Home > Companies > Thought Leaders > Q&A with Stuart Sumner, Editorial Director at Incisive Media

Q&A with Stuart Sumner, Editorial Director at Incisive Media

Q&A with Stuart Sumner
Stuart Sumner, Editorial Director at Incisive Media, is an experienced journalist, editor, presenter and broadcaster with expertise across all enterprise technology areas. He has successfully lead and developed editorial teams, set editorial strategy, improved brand integrity and focus, developed audience numbers and engagement, and built communities of C-suite executives.

Without that audience understanding, brands will struggle to produce relevant content. There’s no substitute for knowing your audience.



MEDIA 7: Could you please tell us a little bit about yourself. What inspired you to pursue a career in writing?
STUART SUMNER: I’ve always been interested in writing. As a child I filled exercise books with stories, later I wrote comedy for TV and radio. After a decade working in IT, I realized I wanted to turn my hobby into my profession – and managed to combine it with my experience of IT by becoming a journalist with Computing.

M7: What is your approach to branding your company, its products and services?
SS: The key is to approach it from the audience’s perspective. What response are they likely to have to your brand, your message, your personality? What are their pain points, their needs? If you understand all of that you’ve got a good chance of success.


The best way to win the content war is to have better, more valuable, and more timely content than your competitors.You need to offer audiences a regular supply of high-quality, in-depth content which they can’t get elsewhere.



M7: How do you ensure that your content team understands the requirements and curates content in an engaging manner?
SS: Again it comes down to understanding the audience. The best way to develop that understanding is to spend time with them and develop industry contacts. Ensuring the team is regularly interviewing the right people, and attending events (virtual or otherwise) is a good way to do that. As for writing engaging content, that’s harder to develop. Hopefully, if you’ve built your interview process properly you’ll already know something of their writing style, and that ability will come built-in. Otherwise, you’ve got a job on your hands!

M7: What channels do you think are the most relevant for Content Marketing? How do you gauge which ones are the most promising, given your target customers?
SS: It’s important to understand what your channels are for. I see a lot of brands treating every channel as yet another opportunity to fling sales messaging in front of audiences, most of whom don’t want it. Content marketing works best when it’s entirely native and fits seamlessly with the brand’s other content. That means it needs to be every bit as colourful and interesting as the best editorial, and meet audience needs just as effectively. You can gauge effectiveness by measuring the usual things like engagement, bounce, etc. But there’s no replacement for having a steering committee of senior audience members who you can ask – what do they think of your content marketing and what works best for them.


It’s important to understand what your channels are for. Content marketing works best when it’s entirely native and fits seamlessly with the brand’s other content.



M7: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected businesses worldwide. What has been Incisive Media’s strategy of survival during the tough time?
SS: Incisive Media moved quickly at the start of the pandemic to move our face-to-face events online. We very rapidly developed a brand new style of a virtual event called ‘Deskflix’, a half-day, multi-sponsor event filled with panels, presentations, networking and even a quiz! The series generated £4.6m of revenue, had over 100 sponsors and served more than 100,000 delegates. We were lucky that we were already very well set up to put on virtual events, given our expertise with webinars, and our dedicated teams of events organizers – not to mention our wealth of excellent editorial presenters.

M7: How do you target content to your audience, and what are the challenges that you face while producing effective content?
SS: Every brand today faces challenges to secure eyeballs online. Audiences have content thrown at them from every angle, and it can be hard for them to separate the wheat from the chaff. That’s why it’s more important than ever to build and safeguard trust with your audience. Once they start to see your content as trusted and view your site as a safe place away from misinformation and empty marketing, you’ll see improve engagement and lots of returning ‘super users’. You need to offer audiences a regular supply of high-quality, in-depth content which they can’t get elsewhere. Of course, that’s not easy to produce – and thank god for that, because that’s how we differentiate ourselves!

M7: What are your views on content shock? Is it a worrisome trend or a content marketing myth?
SS: It’s a long-standing trend that will continue, and it’s what I’ve been talking about already in this interview. The way to win the content war is to have better, more valuable, and more timely content than your competitors. How do you do that? Proximity to your audience. If you really know them, including their sub-groups, niches and quirks, then you should understand what they want, how and when.

