Magicalia: New CEO plans aggressive digital expansion

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There used to be something here that couldn't be migrated - please contact us at info@journalism.co.uk if you'd like to see this updated! Magicalia will integrate its digital and print businesses in its parenting and motorbiking sectors as part of a cross-media push, the company's newly appointed CEO has said.

The publisher announced yesterday it had split into two companies forming Magicalia Publishing, which will handle the more niche, special interest titles, and Magicalia Ltd, headed by former CNET UK managing director Tom Bureau .

The decision to divide the firm was made to strengthen its digital output with the less niche titles under Magicalia Ltd seen as having more 'digital opportunity', Bureau told Journalism.co.uk.

“The assets that are going to be held in those two separate trading companies need a slightly different approach. In our business [Magicalia Ltd] we need a very focused cross-media and digital strategic look at the world,” he said.

“Magicalia Publishing has a slightly different approach in being very successful in more niche, hobby and special interest areas. These will still have cross-media or online and events, but it is going to be less of a large digital play.”

Moving forward Bureau said the biggest digital opportunities for the publisher lie in the parenting and motorbiking areas and that with the backing of owners Exponent Private Equity there is room to 'aggresively grow our position in those markets'.

Under his command Magicalia Ltd will look to strengthen its cross-media offering within these sectors rather than focusing on the launch of individual products, Bureau added.

Following the purchase of Parenting from IPC Media in January, Bureau did not rule out making new acquisitions, but said the initial focus would be on the existing titles.

“This is our starting point, but the reality is that we have a very powerful financial owner that wants to grow this business so we are going to be looking for opportunities as we go forward. There's no question that we want to get bigger and if the right opportunity comes along we will look to take advantage of it.”