The Guardian has brought its masterclasses to Australia after success in the UK, and Ian McClelland, managing director of The Guardian Australia reckons there has been demand from both brands and consumers for the media company to get involved in the "knowledge industry".
“I'm really excited about this whole industry,” McClelland told AdNews. “I call it the knowledge industry, this whole idea that entertainment doesn’t have to be about theatre or film, it can actually be about self edification, learning new things and listening to interesting people.”
McClelland said The Guardian Australia, much like its counterpart in the UK, is well positioned to make a move in this space because of its staff and expert base. It isn't just consumers who agree McClelland claims, highlighting that the media company is already in conversation with brands about commercial partnerships.
“We've had lots of queries from the brands that we work with about doing that,” he said.
“I think it's a really exciting time for brand partnerships, for us to do any number of things. Brand campaigns, advertising and sponsorships now can exist on different platforms and in so many different ways.”
The space is not without competitors, with McClelland saying it is congested market, however The Guardian's brand recognition and understanding of its audience puts it in good stead, he reckons.
“That is one of the major challenges, it's quite a crowded space, you have people like General Assembly, and University of Life doing interesting things, you've got the universities who are branching out beyond campuses using their networks and talent as alternative revenue streams,” he said.
McClelland wouldn't rule out pitching specific classes to businesses and corporates saying that, “we might possibly be more perceptive about how we brand them [masterclasses] and that's what we're looking at at the moment."
Earlier this month The Guardian announced it was bringing its membership scheme to the Australian market, with the deputy chief executive of the global news organisation, David Pemsel telling AdNews that media organisations clinging to the traditional paywall model are doomed to fail.
The roll out of The Guardian masterclasses in Australia will go hand in hand with the membership push, adding another way for the Australian site to diversify its revenue model.
McClelland wouldn't give specific numbers regarding the business's revenue make up and what percentage masterclasses may make up, saying that the masterclasses will fit into a complex revenue model.
“We have our own projections,” he said. “I think it will form a significant component of our consumer revenues, we're looking at our revenue model which is a mixture of advertising, brand partnerships and consumer revenues.”
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