Computing is very lucky to have an experienced team who’ve worked with the technology sector for many years. We have long-standing ties to hundreds of senior technology leaders, and we speak to them all regularly. We believe we understand our audience better than anybody, and that gives us huge confidence, even in the face of rampant competition and ‘content shock’. Without that audience understanding, brands will struggle to produce relevant content. There’s no substitute for knowing your audience.

ABOUT INCISIVE MEDIA

Incisive Media is an award-winning business to business digital media and events business. It inspires, connects and informs through its market-leading brands. It is the APO digital publisher of the year 2010, 2013, 2016, 2017 and 2020.

More THOUGHT LEADERS

'CMOs must champion the customer,' advises Steve O'Neil Director at Agent3

Media 7 | February 14, 2022

We had the opportunity to explore the best way to leverage Account-based marketing strategies in the digital era, through this interview with Steve O'Neil, Director at Agent3. Read on to find out new digital marketing trends to look out for in 2022, and how CMOs and enterprises can best leverage them in their initiatives....

Read More

Customer Success upholds and revamps the value-driven from a product, says Folloze's Adi Aloni

Media 7 | February 14, 2022

We had an opportunity to explore the crossroad between marketing and customer success with Adi Aloni, VP of Customer Success at Folloze. Read and find out more about building a customer success team from the ground up....

Read More

Q&A with Marylin Montoya, VP Marketing at AB Tasty

Media 7 | May 31, 2021

Marylin Montoya, VP Marketing at AB Tasty is an experienced marketer with a history of propelling startups towards global recognition. MEDIA 7: Could you please take us through your professional journey? How has it been so far? MARYLIN MONTOYA: I’ve had an atypical journey, and today I think it’s more the norm to see these atypical paths, but back in 2006 when I finished college, it was less common. I worked at a law firm for about a year before I decided it wasn’t for me (I was on track for law school), and I decided I wanted a very different path. I took a one-way ticket to Japan after that 1st year and never looked back. Since then, I have started my own entrepreneurial project, sold my partnership interest, got into marketing, moved to France from Japan, and went to business school. I have been in the technology space ever since. It’s been a great experience working in start-ups and seeing the process of growth take place, from conception (a couple of people) to full-fledged scale-ups with hundreds of employees. At every experience, you are able to add another scenario, a new challenge or objective you need to maneuver around and address, but you also start to identify the patterns and common challenges. It continues to be a very educational experience....

Read More

'CMOs must champion the customer,' advises Steve O'Neil Director at Agent3

Media 7 | February 14, 2022

We had the opportunity to explore the best way to leverage Account-based marketing strategies in the digital era, through this interview with Steve O'Neil, Director at Agent3. Read on to find out new digital marketing trends to look out for in 2022, and how CMOs and enterprises can best leverage them in their initiatives....

Read More

Customer Success upholds and revamps the value-driven from a product, says Folloze's Adi Aloni

Media 7 | February 14, 2022

We had an opportunity to explore the crossroad between marketing and customer success with Adi Aloni, VP of Customer Success at Folloze. Read and find out more about building a customer success team from the ground up....

Read More

Q&A with Marylin Montoya, VP Marketing at AB Tasty

Media 7 | May 31, 2021

Marylin Montoya, VP Marketing at AB Tasty is an experienced marketer with a history of propelling startups towards global recognition. MEDIA 7: Could you please take us through your professional journey? How has it been so far? MARYLIN MONTOYA: I’ve had an atypical journey, and today I think it’s more the norm to see these atypical paths, but back in 2006 when I finished college, it was less common. I worked at a law firm for about a year before I decided it wasn’t for me (I was on track for law school), and I decided I wanted a very different path. I took a one-way ticket to Japan after that 1st year and never looked back. Since then, I have started my own entrepreneurial project, sold my partnership interest, got into marketing, moved to France from Japan, and went to business school. I have been in the technology space ever since. It’s been a great experience working in start-ups and seeing the process of growth take place, from conception (a couple of people) to full-fledged scale-ups with hundreds of employees. At every experience, you are able to add another scenario, a new challenge or objective you need to maneuver around and address, but you also start to identify the patterns and common challenges. It continues to be a very educational experience....

