Flowli Publishing Platform

We created a bespoke digital publishing system that can grow with Project Syndicate and respond to their changing needs. In addition, we developed an innovative, unified content library with the ability to create custom content feeds for Project Syndicate’s various publishing partners.

Client

Project Syndicate produces and delivers original commentary to a global audience. Featuring exclusive contributions by prominent thought leaders, they provide media outlets with cutting-edge analysis and insight, regardless of their ability to pay. Project Syndicate membership includes over 500 media outlets in more than 157 countries, and more than half of these members receive content for free or at subsidised rates.

Challenge

Project Syndicate's mission is to reach a global audience by partnering with a growing number of media outlets and increasing readership on its own website. In order to make the most out of their content, the organisation needed a platform that would support their unique distribution model: a vast content library shared with syndication partners worldwide.

In addition, the platform would have to be designed for input from multiple sources, including various editors, translators and publishers, whilst facilitating a systematic flow between them.

Our approach

A key part of our challenge was to transform the way Project Syndicate shares its content with its syndication partners around the world. Flowli enables the creation and distribution of custom content feeds to syndication partners through an integrated editors’ intranet. This EdNet allows the editorial team to control which pieces can be accessed by which papers, regions or publishing partners. Additionally, Flowli’s multi-language support gives editors the option to set language preferences for their content feeds.

Our ongoing collaboration with Project Syndicate means that new features can always be developed and added to create a customised version of Flowli that meets their unique needs. Further development of the EdNet will allow Project Syndicate to communicate directly with publishing partners, making syndication rights clearer and allowing better access to contributor photos and bios. Another pending feature is the ability to monitor and track if and when partners are using syndicated content.

Result

Flowli has revolutionised Project Syndicate’s ability to share content with their syndication partners and laid the foundation for an editorial system and network that, once fully integrated, will make communication and collaboration with their publishing partners simpler and more productive.