Trying to
put an old brand in the brightest digital light,
The Hollywood Reporter has named Daniel Strauss as its new general manager of digital.
A former Fox Digital executive, Strauss most
recently served as chief product officer at SaaS content management and monetization startup Endplay.
In his new role, Strauss will oversee all new and existing digital channels and
initiatives at THR, including its Web sites, video channels, blogs, social media, e-mail marketing campaigns, mobile apps and iPad edition.
Strauss on Monday said
that THR’s embrace of the new is what convinced him to come on board. “The magazine’s … willingness to embrace change will allow us to do some incredible
things in the coming months,” he said.
The fate of THR has been uncertain since Nielsen Business Media sold it to a consortium led by Guggenheim Partners and Pluribus
Capital Management in late 2009.
Earlier this year, Guggenheim Partners brought in none other than Ross Levinsohn to right The Hollywood Reporter’s
ship. As CEO of Guggenheim Partners’ renamed Guggenheim Digital Media, the former Yahoo and Fox executive now oversees THR, along with Billboard,
Adweek, The Film Expo Group and the CLIO Awards.
At least in terms of viewership and partnerships, THR appears
to be moving in the right direction.
Along with surpassing 11 million unique visitors a month, THR.com recently launched a number of new digital vehicles, including a reimagined Movies video channel, a new Inside
Indie channel, and tech-industry blog Behind the Screen.
Earlier this year,
meanwhile, THR.com entered into a partnership with Fandango, which allows readers to search movie times and buy tickets on directly on THR.com.
Strauss will also be responsible for digital
product development, design and partnership creation, as well as establishing and implementing digital metrics and processes designed to drive audience expansion and revenue growth through various ad
partnerships and programs.
Prior to Endplay, Strauss spent five years at Fox Interactive Media, where he served as the General Manager of Fox Interactive Media Labs, and the director of
production and operations at Fox Sports Interactive.