Read More

Related News

Account Based Data

Banzai Executes LOI to Acquire Top Rated Lead Generation Platform, IGLeads

GlobeNewswire | January 08, 2024

Banzai International, Inc. (NASDAQ: BNZI) (“Banzai” or the “Company”), a leading marketing technology company that provides essential marketing and sales solutions, today announced that it has signed a non-binding letter of intent (the “LOI”) to acquire IGLeads, a cutting-edge automated lead generation platform. Unlike competitive products that rely on firmographic data, IGLeads uses search criteria leading to 100% verified, targeted lead generation. With the proposed strategic acquisition of IGLeads, Banzai would be poised to significantly enhance its audience acquisition services, executing its strategic commitment to acquiring best-in-class, data-focused products that serve marketers everywhere. IGLeads stands out as a top-rated lead generation solution that uses search criteria, rather than firmographic filters, to extract valuable contact data from the most extensive public databases and leading social media platforms, all in one interface. IGLeads enables marketers to construct qualified, target audiences based on intent signals such as conversation topics and interests, rather than traditional firmographic filters. “IGLeads has built a unique way to deliver verified target audiences based on interest, intent, and social engagement versus traditional firmographics. IGLeads is well suited for Banzai’s customers, and we’re excited to have a chance to integrate its capabilities into our other offerings,” said Joe Davy, CEO and Founder of Banzai. “Brandon has built an efficient, profitable, and high-growth business. We’re excited to take it forward to the next stage of growth.” Compelling Strategic and Financial Benefits Profitable growth business: IGLeads is a highly profitable, rapidly growing business that Banzai can leverage to drive additional scale and acquisition opportunities. Complementary product offering: Banzai intends to integrate IGLeads’ all-in-one lead generation platform to better serve existing customers with cross-sell opportunities. Highly rated: IGLeads has close to 1,000 customers and is one of the top-user-rated lead generation solutions with a 4.7 star rating on TrustPilot. Brandon King, CEO and Founder of IGLeads commented: “Getting IGLeads to this point is a testament to the hard work and success of our team, and we believe IGLeads would be a notable addition to the Banzai platform and to Banzai’s customers. We are excited to pursue an opportunity to join Banzai and support the progression of their award-winning innovation initiatives that are working to democratize data in the MarTech space.” About Banzai Banzai is a marketing technology company that provides essential marketing and sales solutions for businesses of all sizes. On a mission to help their customers achieve their mission, Banzai enables companies of all sizes to target, engage, and measure both new and existing customers more effectively. Banzai customers include Square, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Thinkific, Doodle and ActiveCampaign, among thousands of others. Learn more at www.banzai.io. For investors, please visit https://ir.banzai.io/ About IGLeads IGLeads.io, established in 2021, provides innovative solutions in social media and B2B scraping across multiple platforms, offering an efficient lead generation service without the need for logins or proxies. Our team of experts is committed to excellence, customer satisfaction, and integrity. We pride ourselves on staying ahead of industry trends and adapting to meet our clients' diverse needs in the Technology SaaS sector. As a leader in this field, we offer tailored support for businesses of all sizes, aiming to drive success and growth through effective lead generation.

