There's no denying Michelle Bateman brings a wealth of experience to the beauty industry. Not only has she been the editor for titles including Myer Emporium and Coles beauty and health magazine, but she's also written across a large number of Australia's top magazine titles as well as lectured in journalism at the University of Wollongong and the University of Notre Dame.
Now, beautyheaven Group is thrilled to reveal Bateman is taking on the role of editorial director across both beautyheaven and BEAUTYDIRECTORY, effective immediately.
Here, Bateman reveals all on the new role and what 2016 looks like for the media professional.
Congratulations on the new role and welcome! Can you tell me about your new position?
Thank you! As editorial director I’ll be overseeing all the content across both beautyheaven and BEAUTYDIRECTORY. Both sites are driven by fantastic, passionate content teams and I’m excited to be working with them. The role is three days per week, so I’ll be in the office on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
What appealed to you about the role?
The opportunity to gain more experience in the digital world was a huge drawcard of course, but the sites themselves were the top reason. As a beauty editor, I’ve relied on BEAUTYDIRECTORY for years, so I know what a powerful tool it is, and beautyheaven is Australia’s number one site for beauty fans. When you look at them together, they connect pretty much anyone who has an interest or involvement in this industry.
You've previously worked across a multitude of print and digital publications. How does beautyheaven and BEAUTYDIRECTORY differ to these?
In many ways, good content is good content, no matter what the medium, so the idea of creating interesting, well-researched articles is nothing new. On the other hand, I love the immediacy of digital and the way that the team can be so responsive to ideas. We can have an idea in the morning, canvas our readers for their opinions or feedback, and have a story up by the afternoon. And then we can monitor how well it’s being received down to each individual reader. But perhaps the biggest difference is seeing just how passionate beautyheaven readers are about contributing to the site. Their commitment to reviewing beauty products is mindblowing!
Will you still be working on other titles?
Yes, I’ll still be beauty director across Myer Emporium and the Westfield magazine, and will also contribute to other titles on a freelance basis.
What excites you the most about the role?
Definitely the potential to learn so much - both about digital platforms and also about other areas of the beauty industry. The chance to work with two amazing and welcoming teams is pretty cool, too.
For all content inclusions and events, please continue to contact beautyheaven acting editor Rosemary Bracey and BEAUTYDIRECTORY editor Yelena Fairfax. To contact Bateman directly, email mbateman@beautyheaven.com.au.
