We recently returned from the INMA World Congress in New York, where we joined media leaders and some of our clients like News Corp and Daily Mail. Our goal was to understand what publishers truly need from their tech partners today.
Here are five key trends shaping the media industry – and what they mean for companies like us.
1. The focus is shifting from “more” to “what matters.”
Forget chasing scale at all costs. What we saw at the INMA World Congress is that more and more publishers are prioritising:
- direct audience relationships
- trust and retention
- smaller but highly loyal user segments
What this means for tech:
Solutions must support micro-targeting, personalisation, and 1st-party data operations. Performance now comes from deep engagement, not mass reach.
2. Brand isn’t marketing. Brand is the newsroom.
In an age where everything is content, brands with a clear voice and point of view win. Bloomberg, The Atlantic, and NPR showed how the newsroom can become the brand engine.
What this means for tech:
CMS, workflows, and AI tools must serve the journalist, not slow them down. Flexibility, speed to publish, and multi-format support are key.
3. Constructive paranoia is the new mindset.
More publishers are adopting a “constructive paranoia” approach. This means staying alert to industry shifts before they hit. This proactive mindset is becoming essential for sustainability.
What this means for tech:
Flexible CMS platforms, rapid prototyping, and continuous experimentation allow media companies to stay ahead, test quickly, and adapt fast.
4. Custom software is on the rise.
One-size-fits-all is fading. Media companies want solutions tailored to their operations and users.
What this means for tech:
Custom, modular systems built with agile practices are enabling faster innovation, tighter integrations, and more meaningful user experiences.
5. AI is real. But no one has the answers (yet).
Everyone’s testing LLMs, everyone’s attending AI panels — but no one’s cracked the code. The Atlantic shared a powerful list of the hard questions every publisher should be asking.
What this means for tech:
Tech partners must come ready to collaborate, test, and iterate — not just deliver “solutions.”
Bonus insight: Gen Z is changing the game.
Much of the conference focused on how younger audiences consume and experience content. Shorter formats, creator-first models, and platform-native storytelling are leading the shift.
What this means for tech:
Media companies need to rethink formats, UX, and tone. And they’ll need partners who can experiment alongside them — quickly.
Conclusion
The industry is moving fast. And while uncertainty remains, one thing is clear: publishers are no longer looking for “just a dev agency.” They need tech partners who understand the context and can move with them.
If you’re exploring that path, we’re happy to share our full INMA World Congress takeaways, talk about our experience, and show how we approach real-world publishing challenges.
Want to see how these insights translate into action? Drop us a line and contact us. And if you found this useful, share it with your network!
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ABOUT AUTHOR
Mario Jerkovic
Head of Business Development
