The Publishing Partners Guide 2026 was distributed recently with the Jan/Feb issue of InPublishing magazine (not yet on our free mailing list? Register here). In addition to in-depth profiles of leading suppliers, the PPG also featured sixteen articles. Here is an insight from each:
- “The pendulum is swinging back in favour of distinctive human journalism; valued by the public, valued by advertisers, valued by those crawlers and bots that want to partner and surface reliable and trusted sources and voices.” (The Guardian’s Douglas McCabe)
- “As headless CMS architectures become standard, flexibility is no longer enough. The next era of publishing belongs to platforms that bridge the gap between infrastructure and editorial clarity.” (Atex’s Sara Forni – advertorial)
- “Subscription and membership schemes are maturing. Readers, such as ours, appear increasingly willing to pay for quality coverage that reflects their daily lives and holds regional power to account. For publishers, this marks a refreshing shift from chasing clicks to cultivating loyalty.” (The Irish News’ Chris Sherrard)
- “SMB advertisers respond better when they can see what they are buying. Workflows that allow sales teams to create spec ads instantly – rather than describing formats abstractly – reduce uncertainty and speed up decision-making.” (Smartico’s Christian Scherbel – advertorial)
- “If we continue to invest in trusted content, continue to be known for doing that and, crucially, enable all our customers to recognise our content is from us when they engage with it, we have a winning strategy for 2026 and beyond.” (Our Media’s Andy Marshall)
- “Review your user journey; are you just speaking to them on purchase? If so, introduce a welcome email and follow up emails ahead of new issues. Show them what’s in store with sneak peeks, make them feel as though they can’t cancel.” (Warners’ Natalie Smith – advertorial)
- “For B2B media companies, articulating and protecting true added value has never been more essential. Strategies must be grounded in what is genuinely unique – information or insight that cannot be easily replicated or found elsewhere.” (edify’s Maria Wallace)
- “In an era of infinite content, scarcity has shifted from what you publish to who you are to your readers. Whatever tools you use, ensure your publication’s trusted voice remains distinctive in a landscape optimised for noise. The relationship is the product. Build accordingly.” (BlueToad’s Hutch Hicken – advertorial)
- “AI gives us the ability to deepen connections, hyper-personalise touchpoints (moving from broad segmentation to a more dynamic, curated experience), create tailored LLMs and better understand audience behaviour.” (Think’s Jackie Scully)
- “Physical publications remain highly effective. Print offers focus, depth and credibility in an age of constant digital distraction. Industry bodies such as Two Sides consistently highlight higher levels of trust in print and the enduring cultural and educational value of physical books and journals.” (Denmaur’s Danny Doogan)
- “The task ahead is clear: to harness AI not as a threat but as a catalyst – transforming disruption into renewal and ensuring that academic publishing continues to be a cornerstone of credible, accessible, and impactful research in the AI age. This is not just survival; it is a chance to lead, adapt, and thrive.” (Frontiers’ Anke Beck)
- “Don’t rush to conclusions about UX issues. Take time to understand the problem. Think carefully about what the business needs to achieve, examine your assumptions and assess how confident you are about the solution.” (OpenAthens’ Sarah Underwood – advertorial)
- “Instead of obsessing over “beating” competitors, we need to learn from rivals, especially digital disruptors. This should reveal weaknesses and inspire improvement. Yet it also demands considerable humility. Do we acknowledge when rivals are better at content creation and audience engagement, and then adapt accordingly?” (Wessenden’s Jim Bilton)
- “Differentiate your work from AI-generated content by emphasising original reporting, exclusive analysis, and multimedia content that cannot be easily replicated. Let AI handle repetitive tasks, freeing your journalists to focus on meaningful stories that attract paying readers.” (AdvantageCS’s Philippe van Mastrigt – advertorial)
- “As synthetic AI content becomes ubiquitous, human created content will become a premium “luxury” product. Publishers must lean into personality, voice, and attitude, qualities AI cannot convincingly replicate in an AI-saturated content marketplace.” (William Reed’s John Barnes)
- “A modular stack lets you innovate on your terms. If you want to test out AI-generated content summaries, or integrate best-in-class search or launch a niche product, you can do so without having to rebuild. You have the safe and secure framework already without having to ask the board for approval each time.” (Full Fat Things’ Vicky Macey – advertorial)
All these articles can be read in full in the digital edition, where you will also find full details of many leading suppliers to the publishing industry. I hope you will find it a useful resource throughout the year…
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