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Author: Gareth Jones

  • Katie Vanneck-Smith named CEO of Hearst UK

    Katie Vanneck-Smith named CEO of Hearst UK

    Vanneck-Smith succeeds Simon Horne, who has been with Hearst Magazines International for more than 20 years, most recently as interim CEO of Hearst UK. Previously, he was senior vice president and managing director of the company’s Asia Pacific and Russia businesses.

    Hearst Magazines President Debi Chirichella said: “Katie is an entrepreneurial leader with experience building and monetising audiences. Her passion for media and profound understanding of clients’ and customers’ needs in a digital world will enable us to build on Hearst UK’s solid foundation. We thank Simon for his strong leadership, unwavering dedication, and many contributions to our business over the years and wish him the best of luck in his future endeavours.”

    Vanneck-Smith joins Hearst from Tortoise Media, a global media outlet that she co-founded in 2018. Prior to that, she was the president and chief customer officer of Dow Jones, where she helped build and lead The Wall Street Journal’s successful online membership-based business.

    Hearst Magazines International President Jonathan Wright, to whom Vanneck-Smith will report said: “Katie is an experienced and inspiring leader, and a lover of print who embraces the opportunities of digital. She is content, customer, and client-focused to her core with an impressive track record of driving growth in media organisations. I am delighted she will be leading our UK operations and I have every confidence she will bring her inimitable brand of leadership and joy to the business and deliver our next exciting chapter of growth in the market.”

    Vanneck-Smith previously worked for Telegraph Media Group and The Times, where she served as Chief Marketing Officer and led the architecture of the newspaper’s early move to paid digital subscriptions. She is responsible for creating the UK’s first news membership brand, Times+.

    “I am thrilled to join Hearst Magazines to lead their portfolio of brilliant brands in the UK, many of which I have enjoyed for my whole life,” Vanneck-Smith said. “These are brands that people care about. Their heritage and heart mean there is enormous potential for growth and I can’t wait to work with the team to develop new ways to deepen those valuable brand relationships, and to surprise and delight customers, clients, and the industry.”

    Vanneck-Smith begins her new role on December 1.

  • 30 Under 30: inspiring the next generation of game changers

    30 Under 30: inspiring the next generation of game changers

    It was fantastic to be in a room full of incredibly talented people, sharing their thoughts and ideas on the future of publishing.

    We kicked off the afternoon with a Hackathon. A selection of rising stars and expert mentors put their heads together to discuss all things publishing, particularly how to continue attracting diverse talent.

    Watch this space, we’ll be sharing our findings soon and championing our members to ensure their teams are as diverse as the audiences they serve.

    Finding your power and driving change – Lisa Smosarski on the lessons she learned

    Setting the tone for the awards ceremony, Lisa Smosarski, Editor-in-chief at Stylist, delivered a powerful keynote. Her wisdom and perspective captivated the room. She notes when she first fell in love with magazine media: “I was a 14-year-old with big dreams and a passion for teen magazines, who devised a game plan to break into an industry I knew nothing about”.

    In the years that followed Lisa’s determination never waned. She might not have always known exactly why she wanted to be part of the industry, but she always knew it was her destiny. From securing a front-page scoop about a bank robbery during work experience, to being rejected from a journalism degree at City University – a fire had been lit and many lessons stood before her.

    Under Lisa’s helm, Stylist became one of the most celebrated magazines for women. Like so many publications, it’s more than a magazine for its readers. The countless letters Lisa received from the beginning are a testament to this. The words of those her work had touched, in small ways and bigger ways, inspired her to make a difference.

    “We were a brand that wanted to be a mirror to every single person that read it, a brand that wanted to fight for equality and against injustice on behalf of each reader, it was a brand that spoke to a mass audience as if it was every single person’s best friend and cheerleader”.

    Between the fascinating insights into her career, and funny anecdotes, Lisa’s words were a rallying cry to the next generation of game changers: recognise the influence you can have.

    “You are here because you have chosen to make a mark in this most brilliant, powerful, influential industry. We are lucky enough to work in a world where people would genuinely miss our work if we vanished tomorrow, what we do is important.

    You are the generation – and this is the decade – that will truly make a difference.”

    View pictures from the event here.

  • Future acquires ShortList

    Future acquires ShortList

    ShortList brings a powerful reviews engine with the potential to accelerate ecommerce monetisation and increase the value of advertising partnerships.

    The acquisition sees ShortList Editor-in-Chief Marc Chacksfield return to Future. Chacksfield will remain as Editor-in-Chief of ShortList and will work closely with Future’s management team to realise an ambitious long-term growth plan.

    “ShortList is an iconic media brand with significant recognition in the UK market,” said Paul Newman, Managing Director of Technology at Future.

    He continued: “we believe there are significant opportunities to grow ShortList through the application of Future’s platform, and we’re absolutely delighted to be welcoming Marc back to the Future family to help us do that.”

