The digital media business like no other

As you walk through the doors to the state of the art home of BPM Media (Midlands) it is clear that the company is keen to stay ahead of the game. Based at Fort Dunlop the former Birmingham Post and Mail re-branded itself in October 2008 to reflect the company's transition to a multimedia business.

Editor of The Birmingham Post, Marc Reeves, said: "Changing our name was a big part of recognising the changes in media in general. Over the past year, we have gone from a point of under investment to needing to leap-frog in terms of development.

"The progress we have made in such a short space of time is incredible."

"As newspaper publishers we have always aimed to provide breaking news to local people first and fast. But, as media began to evolve as a result of digital technology, we have had to become a multimedia business in order to ensure ownership of stories and maintain our readership."

Mr Reeves explained: "As online media advances, as a news publisher it is essential to keep up to speed with the needs of your readers in order to retain them. We had to ensure we were reaching people who exist in a different social media, which meant bringing our digital offering into the 21st century.

To reflect this cultural shift, we now have links to Facebook, Twitter and RSS feeds on our websites to optimise the number of hits they receive. In fact the Birmingham Post is the first newspaper in the country with a dedicated news feed that goes out live on Twitter."

All the effort certainly seems to be paying off, with the re-vamped sites proving more and more popular by the day - even to the techno-phobes out there.

Jane Nugent, Business Development Director for Trinity Mirror Midlands, said: "We are attracting people to our websites who may not have been so internet savvy as others. One way we have done this is by engaging with our readers about the digital revolution by showing them how they can benefit from such technology themselves.

For example, in the Birmingham Mail, we have been following the life of a 'Digital Family', which has demonstrated how people's every day lives can be enhanced by embracing change."

And as readers are encouraged to become more involved with the digital age, they are more likely to look to the internet for news and other information, which is why the newspaper websites are so important to BPM Media (Midlands).

Mr Reeves said: "It's in our interest to get people to come and see what we are doing online, plus there are things on the website which you don't get in the paper. It's another source of information and we are now getting more and more content online every day - most of what we do goes online first."

He added: "My objective as Digital Development Editor is to have the story first and to have the biggest number of hits associated with that story. We are obsessed with getting the headline right to ensure we own the story, so that when people Google it, we are the top of the result list."

Having to gear up for changes in society didn't just mean bringing its websites bang up-to-date, it also meant training staff to use and engage in technology as well.

Mr Reeves explained: "It is now in the job description of all our journalists that they are able to take video, audio and pictures, making them multi-media journalists. This means that people are able to get a lot more content wherever they are and whatever their role is."

Vidcasts uploaded onto the site provide the perfect opportunity for sports fans to have lively debates about recent football games, with live blogging from every Aston Villa and Birmingham City match also providing the perfect online forum.

"Thousands of people are logging on to blogs - people are really enjoying it. The Post and Mail, I would claim, has the biggest proportion of its journalists who use the internet channel, Twitter." Mr Reeves adds.

Exploiting such channels of communication proves just how interactive the newspapers have become, compounded by the fact that both the Birmingham Post and Birmingham Mail have become the first regional paper to have a site for Smart phones. This means that readers can access the Birmingham Post and Mail in print, online and also on their mobiles - from anywhere in the world.

Jane Nugent said: "We truly are multi-media across the board. A newspaper can only be published once a day, whereas a website can constantly be updated. It does not necessarily mean people will stop buying the paper, but it gives people a different take on things - it shows we are moving with the times."

As well as bringing the newspaper itself into the digital age, BPM Media Midlands is also adopting a more advanced approach to the advertising side of the company.

Jane explained: "We are a commercial company and ultimately that means we have to make a profit. Traditionally retail advertising, family announcements and job sections have all been our main revenue sources. As more and more people are moving with the times and getting involved in emerging technologies, we have to do that also - with every aspect of the business."

As a result, sales representatives will now all have laptops to enable them to book advertisements onto the system whilst out and about.

And everything will become digitalised which means advertisers will be able to shown their ads on screen in their businesses, and changes will be able to be made much more quickly.

"In short, customers will receive a better service," Jane added.

And with plans to improve things further, BPM Media is looking forward to a brighter, more digitally advanced future for the company." Jane said: "In the last 18 months we have attempted to transform ourselves right across the board. We have squeezed ten years of change into ten months and all of it has been digitally based. Our building, our company name, everything has changed really, to position ourselves as the multi media company of the city."

"That's where we want to be - at the heart of the city."

But, as Jane is all too aware, change is happening all the time, and in order for the company to stay ahead, it needs to be up to speed with what is happening on a bigger scale.

"The biggest challenge for us and other multi media businesses is to be aware of other audiences out there for us to engage with. BPM Media (Midlands) has big ambitions to be even more of a leading player in the region. It's a difficult climate in the media business at the moment though, so we need to be innovative and forward thinking to ensure we stay ahead of the competition.

The speed at which things are changing is quite scary, but at the same time it's also a very exciting time with huge opportunity. We need to make sure we use this opportunity to our advantage to ensure we continue to stay ahead, and to position the company as a leader in the field."