Moira Geddes, founder and director of independent food publication EATIVITY has been handpicked by IAB Australia to become the first ever micro-publisher to take part in its Mentorship Program, highlighting the important role that specialised custom digital sites play within the country’s media landscape.
EATIVITY aims to keep consumers in the know and help small producers grow, and is a Covid-era start-up, founded a year ago by Sydney-based journalist and TV-producer, Moira Geddes. Despite the challenges, Geddes was determined to forge ahead with her passion project, a digital food and agriculture news publication for both consumers and industry, which specifically champions sustainable and ethical food producers, while celebrating all that’s great about Australia’s seasonal and local produce.
Just two months after stepping down from her full-time job to focus on EATIVITY, Geddes said that she was thrilled to have been recognised by IAB, the peak trade association for digital media and online advertising in Australia.
“As a boutique publication, being able to access insights and mentorship from high-level industry players is invaluable and comes at the ideal time as we initiate strategies to increase readership, advertisers and content sponsorship.”
IAB Australia’s Mentorship Program was launched in 2019 and aims to provide a framework for the industry to collaborate and support rising digital media and advertising talent.
IAB Australia CEO Gai Le Roy said: “In line with IAB’s mission to support a sustainable and diverse digital advertising ecosystem, taking on a mentee like Moira Geddes is a fitting extension of the Mentorship Program that builds on the support the IAB provides smaller publishers in our New and Niche Publishers Guide to Digital Advertising.”
By selecting EATIVITY founder Moira Geddes to be part of the program, IAB Australia is not only supporting micro-publishers, but also small local food producers. The food industry in Australia has had a tumultuous year with many companies seeing a significant drop in revenue due to export market and supply chain disruption and lockdown-related decreases in consumer demand.
The financial pressure that producers – in particular small producers – are feeling means that now, more than ever, we need to encourage Australians to buy and eat local fresh and artisan produce.