Are Media has revealed a range of new initiatives to expand its rapidly growing content commerce business further. Announced at the company’s Ignite event in Sydney, the initiatives include the launch of live promo codes across Are Media’s shopping content ahead of the Black Friday/Cyber Monday and Christmas shopping seasons, and the addition of live and dynamic pricing on Are Media websites to ensure readers are being served the current price – or sale price – for every product mentioned in editorial.
Are Media also flagged plans to increase engagement with its audience through social shopping executions for shopping events and expanding email marketing capabilities to better communicate with subscribers on a one-to-one basis during peak sale events.
The innovations announced today are key steps in the evolution of Are Media’s content commerce strategy, which has seen the company sell $50 million of products over the past year.
Are Media Chief Executive Officer, Jane Huxley, said: “Over the past few years, we’ve been focusing on our strategy of becoming an omnichannel media company with strong capabilities in content commerce. It has taken us almost three years to completely reset the technical foundations of our company, rebuilding from the ground up, and we are now done.
“We have replaced our internal systems and invested in in our capability to manage and harness first party data to truly understand who our customer is, what she wants, and what that means for our partners. We’ve also made platform investments in our tools and partners to power affiliate marketing and content commerce.”
Huxley said Are Media’s content commerce push was driven by the trust people place in the company’s magazine brands and the connection those brands have built over many years.
“In a world that is fast moving towards AI generated content and copy, towards quantity over quality, towards ‘convicted opinions’ and not facts, we believe that our content and deep connections with our audiences differentiate us more than ever,” she said.
“Our content is original and credible. It is created by real journalists, artists and designers who have high levels of emotional intelligence, based on their years of experience and a deep understanding of our audiences. Our brands play a relevant role in the lives of our consumers. Our brands are trusted advisers in the myriad decisions Australian women make about what to wear, what to buy, what to cook, what to read, where to go, how to take best care of themselves and their families, and plenty more.
“We know that content legitimises transactions. Every day, across our range of brands, we create cultural capital that influences buying behaviour. Many people come to our brands with the intent to buy. It’s our job to work with our partners to turn that intent into action,” Huxley said.
Are Media head of affiliate partnerships, Lauren Leisk, said the growth of the company’s content commerce would not be possible without the inherent trust Australians have in its brands and its writers.
“In a world where trust is currency, the success of our shopping content, buyers’ guides and product reviews all boils down to how much our readers trust us as subject-matter experts, to recommend products they should buy to solve their problems. People are struggling at the moment. They don’t want to part with their money unless it’s worth it. That is where the true value of our content lies for our audience.”
Are Media director of sales, Andrew Cook, said: “Are Media’s content commerce strategy means we deliver conversion-ready consumers at scale. Through our expanded digital presence, social engagement, and in-store experiences, we’re setting the bar for what fullfunnel content commerce can achieve. Imagine a path to purchase that includes high-quality editorial, direct shopping links, live promo codes, and real-time pricing”.
“We’re not just serving your ads; we’re creating entire ecosystems that close the loop between content and commerce, delivering real returns. Our omnichannel approach doesn’t just deliver impressions; it delivers intent, engagement, and action. This is not reach for the sake of reach. It’s about deeply understanding what our audiences want and meeting them there with relevance, influence, and trust.”