Read More

ABM Accounts

Bloomreach and Sonepar to Power Continued Search Relevance for Customers

Business Wire | January 12, 2024

Bloomreach, the platform fueling limitless e-commerce experiences, today announced Bloomreach Discovery will continue to power product discovery for Sonepar, the global world leader in B-to-B distribution of electrical products, solutions, and related services, as the companies renew their existing partnership. With Bloomreach Discovery’s AI-driven search and merchandising capabilities, Sonepar enables customers around the world to find what they want to buy — when, where, and how they want. “Sonepar is pleased to partner with Bloomreach as we continue to pursue our next stage of digital transformation,” said Fabrice del Aguila, SVP Digital Factory, Sonepar. “We look forward to leveraging Bloomreach’s expertise in product discovery as we become the first global B2B electrical distributor in the world to offer the best omnichannel experience to all our customers.” Sonepar leverages Bloomreach Discovery to drive personalized experiences across its omnichannel platform. Using rich data to refine search results, Bloomreach Discovery helps customers easily discover the products they want. It also accounts for a range of attributes and quantitative search queries, creating a search experience that is not only personalized, but personalized to the unique needs of B-to-B buyers. “We’re thrilled to continue our partnership with Sonepar,” said Jordan Roper, General Manager and Head of Product, Bloomreach Discovery. “The B-to-B space has so much to gain from digital transformation, and Sonepar is a leader in making that transformation a reality. We’re proud to join them on this journey and look forward to continuing to support their omnichannel experience with the fast ROI and relevance of Bloomreach Discovery.” Learn more about how Bloomreach Discovery and Sonepar are working together to drive success. About Bloomreach Bloomreach personalizes the e-commerce experience. Its data engine unifies real-time customer and product data so businesses understand what customers really want. By connecting that understanding to every channel, the e-commerce experience becomes limitless — reflecting a changing customer as they shop. Amplified by the speed and scale of Loomi, Bloomreach's AI for e-commerce, this creates endless new paths to purchase, greater profitability, and fast business growth. Bloomreach products include: Engagement, a marketing automation platform; Discovery, an e-commerce search solution; Content, a headless CMS; and Clarity, AI-powered conversational shopping. The company has multiple AI patents and serves 850+ global brands including: Albertsons, Bosch, Puma, and Marks & Spencer. About Sonepar Sonepar is an independent family-owned company with global market leadership in B-to-B distribution of electrical products, solutions and related services. Through a dense network of brands spanning 40 countries, the Group has an ambitious transformation agenda to become the first global B-to-B electrical distributor to provide a fully digitalized and synchronized omnichannel experience to all customers. Drawing on the skill and passion of its 44,000 associates, Sonepar had sales of €32.4 billion in 2022. www.sonepar.com

Read More

ABM Accounts

Collibra Shines with Multiple MarCom Awards for Excellence

Collibra | November 08, 2023

Collibra receives multiple MarCom Awards, including two Platinum and three Gold Awards, recognizing achievements in design, publications, and podcast production. Highlighted among Collibra's successful projects is 'The Data Download' podcast, which is focused on the data community, AI/ML, and data governance education. The MarCom Awards, sponsored by the AMCP, celebrate creative excellence in marketing and communications, emphasizing the importance of creativity and branding in a competitive market. Collibra, a renowned data intelligence company, has recently announced its remarkable success at the MarCom Awards, where it garnered numerous prestigious accolades for marketing and communications. The company's outstanding achievements were acknowledged with two Platinum Awards, three Gold Awards, and one Honorable Mention, spanning categories such as creative design, publications, and podcast production. One of the highlighted endeavors among these accolades was 'The Data Download,' a podcast dedicated to the data community, AI/ML, and data governance education. The MarCom Awards are a prestigious platform that celebrates the exceptional achievements of creative professionals involved in the conception, direction, design, and production of marketing and communications materials and programs. The judges, who are seasoned industry experts, seek out companies and individuals whose talents transcend the conventional standards of excellence and serve as exemplars for the entire industry. Collibra received the following awards: Platinum Awards Collibra Impact Report Category: Creativity - Design | Annual Report / CSR Collibra Impact Report Category: Publications | Annual Report | CSR Gold Awards The Data Download Podcast by Collibra Category: Web Based | Web Element | Podcast Collibra Partner Program Brand Guide Category: Creativity - Design | Identity Suite Collibra Partner Program Brand Guide Category: Creativity - Design | Program Guide Honorable Mention The Data Download Podcast by Collibra Category: Creativity - Design | Identity Suite MarCom stands as one of the most renowned and longstanding creative competitions globally. These awards are sponsored and evaluated by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals (AMCP), a leading organization with a 28-year history comprising thousands of creative professionals. Denise Vu Broady, the Chief Marketing Officer for Collibra, remarked that in today's highly competitive market landscape, strong creativity, branding, design, and content have become more important than ever for brand differentiation. She expressed her enthusiasm in observing Collibra's efforts being acknowledged with multiple MarCom honors. She further conveyed her excitement in sharing this recognition with their broader team and extended her gratitude to them for their diligent efforts in earning these awards.

