Careers at Best Version Media
MISSION
Best Version Media LLC (“Best Version Media”) seeks to provide an environment in which writers and publishers can generate innovative and original content, and aims to offer high quality publications to the general consumer population.
FOUNDING STORY
Best Version Media was founded in 2007 by Dave Durand (“Durand”).
The Company was formed at a time in which print media was reported to be in decline, with the expansion of digital media.
Durand, however, envisioned a new form of print media company that leveraged interest in local coverage.
Best Version Media was founded with just five metro publications and just a handful of employees. The Company has since expanded significantly, notably receiving a significant investment from October 2018 from private equity investment firm Bertram Capital Management.
Today, Best Version Media publishes more than 700 hyper-local neighbourhood and community magazines across the US and Canada with a total readership or more than 4.5 million readers.
The Company now has a workforce of around 125 employees and reported a 380 percent annual growth rate in 2015, 2016 and 2017.
In 2017, the Company was notably listed among the fastest-growing Milwaukee-area companies at the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce’s Future 50 awards.
Business model of Best Version Media
Customer Segments
Best Version Media publishes a wide range of content targeting a wide spectrum of demographics across the US.
The Company’s publications target small and medium sized communities across its core domestic markets and specialise in providing content neighbourhood-specific that is appropriate for families. The Company’s customers include:
- Residents, to whom it provides informative local publications;
- Homeowners Associations, to which its provides communication tools for local communities; and
- Businesses, to which it provides a micro-targeted means of sharing their business with local residents.
Best Version Media also serves a range of commercial enterprises and brands by offering advertising and branding opportunities via its various publications.
This includes small and medium-sized local businesses, as well as larger companies and organisations that pay the Company for advertising space.
Value Propositions
Best Version Media provides value to its customers in the following ways:
- Size and Portfolio – Best Version Media is a one of the largest and fastest-growing print media companies in the US, operating an extensive portfolio of local and regional publications numbering more than 700 individual publications;
- Local Content – Best Version Media offers general consumers across the US hyper local and neighbourhood-specific content that provides customers with information that can be used on a daily basis;
- Advertising Partnerships – Best Version Media offers brands and commercial enterprises a wide range of advertising and marketing opportunities, with an extensive readership to which businesses can promote local services and opportunities;
- Training Services – Best Version Media offers training and coaching services – including field training, national seminars, and events – that help publishers and writer reach their fullest potential; and
- Innovation – Best Version media operates under an innovative business model and seeks to provide customers with original and unique content and brands with effective advertising solutions.
Channels
Best Version Media serves its customers – both local residents and community groups and its marketing and advertising customers – through its portfolio of publications.
The Company currently owns and operates more than 700 hyper local and community-focused publications in the US.
The Company distributes its publications via local groups, including homeowner associations, and provides marketing and advertising solutions via its dedicated sales and marketing unit, the members of which deal directly with customers.
Customer Relationships
Best Version Media serves its local consumer customers through its portfolio of community-driven publications that are distributed across the US.
The Company does not deal directly with these customers, instead having its publications distributed among communities by local groups such as homeowner associations and small businesses.
Best Version Media deals more closely with its advertising and marketing clients, working closely with these companies, agencies, and brands to ensure that their needs are sufficiently met.
The Company operates a dedicated sales and marketing team that offers ongoing relationships with its advertising customers.
Best Version Media operates a website at www.bestversionmedia.com, through which customers can browse some of the Company’s publications, find information on its advertising opportunities, submit content, and find company information.
The Company also operates an online contact form through which prospective clients can make enquiries or ask questions about the Company’s services and solutions.
Best Version Media additionally operates a dedicated customer support team, which operates out of the Company’s offices and provides personalised support to customers over the phone and online.
The Company is also able to communicate directly with customers through its various social media accounts, including with Facebook and Twitter.
Key Activities
Best Version Media operates as a publisher of hyper local, community publications across the US. The company specialises in publishing content for local communities, small regional businesses, and homeowners associations, ensuring that communities have access to useful and pertinent information.
