Jacobs Media engaged Affino in February 2024 to overhaul eight key website portfolio properties. The goal was to enhance business intelligence with improved messaging, advertising, and subscription services. The first brand selected for the transition was The Caterer, as it operates independently within Jacobs Media’s primarily travel-related portfolio.
Affino is designed for unification and centralization, bringing all core business activities onto a single connected platform. It provides real-time business intelligence and seamless integration of operations, enabling greater efficiency and productivity. The platform’s unified Audience CRM offers a comprehensive data set, allowing for precise targeting and communication in real-time.
A key objective was to bring subscription sales and management in-house. Previously, print subscriptions were handled by a third-party provider, which limited The Caterer’s control. The previous website was an enterprise stack composed of loosely integrated third-party solutions, which failed to provide the level of business intelligence that Affino delivers natively.
The fragmented nature of the old system made it difficult to manage data and accurately track consumer funnels. Content management was handled by a web travel platform, further complicating operations. Affino’s fully unified system ensures seamless integration, empowering website owners with full control over all aspects of site management.
The timing was ideal, as The Caterer’s team was eager to develop a more efficient and engaging website. Unlike some projects that face internal resistance, this initiative had full stakeholder support from the outset.
The ambitious project required reallocating Jacobs Media resources to meet a tight timeline. Fortunately, all necessary functionalities were already built into Affino, eliminating the need for additional development. Data migration was supported by Affino’s data partners, Data Legends.
The initial focus areas included:
Migrating all the content and site structure to Affino’s core CMS
Transitioning the audiences, mailing lists and messaging to Affino's CRM and marketing services
Moving subscription sales to Affino's CRM, commerce and subscription services
Implementing Affino’s marketing automation and sales CRM automation
Planning a future migration of events
Structural decisions on the sitemap, framework, and overall design were efficiently coordinated by Maria Mellor, Digital Content Manager at Jacobs Media, alongside Susan Kerrigan, Affino’s Head of Projects. Their collaboration ensured quick consensus and seamless execution. Jacobs Media’s Programs Manager, Martin Eade, played a crucial role in optimising business efficiencies and coordinating the migration.
One key aim was centralising The Caterer’s operations, particularly data and business intelligence, to provide accurate, real-time performance metrics. Editor-in-Chief James Stagg now has instant access to comprehensive insights via Affino’s CRM, a stark contrast to the fragmented data of the previous system.
Thanks to the coordinated efforts of Maria, Martin, and Susan, the transition was exceptionally smooth. Their ability to streamline decision-making and resource allocation eliminated common project delays, ensuring a swift and effective migration.
The biggest win was the unification and centralization of business intelligence, providing real-time, accurate KPIs. The previous enterprise stack’s complexity made obtaining meaningful statistics nearly impossible—something Affino natively excels at.
Bringing subscription sales and management in-house was another crucial milestone, especially as The Caterer transitioned away from print media. Without these key shifts, the project’s impact would have been significantly diminished.
Other critical improvements included:
Enhanced marketing automation leveraging Affino’s native messaging and ad management solutions
Innovations in ad management to better align with Jacobs Media’s advertising goals
Full utilization of Affino’s built-in AI technologies to support business growth
Beyond functionality, the site’s design and user experience received a major upgrade. Thanks to the efforts of Mark Foster and Luis Montiel, The Caterer’s new platform isn’t just visually appealing—it offers an expansive, seamless user experience.
The project moved rapidly, launching live on May 10, 2024, less than three months after initial development began on February 19. The speed and efficiency of execution were driven by decisive action and effective collaboration.
Since launch, engagement metrics have shown consistent growth. While a direct before-and-after comparison is challenging due to the previous platform’s fragmented data, it is clear that the Affino-powered site is driving increased reach and engagement.
Editor-in-Chief James Stagg summarised the impact of the transformation:
"The Caterer launched a new website that heralds a new chapter in the history of the brand. As we draw a line under one part of The Caterer’s past by retiring the print product, we have introduced a digital platform that brings together news, features, insight, and analysis in a more compelling and engaging way."
"In time, the new platform will also integrate The Caterer’s conferences and awards, allowing our community to engage more deeply with our face-to-face events. Users can build profiles, access prioritised content, and tailor the experience to their business needs. As a company, this transition enables us to unify our brand presence and better serve the hospitality industry with timely, relevant information."
"Readers will see new sector-specific email communications, richer media content, and expanded coverage of major industry events such as the Cateys."
With Affino’s advanced tools and AI-driven insights, The Caterer now has the infrastructure it needs to thrive. The transformation has set a new standard for efficiency, intelligence, and engagement—demonstrating the power of a truly unified platform.
"In time, the new platform will also integrate The Caterer’s conferences and awards, allowing our community to engage more deeply with our face-to-face events. Users can build profiles, access prioritised content, and tailor the experience to their business needs. As a company, this transition enables us to unify our brand presence and better serve the hospitality industry with timely, relevant information."
James Stagg, Editor-in-Chief, The Caterer
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"Affino always delivers on budget and on time!"
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"Whilst we have always been able to see which articles have been the most popular, the new Article Report functionality allows us to instantly see which types of audiences are reading a particular article without setting up conversion events. To retrospectively interrogate this data has been a godsend and has given us a more detailed view of audience engagement with absolute ease."
"Working with Affino has been instrumental in creating the very best environment for us to engage fully with our readership.”
"Icelandair Cargo has been with Affino since 2005. Our internal customer web based on the Affino platform is well received and widely used by our customers and interacts via webservices with our Cargo Systems. The web has been upgraded throughout the years both technically and with more functionality added. Affino always delivers professionally and as promised."
"We worked with Affino for almost two years on a major website build and platform migration. It was an extremely complex project involving many bespoke elements. Affino were thoroughly responsive and communicated well throughout and their team were friendly and willing to help us achieve our ambitious goals. We’re very pleased with the modern and professional look and feel of the new website and users have been similarly impressed. Several of the bespoke elements added to the database platform have enhanced our ability to analyse our data and the platform works smoothly and reliably. Affino’s work has helped us to scale up our operations as well as grow and strengthen our brand."
"A very easy to use and highly functional experience, the new site looks fantastic - we've ended up with a great final product after a really positive and smooth running operation. Affino's support was highly responsive and always there when we needed it. And it was heartening to be on the receiving end of so much positivity from the readership"
"Affino always delivers on budget and on time!"
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"I really appreciated the care Affino gave throughout the rollout. Going live can feel intense with the pace and adjustments needed, but if you stay the course, it’s absolutely worth it."
"Having a virtual trainer on hand through Affino’s AI support has been invaluable. It’s helped me learn fast, with instant, clear answers to any question. And when the AI can’t assist, the Affino team is always quick to step in and guide me through."
"Having all content and e-commerce functionality on one platform is proving highly successful. For the reader, they have a better all-round experience and more immersive engagement, where they never need to re-enter details already provided at registration."
"We're Very, Very, Very, Very Happy with our Branding and Website and really appreciate how it just all works super smoothly and efficiently all of the time."
"Affino worked with Drewry to deliver on an uncompromising and complex brief - which covered responsive CMS, fully integrated CRM, messaging, product fulfilment and subscription management. We have been impressed with the solution which has helped transform our approach to marketing and business development."
"Affino worked with TTG to deliver its new responsive-design digital business. The new solution gives TTG a more dynamic edge in an increasingly competitive environment."
"Affino worked with Briefing Media to deliver the new responsive-design FG-Insight digital business. The forward evolution of Farmers Guardian matches the increasingly important role technology plays in modern farming."
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