Bauer has formally launched its new content marketing division, Story54, in a bid to assist premium brands respectfully connect with female audiences.
Story54 has a strategic remit to create “insight-led brand entertainment and storytelling for women by women” commercial director Paul Gardiner explained at a breakfast launch event in Sydney on Tuesday.
The content division will be led by general manager Jane Waterhouse, and builds on initial forays which for the last five months has seen the major publishing firm working alongside Fiat, Tiffany and Co, Holden and Google Pixel 2.
“Over the years some incredible stories have come out of 54 Park Street, and now we are turning our focus to creating deeper stories for brands. Story54 marks our next move in a new media world,” Waterhouse explains.
The creation of the new division sees the integration of the digital commercial teams and forms part of Bauer Media’s forward-thinking and strategic collection of initiatives designed to support Australia women, as part of a new ‘Female Futures’ strategy.
Story54 is now a 50-person strong, one-stop-shop for brands to access Bauer’s expertise from across its portfolio of titles and teams, including research, creative, production, events, editorial, digital, design, creative and its wealth of influencers both internal and external.
The newly-formed team enjoyed a strong start, with its work for Fiat named the ‘Content Marketing Campaign of the Year’ at the AdNews Australian Magazine Awards.
Story54 has also worked with other big-name brands including Tiffany and Co, Holden and Google Pixel 2. Google and Story54 teamed up to promote its Pixel 2 phone through experiential activations at The Spring Racing Carnival, and through its titles, Elle and Cosmopolitan.
The name of the division is inspired by the Bauer building, 54 Park Street, and the famous names that have passed through its doors, from Ita Buttrose and Lisa Wilkinson, Zoe Foster-Blake, Sarah Wilson, to politicians Malcolm Turnbull and Tony Abbott.
With brand safety front of mind for many marketers this year, Waterhouse says Bauer’s trusted network is attractive for brands looking for authentic ways to connect with women.
“Brand safety is critical and it’s what differentiates us from the pureplays in the digital world and other publishers that don’t have the brand trust and quality that Bauer has,” she says.
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