Ingrid von Bibra.
Our Industry Profile takes a look at some of the professionals working across the advertising, adtech, marketing and media sector in Australia. It aims to shed light on the varying roles and companies across the buzzing industry.
Ingrid von Bibra: Head of product at Solstice Media
Time in current role
Just over 11 years.
How would you describe what the company does?
We create high-quality, independent journalism and connect engaged audiences with brands in a meaningful, trusted environment.
What do you do day to day?
A mix of a lot of different activities as I wear many hats – including but not limited to: strategy, execution, some data profiling and day-to-day production, email processes and other technical operational duties. Ensuring we have the right tools to understand who our audiences are, and then work with technology to improve the user experience and drive subscriber value. Helping to ensure we have a deep understanding of our audiences so we can have the best platforms and tools for the right audience.
Define your job in one word:
Optimisation.
I got into the industry because:
I found it exciting with the mix of content, understanding audience behaviour, and commercial outcomes — and how great storytelling can influence both. Also the constant progression of onsite tools for the audience and internal teams.
What’s the biggest challenge you face in your role?
Working with the teams to help support them to create sustainable and engaging products whilst balancing short-term commercial pressures with long-term audience and subscriber growth, particularly in an increasingly fragmented media landscape.
What’s the biggest industry-wide challenge you’d like to see tackled?
Sustainable funding models for quality journalism — ensuring publishers can continue to invest in trusted content.
Who has been a great mentor to you and why?
I’ve been lucky to work with a number of effective mentors, but the best mentors have been those who have challenged my thinking, encouraged courage, trusted me to make decisions and allowed me to learn through best practice and mistakes alike, whilst also keeping a sense of humour.
Words of advice for someone wanting a job like yours?
Stay curious, understand the data but don’t lose sight of the audience, and learn how commercial, content and product all connect — that’s where the real value lies.
If I wasn’t doing this for a living, I’d be:
Doing something in data analytics and consumer behaviour – failing that I’d go and work with dogs.
My philosophy is:
Focus on the audience first — if you get that right and understand who they are, everything else follows.
My favourite advert is:
Anything that combines simplicity with emotional impact or humour — the kind that makes you feel something and remember the brand long after. The Carlton Draught Beer Chase is clever or the M&M ads are memorable.
Music and TV streaming habits:
I like a mix of music on Spotify, I listen to a range of podcasts (obviously our 7am podcast is my morning ritual) and occasionally watch something on Netflix and Stan if I have time.
What do you subscribe to?
A range of news, product trend emails and media subscriptions (locally and globally) — I like to stay across both content and product experiences.
Tell us one thing people at work don’t know about you?
I think they are all a bit surprised by my footy tipping.
In five years’ time I’ll be:
Continuing to analyse our audiences and platforms, ideally shaping how audiences engage with news in a more sustainable and meaningful way.
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