IPC seeks growth through branded content
IPC Media is to a unveil a raft of digital content partnerships following recent deals with brands including Diet Coke and Jack Daniels as it looks to boost digital revenues.
The magazine publisher says it is prepping some 40 “potential projects” currently, with a view to launching branded content on tablet devices, smartphones and via social networks for brands over the next few months.
A recent deal saw women’s titles Marie Claire, Look and InStyle partner with Diet Coke to launch a online fashion channel under the drink’s brand’s ‘Love It Light’ strapline.
Additionally, IPC’s music brand NME, announced a cross-platform partnership with Jack Daniels earlier this week (21 March) to support local music in the UK and search for ‘Britain’s Best Small Venue.’
It is hoped similar deals will be struck for titles such as Nuts, Ideal Home and Uncut.
Newly promoted digital brand partnership director Andrew Sanders, who will oversee the partnerships, says: “There’s an increasing will from both sides to get involved in this kind of activity but because it involves being part of a much more open flow of information and sharing of resources, projects are more difficult to bring to fruition then a standard display deal.”
He adds that the strategy is not just about delivering audiences to its brands, but expects them to invest in editorial content to deliver better experiences “to our shared audiences.”
“I can’t talk about any business under discussion but I’d hope we’d be making announcements [about branded content deals] if not weekly, then certainly monthly. This is about us getting this activity into the heart of brand’s strategies rather than it being a nice to have addition”, he says.
Last year, the publisher folded all its separate divisional sales teams into one unit, selling across all IPC’s brands.
