Fairfax Media New Zealand has rebranded to Stuff, reflecting the company’s focus on building a portfolio of digital businesses while continuing to deliver outstanding local journalism.
The name change was announced in August last year by Fairfax Media (Australia) ceo Greg Hywood but only came into effect today. It means the company’s award-winning collection of newspapers, magazines, flagship news website Stuff, and other digital businesses like Stuff Fibre and energyclubnz now operate under the overarching company name, Stuff.
In a release, Stuff ceo Sinead Boucher says the name change recognises the tremendous strength of its news platform and that dropping ‘media’ from the company name is important.
“Calling our company Stuff better reflects who we are and what we do,” she said. “We are no longer only a media company. While journalism is at the heart of our business and history, the ways we connect with our communities come in many new and different ways.
“Take Neighbourly for example, which has grown into a hyper-local social network focused on bringing neighbourhoods back together,” she said.
“The company’s strategy leverages the strength of Stuff’s position as New Zealand’s number one digital brand to create and scale new digital businesses, outside of its core industry of publishing.
“Through our trusted brands and reach, we’ve become a daily part of New Zealand’s culture and its communities. We see that as an enormous privilege and responsibility, and we actively look for new ways to help our communities thrive.
“We’ve got an audience of more than 2 million on Stuff each month and Neighbourly has grown to more than 500,000 members. These are massive platforms that can reach people not only nationally but also locally. And the power of that audience lies in the rich authenticated data, which we can use to develop new revenues to fund journalism.”
“We’ve got an audience of more than 2 million on Stuff each month, and Neighbourly has grown to more than 500,000 members.”
In the past 18 months, Stuff has launched four new non-media brands and taken 100% ownership of Neighbourly.
Stuff partnered with telecommunications executives to launch internet service provider Stuff Fibre in September 2016 and more recently announced the launch of the blockbuster streaming service Stuff Pix. Stuff also has a stake in at-cost electricity provider energyclubnz, has taken Done health insurance to market with NIB, and has a new partnership with Adzuna, a job search engine.
When Hywood, announced the change of name, along with Boucher’s appointment, last year, he said the rename recognised the crucial role Stuff plays in Kiwis’ lives.
“The renaming recognises the power of the Stuff brand in New Zealand, the increasingly important role it plays in everyday Kiwi life, and its position as the centrepiece of a significant digital growth opportunity,” Hywood said.
“Stuff remains a valuable part of the Fairfax Media portfolio. We are fully committed to and supportive of the Stuff business and strategy.
“Congratulations to all involved in today’s important milestone.”
New format
Stuff announced late last year it was shifting all Monday to Friday daily newspapers to a smaller, compact format in late April.
Boucher says switching the dailies to compact is a reader-driven move and one that readers have been asking for.
“We’re taking it as a chance to to not only change the size but also reimagine the paper. The team is really excited about breathing new life into the print product.”
About Stuff
Stuff is a collection of digital-first products and services that connect Kiwi communities to the stuff that matters, the stuff they love and each other. With storytelling at the heart of Stuff, the company is leveraging its audience scale to diversify into new categories and revenue streams, ensuring it can continue to deliver quality local journalism that Kiwis look for every day.
- Click here to see a full portfolio of all brands – including Stuff, Neighbourly, Done Health Insurance, energyclubnz, Stuff Fibre and Stuff Pix: advertise.stuff.co.nz/portfolio
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