Media Spotlight: Runwild Media
The Runwild Media Group specialises in luxury consumer titles, contract publishing and events. Its Canary Wharf magazine recently announced an increase in circulation and for Eren Ellwood, Runwild’s managing director, there is more to come. Eren spoke to Cision about the most important aspects of publishing free magazines and building up brand relationships.
How did Runwild get into events?
We started the Runwild Events division in 2008 when we saw a need from luxury advertisers and clients to get involved in experiential marketing. It started with looking after individual client’s needs, perhaps taking our readers to luxury outlets, and we’re now involved with larger commercial events as well as bespoke luxury events Our events range from luxury brand shows to ice rinks
Who are your biggest competitors?
As a business we’re producing our own consumer magazines, we operate a specialist contract publishing business, and a fast growing events division. There aren’t too many small to mid-size businesses that are able to do all that. One of the things we’re incredibly proud of, and a way to distinguish ourselves from other magazines, is the type of advertising we carry. The likes of Gucci and Cartier advertise with us; as a result we often find ourselves competing for budget with the likes of national magazine such as GQ and Intelligent Life.
What’s the most important part of running a free magazine?
The product. The product has to be perfect. This is the integral part of our business. Another important part of the magazine and contract publishing divisions is the distribution. Typically this is an area that freely distributed publications tend to fall down on.
The reason we feel we’re able to build strong and long-lasting relationships with advertisers and our audiences is by getting exclusive distribution rights, partnerships and associations. Canary Wharf magazine has the sole rights to be the only magazine to be distributed on the entire Canary Wharf estate. We aim to have similar key stakeholder partnerships across the whole portfolio.
What’s your approach to digital?
Digital is key to the growth of the overall publishing industry and an area that we have not overlooked. Our strategy has been to fine tune our products and make them the very best that is available in every way; editorial, design and distribution. All of our titles are available online and on mobile devices. We have a strong digital plan for 2014 which will see Runwild Media and it’s products and services go from strength to strength. Runwild Media Group possesses the attitude that to be the best at what we do we need to ensure that every single aspect of our business, especially our products is at the very top of its game, we either do something properly or not at all.
What do you want from brands?
If you have a chance to read the titles we produce, one of the things we’re aspiring to do is get exclusives. As a business this is very important to us. Kensington and Chelsea magazine in particular has numerous exclusive interviews with internationally recognised people each month. For example last month we exclusively interviewed Joanna Lumley, a fantastic personality in her own right. Everything we do is about trying to be the best and create newsworthy moments that are relevant and interesting to our audience There’s probably not a month that goes by without one of our magazines being picked up in some of the major newspapers; one of our stories this month got picked up by the Daily Mail, The Express and Hello! We’re managing to compete, on a small level, with some of the major glossies that have a much larger budget.
How do you work with PRs?
We have a good working relationship with PRs, I think this is because we understand the process. As a publishing company that relies on advertising, we’re the ones that have to call up the advertising agencies and brands and act like the PR companies do with us. We work on building relevant relationships.
What’s your favourite luxury brand?
That’s such a dangerous question – I can see myself losing a lot friends if I were to answer that!
Do you have any surprising hobbies or interests?
I love clay pigeon shooting and I’m the only person I know who reads every issue of The New Scientist cover to cover.
What super power would you have?
To slow down time. There’s so much that we want to do and not enough time to do it all.
Who would play you in a film?
Sylvester Stallone.
Editorial information on Runwild Media and thousands of other media contacts and outlets, can be found in the CisionPoint Media Database.
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