Centaur Media

Centaur Media
Public
Industry Business Media
Founded 1981
Headquarters London, United Kingdom
Key people
Number of employees
 564 (2017)
Website centaurmedia.com


Centaur Media (LSE: CAU) is a London-based business information, events and marketing provider to professional and commercial markets. It operates through three segments: Marketing, Professional Services and Financial Services. It was formed in 1981 by Graham Sherren, and is incorporated as a public limited company.

Recent history

Centaur Media was traditionally associated with B2B print magazines such as Marketing Week, The Engineer and The Lawyer on a controlled circulation model. In the words of previous CEO Geoff Wilmot: "We're publishing the titles on behalf of the advertisers but maintaining editorial integrity. Our revenues came from display advertising, classified adverts and recruitment."[1]

In 2011, Wilmot, who became CEO from 2006, described Centaur Media as a company in a process of change, both structurally and in relation to the emergence of digital media. “We used to describe ourselves as a federation of small businesses. Somebody once said: 'It's more like an archipelago of businesses with a lot of water in between.'"[2] He added that the company's old structure of a series of small businesses "supported a strong entrepreneurial culture, but the downside of that was large parts of the company were not talking to each other, and not using each other's strengths".[3] In this period, Centaur Media embarked on a restructuring programme after the recession, with investment in its exhibition and information arms.

Wilmot left Centaur in June 2013 along with the managing director of the business publishing division, Tim Potter, with Wilmot shelving a bid to take over the business in October 2013.[4]

Andria Vidler becomes CEO

This sense of transition in Centaur Media continued after the appointment of Andria Vidler as CEO in November 2013. According to an article in The Guardian from August 2014, Vidler inherited a pre-tax loss of £37.4 million in the year to the end of June 2013 and, by year end, debt had grown to £27 million.[5] Vidler said: “I like taking on sleeping giants or businesses with real potential. Letting them make the most of themselves. You walk into businesses that are less sexy and you leave them looking much sexier.”[6]

Under her leadership, Centaur embarked on a strategy of becoming what Vidler termed "one of the UK’s leading B2B business information groups", moving away from “a reliance on tactical trade advertising”.[7] This has meant a greater emphasis on information-led digital subscription products. Such an approach was summarised by Neil Johnson, chairman of Centaur Media in March 2018: "[Centaur Media] has invested in building an outstanding portfolio of business intelligence products that helps its clients by providing valuable information, analytics and insight, allowing them to maximise the value of this through advisory services, media channels and events to help connect with their customers."[8]

By 2017, Centaur Media's revenue mix was: marketing services 8%; events 42%; digital premium content 24%; digital advertising 14%; and print 10%. In 2014, digital advertising and print had accounted for 15% and 24%, respectively.[9]

The company's senior executive management comprises: Andria Vidler (CEO); Swag Mukerji (CFO); Steve Newbold (Divisional Managing Director); Jane Turner (Divisional Managing Director); Linda Smith (Chief Operating Officer); and Suki Thompson (CEO and Founding Partner of Oystercatchers).[10]

Centaur Media brands

  • Econsultancy
  • Celebrity intelligence
  • Festival of Marketing
  • Fashion Monitor
  • Platforum
  • Headlinemoney
  • Taxbriefs
  • VB Research
  • The Engineer
  • The Engineer Expo
  • Subcon
  • Business Travel Show
  • The Meetings Show
  • Marketing Week
  • Marketing Week Live
  • The Lawyer
  • Employee Benefits
  • Creative Review'
  • Money Marketing
  • Clean Energy Pipeline
  • Employee Benefits Live
  • Design Week
  • Foresight News
  • Insight Show
  • MarketMakers
  • Really B2B
  • Forum For Expatriate Management
  • Travel Technology Europe
  • Year Ahead
  • Oystercatchers

Recent acquisitions and disinvestments

Marketmakers

In July 2017, Centaur Media announced the acquisition of MarketMakers, a UK B2B marketing services business, for £13.4 million.[11]

Home Interest division

In July 2017, Centaur Media sold its Home Interest portfolio to Future for £32 million, including Homebuilding & Renovating, Period Living and Real Homes.[12]

Oystercatchers

On 21 September 2016, Centaur Media acquired brand consultancy company Oystercatchers for £3.35 million.[13]

References

  1. ↑ "Centaur's ancient history is no bar to quiet revolution". The Independent. Retrieved 2018-08-24.
  2. ↑ "Centaur's ancient history is no bar to quiet revolution". The Independent. Retrieved 2018-08-24.
  3. ↑ "Centaur's ancient history is no bar to quiet revolution". The Independent. Retrieved 2018-08-24.
  4. ↑ "Former Centaur chief executive Geoff Wilmot shelves bid to take publisher back into private hands – Press Gazette". www.pressgazette.co.uk. Retrieved 2018-08-24.
  5. ↑ Sweney, Mark (2014-08-24). "Andria Vidler: 'I like taking on sleeping giants or businesses with real potential'". the Guardian. Retrieved 2018-08-24.
  6. ↑ Sweney, Mark (2014-08-24). "Andria Vidler: 'I like taking on sleeping giants or businesses with real potential'". the Guardian. Retrieved 2018-08-24.
  7. ↑ "Centaur Media Annual Report and Financial Statementsfor the year ended 31 December 2017" (PDF). 2018. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
  8. ↑ "Centaur Media Annual Report and Financial Statementsfor the year ended 31 December 2017" (PDF). 2018. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
  9. ↑ "Centaur Media Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ended 31 December 2017" (PDF). 2018. Retrieved 24 August 2018.
  10. ↑ "List of Centaur Media people". 2018.
  11. ↑ "Centaur spends £13.4m on telemarketing business after selling off home interest magazines – Press Gazette". www.pressgazette.co.uk. Retrieved 2018-08-24.
  12. ↑ "Centaur sells Home Interest division to Future, buys MarketMakers". Retrieved 2018-08-24.
  13. ↑ Centaur Media plc ("Centaur") Acquisition of specialist marketing consultancy Oystercatchers, 21 September 2016, investis.com. Retrieved 14 March 2017.
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