It’s been a year of big changes for Bauer, with the departure of CEO David Goodchild, as well as the closure of glossy CLEO. But in a recent interview with stand-in CEO Andreas Schoo, it was revealed the corporation is feeling confident about its future in Australia.
This year will see Bauer set its sights on strengthening its hold over the digital domain. “We must bring the company from a magazine company to a more multi-media company that is platform agnostic and that has more revenue sources. That’s the main challenge we face during the next year and we’re on a good way there,” Schoo tells Mumbrella.
A part of that role will be ensuring the print and digital teams work together for a multi-platform approach. “We need to be more multi-media with our brands, to have even bigger websites but to also have stabilised our print circulations. Of course there’s an overlapping. We need strong co-operating between them as there is only one customer and we need one face for the customer. We need an exchange between the editorial teams.”
However, this doesn’t mean Bauer will forget its print roots. Schoo comments that Bauer Media sees a “long-term future in print. We see lots of possibilities. In the last few years around the world we’ve launched around 50 new magazines. You need good quality, it must be the right product for the right audience. There are a lot of opportunities, you need courage to do this but I believe in it.”
When asked if any of the company’s magazines were on the chopping block, Schoo says: “It’s a really evolving market and we need [to make] some tough decisions, but there aren’t any to make at the moment.” He blames Australia’s “weathered magazine market” for any potential cuts, but is quick to note it is a challenge faced around the world. Schoo didn’t name specific publications: “I wouldn’t say that because it’s a quick market. Companies always have to rethink their portfolio range. We will see.” He also confirmed Australian Women’s Weekly and Woman’s Day would not be merging editorial teams.
As interim CEO, Schoo is eager to name his local replacement, but feels no “time pressure” to allocate Bauer Media’s Australian leader. “I hope to have one by the middle of the year which means from June to August or even September,” he says. Commenting on the leader’s qualifications, Schoo reveals: “I am looking for a person with strong experience in digital and print and an understanding of brands on both platforms.”
