What’s the purpose and remit of this group?

The Independent Publisher Network exists to bring together like-minded owners or senior leaders of independent media businesses, to share, learn from each other, and lean on each other during challenging times.

It’s open to CEOs, MDs, and senior leaders from any small-medium independently owned media business, usually with an annual turnover of under £10m.

The group has quarterly meetings, either in person or over Zoom, as well as other networking events, and occasional lunches and dinners. A section of each quarterly meeting is given over to a ‘spotlight’ session, where one member presents on their business.

The community is also integral to the PPA Independent Publisher Awards and Conference in November, with members consulted fully over themes, speakers, and awards categories.

What themes are currently being discussed?

Topics that have come up in recent meetings include challenges with recruitment, how members are integrating AI into their businesses, the benefits and pitfalls of office working vs home working, and office space.  

Any member is free to put forward any area of discussion for each meeting.

Why is it valuable for the industry to collaborate via groups like this?

For independent publishers, I think it’s incredibly important to have an outlet such as this, where businesses can be completely open, and share ideas with each other.

Running an independent business can feel like a lonely place sometimes. When I worked on media brands that were part of bigger businesses in the past – such as RBI and the (now departed) UBM – there were regular forums where counterparts from different brands within the business could get together and share experiences. As an independent this is much harder to achieve, which is why this network is so valuable.

What have you found useful from being part of this group?

Speaking personally, I can say getting together online during Covid kept me sane, which was a sizeable achievement! As TTG Media faced immense challenges in 2020 and 2021, given our exposure to the travel industry, sharing my experiences and hearing how every business had their own Covid ‘story to tell’ was like a form of therapy.

A few years ago discussions with the group also gave me an idea, which was integral to the launch of a major new product at TTG Media, which will be worth more than £500,000 revenue to the business this year.

More generally, the group regularly produces benchmarking reports, and shares new and emerging technology solutions. Sometimes external speakers will join the sessions.

The personal involvement of the PPA’s CEO Sajeeda Merali, and Managing Director – Commercial and Events, Hannah Bray, also ensures members are kept fully up to date with developments in publishing and media, including public and regulatory affairs.

What is front of mind for Independent Publishers at the moment?

Recruitment. AI. Data. Balancing the cost of running your business with the investment necessary to drive growth. Defining your future in a rapidly changing landscape – not every PPA member is a publisher, in the purest sense, anymore.

What should we look out for next?

More learning sessions are in the pipeline, and we’re hoping to bring more PPA members into this community, increasing the information sharing.

How can people get involved?

I’d love to see more independent PPA members engage with the group. They can contact the PPA on events@ppa.co.uk or get in touch with me directly at dpearce@ttgmedia.com to discuss any aspects of the Independent Publisher Network.

Current Independent Publisher Network members:

The PPA Independent Publisher Conference and Awards return on Friday 22 November. First look agenda launching next week, and the Awards entry deadline is Monday 2 September.