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Making the leap from VP at a media company to a technology company

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Making the jump from newspaper buyer of digital technology to selling digital technology to newspaper markets and media companies

Like more than one key digital executive, Michael Martoccia recently jumped from a corporate media position, Digital Revenue Director at BH Media which owns more than 40 markets, to a technology company, Wehaa, where he is now National Director - Digital Marketing & Sales. We caught up with him to find out what it was like to make the leap to the other side of the desk, what media companies need from technology companies and what he sees for the media industry in the future.


LMI:  For someone who has worked for newspapers and media groups for so many years, most recently as a Corporate-based Director of Digital Revenue for a major newspaper chain, my first question is what incented you to make the jump, and what is it like to be on the other side of the table?

MM:  Well, amid recent corporate restructuring at BH Media, I was offered to relocate for another regional role, but with our last kid in high school here in Charlotte, we’re just not ready to move yet. I had actually purchased platforms from Wehaa and worked with them for a few years, and it seemed like a great move to join them and bring a perspective from the other side of the business to their sales and business development efforts.

LMI:  You must have brought insights on how media perceive tech companies and how to approach the sale.

MM: Absolutely. I've been the client, so I understand what media companies need when it comes to digital solutions. There are really three key criteria they all need and are all looking for.

First, they want cost-efficient methods.

Second, they want turnkey solutions; over the last few years resources have been radically cut back, so there are fewer resources in all of these markets, both large and small.

Third, media companies want to see metrics that show how platforms engage with consumers. We need to reach street smart consumers with street smart products.

An interesting issue that seems to come up more and more is support for go-to-market strategies. You can have the best software in the world, but one of the biggest hurdles in nearly all markets is to launch a new platform when resources are so limited.

[The technology company] can do a hugely successful job, and have a great platform and launch plan, but when it comes down to it, the reps have to take it out to market. Sales reps have a lot on their shoulders, so digital technology companies must strengthen how we enable them to easily roll it out on the streets to business owners.

It is on us (the technology companies) to take a different approach. When someone buys a product, our job is not over. We need to provide successful ways to market this to the businesses in the media´s town.

LMI:  As a Director of Digital Revenue at BH, what made Wehaa´s approach unique in this area?

MM:  For me, one of the unique selling propositions for projects like Wehaa’s Virtual Automotive Sales Events, is having social media integrations built-in to the product.  Media groups are already doing a lot with social media, so we take the added burden of marketing another initiative off their plate.

Whether it is Automotive Virtual Sales Events or platforms for the Real Estate vertical, we build Facebook targeting into the products.

LMI:  How exactly do you do this, is the FB buy fully automated, or do you provide the back end service manually?

MM:  We take care of everything, including placing buys that behaviorally and geographically target auto-savvy consumers and build the base cost into the price of the product, so that it’s fully turnkey.

LMI:  What kind of social reach or penetration do you aim for to promote, say, a Virtual Auto Sale Event?

MM:  For any single automotive event, it is up to the client how much to spend, based on our different levels. However, we have a base level built into every buy. I hate to put a number on it because it depends on the market size and the number of social users with auto intent in that market. But, for a typical 10- to 21-day campaign, we expect that 65-70% of the audience reached will come through our social media efforts. It is that important and critical to the success to include this tactic.

LMI:  The consolidation and restructuring of the media industry clearly hasn't stopped. As a media veteran, what do you think the media landscape will look like in a few years?

MM:  There is still a very strong base for media companies to prosper. If you are talking five to seven years from now, I believe that for media companies to grow, it’s going to come down to how hyper-local they’re willing to make their content and their advertising.

A lot of that comes down to how media companies small and large, evolve with technology. As long as they evolve and use the solutions that are out there, there is a stronger likelihood they continue and succeed.

Sometimes we [in the local media space] lose our foothold because we don´t act quickly enough with technology and let the start-ups get a share of the advertising pie.

LMI:  That is almost an understatement, Google and Facebook have taken at least 80% out of the market. It is like a family, the only thing worse than having a media company is not having one.

MM:  Exactly. That’s why folks like Wehaa can provide some of the solutions to replace company resources that have been cut back. Media companies just don't have the people and technology in-house anymore. We have some very cost-efficient ways to bridge those gaps.

LMI:  I have noticed that more technology companies seem to be providing extra services after the sale. Which ones do you feel are most important?

MM:  Our media partners generally can buy the programmatic and O&O on their own, but we supply the Facebook campaigns, all the collateral, the technology around the event and the metrics and measurement analytics.

If a media company can’t internally implement our marketing suggestions, we include these services in the package as well.

LMI:  On a cultural and personal level, what is it like to join the technology industry after working in media?

MM: For me, it is refreshing to come to the other side of the table and see the perspective of a company trying to get the business. It is very different.

When I was in digital leadership positions on the newspaper side, I was a hard-sell for vendors. Now I can honestly tell [prospects] that I have been in your shoes and can show you effective metrics in terms of engagement and ROI.

It is very motivational to work for a company like Wehaa that has a handful of the most efficient turnkey solutions and to be excited to show digital products that work.

LMI:  You can probably read their minds.

MM: That is a good point, more often than not I can provide them with an answer to the question before they finish the inquiry.

LMI:  It is probably hard not to run over their sentences.

MM:  And hard to hold back my enthusiasm. I have purchased [Wehaa´s platform] myself in that role. I know exactly what I have to prove to them, and what issues we are going to have to cross before we get to the decision-making part.

If I´m across the table, I can say I´ve been in your shoes. I know what you will be looking for and what advertisers will be looking for. I have a couple of things that will work.

LMI: What other opportunities do you see for media to use technology to sell small businesses in their markets in 2019? In other words, if you were a digital director today, what types of platforms would you be looking at, besides Wehaa?

MM:  I would be looking seriously at the question: how can a business better engage with consumers through digital targeting, social media and video?

Business owners need to grasp just how important targeting the right customer at the right time is to their growth and use a variety of solutions to strategically drill down to reach the customer efficiently.

Another trend is content. Content is huge, and the businesses who are doing it right are the ones strategically delivering new content and keeping it fresh.

For digital technology companies, it’s all about being able to deliver relevant solutions to media groups of all sizes. Local media companies have the local, trusted relationships already in place. But, they need partners like us to provide and deliver innovative ways to go to market with digital solutions for their local merchants.