Fairfax boss Greg Hywood: We’re going to get into the content marketing business
Fairfax Media boss Greg Hywood, has identified four areas the company wants to develop its business in order to continue its move away from traditional media revenues.
Speaking at today’s AGM, Hywood pointed towards areas more traditionally occupied by marketing agencies – events; content marketing; SME (small and medium sized enterprises) digital and marketing services; and data – that Fairfax will be pushing into.
Warden
The strategy is being led by the organisation’s new group director of transformation Adam Warden, who has previously worked for consultancies including United Decisions Holdings, Accenture and Bain & Co.
As a big client of Fairfax I can tell you that they are a long way from ‘having the bases covered’ when it comes to content marketing.
We recently asked them for content ideas for a massive project and the result was underwhelming to say the least.
The problem they will always face in this area is where editorial ends and sponsored content begins. They have always struggled to get their heads around this and I don’t see that changing any time soon despite the big talk from the top.
@Really? – Did you brief a real content marketing agency also?
Spin. It is painful. The problem at fairfax now is that is simply a revolving door of strategy consultants. Some even go on staff. At the ground level the key people have run for the exits. Hywood is simply faking a plan. Take last year’s hot idea: the new Domain “division”. He cant even get a manager for it – because it is a turkey. So we will see yet another of his mates lifted in to cover the story.
All very sad.
As brand director of a large FMCG I can say they’ve been providing branded content to us for years on their digital sites. It’s not new.
No but we will be doing so now…
Yup, here it is again: one of the worst examples of content marketing:
SMH: The F-35 and Australia: Opportunities down under and up above
http://www.smh.com.au/national.....z2jveQjhVn
“This page is advertorial – content provided by Lockheed Martin”
As someone who still wants news delivered and written by proper, well trained journalists which is not paid for its provided because there’s a story behind it….I am at a loss where Fairfax is going. Since it let half of its senior journos go the paper’s quality has diminished and as it struggle to make money I can see any quality just going down the toilet, with the paper.
Damn shame all around….
They should do Amway as well.
Hey Really? I work for a real content marketing agency and we’d be happy to help!
How come Hywood is talking about a content farm? Surely this is not core business? And certainly not any sort of solution. It’s peanuts! Why has he nothing at all to say about monetising the digital sites?
All we see from these guys is big noise announcements and a background of degrading products. Not to mention plain bad decisions – like the weird gossip+commentporn that has overtaken the AFR.
No surprise to see a typical comment on here regarding the ‘drop in quality’ of the SMH. Blah, blah, blah. The print editions were actually top notch this week. Exclusives on the big strata reforms, Coalition expenses scandal, Barangaroo planning dodgyness, Obeid hitting ‘hard times’ (sale of mansion), Murdoch’s Ten intentions & payback demands, and some great op-eds and editorials. The Mon-Thurs layout and design has even been decent. Some really good front covers recently. In my opinion, the talk of a drop in quality is nonsense.
They’re going to be providing content for our corporate blog. We’ve been impressed, despite reluctance in the past for them to play in this space.
Wow, this is so sad. Let’s tick a few buzz word boxes; content marketing – check, digital marketing – check, data – check. How many more of these ‘transformations’ are Fairfax going to announce? Lots and lots of talk, buzzwords, gimmicks, big statements, all from inexperienced leadership.
Adam Warden might be a nice guy but seriously, what possible core, relevant, transformational marketing, digital, revenue marketing, content marketing or big data experience does he have or anyone else at FAIRFAX in leadership positions have?
Just look at the terrible designs and multichannel experiences of SMH, The Age and other properties and how they simply plaster ads everywhere and anywhere which neither ad value to advertisers nor audiences.
Compare them to someone like USAToday.com, Australian media is not even in the big leagues yet. In fact more innovation comes out of New Zealand media than in Australia.
And Fairfax and others wonder why they are declining – it’s all because of poor management and leadership not the fault of good quality journalists, writers and content creators who keep being laid off.
There is a growing resentment within Fairfax staff, most are looking forward to a new CEO soon.
You can’t resent Hywood or Fairfax for looking to new areas for survival – but a lot of the above initiatives feel like the actions of a follower and not a leader, and that is the core issue facing the company.
Is this guy really a CEO? REALLY? Seems like his “plan” and “strategy” is to do what the ABC does. Only he has to do it without the taxpayer’s money. I’m stunned that bumbling fools with so little idea of what they are doing get past middle management.
Fairfax stumble from failure to insignificance. Maybe they will decide to do news again one day?
He has 1 connection on LinkedIn – digital savvy I see
Greg Hywood Chief Executive at Fairfax Media
Sydney Area, Australia Newspapers 1 connection