Define your value proposition

Definition Elements

What is the value proposition? 🤔

Your value proposition is the promise of the value you will deliver to your readers and customers. It must concretely address your audience's needs and align with the vision your media outlet embodies.

Your value proposition is the "why" behind your project. It's a key concept that goes back to the reason your media exists—the factors that drove the founder to start it (and keep going!). By reflecting on the mission that drives the project leader, what they want to act on, the goal is to identify the problem the media solves. You therefore cannot define it without keeping in mind the audience you want to serve.

Defining your value proposition is not a secondary practice: you must always be able to return to it and remain consistent with it, even if you refine it over time. It is what defines the identity of your media project in all respects (editorial, visual, marketing…)

What for? 🎯

To define your project's value proposition, you need to answer the following question:

💡 What major need does my project address and what makes it indispensable?

By answering this question, you define both your project’s mission and the values it upholds. This is an essential prerequisite for:

• Grasp the editorial and visual identity of your project ;
• Define your positioning;
• Identify your editorial markers ;
• Refine your project's editorial direction and be able to summarize its editorial line;
• Write your media's manifesto.

« Creating a product without a mission statement or product vision is like starting a journey without purpose or destination. » Germán Frassa, journalist and product leader, former head of product for Spanish newspapers El Mundo, Marca, and Expansión. Source: Defining your product mission and vision, News Product Alliance.

How to define your value proposition?

To define the vision, mission of your project, and clarify the media's value proposition, you can use an educational resource: the Value Proposition Canvas.

This means addressing:

• The project's vision and mission;
• The project's targets, their needs and their uses ;
• The editorial product;
• The values that drive your project, the areas of interest you cover, your editorial direction;
• Editorial markers, which constitute your media's brand;
• Editorial and visual identity;
• Its positioning, tone, and brand embodiment;
• Your project's manifesto.

Set your editorial markers 🔏

Positioning, tone, format, embodiment, signature, colors, logo, typefaces… to define your media brand, you must ask yourself the following questions:

💡 What are the editorial markers of my project? What makes it unique and so special?

Editorial markers refer to all identity markers that are:

• Editorials: angle, tone, formats, signature.
• Visuals: colors, logo, typefaces.
• Audio: sound atmosphere, music choices.

The editorial strategy of the Nantes-based radio station euradio, a media outlet that Médianes was able to support, is based for example on three identity markers:

• A European perspective: the media places Europe at the heart of its programming. It champions an open and integrated approach to European issues.
• Local coverage: Euradio chooses to establish itself in metropolitan regions (French and European), Euradio ensures the active participation of local citizens and stakeholders in a radio programme with local, national, and European reach.
• A distinctive sonic identity: Euradio showcases a variety of languages, accents, and sounds from across the European continent.

Define your project's identity: editorial and visual

This step is important because it helps you stand out in the media landscape. Readability, clear hierarchy, and accessibility are key factors in making your media platform appealing. This allows you to build a strong media brand and, in turn, demonstrate the strength of your value proposition.

Editorial Identity 📝

To define your editorial identity, you need to ask yourself who your target audiences are; to do this, we encourage you to create personas. Next, you’ll need to answer the following questions:

💡 What are the editorial areas? Positioning, formats, angles, competitive landscape? The tone? The brand voice? The editorial line?

L’exemple de Pays, média cofondé par Médianes : la revue Pays s’intéresse deux fois par an à un territoire unique et propose des reportages, portraits et enquêtes pour comprendre l’impact de l’échelon local sur la société dans son ensemble.

Visual Identity 👾

Logo, colors, typefaces, paper, format, layout, type of illustrations or photographs, website design, newsletter design, and social media thumbnails—all of these elements are important in building the media outlet’s visual identity and making it recognizable.

The *Pays* Example: To highlight the regions and both portrait and landscape photographs featured in *Pays* magazine, Christelle Perrin, the artistic director of *Médianes* and *Pays*, chose a square format. The cover features a map of the region, with a single color assigned to each region—and thus to each issue. Inside, the magazine uses contrasting, easily recognizable typefaces and a layout that makes for clear and relaxing reading.

Writing Your Manifesto ✍️

Finally, drafting your manifesto is an essential step that aims to articulate in writing the purpose of your media outlet. It will then be published on your website or in your “About” section.

👉 Need help writing your manifesto? Check out our 3-step method in the dedicated guide right here. Here’s your educational resource to help you with the writing process.

I'm defining my value proposition, step by step

✏️ The Médianes team has prepared a practical document to help you apply the learnings from this sheet to your own project. To do so, please click the button below and follow the instructions.

Learn more 🔎

Here are a few resources I found elsewhere to explore the topic further.

📖 Recommended Reading

• To define the mission and vision of your project—two key elements of your value proposition—the News Product Alliance has published a short guide to help you develop your editorial product.
• The Vox Case Analyzed by the Nieman Lab.

💻 See also

• The Membership Puzzle Project’s Membership Guide addresses this issue. It offers a turnkey approach, especially if you’re looking to implement a membership model.

Before you go…

🛠 Have you finished reading and filling out this form? We’d love to hear your feedback! Do you have a question or comment? Drop us a line at [email protected]. Thank you for your help—the Médianes team.