Blog

    Morning Brew’s Playbook for Building Smarter, Stickier B2B Growth Engines

    Last updated: September 2, 2025

    At OX8, Morning Brew Inc.’s Kristine Wyatt and Mike Nallan made a bold claim. “We’re the most engaging business media company in the world,” Kristine told the audience. A lofty statement, sure — but as they walked through Morning Brew’s evolution from cheeky daily newsletter to multi-channel B2B powerhouse, it was clear they had the numbers (and the tattoos… more on that later) to back it up.

    For B2B publishers, their talk was a masterclass in future-proofing media businesses. Because here’s the thing: it’s never been easier to start a newsletter — but it’s way harder to build a business from one.

    So how is Morning Brew doing it? And more importantly, what lessons can publishers take away? Let’s break down the playbook.

    Trust and Differentiation: The Starting Point

    As Mike pointed out, “Being a media professional today is harder than ever.” Audience trust is at an all-time low. Competing for attention is brutal. And newsletters? They’re everywhere. At one point, the industry whispered about “Peak Newsletter.” Instead, the floodgates opened wider — everyone from independent creators to major media brands wants a piece of inbox real estate.

    “It’s never been easier to start a newsletter. It’s way harder to build a business from one.”
    – Mike Nallan

    Morning Brew realized early that being “the Morning Brew of X” wasn’t a winning strategy. It’s not about simply starting a newsletter — it’s about earning loyalty and proving staying power. For publishers, that means moving past output (“more content, more channels”) and doubling down on differentiation.

    Brand Love as a Growth Engine

    Here’s where Morning Brew gets almost unfairly good. Kristine summed it up simply:

    “Brand love is the key that opens all doors.”
    – Kristine Wyatt

    That’s not just marketing fluff. Their audience doesn’t just read — they evangelize. Proof? Subscribers have tattooed the Brew’s coffee cup logo on their calves. Howie Mandel’s a fan. The Biden White House had multiple subscriptions. And sponsors regularly complain that Brew ads crash their websites because traffic floods in so fast.

    Even more telling: 95% of Brew readers say it’s part of their daily ritual. (Fun/sad stat Kristine shared: only about 60% of Americans brush their teeth daily. Score one for Morning Brew, minus one for dental hygiene.)

    For B2B publishers, the lesson is clear: brand affinity isn’t a “nice to have.” It’s the moat. When audiences feel connected, they don’t just open your emails — they trust your recommendations, show up to your events, and yes, maybe even ink your logo onto their skin.

    Beyond the Inbox: Meeting Audiences Everywhere

    Despite being built on email, Morning Brew is no longer just a newsletter company. In fact, 70% of their flagship brand’s reach happens outside the inbox.

    That’s 342 million monthly touchpoints across podcasts, events, social, and even comedy shows. (Yes, Brew creators have performed in comedy clubs.) The idea is simple: audiences live multi-channel lives, so publishers need to meet them wherever they are — but with a consistent tone and experience.

    For publishers used to thinking of newsletters as the endgame, this is a wake-up call. Engagement gets stickier when your brand becomes a trusted voice across contexts, not just at 7 a.m. in someone’s inbox.

    Data as the Secret Sauce

    Since 2021, Morning Brew has been in what Mike calls a “full-on courtship” with data. They’ve built first-party insights into the core of how they operate, using three smart plays:

    1. More touchpoints, more data – They’ve expanded the number of places they learn about their audience, which in turn fuels smarter editorial and ad strategies.
    2. The Break Room – An award-winning insights panel providing real-time audience feedback. Instead of guessing, they ask.
    3. Default to open – Audience insights aren’t siloed with analysts. Every team has access and is trained to use data. It’s embedded in decision-making from content to sales.

    The results speak for themselves: their B2B business is projected to grow 20% year-over-year thanks to new audience-driven ad products. They’ve also launched behavior-based newsletters (“SubHubs”) that automatically serve more content when readers signal interest.

    For publishers, the takeaway is straightforward: first-party data isn’t just for ad sales decks. It should be woven into editorial planning, personalization, and even product innovation.

    Betting Big on B2B

    Here’s one of the most surprising stats Morning Brew uncovered: 75% of their audience wasn’t reading any professional publications. Not even the “dive” brands everyone assumes are table stakes.

    That insight was the green light for Morning Brew to expand into B2B. Today, they run verticals like CFO Brew, HR Brew, Marketing Brew, and Healthcare Brew, with a database of 1.5 million professionals. And in June, they launched Revenue Brew for sales leaders.

    The strategy is clear: apply the same accessible, witty, audience-first approach that built Morning Brew’s consumer following to professional niches that are hungry for engaging content.

    For publishers, this is an invitation. Your audience doesn’t want dry industry updates — they want content that feels as approachable and relevant as what they consume in their personal lives.

    The Morning Brew Playbook for Publishers

    So what’s the recipe for building smarter, stickier growth engines? From OX8, three themes emerged:

    1. Brand affinity is your moat. It gives you permission to ask more of your audience, from attention to conversions.
    2. First-party data is the secret sauce. Don’t just collect it — embed it across your teams and act on it.
    3. Audience-first expansion builds resilience. If you’re delivering value in one channel, find ways to replicate that voice across others.

    Morning Brew’s story isn’t just about newsletters. It’s about what happens when you combine content that feels like a friend with a data strategy sharp enough to guide growth.

    And if you’re ready to apply an audience-first strategy to your own business, Omeda’s tools make it possible — from data collection to personalized engagement at scale. Talk to one of our experts.

    Watch the Full Talk

    Want the full story from Kristine Wyatt and Mike Nallan?

    Watch the OX8 session here.

      Subscribe to our newsletter

      Sign up to get our latest articles sent directly to your inbox.