Five questions with: Simon Kilby, MD, Bauer Media Advertising

Simon Kilby, managing director for Bauer Media Advertising talks about his new role, the challenges that lie ahead and the disruption to workplace culture

You’ve just started this new role – what excites you most and what do you hope to achieve?

It must be one of the most exciting times to take on any new job – we’re currently in a global pandemic, there’s economic uncertainty and seismic changes in the way we will work in the future. For me, the most exciting aspect is taking over at this pivotal moment.

Audio has been incredibly resilient over the last 12 months and my belief is that we are on the cusp of a golden age driven by digital opportunity. Our publishing business also has great diversity in its portfolio, which has enabled us to navigate the last year successfully and be positive about 2021.

After two years working solely on the radio side of the business, are you pleased to have Bauer’s magazine brands back under your remit? What do you have planned for them?

I was heavily involved in print even in my last role as commercial revenue officer for Bauer Radio. We work as a single team providing the best solutions we can across our iconic collection of brands – whether that’s audio, publishing and digital platforms – providing the best solutions for our advertisers.

For example, last year we booked multi-platform campaigns for clients such as Disney+, KP Nuts and Wickes, seamlessly connecting them to audiences across various radio and publishing brands. Plus, with the launch of Bauer Autoventure (our service that helps create stand-out campaigns and content for automotive brands) last summer, we’re continuing to explore these multi-platform offerings even more this year.

Bauer has recently bought a number of new radio stations – particularly local and regional stations. What’s driving these acquisitions and where do you see Bauer Audio expanding next?

We integrated four regional radio businesses into Bauer last year, hugely increasing our commercial share of listening and creating the biggest network in UK commercial radio by hours through the Hits Radio Brand Network.

Our belief in the future of audio as a sector is driving our acquisitions and the growth of IP is the next horizon for us.

Technology has influenced the way listeners can consume and engage with Bauer radio content – it is no longer just a broadcast medium. As this presents more opportunities to listen in a more engaged way, we are now able to offer more opportunities and value for our advertisers. We believe we are embarking on a golden age as radio evolves fully into audio.

What do you think will be your biggest challenge this year and onwards as MD of Bauer Media Advertising?

So many things have changed in the last year that it feels like everything is up for grabs in the new normal.

Consumer habits have changed, media consumption has shifted, and working patterns aren’t likely to go back to how they were a year ago.

Around all of this change we are experiencing digital acceleration in our lives; whether that be e-commerce, smart speakers or SVOD. Every media owner and platform needs to navigate their way through this new landscape and my challenge is to work with my teams to convince clients and agencies that our platforms and brands continue to play a key part in consumers lives. It’s a really exciting challenge and one that we are definitely up for.

We’re coming up to the anniversary of the beginning of the first Covid lockdown – what has been the most important thing you’ve learned over the last 12 months?

I have learned that we are all capable of more than we thought we were.

The last year has thrown challenges at all of us that were unimaginable before the pandemic. The way our team has pulled together and been even more flexible and creative has been phenomenal. In fact, in a recent survey with our clients, 30% agreed that their experience working with us had improved in the last year.

I’ve also learned that work culture will be radically different in the future. So many of the old assumptions about work have been blown away in the last year and will be impossible to return to. Smart companies will learn this quickly and this will enable them to offer greater work life balance, greater agility and better mental health to their employees.