The UK’s second-placed magazine publisher, Emap, is looking to expand its online media strategy, with a deadline having just expired for three new digital directors. The new hires will be deployed in the company’s lifestyle, specialist and radio consumer divisions. This advertisement (in the Google cache) signals Emap’s intention: “The ‘digital’ business accounts for circa 10 percent of the total group revenues; our ambition is for 30 percent of the Emap PLC business to be ‘digital’ within 3 years, to grow revenues from in excess of £4 million ($87.5 million) to create a £100 million ($194.5 million) business by 09/10.” Emap has so far dipped its toes into the water with a range of branded TV channels, a partnership with 3 UK to provide mobile ringtones, a hook-up with user-generated content enabler Activefone to take photos from readers and, most notably, its February acquisition of UGC platform YoSpace.
- Investment: “Increasingly Emap’s core consists of not only magazines and local radio, but also of websites, information businesses, conferences, multi-channel TV and mobile services,” Emap Performance MD Dharmash Mistry, told the UK’s Association of Online Publishers.
“The new directors will lead group-wide strategic initiatives across the business and stimulate, encourage and filter digital investment ideas – either organic or acquisition – and help the teams access seed funding to develop these ideas.”
Related:-
—UK Publisher Emap Snaps Up Mobile Social Media Firm YoSpace For $17.1 Million