Jeff Dermann
Marketing Communications and Customer Service Manager, ourbrisbane.com
Written by Maxine Balzat on 2009-10-09
Jeff Dermann is the manager of Marketing Communications and Customer Service of Brisbane’s leading leisure and lifestyle website, ourbrisbane.com. He has seen the Brisbane media environment evolve over the years, and loves having the opportunity to be able to work and live in Brisbane, while contributing to Brisbane’s online media industry.
What is your role as Marketing Communications and Customer Service manager of ourbrisbane.com?
The main focus of my role is on implementing our brand strategy across the business to ensure that ourbrisbane.com is marketed consistently to customers and stakeholders. These include ourbrisbane.com website visitors, employees, corporate clients, content partners and Brisbane City Council. I also work with the team on the roll out of online marketing campaigns (across both online and offline mediums), as well as managing our customer service team.
What has been your most memorable achievement or experience working as a part of Brisbane’s media landscape?
It has been exciting to be a part of the growth of ourbrisbane.com as an online media business. I have especially enjoyed the opportunity to build trusted partnerships with stakeholders and clients. It has been rewarding to experience the growth in our customer base, the increase in advertising revenue and the growth in our networks across the city.
ourbrisbane.com is a very well recognised and highly used resource. What do you think it provides that differentiates it from other media resources in Brisbane?
ourbrisbane.com has a breadth and depth of content that no other Brisbane online media resource covers. The website is a reliable and trusted source of information on all of the great experiences that Brisbane has to offer. Importantly, much of the content is built on collaboration and partnerships which makes ourbrisbane.com a unique resource for both residents and visitors.
What do you think about the relationship between traditional media and new media?
There has definitely been a big shift in recent years away from traditional to online media. Readership of online resources has increased substantially in direct contrast to declining levels of print readership. The media industry has become increasingly competitive as consumers are spoilt for choice. Online advertising is also continuing to increase in popularity as a highly targeted and cost effective advertising medium.
In your opinion, what is the most prominent trend in the new media industry at the moment?
The emergence of social media is the most prominent trend in media at the moment.
Social media provides a fantastic opportunity for companies, brands and individuals to engage directly with each other in conversation. New business models are constantly evolving as people are finding new and exciting ways to engage in the social media space. It’s an exciting time to be involved in the industry.
What changes do you see happening over the next five years in the new media industry?
I think that online business models will continue to evolve and that mainstream and social media will continue to converge. The lines will become increasingly blurred as more and more content is shared across different media sources and platforms to create a richer experience for users.
What are the most important/valuable skills that graduates can bring to your industry?
Passion is the most important thing a person can bring to their industry. If a person has a passion for what they do, people are more likely to embrace them and will want to work with them. This will open up new doors and provide them with exciting new opportunities.