Regional publisher Archant has restated its aim to become the UK’s best local media company by 2017 at a meeting of more than 100 of its senior managers.
The company’s annual management conference also saw it pledge to “focus on becoming more relevant to the communities Archant serves” during 2016 with the launch of a new strategy called ‘Engage and Grow.’
More than 100 senior managers at the conference heard chief executive Jeff Henry give an overview of 2015’s “positive” financial performance and what he called “industry leading” circulation figures.
Jeff later closed the conference, held at Norwich Castle, by stating his aim to “drive growth with increased digital, content and customer engagement taking Archant closer to its goal of being the best local media company in the UK by 2017.”
His summation echoed a July 2015 interview in which he stated: “I want Archant to be the best local media company by 2017 and I have said it to the 1500 plus employees.
“That’s what we want to do and the way to do it is raise the bar in terms of all of our performances, content, sales and distribution, all of those aspects.”
Chief marketing officer Will Hattam outlined “exciting new initiatives for 2016 including an audience-first strategy for the company’s products and content – with a focus on becoming more relevant to the communities Archant serves”.
Chief HR and development officer, Dee Willmott, further discussed the importance of staff engagement to ensure that the company’s employees are proud to work for Archant.
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Ha, ha, ha… oh, HTFP, surely it’s not April Fool’s Day. Still, good humour here, you cheeky scallywags. Anyway, must dash, there’s a Must Watch series on Mustard TV I’m following.
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What absolute drivel !
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Somewhat odd admission that at the moment their products fall below par in terms of “content, sales and distribution”.
If this is the case, how many senior managers who deal with content, sales and distribution have been sacked for failing to improve standards?
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Staff engagement? Aren’t the editors consulted about these proposals, or don’t they have any say in content? Or, perhaps they don’t have any editors at Archant.
They should lock this lot in the gaol at the castle and throw away the keys.
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‘Engage and grow’?
Good luck with that then Jeff
Local people and certainly businesses don’t take Archant seriously anymore with many who habitually bought the papers no longer doing so due to lack of value and watered down and warmed up content and businesses finding better alternatives with better service and more response and feeling valued.
Editorial content these days feels like it’s just used as filler around the cheap looking adverts.
As for staff ‘proud to work at Archant ‘ you’re miles away from that one Jeff ,most are like the two recent top floor ship jumpers and looking to get away as soon as they can or hanging on because they can’t get jobs elsewhere ( despite trying) so speak to the real workers, not the yes men eager to scrape and bow in your presence if you want a real view of how things are and how ‘proud’ people are to work here and you’ll get an eye opener and not the things you want to hear and what the managers might tell you.
Clueless and out of touch with reality spring to mind here
‘Exciting’
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“More than 100 senior managers…..” !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Cripes, ‘Yes Jeff, no Jeff, Norfolk’ is bitter and no mistake. Just how bad is it up there in Norwich? What are the odds of Archant becoming the best of breed by next year? Pretty long, i would have thought.
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Good and valid point @Percy,no one has and no one will
@jupiter
The worrying thing is that the editors will have been in attendance and happy to go along with the guff and rubbish trotted out just to be seen to be “on the bus” and not rocking the boat,this is part of the reason why this type of stuff gets actioned without challenge and the company is in the posiiton its in,however it must be comforting for Jeff and co to see so many managers engaging and growing the old Archant `yes man` policy
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The paper would become more relevant to our community if it contained some more local news. We used to get pretty good coverage in the Fens but now there’s very little.
I used to buy the paper every day but gave up on it about six months ago. I’m afraid the piles of unsold EDPs in most outlets tell their own story.
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I like the ‘new & exciting audience first strategy’ what was in place prior to this? Profit first strategy…..
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If Jeff Henry and HR-D took the trouble to speak to real staff and not the usual suspects who just tell them what they want to hear they might, just might get a picture of how things are, what its like to work there and what the real issues are
Then speak to the hundreds of local businesses who no longer advertise and the thousands of readers who don’t buy the papers,then you might get both a true picture of things and be in a position to start again in your laughable attempt at being the best local etc etc etc
Until then enjoy life wandering around fantasy island hearing what you want to hear
Hear hear!
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I almost spat out my mid-morning coffee when I read this!
