Thriving in the Age of AI: How AdvantageCS Clients Are Diversifying and Creating Value
In today’s media and publishing landscape, change is no longer incremental—it’s structural. The rapid rise of artificial intelligence, combined with shifts in digital advertising and evolving subscription behavior, has prompted organizations to rethink audience engagement, subscriber value, and sustainability. A recent InPublishing analysis by Philippe van Mastrigt (our Managing Director, Europe) addresses this shift, noting that resilience increasingly comes from expansion.
At AdvantageCS, we have the opportunity to work alongside a broad and diverse set of media, publishing, and information organizations. While each serves a different market, looking at them together offers a revealing view into how leading organizations are adapting to these changes. Across our client base, we’re seeing a common response: a deliberate move toward diversification—not only of revenue streams, but of channels, formats, and ways of serving audiences.
Diversification as a Value Strategy
With pressure on traditional advertising revenue streams, diversification has become a strategic imperative across the industry. Many publishers are asking the same question: How do we extend the value of our trusted content and expertise into forms that better fit how people consume information today? The examples below highlight how AdvantageCS clients are responding. What connects them is a willingness to experiment, evolve, and stay anchored to the value they deliver to their audiences.
It's important to note that these efforts are not driven by technology alone. They are grounded in a renewed focus on the end-user—on delivering insights, expertise, and experiences that audiences can’t get anywhere else.
Leaning Into AI—Thoughtfully
Several AdvantageCS clients are incorporating artificial intelligence into their offerings in ways that complement, rather than replace, human expertise. Wolters Kluwer Health, for example, has introduced UpToDate Expert AI to support physicians by surfacing clinically relevant insights while keeping medical judgment with the professional.
Similarly, Informa TechTarget has launched new AI-driven content solutions designed to enhance discovery and decision making for B2B audiences. In both cases, AI functions as an assistive layer—helping to scale human expertise and make complex information more actionable—rather than creating a substitute for it.
Expanding Beyond a Single Channel
Multichannel engagement is another defining theme. The American Medical Association (AMA), for instance, extends its thought leadership beyond written content through its Health vs. Hype podcast, tackling timely healthcare topics in a conversational, accessible format.
Likewise, Mediahuis Ireland reaches audiences through audio with its Just Between Us podcast, demonstrating how established media brands are using podcasts to create more personal, recurring touchpoints with listeners. These efforts reflect a broader shift toward intentional channel selection—using different formats to serve different audience needs.
From Publishing to “Show and Tell”
Diversification is also apparent in how existing content is being repurposed. Bonnier Publications has drawn on decades of editorial investment to launch The Sound of History podcast, transforming some of its strongest long-form stories from the past 20 years into an engaging audio experience.
Within news media, Mediahuis Belgium has expanded visual storytelling through HBVL’s short-form video initiatives—including HBVL Explains, HBVL Experts, and HBVL On the Spot. These series provide explainers and expert insight in highly consumable formats, without sacrificing depth or credibility.
Other clients are experimenting with entirely new narrative forms. HarperCollins is adapting existing intellectual property into animated series through partnerships such as Toonstar and Dashverse. These initiatives translate established stories into new media designed for digital-first and mobile audiences.
All of these examples demonstrate how innovation often builds directly on established strengths, allowing organizations to reach new audiences without abandoning their editorial mission.
Many Paths Forward
There is no single blueprint for success in the age of AI. Across our client community, we are seeing a wide range of strategies, informed by different missions and markets. Yet taken together, these examples show that resilience comes from staying true to your core values, while being flexible and open to new ways of reaching and engaging with your audience.
As the landscape continues to evolve, media, publishing, and information organizations are charting their own paths forward—by diversifying thoughtfully, embracing new tools and channels, and staying anchored to the expertise that defines them.