Moving media at Sixteen 11
Using personal insight and perspective to change the fan experience
In conversation with Perry Jax
Prior to establishing Sixteen 11 Media Group Ltd, we'd had over 20 years' experience in running events across the UK and partnering with dedicated collateral and marketing services.
Sixteen 11 Media Group focuses on product, publishing, and events, with a dedicated focus on the concept of 'fan'. The idea for the business evolved from a desire to take more control of the output, while doing things differently. We looked extensively at the market - what we liked and what we didn't. From there, we built our business model around the things that worked, and the things the consumer base is actually looking for.
Inspiration
We saw a gap in the market to really harness the experiences of fans of pop music artists in a way others were not. As fans ourselves, we bring with us a unique insight and personal perspective that puts us in the right mindset to deliver. "Giving the fans what they actually want" has been our ethos from the beginning, and acts as our driving force.
The journey
The journey has not been without its challenges. The main lesson has been not to assume we understand our audience. Traditionally, marketing would suggest we build an audience profile based on key characteristics. However, the concept of fandom and output is constantly changing. Therefore, each product or event requires us to start with our previous learnings and chart a new course to make them unique.
The growth curve
Looking at both channels in isolation - our publishing arm has grown significantly as we transitioned from magazines to books. The move allowed us to use more sales channels and reach a wider audience. Our events have grown in size and scale since the first event in 2011.
Challenges
The biggest challenge has been finding a happy medium within our target audience. With such a diverse range of opinion, interests, and desire for experience, it's challenging to be able to meet these expectations in every product or event.
Highlights
The most enjoyable part about running Sixteen 11 Media Group is the opportunity to expand our own knowledge, while elevating the fandom and experiences of others. There's nothing more satisfying than hearing positive feedback about one of our books, or meeting an emotional attendee at the end of one of our events.
The future
We're excited for the future. We'll be releasing the final book in a seven-year series in 2024, as well as expanding our events to North America for the first time, which presents its own set of challenges.
Advice
The advice we'd give to people starting their own business is to leave room for your own knowledge to be challenged. Sometimes, business decisions can be led due to a personal belief that something is right or will work, but your consumer base might be saying the exact opposite. Don't disregard your knowledge entirely, but leave it open to be expanded.
Using 1st Formations
1st Formations was recommended to us by a close friend. We did not hesitate to take his advice and set up an account with 1st Formations.
The company formation process
Using 1st Formations is easy and painless compared to other platforms we have used in the past.
1st Formations today
Currently, we use 1st Formations for our business address. We also like to read some of the blog posts and newsletters, to keep track of the market and trends. They are very useful, and we have implanted some changes to how we do our business after reading them.
