All things Engagement

In this episode of Redefining Engagement, Alexandra Folwarski, an innovator and leader in the media industry, Team Leader at the Media Innovation Lab – Wiener Zeitung and Founder of Wiener Flaneur, shares invaluable insights tailored specifically for hyper-local journalists and aspiring media entrepreneurs. If you’re looking to build an engaged audience before you launch your startup newspaper, this episode is for you! Alexandra dives deep into the strategies that drive audience loyalty, from the critical role of newsletters to how ongoing community feedback can shape your content and drive engagement.

Cecilia Campbell, Senior Strategy Advisor at UnitedRobots and Co-founder of Innovate Local, brings over 20 years of experience as a media journalist and thought leader in audience engagement. She offers invaluable insights into how local journalism can create lasting value in communities by focusing on being indispensable to readers. A powerful message of hers? “Democracy starts locally.” Cecilia emphasises that true audience engagement isn’t just about producing journalism—it’s about producing journalism that matters to people’s lives, and ensuring newsrooms reflect the diverse communities they serve.

Rachel Middlewick, founder of The Positive Consultancy and a true visionary in the world of media and content strategy, dives deep into the evolution of audience engagement, breaking down how brands move from simply tracking top-level metrics to truly understanding their audience at a granular level. Rachel points out that trust remains a significant driver in where audiences choose to invest their attention and money. In a world overflowing with brands competing for attention across countless platforms, it’s no longer just about how many people you engage but about the quality of that engagement.

Journalist, Coach, Strategist, Writer and Editor, Jesse Beentjes, shares his unique experiences and examples on all things engagement including how engagement is crucial for journalists to understand what matters to their audience and to gather input for their stories.

Our special guest, Markus Rask Jensen, Director of News at Amedia, shares their ‘digital-first’ transformation, giving us an insider’s perspective on shifting Amedia’s focus from simply ‘producing important journalism’ to ‘producing important journalism that people actually read and subscribe to’. His candid insight? “If we don’t engage with our audience, we are going to die”.

Thomas Schultz-Homberg, CEO of Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger Medien, discusses the evolution of engagement measurement, highlighting that one of the biggest hurdles in engagement is not fully understanding your audience. Learn why engagement is so high on the CEO’s list of priorities and be prepared for some surprises in this episode of our Redefining Engagement series.

The Senior Vice President of Content, Strategy and Innovation at Hearst shares her wisdom and insights into all things engagement including how to cut through the noise and build brand loyalty.