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Here’s part of your problem Jeff Henry. My mum used to be a regular reader of the EDP and her local weekly. Her husband worked for Archant for many years, so she had every reason to be loyal. She still goes out to the newsagent every day to buy a newspaper, only it’s not one of yours. When I asked her why, she told me: “It’s drivel. There’s nothing in it and it reads as though it was written by a child.”
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It’s a measure of how remote and deluded Archant management have become that they actually put this ‘information’ in the public domain. I fail to see what they thought it would accomplish besides making them seem even more ridiculous. If another company had submitted a press release as vapid and fact-free as this to any of their titles one hopes, even in these desperate days, that it would go straight on the spike.
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Let’s be positive. Shouldn’t be difficult with the state of JP, Newsquest et al.
What’s needed. Enough reporters, getting OUT of the office. Editors who can recognise dodgy grammar and actually edit it! Sharp, well composed pictures that tell the story. Flexible layout.
Question is, can anyone deliver?
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RDG restates aim to become ‘filthy rich professional model and England centre forward’
But I guess making it happen is the tricky bit…
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Ah yes, Archant’s legendary “industry-leading” sales figures.
https://shar.es/14nYRa
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You are right to express surprise at the figure of 100 managers Argus, but beneath that figure lies an even more worrying stat.
A few years back at a similar conference all the managers involved in HR with the company found themselves called to the stage by the leader of that function. They must have numbered at least a dozen. There were genuine gasps of astonishment and giggles at the preposterous number of managers within this function,
Fast forward a few years and my head count at this year’s event revealed nothing had changed. Archant – and its managers and staff – are still utterly beholden to a top heavy, top down HR culture which stifles creativity (including an unwillingness to take risks), adds to the admin burden and produces a culture of fear and derrière covering.
Until I see a majority of people at these gatherings who actually PRODUCE something – i.e. sales revenue or content – then I will remain convinced that Jeff Henry’s ambitions for Archant to be the UK’s leading regional media company will be rather like Arsenal’s ambition to win the Premiership: fruitless.
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I would like to take this opportunity to restate my aim to sleep with Scarlett Johansson by 2017.
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That there were 100 senior managers at this conference tells its own story. You could lose 50 of them and there would be no appreciable difference to the business. In fact, it would probably improve it.
In fairness, though, it is important to note that Archant’s competition to be the best local media company includes JP, Newsquest, and Trinity Mirror. I’m sure there were medieval despots who were more popular than those three.
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I wonder if the key board warriors raging here who work in Archant will speak up locally when Jeff comes calling?
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“and the way to do it is raise the bar in terms of all of our performances”
Is it me or has the boss of Archant just said to his staff that they are not doing a good enough job/working hard enough?
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@OLD AD REP probably not due to the culture that abounds at the place,if you speak up and raise a concern or issue you`re marked as being negative and not buying into the plan so no one does,speaking to managers doesnt help either as they are quick to run and tell their bosses whats been said to ingratiate themselves ,hence so many people leave or have left with nothing good to say about the company anymore
sad but true
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sounds a bit Kremlin-like View From The Car Park.
But I can believe it. When working for JP (before I saw sense) I came across lame managers whose sucking up to directors was pathetic to see, never campaigning for staff. OK, so they had big mortgages, kids, etc but these were truly mice among men (and women).
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Jeff? Why not refer to him as Jeff mate? or better still, Mr Henry?
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Sad company, going round in circles.
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“audience first strategies and becoming more relevant to the communities”
In real speak that’s producing copy people are interested in and will want to read so presumably if they aren’t doing it already then no wonder the sales figures are so bad.
It’s also interesting to hear the chief marketing officer (?) admit as much which must be a real motivator for the editors who like to think they’re part of the community and producing content that people feel is relevant only for the big chief to then announce to all and sundry via HTFP they clearly aren’t.
Not really something they should be announcing as ‘new and exciting initiatives for 2016′ is it?
As for the ‘100 senior managers @Argus I’ll bet the other couple of hundred must have felt gutted to be left out!
and if you worked at Archant @dickminim you might understand @YesJeffs comments
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Where and what are the measures of success that will tell them when they’ve achieved this goal?
At the moment this all sounds fluffy,subjective and pointless, it’s just an empty statement built around wishful thinking probably made to appease the shareholders
One assumes Jeff Henry is aware of the need to set ‘smart’ objectives which have to be in place to allow proper progress and achievement to be seen.
