News Corp announces growth plans for leading travel brand Escape

News Corp Australia has announced that Escape – Australia’s leading travel media brand with a monthly audience of more than 3.5 million* – will combine its print and digital assets into one team dedicated to the growth and expansion of audience and commercial opportunities.

Leading the team will be Gemma Battenbough (pictured), current general manager – digital development, in the newly created role of general manager, travel, who will work with the editorial, commercial, product and marketing teams to deliver the best in-market category opportunity for consumers and advertisers.

Gemma Battenbough

Battenbough said the company had bold and exciting plans to evolve and enhance Escape’s content offering for both consumers and clients.

“Escape offers a unique opportunity for brands and businesses to connect with a premium, mass-scale travel audience,” she said. “Today’s Escape is about dreaming, planning, researching - and most importantly, booking. It is the market-leading brand and, by combining our print and digital assets, we will provide an even better, more cohesive experience for consumers and the biggest audience for our customers.”

The new travel division, which will sit under the umbrella of News DNA, led by Julian Delany, will leverage the momentum of Escape’s newly refreshed website that features end-to-end advertising solutions and content focused on making travel experiences even more enriching and inspiring. Membership functionality has also been added to provide members with exclusive access to holiday deals onsite.

Battenbough will work closely with Jana Frawley, editor-in-chief of Escape, and Helen Demetriou, head of affiliates and partnerships – travel, to build out a unified travel offering and deliver the best experience.

The Escape ecosystem includes the weekly print inserts in the company’s metro mastheads on Sundays and Tuesdays, leading website, holiday deals digital marketplace, video content and social channels.

News DNA managing director Julian Delany said: “Gemma was instrumental in developing the new digital capability for Escape. I’m delighted that she will be leading the evolution of our Escape offering and creating a seamless platform for consumers and advertisers. The travel category is a key pillar of our business and we are seeing exponential growth.

“We have ambitious plans for the expansion of the brand to create a one-stop travel destination where consumers can discover, research, plan and book their holidays, while providing advertisers with all-new commercial opportunities.”