Barcroft Media is now Barcroft Studios – adds staff – reports tenfold ad rev increase

 

UK photo and video creation agency Barcroft Media has a new name – Barcroft Studios – added new senior staff and reported a tenfold increase on monthly advertising revenue generated by the company’s digital content from January to December 2018.

The company saw its shows reach 1bn monthly views in November 2018, and now boasts over 30 million followers across social media platforms. To date it has created and produced 15 returning series with dedicated pages and audience communities on Facebook Watch, and 8 shows on Snapchat Discover.
The company’s strategy of establishing and incubating hit digital series such as ‘Extreme Love’, ‘Shake My Beauty’,‘Born Different’ and ‘Beast Buddies’ on social media platforms, then supersizing them into television series has resulted in long form co-production deals in 2018 with ITVSGE and TCB Media Rights and subsequent content acquisitions from broadcasters including WEtv, Discovery, Viasat and TV3.

The reorganisation sees parent company Barcroft Holdings renamed as Barcroft Studios and constituent core businesses Barcroft Media (editorial content and distribution), Barcroft Productions (linear and digital TV production) and Barcroft Plus (branded content) gradually phased out. The company’s 60-strong team will now all work under the Barcroft Studios corporate brand, organised under production, development, commercial and operations divisions.

Louise Murry Lizzie Wingham Danny Whitfield

New hires at the agency include former Wall to Wall Media executive Louise Murray joining as Head of Production, and former Spun Gold/ Knickerbockerglory Head of Development Danny Whitfield to oversee external development. Ex-BBC3 Deputy Editor Lizzie Wingham will also join as Editorial Commissioner, supporting the in-house production team as Barcroft Studios further increases its investment in original IP development and content production. Barcroft Studios has also hired former Off The Fence commercial exec Georgina Eyre to help manage increased demand from distributors and broadcasters in the role of Distribution Consultant.

• Other Barcroft businesses, press agency Barcroft Wire and photographic agency Barcroft Images, will be unaffected by the restructure.