TAKEAWAY: Amazon’s Jeff Bezos has acquired The Washington Post and now faces the task of preparing that institution to extend its powerful brand naturally to the digital age.
This is the weekend edition of TheMarioBlog and will be updated as needed. The next blog is Monday, August 12 (reporting from Argentina)
Dear Mr. Bezos,
Congratulations on your purchase of The Washington Post. I am one of those who are extremely happy about your intervention here. Not that the Graham family did not do a wonderful job steering WaPo to its incredibly significant influence as one of the United States’ and the world’s leading newspapers.
However, the one reason I believe your presence at The Washington Post at this point in its history is so vital is because the industry itself finds itself at that exciting (but, to some, problematic) junction which is the nexus of storytelling and technology. In addition, the fact that Donald Graham himself has said that the sale of the newspaper to you is the right thing, means a lot.
The Washington Post is rich in its storytelling tradition, including outstanding visual storytelling (here is a newspaper where the role of photography has always ranked up there with the best of its editorial traditions).
I know, as I have had the honor of working with the WaPo team on its most recent rethink of the Sunday edition, an unforgettable and rewarding experience. However, if I am honest here, it was primarily a design-oriented exercise, when it would have been better to sit down for a rethink, including the role of digital. Better than that, not just the “role”, but how digital/print needed to blend more organically, in what I refer to as iWED (integrated writing/editing/design).
That, however, was not to be at that time, so we rethought the Sunday front page look, improved the use of navigation throughout, better color palette, and all those changes that, while nice, are NOT what will save newspapers in the era of the tablet.
But, returning to why I think your presence will make a difference, and not just for The Washington Post: you understand the nuances of the digital age, but you also respect the historical importance of the newspaper.
You will be able to create a model that many top newspapers worldwide are waiting to see: an extension of a magnificent brand across platforms, one in which the printed newspaper is not the protagonist, but an important part of what I call the media quartet: smartphones, online, print and tablet. Don’t let anyone convince you to shut down the print edition, Mr. Bezos. Instead, take it along and give it its proper place as part of the media quartet. Our most successful projects, including in the US, have involved a revitalization of print while moving with a digital first approach.
Then, something that needs to be done soonest: curated editions for the smartphone and tablet, so that those platforms are explored to their fullest and that glorious brand of The Washington Post can be guaranteed to stay around for a long time offering us the type of storytelling that has already changed history. You see, Mr. Bezos, right now the content from the print edition of WaPo comes as is into the tablet edition, for example. This is, of course, good, but not all that tablet users expect from a true curated tablet edition, in which they expect content especially prepared, with more audio, video, pop ups, and engagement. I believe this is the next logical step as you bring The Washington Post closer to a full fledged multi media brand, extending and enhancing its excellent content to fit the specific needs of the various platforms.
I think you got the right price ($250 million) for what I know will be a great (and tough) challenge. If there is someone who can face it with bravado, that is you.
I know that you will salute the rich past of The Washington Post and carry it by the hand with pride, but moving quickly forward to imagine what the great WaPo will be like 100 years from now. You have it right when you tell the WaPo team that “the values of The Post do not need changing”. However, how those values are preserved and presented in the digital age may require a different journey.
The tools are there to start that journey, and it all begins with one key ingredient, a powerful brand that resonates with audiences of all ages across all platforms, while exploring each platform to its full potential.
We will be watching with interest. My most sincere and best wishes for your success, which will also mean the success of a newspaper brand we are all proud of.
Best of luck, Mario