Read More

Account Based Data

Banzai Executes LOI to Acquire Top Rated Lead Generation Platform, IGLeads

GlobeNewswire | January 08, 2024

Banzai International, Inc. (NASDAQ: BNZI) (“Banzai” or the “Company”), a leading marketing technology company that provides essential marketing and sales solutions, today announced that it has signed a non-binding letter of intent (the “LOI”) to acquire IGLeads, a cutting-edge automated lead generation platform. Unlike competitive products that rely on firmographic data, IGLeads uses search criteria leading to 100% verified, targeted lead generation. With the proposed strategic acquisition of IGLeads, Banzai would be poised to significantly enhance its audience acquisition services, executing its strategic commitment to acquiring best-in-class, data-focused products that serve marketers everywhere. IGLeads stands out as a top-rated lead generation solution that uses search criteria, rather than firmographic filters, to extract valuable contact data from the most extensive public databases and leading social media platforms, all in one interface. IGLeads enables marketers to construct qualified, target audiences based on intent signals such as conversation topics and interests, rather than traditional firmographic filters. “IGLeads has built a unique way to deliver verified target audiences based on interest, intent, and social engagement versus traditional firmographics. IGLeads is well suited for Banzai’s customers, and we’re excited to have a chance to integrate its capabilities into our other offerings,” said Joe Davy, CEO and Founder of Banzai. “Brandon has built an efficient, profitable, and high-growth business. We’re excited to take it forward to the next stage of growth.” Compelling Strategic and Financial Benefits Profitable growth business: IGLeads is a highly profitable, rapidly growing business that Banzai can leverage to drive additional scale and acquisition opportunities. Complementary product offering: Banzai intends to integrate IGLeads’ all-in-one lead generation platform to better serve existing customers with cross-sell opportunities. Highly rated: IGLeads has close to 1,000 customers and is one of the top-user-rated lead generation solutions with a 4.7 star rating on TrustPilot. Brandon King, CEO and Founder of IGLeads commented: “Getting IGLeads to this point is a testament to the hard work and success of our team, and we believe IGLeads would be a notable addition to the Banzai platform and to Banzai’s customers. We are excited to pursue an opportunity to join Banzai and support the progression of their award-winning innovation initiatives that are working to democratize data in the MarTech space.” About Banzai Banzai is a marketing technology company that provides essential marketing and sales solutions for businesses of all sizes. On a mission to help their customers achieve their mission, Banzai enables companies of all sizes to target, engage, and measure both new and existing customers more effectively. Banzai customers include Square, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Thinkific, Doodle and ActiveCampaign, among thousands of others. Learn more at www.banzai.io. For investors, please visit https://ir.banzai.io/ About IGLeads IGLeads.io, established in 2021, provides innovative solutions in social media and B2B scraping across multiple platforms, offering an efficient lead generation service without the need for logins or proxies. Our team of experts is committed to excellence, customer satisfaction, and integrity. We pride ourselves on staying ahead of industry trends and adapting to meet our clients' diverse needs in the Technology SaaS sector. As a leader in this field, we offer tailored support for businesses of all sizes, aiming to drive success and growth through effective lead generation.

Read More

ABM Accounts

Bloomreach and Sonepar to Power Continued Search Relevance for Customers

Business Wire | January 12, 2024

Bloomreach, the platform fueling limitless e-commerce experiences, today announced Bloomreach Discovery will continue to power product discovery for Sonepar, the global world leader in B-to-B distribution of electrical products, solutions, and related services, as the companies renew their existing partnership. With Bloomreach Discovery’s AI-driven search and merchandising capabilities, Sonepar enables customers around the world to find what they want to buy — when, where, and how they want. “Sonepar is pleased to partner with Bloomreach as we continue to pursue our next stage of digital transformation,” said Fabrice del Aguila, SVP Digital Factory, Sonepar. “We look forward to leveraging Bloomreach’s expertise in product discovery as we become the first global B2B electrical distributor in the world to offer the best omnichannel experience to all our customers.” Sonepar leverages Bloomreach Discovery to drive personalized experiences across its omnichannel platform. Using rich data to refine search results, Bloomreach Discovery helps customers easily discover the products they want. It also accounts for a range of attributes and quantitative search queries, creating a search experience that is not only personalized, but personalized to the unique needs of B-to-B buyers. “We’re thrilled to continue our partnership with Sonepar,” said Jordan Roper, General Manager and Head of Product, Bloomreach Discovery. “The B-to-B space has so much to gain from digital transformation, and Sonepar is a leader in making that transformation a reality. We’re proud to join them on this journey and look forward to continuing to support their omnichannel experience with the fast ROI and relevance of Bloomreach Discovery.” Learn more about how Bloomreach Discovery and Sonepar are working together to drive success. About Bloomreach Bloomreach personalizes the e-commerce experience. Its data engine unifies real-time customer and product data so businesses understand what customers really want. By connecting that understanding to every channel, the e-commerce experience becomes limitless — reflecting a changing customer as they shop. Amplified by the speed and scale of Loomi, Bloomreach's AI for e-commerce, this creates endless new paths to purchase, greater profitability, and fast business growth. Bloomreach products include: Engagement, a marketing automation platform; Discovery, an e-commerce search solution; Content, a headless CMS; and Clarity, AI-powered conversational shopping. The company has multiple AI patents and serves 850+ global brands including: Albertsons, Bosch, Puma, and Marks & Spencer. About Sonepar Sonepar is an independent family-owned company with global market leadership in B-to-B distribution of electrical products, solutions and related services. Through a dense network of brands spanning 40 countries, the Group has an ambitious transformation agenda to become the first global B-to-B electrical distributor to provide a fully digitalized and synchronized omnichannel experience to all customers. Drawing on the skill and passion of its 44,000 associates, Sonepar had sales of €32.4 billion in 2022. www.sonepar.com

