffic they have previously, but that doesn’t mean there will be no use for them. “The centrality of the website for many brands will decline,” said McCabe, noting that apps and other formats may become more effective touchpoints.

The key lies in delivering on your brand’s promise, wherever your audience is. Content is now served, not searched for – in a few years, you’ll risk being drowned out, but you can help your audience navigate the architecture of this new internet by diversifying how you get your content in front of them.

Digital fatigue presents opportunities for the analogue world. One example, data shows all demographics love print. Whilst it has moved from its industrial phase to being an artisanal product, print will never have a natural end. Acknowledge tension between analogue and digital world – but lean in to diversifying your offering. There is no one size fits all, no simple template. But focus on balancing and connecting your content, brand, identity, and data.

PPA members can access the Enders x PPA report

‘Consumers, creators, and brands: Rewriting the media playbook’ launched at the PPA Festival 2025, and shares opportunities for growth in the publishing sector.