Pedestrian Group’s Vanessa Lawrence on The C Word, self-isolation and staying connected
Now more than ever Australians are hungry for content – whether that’s because they’re self-isolating and have more spare time or they’re looking for a distraction from the stress of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mumbrella’s Hannah Blackiston spoke with Pedestrian Group publisher Vanessa Lawrence about how the youth publisher is helping its readers handle The C Word.
Publishers around the country are currently stuck in something of an editorial paradox. Traffic is up across the board, just check the latest Nielsen figures for proof, but ad dollars are nonexistent and the news cycle is almost entirely taken up by COVID-19. Every hot take has been had, every news story has been covered as many ways as humanly possible – but readers are still sitting at home waiting for more news.
Luckily for Pedestrian Group and its titles – including Pedestrian TV, Popsugar and Kotaku – the business prides itself on its flexibility, says publisher Vanessa Lawrence. Its other focus is staying connected to its readers, including using the easy access during COVID-19 to find out what content they are hungry for.
Lawrence: “At Pedestrian Group we don’t subscribe to a one size fits all approach to content.”