    “Editing ShortList is the best job in the world and I am so excited to continue this role at Future, a place that houses many familiar faces and fantastic memories for me. It’s good to be back!” said Marc Chacksfield, Editor-in-Chief of ShortList.

  • Mats Brandt | CEO | Readly

    Mats Brandt | CEO | Readly

    What excites you most about the magazine media industry?

    In a time where there is a war for attention, I think quality editorial content has value and is increasing in value more than ever. Quality content is good for your brain, it’s good for your general knowledge and your perception of the world. Magazine media offers you the chance to actually take some time and go deeper into whatever it is you’re interested in.

    From a digitalisation perspective, the industry has come a long way. There’s a great opportunity to work even closer with publishers to really leverage their assets in a digital way.

    Our industry supports special interest media in all its forms – live events, brand extensions, printed magazines, and of course digital editions. Some people might think digital and print are in competition, what do you think?

    I think you need to take a multi-channel approach to it. What has exacerbated the situation right now is increasing costs, and that is the challenge rather than the perceived battle between digital and print. There are great examples of complimenting assets. People’s favourite publications are almost like a friend, so one shouldn’t underestimate the emotional side of these brands.

    What do you wish everyone knew about Readly?

    I think it’s the incredible depths of the content we have. When you get down to it, you can find some really interesting stuff.

    And of course, it’s great value for money, with access to 7,500 titles.

    Digital magazines provide the opportunity for publishers to learn more about their audiences. How does Readly harness the power of data, and how does this inform publishers?

    We currently have 40 billion data points from our readers, so publishers get tremendous insight. It’s very granular and you can see when a user was looking at a certain page, for how long, and what they clicked on. Whilst the publishers use this already, there’s still a big education job from our side to bring across how you can use this to drive digital revenue, how you think about reach, and how you think about working with advertisers.

    Podcasts are in their golden era now, and growth is continuing. How do you see podcasts fitting in within established magazine media?

    It’s early days for Readly in this area. We’re doing it selectively and it’s about enhancing the experience, which is where our focus is.

    A multi-channel approach is great, and that’s where Readly comes in. In our case, it’s all about enhancing the brand and audience experience.

    It’s a smart move for publishers to get into podcasts, but you need to be conscious of why you’re doing it, how are you going to come across to users, what your value proposition is, and so on.

    What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned since becoming CEO of Readly and what’s next?

    I think the biggest thing is realising how much potential there is.

    We’re constantly looking to elevate the user experience so that it becomes more personal and more relevant to you, in a non-invasive way. It’s about taking you to discover things that might interest you, but you didn’t know about. It’s about coming out of your own bubble.

    It’s exciting also to see what’s happening with publishers, and how they are looking to spread their content in different ways beyond the traditional magazine or paper format.

    We’re in over 50 markets and can find readers publishers normally wouldn’t reach. We can still do a lot more with the data. The challenge there is, you don’t necessarily always want more data, you want useful data, actionable data.

  • Air Business secures ABC Certified Supplier status

    Air Business secures ABC Certified Supplier status

    Following a successful audit, ABC confirmed that Air Business’ systems are capable of reporting data to the organisation’s standards, demonstrating both an openness to scrutiny and support for industry-agreed practices.

    Adam Sherman, Chief Executive Officer of Air Business, said: “We are delighted to earn this certification which involved rigorous testing of our systems, including payment processing and order fulfilment processes, demonstrating our client-centric focus and signalling our ongoing support for the publishing sector.”

    Jan Pitt, Commercial Director at ABC, added: “Congratulations to Air Business for achieving their first ABC certificate as a Certified Supplier for subscription fulfilment. The ABC logo is the media industry’s ‘stamp of trust’, and demonstrates Air Business’ commitment to meeting industry agreed standards on behalf of their clients.”

  • Haymarket amplifies podcasting market ambitions with new launch

    Haymarket amplifies podcasting market ambitions with new launch

    A sister brand to Campaign, PodPodwill launch in October with a podcast, website and daily email bulletins.

    Adam Shepherd, who previously worked at IT Pro for seven years, has been appointed editor. Gideon Spanier, UK editor-in-chief of Campaign, takes on the additional role of editorial director of PodPod.

    Spanier said: “PodPod will talk to all the key players, from podcast creators and commissioners to platforms and advertisers.

    “We will offer case studies and practical tips about the craft of podcasting and how to drive audience growth. And we will use Campaign’s unrivalled access to marketers, agencies and media companies to make sense of different business models for podcasters.

    “It’s a brilliant time to launch PodPod and discover more about one of the most exciting and fastest-growing sectors in media.”

    Haymarket’s launch of PodPod follows its acquisition in June of Podcast Awards Limited, the owner of the British Podcast Awards, the Australian Podcast Awards and the Irish Podcast Awards. These businesses sit within Haymarket Business Media’s marketing communications portfolio, alongside Campaign and PRWeek.