Only when these objectives are monitored and measured will they know when they’ve been achieved or otherwise.
As they say ” if you can monitor it, you can manage it”
Until then it’s not worth the paper it’s not written on so come on, follow this up by showing us the actual targets that need to be achieved so we can all see your progress and we will all know when you’ve achieved your aims and can truly claim the coveted but meaningless bragging rights.
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So much unjustified negativity.
Mustard TV is already the world’s most watched Norwich-specific broadcaster – Helen McDermott’s c-word outburst alone has almost 30,000 views on YouTube.
The EDP editor’s daily updates on what’s going on in his back garden make him a must follow on Twitter.
And the Archant Investimagations Unit continues to dig up exclusive after exclusive. These are so good that nobody else even feels able to follow them up.
Best local media company by 2017? It’s already there.
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This is the company whose EDP Twitter site claims to be ” the country’s BEST regional paper” ( check it out)
Really?
‘Best?’ as evidenced by what ?
They’re clearly very used to puffing themselves up and making hollow claims without facts to support them so based on that alone they will definitely achieve their goal, it’s just a pity it’s meaningless to anyone but themselves, and how telling that they’ve slumped so low as to have to award themselves their own accolades.
That my friends,tells us all we need to know about Archant and their meaningless aims to be the best.
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Shush you lot! If we say it enough, while at the same time continuing to employ weak willed managers who are prepared to just do what they’re told and screw the long-term consequences in exchange for a company funded Vauxhall Insignia, it might just come true.
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steady #dick-minim, you’ll put the mustard TV viewing figures up by 100%, then the next HTFP archant press release will be citing a success for the month……. Oh no, that won’t happen, as those figures still aren’t published!
As to raising the bar, staff engagement and being the best……….. never in a thousand years!!!
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Please spare a thought for us journalists working really hard day in day out. We certainly don’t spent long days at work writing what we feel is ‘editorial content to fill round the ads…’ It’s easy to sit around being a keyboard warrior. But on the ground it’s pretty demoralising to read these comments.
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Having made this same boast last year it would be interesting to see where Mustard tv fits into the plan?
Losing over £600,000 already can’t have been factored in surely,so if he’s claiming” positive financial growth” this must mean huge revenue increases elsewhere to offset such a terrible performance by this one part of the business alone.
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Archant journo Norfolk.
Keyboard warriors? A lot of HTFP contributors have been through all this company bull first hand. No-one doubts that most of the poor souls left in the industry work hard. But the corner-cutting shows despite their efforts.
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I worked for Archant for six years, both as an editor and production editor, before redundancy beckoned. I was constantly appalled at the lack of fundamental integrity of some members of middle management which can be summed up by one individual who stated without qualm or conscience: “I would do handstands if they asked me to!”
This, of course, had absolutely nothing to do with good journalism or what was in the best interests of the community or (declining) readership we were there to serve. And, of course, the management only accepted those opinions and points of view which coincided with their own. Suffice it to say, I was not one of them.
And just one last word on Archant’s HR department – a self serving tool of management as opposed to what it should, an objective, fair and balanced department acting in both the interests of employee and employer.
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@archant journo
One to pick up with the chief marketing officer who states he wants content to be more relevant to the communities, and the editors and those agreeing pagination and ad/edit ratios who appear happy to stuff the papers full of adverts with editorial content seemingly taking a back seat.
They’re the ones to lobby, not those pointing the issues out.
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@fictional content
I always find it highly amusing seeing the editors tweets about sunsets, garden based wildlife and oop north when all around crumbles but I suppose it makes a nice change to reading about ‘cracking papers’, ‘top teams’ and ‘great’ hashtag ‘value’ so proclaiming themselves to be ‘the country’s best regional newspaper’ shouldn’t be too surprising @braganza
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Braganza
You’re right
How can Archant get away with calling the EDP ‘the country’s best regional newspaper’
This must surely contravene the trades descriptions act?
I know they have scant regard for facts these days but someone needs to look into this completely false and misleading claim which in any other walk of life would be picked up by trading standards.
I wonder if archants HR and Jeff Henry are aware of this misleading trading claim?
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@braganza
The claim by the editor of the EDP on their Twitter home page that it’s ‘the country’s best regional newspaper ‘ is scandalous!