Read More

ABM Accounts

Collibra Shines with Multiple MarCom Awards for Excellence

Collibra | November 08, 2023

Collibra receives multiple MarCom Awards, including two Platinum and three Gold Awards, recognizing achievements in design, publications, and podcast production. Highlighted among Collibra's successful projects is 'The Data Download' podcast, which is focused on the data community, AI/ML, and data governance education. The MarCom Awards, sponsored by the AMCP, celebrate creative excellence in marketing and communications, emphasizing the importance of creativity and branding in a competitive market. Collibra, a renowned data intelligence company, has recently announced its remarkable success at the MarCom Awards, where it garnered numerous prestigious accolades for marketing and communications. The company's outstanding achievements were acknowledged with two Platinum Awards, three Gold Awards, and one Honorable Mention, spanning categories such as creative design, publications, and podcast production. One of the highlighted endeavors among these accolades was 'The Data Download,' a podcast dedicated to the data community, AI/ML, and data governance education. The MarCom Awards are a prestigious platform that celebrates the exceptional achievements of creative professionals involved in the conception, direction, design, and production of marketing and communications materials and programs. The judges, who are seasoned industry experts, seek out companies and individuals whose talents transcend the conventional standards of excellence and serve as exemplars for the entire industry. Collibra received the following awards: Platinum Awards Collibra Impact Report Category: Creativity - Design | Annual Report / CSR Collibra Impact Report Category: Publications | Annual Report | CSR Gold Awards The Data Download Podcast by Collibra Category: Web Based | Web Element | Podcast Collibra Partner Program Brand Guide Category: Creativity - Design | Identity Suite Collibra Partner Program Brand Guide Category: Creativity - Design | Program Guide Honorable Mention The Data Download Podcast by Collibra Category: Creativity - Design | Identity Suite MarCom stands as one of the most renowned and longstanding creative competitions globally. These awards are sponsored and evaluated by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals (AMCP), a leading organization with a 28-year history comprising thousands of creative professionals. Denise Vu Broady, the Chief Marketing Officer for Collibra, remarked that in today's highly competitive market landscape, strong creativity, branding, design, and content have become more important than ever for brand differentiation. She expressed her enthusiasm in observing Collibra's efforts being acknowledged with multiple MarCom honors. She further conveyed her excitement in sharing this recognition with their broader team and extended her gratitude to them for their diligent efforts in earning these awards.

Read More

Spotlight

Incisive Media

Incisive Media is an award-winning business to business digital media and events business. It inspires, connects and informs through its market-leading brands. It is the APO digital publisher of the year 2010, 2013, 2016, 2017 and 2020....

Events

Resources

resource image

Account Based Data

How to avoid the most common account-based marketing mistakes to improve your chances of succeeding

Video

resource image

Core ABM

The best proven method to match personas to accounts in account based marketing

Video

resource image

Account Based Data, Buyer Intent Data

Buyer personas: How to create and effectively use them for account based marketing in 2023

Video

Events