Domain hires Fairfax Life Media’s Melina Cruickshank for new content role
Fairfax Media has moved its group director for the Life Media brands Melina Cruickshank to take on the role of group director, content and audiences for its property portal Domain.
In a reshuffle John Hine has joined the Domain group as director of communications, having previously held a similar role at Victorian property and business listings group Metro Media Publishing, which is 50 per cent owned by Fairfax.
In the new role Cruickshank, who spent three years as product director for Domain between 2005 and 2008, will be charged with all editorial and third party creation efforts, consumer marketing and market commentary.
The moves come amid continuing speculation Fairfax will float the real estate site as a separate entity on the stock market.
Life Media’s managing editor Sue Bennett is stepping up to replace Cruickshank, it is understood.
Both roles report into Domain CEO Anthony Catalano, who said in a statement: “We continue to change the way we attract and engage audiences and our real estate clients and these two appointments are a major part of that change.
“The changes we have announced today form a critical next step for the Domain Group in the way we communicate with clients, consumers and investors as we continue to grow the business, and they elevate the importance of trade marketing within the business.”
Cruickshank has overseen an overhaul of the Life Media division since moving to the role from the position of general manager of digital step-outs in 2013, including the closure of the Sydney and Melbourne Magazines.
Catalano added: “Melina and her team launched several successful audience verticals across the lifestyle publishing division that drove new revenue streams. Her current division, Life Media, has some of the fastest growing sites in Australia including Daily Life, Traveller, Essential Baby and Good Food.”
In August Domain moved its creative account to The Works, and last month launched a new campaign.
Continued speculation about a float of Domain is extremely odd. Because it means floating Fairfax, which is already floated.
The point is this: a very large part of the revenue is derived from the media brands across Fairfax and especially the print. But even if the print revenues are ditched, the digital mastheads are intrinsic. You can’t have the cake and eat it.
The most interesting part of this will be how the agents play it. I notice that Morry Schwartz has his own little play with agents coming on.
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Wow. Greatfor Domain. Congratulations Melina, you’ll nail it!
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Worked with Melina for years. Lucky Domain….a terrific leader and inspires the best from her people. Good luck
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Melina has always loved Domain, obsessed with property. The perfect role for her as she continues her rise. ONYA Fairfax. GOOD MOVE some would say.
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Good move for domain, good move for Melina. She’ll do great things there and much better for her to be in a growth business rather than in dying mastheads.
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Great move for Melina – smart, passionate and savvy. But importantly – the competitive spirit it will take to shake things up. I’m a fan.
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A huge loss for Life Media and APM but a great role for Melina who is a truly wonderful people leader. Good luck!
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There goes the plans to get her we her on radio next…
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Good move to promote John Hine, one of the best in the business
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Well done Melina. You work so hard.
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Sounds like Fairfax decided they only needed one person to run Life Media? Just wonder if Melina’s replacement has the commercial and digital acumen?
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Clearly a sideways movement. Fairfax gradually catching on that people who know how to build a website don’t know how to create content that people actually want to read. Like many other areas of the media, the digital ninjas are coming un-stuck. They may know how to design the pipes but that’s it.
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Lucky enough to have worked with Melina for the past 18 months, not long enough. Thanks for supporting us cynical journos, albeit a bit differently. Traveller.com.au is testament to you cutting through. It was also refreshing to see a lack of ego. Good luck.
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Digital Ninja?
You can spot a 90’s journo a mile away. And one that has been booted protesting about the importance of pagination.
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