Two SaaS companies just acquired media outlets

OCT 20 EDITION: 107

WHAT’S BREWING

HubSpot and Semrush Buy Media Companies to Gain ICP Mindshare

Last week, SaaS giants HubSpot and Semrush both acquired media companies.

HubSpot snapped up Mindstream, an up-and-coming AI newsletter with over 150,000 subscribers.

Meanwhile, Semrush acquired Third Door Media, the parent company of Search Engine Land, one of the Internet’s most influential SEO publications.

The Bigger Story

SaaS giants are becoming media moguls.

Every year, we’re seeing more software companies scoop up niche newsletters, online communities, and influential content sites.

The goal? To gain direct access to their ICPs and control industry conversation. 

Some notable examples:

  • Pendo acquiring Mind the Product
  • Zapier buying Makerpad
  • Stripe snagging Indie Hackers
  • Mailchimp purchasing Courier Media
  • Semrush nabbing Backlinko
  • HubSpot buying The Hustle newsletter

Considering Semrush offers a suite of SEO tools, controlling Search Engine Land is a natural fit. It aligns perfectly with their core products and opens up new avenues for integrated educational content.

HubSpot’s Mindstream acquisition, on the other hand, looks like a forward-thinking move to bolster its upcoming AI efforts. It’s also no coincidence, in my opinion, that this move arrived shortly after Salesforce’s major ‘AI agents’ announcement last month.

Why You Should Care

These acquisitions highlight a unique competitive strategy that’s all about gaining mindshare before market share.

By owning influential media outlets, these SaaS companies are positioning themselves at the forefront of industry conversations, shaping narratives, and establishing thought leadership at scale.

TODAY’S CUP OF WISDOM

The Real Deal-Breakers, According to Your Buyers

Last week, Klue Labs released some really interesting data. 

They analyzed 3,400 buyer interviews to uncover the most common reasons deals fall through.

The key finding? While sellers frequently cite price as a primary dealbreaker, buyers tell a different story.

Here’s some standout insights from the study:

  • Price Isn’t a Top Deal-Killer: Despite what your CRM may suggest, price ranks third behind product issues and sales experience as the most common reasons for lost deals.

  • Enterprise Deals Are Price-Resilient: For companies with 5,000+ employees, price matters even less. Product issues are the primary concern.

  • “Budget Constraints” Often Mask Other Issues: Surprisingly, less than 10% of deals lost due to “price” were actually about budget limitations.

But there’s more.

Klue Labs went one layer deeper to investigate what buyers actually mean when they do, in fact, cite “price” as a loss reason.  

They found that price objections are often used as a blanket term for a variety of underlying concerns:

  • Pricing Puzzles (40%): The majority of the time, confusing price structures (not actual amounts) are what deter buyers.

  • Value Concerns (22%): Many buyers noted that ROI, not just cost, was their main concern.

  • Competitive Edge (19%): Others viewed competitors as more cost-effective, not necessarily cheaper.

The Big Takeaway

The takeaway is clear.

First, price might not be the real reason you’re losing deals, even if that’s what your CRM data is telling you.

Second, when deals do slip away because of cost, the root cause tends to lie elsewhere:

  • Unclear value proposition

  • Complex pricing structure

  • Failure to differentiate from competitors

For more info, read the full Klue Labs report here.

📌Speaking of Win-Loss Insights

We’ve assembled a STACKED lineup of win-loss experts, and they’re all coming to Compete Week 2024. You can register for free here.

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Stratton and Pierri Headline Compete Week 2024!

Exciting news!

Two of the best in B2B messaging/positioning are coming to Compete Week 2024.

DAY 1: Emma Stratton, author of “Make It Punchy”
Differentiate your tech with buyer-centric messaging

Emma is a tech messaging expert who has developed strategies for companies like Atlassian, Loom, Oracle, Miro, Uber, and Salesforce.  

DAY 2: Anthony Pierri, Co-founder of FletchPMM
How to Differentiate in Crowded Markets

Anthony Pierri is one of the most prolific voices in product marketing right now – you’ve probably already seen his viral homepage teardowns. 

 When and where:

  • IN-PERSON: Oct 28-29 in Vancouver (limited spots, apply now!)
  • VIRTUAL: Oct 29-30 (pajamas welcome)

From the network

Psst… we made a movie

Our CEO was away for a week…

So Klue marketing messed around and made a movie 🎬

Introducing Klueless: A Competitive Deal Story – our debut documentary, premiering at Compete Week 2024 on Oct. 29th.

The film follows Jonathan, a confident seller, on what should be a slam-dunk deal day. But when competition crashes the party, his ‘sure thing deal’ spirals into chaos.

Check out the below and save your Compete Week seat here.

Other Content & Events 

Power Half-Hour | 5 Questions You NEED to Ask Your Buyers with Eric Holland

Rowan Noronha. Julien Sauvage, Beth Caplow, and Tamara Grominsky chat about the best product marketing practices to drive B2B launches.

CI Masterclass | The Myths and Reality Behind Competitive Insights and Al

UPCOMING WORKSHOP: Don’t let AI hype scare you—this workshop will tech you how to blend human insight, AI, and CI platforms to dominate your market. 

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