News International is setting up a new strategy unit to develop digital products.News International is setting up a new strategy and product development unit, that will look into developing new digital products. The division will develop digital products to support NI’s flagship newspaper brands – The Sun, News of the World, The Times and The […]
News International is setting up a new strategy unit to develop digital products.News International is setting up a new strategy and product development unit, that will look into developing new digital products. The division will develop digital products to support NI’s flagship newspaper brands – The Sun, News of the World, The Times and The Sunday Times.The group will be looking to emulate the success of products such as Sun Bingo.
01/10/2009
The unit will be headed by Dominic Young, director of strategy and project development, who will report to Katie Vanneck, managing director of customer direct at News International. Vanneck reports to chief executive Rebekah Brooks. News Internation has hired Al Trivino, who designed the now defunct thelondondpaper, to head the creative element of the division.
Our View
News International’s determination to find new content and publishing models is continuing. Murdoch’s goal to protect revenues through product development and internal cost savings demands radical shifts in the group’s focus. After the challenges of MySpace, the hype of their internal rolling news engine, and the collapse in newspaper ad revenue, pressure on the new division will be great. Whether this is the right structure and culture to unlock the breakthrough thinking that brought Facebook and Google into the world is questionable. Google labs and Yahoo’s San Francisco development unit – it’s certainly not.
News International’s determination to find new content and publishing models is continuing. Murdoch’s goal to protect revenues through product development and internal cost savings demands radical shifts in the group’s focus. After the challenges of MySpace, the hype of their internal rolling news engine, and the collapse in newspaper ad revenue, pressure on the new division will be great. Whether this is the right structure and culture to unlock the breakthrough thinking that brought Facebook and Google into the world is questionable. Google labs and Yahoo’s San Francisco development unit – it’s certainly not.
http://www.newsinternational.co.uk/
