In a series of interviews, Niall Coen, Snack Media CEO, explains the purpose and reasoning behind the rebrand and tells readers why we’re putting the fan first.
Click for interview 2 – Core elements from the previous company values that have been carried over.
1. How has Snack Media’s response to COVID-19 ultimately had a positive impact on the business?
Every business globally has had to adapt as a result of COVID-19 and I felt we acted really early and were smart about decision making. I personally have a point of view that you really see people’s true colours when the chips are down. And as a business, we decided that whilst we couldn’t control the effects of a global pandemic, we could try and do some good.
We made efforts in promoting various NHS charities, such as our Fly The Flag campaign which drove significant donations to the NHS charities trust. We also worked with celebrities in creating and promoting a huge eSports programme and competition, which again raised a lot of money for charity.
I think that speaks volumes to the people in the business and the business as a whole. There’s always been a truth within the business that we want to try and make a difference.
As a result, it bound the teams closer together even though it was a very tough time for all, particularly those in sport and media. We’ve come back as a very strong business and continued to deliver good returns for our partners.
A record year
We took the opportunity to improve our proposition through the COVID-19 period and as a result, we actually had record numbers in November and December last year. Now, as we go forward into the beginning of 2021 there is still a significant amount of uncertainty in the world, but our proposition is still to learn, grow and adapt swiftly to any changes that may come.
For what it’s worth, and I’ve been saying this the whole way along, this is temporary, it will pass and we will continue to keep that perspective. As CEO of the business, I’ve reminded the teams and individuals of this at every juncture. I’m hopeful that by the summer we’ll be in a very different place as a society and as an industry.
Whilst the rebrand offers a new opportunity, the fundamental pillars of Snack Media remain: Innovation, fearlessness and trust. The focus on these values guides us every day ensuring we honour the fan and our partners. This is key to our vision of being globally recognised by advertisers, and publishers, as a media company of the highest integrity that owns and runs huge authentic communities of passionate fans.
