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Bauer makes hires and promotions to ensure “premium targeting opportunities” for online advertisers
By Chris Cooke | Published on Monday 25 January 2016
Media firm Bauer last week announced the recruitment of Cathy Ma to the role of Audience Development Director who, alongside three existing staffers who have been promoted into new posts, will help the magazine and radio station owner to “forge ahead with an ambitious plan to further accelerate digital growth, and leverage its unique and powerful range of radio, magazine media, connected TV, events and digital brands to offer scaled and premium targeting opportunities for commercial partners”. Yeah, those are definitely words.
I think it basically means Bauer, like many of its rivals in magazine making and radio revelling, is increasingly shouting “DATA” and “BRANDED CONTENT” in the general direction of advertisers, as it tries to transform its online operations – the growth area for media owners in terms of audience – into decent revenue generators.
The media owner then notes that it has “achieved significant growth in streamed audio listening with a 30% increase across the Bauer City Network of local radio station brands and a 75% increase in ‘logged in’ listening to stations like Absolute Radio – which provides data to provide premium audio targeted commercial opportunities”.
Meanwhile, increased online audiences for its “lifestyle brands” like Grazia and The Debrief means the publisher can “make better informed decisions about the content created and curated for these brands”. Yeah, whatever you say.
Ma is joined by Hannah Rouch and Alice Farmiloe from within Bauer’s magazines business, and Ali Wilkinson from radio, to do all this audience developing. Confirming all this, Sam Jones, MD of Bauer’s digital division Xcel, told reporters: “We are seeking world class talent as we unlock a new level of digital performance and targeting opportunities for commercial partners. Cathy Ma, Hannah Rouch, Alice Farmiloe and Ali Wilkinson are celebrated digital talent and bring with them a wealth of experience and a highly creative approach”.