The Company publishes more than 700 individual publications across markets in the US and provides a wide range of advertising and marketing solutions to brands, commercial enterprises, and organisations.
Best Version Media also organises and operates training programs, events, seminars, and conference calls for publishing industry professionals.
Key Partners
Best Version media works closely with a wide network of partner companies and organisations across the US.
These partners can be organised broadly into the following categories:
- Supplier and Vendor Partners, comprising suppliers of tools and equipment used in the company’s core operations, as well as third party providers of services that support the Company’s broader corporate activities;
- Publishing Partners, comprising various independent publishers and publishing companies that coordinate with the Company in the creation and publication of its various local magazines, brochures, and newsletters;
- Financial Partners, comprising investors such as private equity firms that offer investment in the Company and offer funding for its core publishing and distribution activities; and
- Branding and Marketing Partners, comprising various brands, commercial enterprises, and marketing agencies with which the Company collaborates on branding and marketing solutions across its publications.
Best Version media has a number of partnerships in place. This notably includes a financial partnership with investor Bertram Capital.
Key Resources
Best Version Media’s business model depends on its ability to provide communities with reliable and informative local content.
As such, the Company’s key resources are its intellectual properties – including its catalogue of magazines and publications, its content providers, its partnerships, its office and publishing infrastructure, and its personnel.
Best Version Media notably owns more than 700 publications in the US, including Castle Hills Neighbors, Upper ST. Clair Neighbors, Gainsville Neighbors, and Atherton Living.
Cost Structure
Best Version Media incurs costs in relation to the publication and production of its content, the distribution of its magazines and newsletters, the management of its partnerships, the implementation of marketing and advertising campaigns, the operation of its office network – including occupancy and utility costs, and the payment of its salaries and benefits to its employees.
Revenue Streams
Best Version Media generates revenue through the publication of local and regionally-focussed magazines and newsletters.
The Company derives the bulk of its revenue in the form of advertising and marketing costs collected from companies and brands that purchase advertising space in the Company’s publications.
Best Version Media is a privately owned company and as such it is not obliged to disclose its financial results to the public.
According to reports, however, Best Version Media investor Bertram Capital typically invests in companies that generate between USD 30 million and USD 250 million in revenue annually.
Our team
info: Durand co-founded Best Version Media in 2007 and has served as the Company’s Chief Executive Officer since 2012. He is responsible for leading the Company’s overall strategic direction and functions as its principal decision maker. Durand has also been an author and personal coach since 1998. Prior to co-founding Best Version Media in 2007, Durand was a long-serving employee of Vector Marketing. He first joined Vector Marketing in 1989 and held roles of increasing responsibility over the course of 23 years, ultimately rising to the position of Central Region Manager.
info: Tom O’Brien (“O’Brien”) has served as Chief Financial Officer at Best Version Media since joining the Company in 2017. He is responsible for overseeing all of the Company’s financial management operations, including the activities of its internal audit, tax, and accounting departments. O’Brien began his career in 1987 as a financial analyst at Anthem. In 1991, he joined Aurora Health Care as Supervisor of Financial Planning, following which he served for three years as Director of Management Accounting at Loyola University Health System. Between 1999 and 2013, O’Brien served consecutively as Director of Finance at Froedtert Health Care, Chief Financial Officer at Kahler Slater, and Senior Manager in the Asset Management at GE Healthcare. Prior to joining Best Version Media, O’Brien served in senior positions at Acorn Systems, Ignis Advisory Services, and CliftonLarsonAllen.
info: Peter Ericksen (“Ericksen”) co-founded Best Version Media in 2007 alongside Durand. He has served as the Company’s Chief Operating Officer since its incorporation. In this position, Ericksen is responsible for leading the Company’s day-to-day management. Ericksen is also co-founder of Decided Excellence Catholic Media and is a director of Summit Educational Association. Ericksen began his career in 2000 as a sales manager at Vector Marketing. He went on to serve as Director of Sales and Marketing at ProBalance Inc and Region Manager at Lighthouse Catholic Media NFP before co-founding Best Version Media.