It’s not only wholly unsubstantiated but says something when they’re so far removed from the reality of the situation or in complete denial of how far this paper and those running it have fallen that they have to make up their own plaudits and accolades which must indicate to readers advertisers and shareholders how desperate things are there.
Then the ceo stands up in front of an easily impressed audience and tells them how he expects the staff to buy into Engage and Grow.
I think the size of the task is greater than Jeff Henry ever inagined it to be
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This was an inspiring seasonal message from the EDP editor. What a caring guy… I’m sure the Queen was grateful.
http://www.edp24.co.uk/features/a_christmas_message_from_edp_editor_nigel_pickover_1_4359033
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Ha ha @goner classic!
Pomposity at its best and nothing less than we would expect
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I would’ve said more “grovelling” or “smarmy”.
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Thanks for posting this link @goner
I’ve not seen it before and have just read the fawning partridge-esque speech in disbelief ,is this guy for real?
Is it sheer arrogance and a state of self importance that makes him think anyone’s interested in his own end of year awards acceptance / queens speech style utterances?
Doesn’t he realise how cringeworthy he sounds and is there no one above him to reign him in or does he say and do as he likes ?
Goodness me,I’ve heard some pompous hand wringing in my time but nothing like this, good job so few people will have seen it.
pass the bucket please I feel quite nauseous
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” It’s not just about the size of the audience online – it’s about the quality of the audience too”
Quote from a national advertising client last week aimed at the regional press chiefs playing the ‘we reach lots and lots of local people by bundling up all of our awful print,digital and social media figures to try n fool potential advertisers and sell some ads ” card
In a nutshell it means “forget empty boasts and puffing up the popularity of yourselves and your papers and give us quality content and a quality readership” no ones interested in bragging about being the best,readers want relevant local quality content to read, and advertisers want response through an audience of potential customers, the old numbers game no longer holds water. in 2016 it’s all about quality over quantity and Archant that includes your pointless empty boasts about being the best, instead focus on getting quality staff in,get the deadwood out and focus on improving your product and your sales figures will take care of themselves, then people will judge whether you’re the best and it won’t be for you to decide yourselves.
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“.. to focus on becoming more relevant to the communities ..”
The implication being that currently they’re not which might be no surprise to the reader but is a kick in the teeth for the journos there,it’s no wonder morale is so low.
motivational skills and tact not two of your strong points I assume mr Henry?
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My advice to Mr Henry and Ms Willmott is to look back through your extensive HR files and look at the number of highly experienced, professional and talented people you’ve let go over the past 4-5 years both editorially and commercially, and compare them with those in relevant positions now and you’ll soon see why morale, sales and the overall business is on the floor.
if you take the cheap option you’ll end up paying dearly for it in the long run and that’s what’s happening now.Had the majority of these ex staff been valued and retained the business would be far healthier and you’d have people in positions where they can both turn the business around and steer it rapidly toward the aims you speak of.
However most are thriving in competitor local media,would not consider returning and are causing some of the damage to your sales you’re keen to recover.
And no I’m not one of the above,I just worked alongside and am still friends with many of those I mentioned, the majority of whom are quietly enjoying seeing the company implode from a distance and who are no longer caught up in the internal politics,game playing and self preservation that’s rife throughout the company.
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While advertising team leaders or managers, call them what you will, sell their souls for a Vauxhall insignia yet fail to deliver the necessary revenues month after month you’ll never become the meaningless ‘best newspaper group in the U.K. ‘
If Jeff Henry and his pals in HR did an audit of the contribution all the many managers drifting around the building personally make to the bottom line and what they actually do all day, only then they would see how much costs are tied up in this deadwood and make relevant cuts there and not in the editorial department who are always the first to suffer cutbacks or to go.
None of us can understand why the full to overflowing ad department is never affected when the costs outweigh the revenues they bring in?
It’s not just about calling yourself something, it’s about delivering products to be proud of and results and profit that stabilise the business.
Only then will you be able to achieve your goal, until then it’s all hype and lip service.
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Best newspaper group in the country by 2017 ‘
“EDP the country’s BEST regional newspaper” according to their own blurb on Twitter
Remember despot Ugandan dictator Idi Amin and his fondness for awarding himself various trumped up meaningless titles, honours, accolade and awards?
Just saying
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