Ex-LADbible leaders Joseph Summers, Rachel Henry (Hall), and Max Sherry have launched a new publisher, Common. The driving force behind their new venture is to showcase the best of humanity and combat the prevalent negativity and sensationalism often encountered on social media platforms.
At Common, the focus is uplifting stories, inspirational moments, and content that both educates and entertains its audience. Its goal is to profoundly move viewers – whether that’s to feel empowered, to laugh, to cry, and in some cases to take action.
“We understand that doom scrolling through social feeds can leave people feeling despondent or unsatisfied, so we aim to tackle that head-on through our editorial strategy and optimistic tone of voice”.
“We want to truly add value to people’s lives, which means creating a positive experience for anyone who consumes our content,” said Joseph Summers, Common CEO.
Central to their editorial strategy is signing up top-tier creator shows and podcasts. They aspire to become the “Netflix of Social” and have already made strides toward this goal by securing several established shows, such as Two Broke Chicks which has amassed millions of fans, and ListenABLE hosted by Dylan Alcott & Angus O’Loughlin. Their lineup also features Big Small Talk, Sometimes Funny Always Awkward, Fairbairn Podcast, Neon Streets, and two of their own productions, Movies & Mud Masks and Common Voices.
These shows and originals are integral to the brand’s identity and will sit under their show hub coined ‘House of Common’. The team has plans for continued development and new show launches throughout the year.
“A key part of our localisation strategy will be working with Aussie creators to develop shows and originals. We seek to not only enhance their individual brand and storytelling abilities but to empower them by offering shared IP ownership rights. In addition, we will partner with local production companies, as ‘House of Common’ will be made up of our own originals as well as shows produced by our partners – MIKMade, Session In Progress, Elastic, & Neuralle. It’s an exciting time for creator led shows, and our mission is to be the home of the best,” said Rachel Henry (Née Hall), Common COO.
“With Common being Australia-based, we are committed to localised content and hope to reach over a third of all Aussies by the end of 2024. As part of our in-country commitment, we plan on connecting like-minded brands and partners with our audience in a meaningful way. In addition, Common promises to be at the forefront of driving awareness to social causes which are important to Australians,” added Max Sherry, Common creative director.
Common has already reached a monthly audience of 36m people across its digital channels, of which 2.5m are Australian. Common’s shows also amassed millions of listeners across Spotify and Apple.