    Jennie Meynell, group commercial director of Campaign and PRWeek and business lead of PodPod, said: “As interest and investment in digital audio grows, the time feels right to launch an independent editorial brand for everyone in podcasting, from makers to advertisers.

    “The passion, talent and opportunity in this space is palpable and I’m excited to see where this thriving and diverse sector takes us.”

  • Hearst UK appoints new head of experiential division

    Hearst UK appoints new head of experiential division

    In this newly created position, Tindsley will target revenue growth through the development and implementation of physical and digital brand experiences. He will be responsible for leveraging emerging technology, including VR and AR, alongside opportunities in gaming and virtual influencers to offer audiences and advertisers multi-platform experiences.

    Tindsley joins Hearst UK from Farfetch, where he is currently Senior Creative Technologist, focusing on technical research, prototyping and ideation. He has over 15 years’ experience in the advertising industry, having consulted for companies including Clear Channel and M&C Saatchi and held senior positions at Microsoft, AOL and Verizon.

    He takes up the position on October 31, reporting to Executive Creative Director for Hearst Solutions Mark McCafferty,

    Jane Wolfson, Chief Commercial Officer at Hearst UK, said: “The appointment of Art is a real coup for Hearst UK. His experience, vision and strategic approach makes him the perfect person to lead our newly formed HearstX division.”

    Mark McCafferty added: “HearstX is one of our most exciting launches, and Art will play an integral role in finding new ways to engage our loyal audiences and trusted commercial partners on both existing and new platforms. I’m looking forward to welcoming Art to our business and working with him.”

    Art Tindsley said: “The future-facing strategy we're laying out with HearstX will set our commercial partners up for success, allowing them to connect with their audiences in new and powerful ways. I'm excited and privileged to lead this transformation alongside Hearst UK's talented team.”

  • Readly collaborates with Disney to offer subscribers a world of fantasy with Disney magazines

    Readly collaborates with Disney to offer subscribers a world of fantasy with Disney magazines

    The Disney magazine portfolio includes much-loved character comics such as Disney’s Frozen, Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, High School Musical, Star WarsTM and MARVEL. The titles will be rolled out on Readly’s platform during a phased launch and available to all the family as part of the unlimited reading subscription.

    Research from The National Literacy Trust shows that one in four (26%) children read magazines and comics digitally.1 Reading digitally is increasing with the availability of technology at home and in schools and it being a key part of UK home-schooling and family entertainment over recent years.

    “We are delighted to welcome these much-loved titles to our platform and boost the joy of reading with Disney. Digital reading amongst children is increasing and research shows that it is beneficial for children to read various forms of quality content such as comics and magazines to inspire a passion and drive engagement. Young people who are engaged in digital reading are more likely to want to read so it is the perfect time to offer these popular magazines to all the family alongside the broad portfolio of titles on our platform”, says Ranj Begley, UK MD and Chief Content Officer at Readly.

    Research shows that having opportunities to read digitally could be particularly effective for children with low levels of reading engagement, such as reluctant readers. For these children, reading enjoyment increased not only in relation to reading on screen, but also reading in print, indicating that reading digitally had the potential to provide a route into general reading and literacy.

  • Immediate Media Co launches new Disney and Pixar Lightyear magazine

    Immediate Media Co launches new Disney and Pixar Lightyear magazine

    Pixar Adventures with… magazine will be available from Wednesday 5 October. The brand-new title alternates between Disney and Pixar’s Lightyear and Toy Story every four weeks. Both magazines contain games, puzzles, colouring, and content to help young readers immerse themselves in the movies’ themes of self-belief, adventure, friendship, and play.

    Rachel Clare, Youth & Children’s Publisher adds: “We are delighted to announce the launch of Pixar Adventures with… Lightyear and Pixar Adventures with… Toy Story and are extremely proud to add such a loved and respected brand to our magazine portfolio”.

    Immediate's portfolio of Disney titles include Pixar Adventures with…, Disney Princess Create and Collect, Disney Frozen, Frozen Funtime, and Disney Stars.

  • YouGov survey: Majority of Brits show preference for print

    YouGov survey: Majority of Brits show preference for print

    On average, 58% of British respondents disagreed with the statement: “I get more enjoyment from reading magazines online than in print”. The preference for print was registered across all age ranges.

    As reported by PrintWeek, the pro-print sentiment was higher for British audiences than their counterparts in the US, where an average of 47% disagreed.

    Sajeeda Merali, CEO of the PPA, said in response to the survey’s findings: “With the uncertainty that change can create – and we have seen plenty of this in the last few years – two things remain clear: print will continue to be a desirable product that engages readers, and a curated print edition is a powerful hallmark for trusted content."

    She added that the pandemic had contributed to a re-evaluation among consumers, who are increasingly looking to embrace mindful pursuits and hobbies.

    "This intentional consumption reflects what consumers are passionate about, which is positive for special interest magazine brands and their advertising partners," she added.