Wheels Media have announced CEO Andrew Beecher will be leaving the company on 3rd February 2022, with Christian Clark will stepping to the role.
Wheels Media director, Ben Hawter thanked Beecher, saying: “Andrew has made a very significant contribution in the relaunch of our digital publishing platform and the rejuvenation of the print media offering and has also driven senior recruitment that well positions the business for future growth.”
“He has provided leadership and vision through a period of transition and evolution for Wheels Media and we sincerely wish him the very best for the future,” he added.
Under Beecher’s guidance, Australia’s most-respected motoring publications that were previously under Are Media management – WhichCar.com.au, Wheels, MOTOR, 4X4 Australia, Street Machine and Unique Cars – were brought together to form one cohesive business, Wheels Media.
Wheels Media takes the six trusted automotive brands and creates a new media company that manifests the absolute best of resources, intimate market knowledge and specialist skills to deliver measurable results for auto industry stakeholders through surfacing its actionable first-party data.
The new CEO Christian Clark will lead the new venture is driven by a team of experienced and dedicated automotive professionals.
Clark joined Wheels Media in March 2020 to head up the company’s commercial business strategy.
Prior to Wheels Media, he held roles as country manager at geo-data business Near and commercial director at CarAdvice during the successful sale to Nine, and then went on to head of auto at Nine.
Clark is determined that the newly-energised Wheels Media offering will bring fresh, interesting thinking and an innovative approach to the Australian automotive industry and lift Wheels Media’s brands to the industry’s ‘thought and opinion leaders’ status.
He said of the new role: “Our clear ambition is to be Australia’s number one media company for engaging and influencing automotive audiences. Our breadth of brands and experience ensures we are able to reach car buyers, whether their purchasing intentions lie with a practical, emotional, performance or adventure vehicle choice.”
“Cars are our life. We know what our audience wants because we are that audience. We’re proud of the strong brands that we’ve built and excited about the future; as we continue to create content for our audience’s interests and needs, explore new platforms and embrace emerging technologies and new ways to engage,” he added.
Providing an insight to the new company’s future prosperity, since Beecher and Clark’s team began restructuring the business 12 months ago, magazine subscriptions are up 34 per cent and site traffic to the revitalised WhichCar.com.au has grown by 15 per cent.
With the collective power of all six respected brands, Wheels Media now boasts more than 1.4 million unique digital users, a social media audience of over 1.2 million and more than 100,000 people actively buying their magazines each month.
From content integration to e-commerce offerings, Wheels Media now has the unparalleled advantage over its competitors to offer a true awareness-to-purchase solution through tailored opportunities for both New Car brands and brands in the Fast Moving Automotive Goods Industry to target specific audiences and tribes, in addition to being the only automotive publisher in Australia to offer premium print media products.
“Iconic brands aren’t enough to drive strong results anymore. We’re focused on making the most of our fantastic legacy, while continuing to evolve and diversify our offering,” Clarke said.
“We’re already a go-to destination for brands looking to communicate to an engaged automotive audience, but that will only improve as we move into this new phase of growth. Our diverse mastheads, exceptional digital solutions and unique subscriber model ensure we can, and will, continue to reach Australia’s broadest and most engaged automotive audience,” he added.