Buzzfeed commercial director Caroline Fenner has joined Pink News as chief revenue officer.
She will help to lead the LGBTQ+ media brand in an “exciting new chapter” focused on making the most of its “community and relationships”, chief executive Benjamin Cohen said.
Cohen told Press Gazette last year Pink News was shifting away from a heavy reliance on social media monetised ads for revenue towards direct partnerships with brands.
Reporting to Cohen, Fenner will oversee all commercial activities at Pink News, leveraging its scale to “drive sustainable growth and profitability”, the publisher said.
She said: “Pink News is an incredible brand with an engaged, loyal community at scale. There is a huge difference between audience and community – communities cannot be bought, they are earned through credible, relatable content, along with a common interest or purpose. Through its work in celebrating and supporting LGBTQ+ lives and stories, Pink News exemplifies this in abundance.
“With only half of Generation Z now exclusively attracted to people of the opposite sex (Stonewall and Ipsos UK), countries around the world are increasingly becoming Rainbow Nations, positioning Pink News as an essential brand for this societal shift.”
Pink News Media Ltd reported profit before tax of £1.5m in the year to 31 December 2022, the most recent figures available, with revenue of £5.5m. Cohen told Press Gazette last summer that “taking the pain” of investing in several areas last year would put the company in a “much better position” this year “to take advantage of all of the growth potential”. Ultimately several redundancies were made early in 2024 as a result of an “unpredictable financial year”.
Cohen said Fenner’s arrival “marks an exciting new chapter for Pink News. The future of media is all about community and relationships, meaning innovative approaches to commercial strategy have never been more important.
“Caroline’s extensive experience in the media industry and a deep understanding of creating meaningful connections with audiences make her an invaluable addition to our team.
“We’re at a pivotal moment, not just for Pink News but for society as a whole. Caroline’s leadership will be key in propelling us forward, amplifying LGBTQ+ voices, and expanding our impact.”
Fenner had been at Buzzfeed for just over two years, leading revenue for all four of its UK brands: Buzzfeed, Huffpost, Tasty and Seasoned. Revenue streams included branded content, sponsorships, podcasts, direct display, social, programmatic, events and affiliate.
Previously she was head of commercial at Future and group advertising director for The Week, Money Week and The Week Junior, with time spent at the Evening Standard and The Telegraph earlier in her career.
This article previously reported that Pink News made revenue of £10.3m in 2022, as first reported by last year’s Sunday Times 100. However, following a change in accounting policy relating to the way revenue share arrangements with platform providers are recorded, the figure ultimately reported for 2022 was £5.5m and we updated the story to use this figure. The profit and corporation tax figures are not affected by the change which came into effect in the Companies House filing published in September 2023.
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