Following is a memo sent yesterday by Chief Digital Officer David Payne and Jack Williams, president of Gannett Digital Ventures.
From: Payne, David
Sent: Monday, January 16, 2012 3:19 PM
To: GannettDigital; GMTI-All; PLD-ALL; GCI DI Gannett Digital Updates
Subject: Metromix Update
Importance: High
We wanted to share with you some changes we are making to Metromix, the digital entertainment guide Gannett has owned as a joint venture with the Tribune Company since 2007.
We have agreed to end this partnership and absorb Metromix – including its technology platform and technology staff – into Gannett Digital. The talented Metromix tech team will collaborate with other Gannett units to support and improve our local entertainment sites. We also will soon provide USA TODAY’s national entertainment news and information to each of Gannett’s local Metromix sites.
These changes will enable us to expand and enhance our existing local entertainment sites and reach new audiences. Not only will we provide our local sites USA TODAY’s entertainment and celebrity content, over the long run we’ll be able to create new entertainment products that reach new audiences by tapping Gannett’s capabilities in terms of content, sales, marketing, social media, Web and mobile publishing and new product development.
For our advertisers, we will also be able to provide greater value and results. By owning the Metromix technology platform, we will control the placement, size, rotation and targeting of ads, which will enable us to better serve these customers. Over time, we also will have more and better inventory to sell.
We are committed to being the leading destination for entertainment news and information in our local communities. With the many changes Gannett Digital is making to our local websites, we can expect to see many exciting new things in this area as we go forward.
More details are provided in the attached FAQ.
Best,
Jack Williams and David Payne
From: Payne, David
Sent: Monday, January 16, 2012 3:19 PM
To: GannettDigital; GMTI-All; PLD-ALL; GCI DI Gannett Digital Updates
Subject: Metromix Update
Importance: High
We wanted to share with you some changes we are making to Metromix, the digital entertainment guide Gannett has owned as a joint venture with the Tribune Company since 2007.
We have agreed to end this partnership and absorb Metromix – including its technology platform and technology staff – into Gannett Digital. The talented Metromix tech team will collaborate with other Gannett units to support and improve our local entertainment sites. We also will soon provide USA TODAY’s national entertainment news and information to each of Gannett’s local Metromix sites.
These changes will enable us to expand and enhance our existing local entertainment sites and reach new audiences. Not only will we provide our local sites USA TODAY’s entertainment and celebrity content, over the long run we’ll be able to create new entertainment products that reach new audiences by tapping Gannett’s capabilities in terms of content, sales, marketing, social media, Web and mobile publishing and new product development.
For our advertisers, we will also be able to provide greater value and results. By owning the Metromix technology platform, we will control the placement, size, rotation and targeting of ads, which will enable us to better serve these customers. Over time, we also will have more and better inventory to sell.
We are committed to being the leading destination for entertainment news and information in our local communities. With the many changes Gannett Digital is making to our local websites, we can expect to see many exciting new things in this area as we go forward.
More details are provided in the attached FAQ.
Best,
Jack Williams and David Payne
The reader who provided the memo did not include the referenced FAQ.
ReplyDeleteActually makes some sense, if only to get more online talent.
ReplyDeleteActually, they could save this memo and use it as a shell when the next failure happens.
ReplyDeleteJust change the proper nouns.
Nice time-saver for the 1%ers!
Great. More fluff for the masses. Shallow celebrity suckup interviews and so called trends. Pop Candy!!!
ReplyDeleteMaybe Ask Stacie and bean recipes will play better in Smallville than they do for the business traveler.
Tribune probably wanted out long ago, as most of their sites disappeared well over a year ago -- either folded into existing entertainment products or eliminated altogether.
ReplyDeleteGannett and Tribune: two companies that have completely lost their way. At least Tribune has major newspapers as part of their portfolio. Although, they've nearly destroyed some of those great brands.
ReplyDeleteUSA TODAY should be incorporating local happenings in their Life section. Keep the front page entertainment news, but drum up local dollars to help the bottom line.
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