Cutting costs is hardly unique in publishing. But Bauer took it to another level. On one occasion, food editors were told to stop taking so many photos of dishes. Leadership also became a problem. Bauer Australia had six CEOs in eight years. But when Stanton left, in , he was replaced by a year-old Englishman, David Goodchild. According to past and present Bauer employees, Goodchild had little interest in or knowledge of the Australian market.
Goodchild, who resigned from Bauer in , could not be reached for comment. He told editors that he had discovered an interesting Australian woman who they should feature in their magazines, named Ita Buttrose. Goodchild lasted about a year. By this time, it was apparent to Go that the business was in poor shape. Chan streamlined the business, selling or closing unprofitable titles, including Shop Til You Drop , Rugby League Week and the print edition of teen staple, Dolly.
He also attempted to grow the digital side of the business but, as soon became apparent, German HQ was reluctant to take risks. But this is misleading.
Beautyheaven has 30, followers on Instagram, and now vies with the independently owned Adore Beauty for market leadership. To many observers, the plan made little sense. Bauer revamped Now to Love in , but the results have been just a tick above dismal. Last month, I talked to him in a timed minute phone call. He sounded depleted, which is hardly surprising: after a year in the job, he has already reached the average life expectancy of a Bauer Australia CEO.
I pressed him on the approach to digital. Past and present titles. Print magazines worldwide have been in decline for 15 years as readers move online for similar content, which is often available for free. Magazines in Australia have traditionally been a female-focused medium.
They took us over the horizon and introduced us to the stylish and the clever and the new. When Vogue Australia launched in , it delivered Parisian fashion and culture.
Bauer insists that its corporate purpose was to champion Australian women. As part of this, the company launched the Female Futures campaign in In late , the tax was lifted.
But years of dismissive male-led management have damaged morale. Ironically, perhaps the most malign influence on the Australian business was the most senior woman of all: Yvonne Bauer. She spat the dummy all the time. Bauer Media Group's Yvonne Bauer and her father Heinz in , the year he signed 85 per cent of his shares over to his daughter. Credit: Malte Christians. Bollmann left Bauer in Kadas was a polarising figure. Lucy Cousins, former editor of Dolly and Cleo , says Kadas supported her.
It was unclear what nationality he was — Hungarian, German, Russian — or why he had got the job. He apparently spoke seven languages, and boasted of being good friends with fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld. Kadas left Bauer in and is now the chief product officer at Funke Mediengruppe, a newspaper and magazine publisher based in Essen, Germany. Our team is the best in the business and will bring a fantastic edition of ELLE to the readers and advertisers in the Australian market.
This market is rapidly growing and very dynamic in the areas of fashion and beauty. This new edition of ELLE will benefit from the power of our global network to establish its success. The company is the magazine arm of leading Australian media and entertainment company, Nine Entertainment Co. The media group's strategy is to expand its global publishing footprint through launches and acquisitions, and was a strong contender to buy the BBC Magazines business last year, which eventually became Immediate Media.
Matthew Stanton, chief executive of ACP, said: "Being part of the Bauer Media Group provides ACP with a positive and clear future, under an owner who is focussed on magazines and who will support investment and growth in our business.
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