Private Media launches small business ‘audience engagement’ agency
Crikey and SmartCompany publisher Private Media has launched a business to business audience engagement agency, to be known as Bureau.
The new agency, which is backed by chairman Eric Beecher, will aim to help brands work with small to medium enterprises and startups through Smart Company’s user database.
“An avenue for brands.” Private Media chairman and founder, Eric Beecher
Bureau will operate a research and consultancy service, audience engagement strategies, content creation and distribution, events and partnership opportunities and influencer outreach.
Beecher described Bureau as the “avenue for brands” to access SmartCompany’s expertise. It will be lead by head of content programs and strategy, Cath Vallence.
Vallence was previously managing editor at King Content and prior to that, head of content marketing at Sensis. SmartCompany publisher, Zoe Dattner, will work with Vallence as key advisor.
“As brands continue to be affected by the ever-changing landscape of digital marketing, having access to an engaged audience and the insights that offers advertisers is more critical than ever,” said Beecher.
“The SmartCompany audience has more than 400,000 small businesses, startups and entrepreneurs visiting every month and while this is a huge commodity for brands to access, the expertise we’ve accrued to achieve that kind of engagement is huge. Bureau is the avenue for brands to access that expertise.”
Bureau will provide access to SmartCompany’s audience through campaigns, and will advise brands on how to think like publishers.
“There is no ‘typical’ small business or startup in Australia,” Beecher said.
“We know and understand the small business sector from the inside because we create and publish hundreds of stories every month. We talk to them every day.”
