Guardian to Create Data and Insight Team

In the UK, Guardian News & Media (GNM) has outlined a three-year business plan, which includes the creation of a new Data and Insight team to support editorial and commercial innovation; and the implementation of an ad model that tracks evolving market trends.

Editor-in-Chief Katharine Viner (pictured) explained that the plan has been designed to enhance operating efficiency, reduce costs, and secure new growth opportunities for the global news organisation. This plan also includes measures to reduce the Guardian's £268m cost base by 20%, aiming to break even by 2018/19; relaunch a membership offer to double reader revenues; and align editorial and commercial operations to harness higher-growth membership and digital opportunities. In addition, the media group will focus its international growth efforts on the US and Australia.

Viner commented: 'Over the next three years, a growing and far deeper set of relationships with our audience will result in a reimagining of our journalism, a sustainable business model and a newly-focused digital organisation that reflects our independence and our mission'.

In 2014, Kantar acquired the Guardian's data visualization and interactive business Guardian Digital Agency, which was set up to offer external clients access to the newspaper's expertise in areas including site design, branding and graphics, content strategy and data visualisation. It is not yet known how the creation of the new Data and Insight team will impact on the existing Audience Insight team, led by Audience Director Charlotte Putnam.

Web site: www.theguardian.com .