🤝🏻 5 Lessons from a B2B Publishing Powerhouse

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Now, let’s talk B2B media…

5 Lessons from a B2B Publishing Powerhouse

By Zach O’Brien

What do manure managers, Canadian pizza operators, and greenhouse growers have in common?

They're all part of the ultra-niche kingdom ruled by Annex Business Media, Canada’s largest B2B media company—and possibly the world’s most eclectic publishing empire. CEO Scott Jamieson recently sat down with me to share what it’s like running 58 niche brands, each serving an audience you’ve probably never thought about but absolutely exists (and clicks on ads).

Here’s what every niche publisher can steal from his playbook:

1. Niche Still Wins—Even When You Go Big

Yes, Annex is massive. But the real secret? Owning tiny markets.

“We’re the only ones in some of these spaces,” Jamieson said. That includes magazines for bakeries, greenhouses, and yes, land-based agriculture.

Focusing deep instead of wide means loyal readers, less competition, and advertisers who need you—not the other way around.

2. Events Are the Main Course—Not the Side Dish

Annex runs 70 events a year. Some are intimate enough to fit in a boardroom; others could fill an arena. But it’s not about scale—it's about “unreasonable hospitality.” (Think Ritz-Carlton meets B2B trade show.)

Every detail matters: editors play host, coffee’s always hot, and attendees feel like VIPs—even if they came to talk about fertilizer.

The takeaway? If you treat people like rockstars, they’ll come back next year—and bring their friends (and budgets).

3. Webinars Don’t Have to Suck

Jamieson is bullish on webinars, not because they’re trendy, but because they work. Some are free and sponsor-backed, others cost $29.99 a head and still rake in five figures. Why?

Because they’re built on editorial insight, not dictated by a marketing brief.

“People come to us for content they can’t get anywhere else,” he said. “You’re not reading this stuff in the New York Times.”

Niche wins again.

4. Print’s Not Dead—It’s Just Selectively Alive

Print still drives 40% of Annex’s revenue. But Jamieson’s not delusional—he expects it to shrink by 2–5% a year. The key? Invest in print where it still delivers, and build digital and event revenue to balance the seesaw.

Fun fact: Some Annex brands still make 80% of their revenue from print alone. Long live glossy paper.

5. Your People Matter More Than Your Products

“We invent and reinvent at a breathtaking pace,” Jamieson said. (Translation: chaos, but the productive kind.)

His biggest challenge isn’t monetization—it’s alignment. Keeping sales, editorial, and ops rowing in the same direction while managing burnout is top of his list. Because without a solid team, none of the other stuff works.

Final Thought: Control Is the Superpower

In a world drowning in AI slop and algorithmic clickbait, niche publishers still have one massive advantage: control.

Control of your audience. Control of your message. Control of your destiny.

As Jamieson put it, “If we had these tools in 1995, we’d all be rich.”

Still time, Scott. Still time.

This issue of the Niche Fix is brought to you by Quad

Quad is a full-service printer and multichannel publishing partner, offering unsurpassed quality and solutions that help you reduce costs and increase revenue.

Specialized creative, printing, binding, distribution and digital/mobile publishing solutions solve the needs of special interest publishers, maximizing your brand’s value for readers and advertisers. Leverage the power of Quad and our dedicated SIP production platform and realize postage savings with the industry’s leading co-mail platform.

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