Bauer Media launches ‘Women To Love’ platform and content marketing division Story54
Bauer Media has announced a new storytelling division, Story54, and will launch a new women’s platform for those in creative fields, known as Women To Love, as part of its pledge to work towards a ‘Female Future’.
The German-owned publisher told advertisers this morning it would launch a series of new initiatives to focus its business on a future for women, including pop-up magazines and events which speak to new female audiences, and a ’10 million words’ initiative – a pledge to write 10m words across its brands to support female futures.
Story54 will be led by general manager, Jane Waterhouse, and seeks to create “insight-led brand entertainment storytelling for women by women”, Paul Gardiner, director of sales said.
The division has been working in the background for some time, specifically on a content marketing campaign for Fiat. It is also working with brands including Tiffany and Co, Holden and Google Pixel 2.
Gardiner also said the new platform Women To Love aims to celebrate women in the arts and the importance of creativity.
It will be led by Lorna Gray, digital managing editor of features, and will go live in the coming weeks. The ‘cross-brand content’ platform will share stories of women in the arts across Australia and will contribute to Bauer Media’s 10m words initiative.
Gardiner announcing new platform Women To Love and division Story54
“We believe the insights you’ve seen today are platform agnostic and as such the commercial opportunities that we touch on will be audience led if not female led,” Gardiner said.
The new initiatives follow a trends forecast released this morning known as ‘Female Futures’.
Created with Future Laboratory and presented by Ruth Marshall-Johnson, foresight director at Future Laboratory, the report discussed changes in gender relations, closing the pay gender gap and looked at how brands should communicate with women who are playing a more prominent role in businesses. It was followed by a panel with Marshall-Johnson, Sunita Gloster, director at PwC’s CMO Advisory Practice and Ally Watson, CEO of Code Like a Girl.
Today’s speakers (L-4): Marshall-Johnson, Watson, Gloster and Gourmet Traveller editor Sarah Oakes
Bauer Media Australia and New Zealand boss Paul Dykzeul said it was imperative for Bauer’s brands to inspire and make change.
Bauer CEO Paul Dykzeul presenting at today’s ‘Female Futures’
“I’d like to think that we are not just talking, that each and every one of our brands have and will commit to campaigns and content that will continue to help create a better female future. To that end, Bauer Media promises to write 10m words by 2019 on the subject and drive for a female future.
“You will also see some pop-up magazines that we are intending to do and pop-up digital spaces that we are intending to do to meet market demands and innovative in both print and digital,” he said.
“As the CEO of an amazing company I have to say, I don’t underestimate my power to ignite and change things. As a male, I’m a catalyst and I know how important that is. The more engaged and moved our audiences are, the greater the benefit will be not only for our company but also for you, our commercial partners,” Dykzeul said.
Today’s announcement comes a year after the official launch of Now to Love, Bauer Xcel’s digital network and a series of changes for Bauer Media’s digital arm.
Now to Love consolidates content from The Australian Women’s Weekly, Woman’s Day, NW, OK!, Take 5, TV Week, Good Health and Mother & Baby. Prior to closure, it also supported content from Shop til you drop and Yours.
But less a year after the launch of the platform, Bauer Media’s digital boss Christian Fricke resigned from the company.
Last week, the publisher announced a restructure which sees Fiona Baker take the helm of Now to Love as managing editor. At the same time, Bauer Media’s digital content director, Emily Kerr moved to New York, and Jenna Clarke, features editor at Elle was promoted as managing editor of the digital luxury portfolio.
Story54? a bit too similar to Conde Nast’s US content division 23 Stories don’t we think? http://www.23stories.com/
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Seems more likely to be a reference to Studio54
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Story telling at 54 Park St
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