Telegraph eyes international growth with Olympic push

The paper is looking to engage with global leaders with content around the Games, internationally-focused business, politics and news and a hub of information about visiting the UK in its bid to expand The Telegraph’s international reach.

Jacquelin Magnay, The Telegraph’s Olympic editor, says that the paper has more than 100 staff directly working on the Olympics and that each department, including marketing, now has an “Olympic committee” so the paper can prioritise and align its strategies around the Games.

She adds: “The world is coming to London this year and one of the strengths we have is the seriousness we take the Games with. Our Olympics hub will work as a platform to expand our brand internationally in 2012 and beyond.”

The Olympic digital hub and content strategy will also serve as a “template” for other high-profile events on the sporting calendar and other high-profile events of international interest such as elections, Magnay says.

The Telegraph has built partnerships with Olympics sponsors including BT, British Airways, BP and Visa to create bespoke campaigns and sponsored content in the paper and online. Magnay adds that sponsors and non-sponsors are already booking advertising space around the Olympic period.

The newspaper’s sport content up to and around the Games is being bolstered by a dedicated online hub and a series of Olympics-dedicated writers including Sir Steve Redgrave, Sir Chris Hoy, Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson and Ben Ainslee.

The Telegraph Online reaches an average daily global audience of 2.3 million according to the latest ABC multi-platform figures. Of its main broadsheet rivals, Guardian.co.uk attracts an average daily audience of 3.7 million, The Independent reaches about 686,000 uniques, while The Times Online operates behind a paywall and is not included in the ABC report.