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Bauer Media has shut digital brand The Debrief, the site targeting twenty-something women, heralded at launch as much more than “BuzzFeed for girls”.
Brought onto the market in 2014 under a fanfare of publicity, the multi-platform brand had an aggressive social media strategy and was available on Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, Facebook and Twitter. Lauren Holleyoake, publisher of The Debrief, said at the time that The Debrief had identified a gap in the market for a brand aimed at “constantly connected, influential, 20-something women.”
She added, “Our target market does go to Mail Online, Stylist, Metro – those broad, mass-market brands – but they don’t feel it is really them, they are not as targeted.”
In an announcement this week, the publication writes:
‘We are sad to announce that it has been proposed that The Debrief – our much-loved brand that connected with so many young women will cease publication. Despite achieving so much in the last 4 years and winning a slew of awards, sadly we cannot see a viable future for this brand as it stands.
We’re proud of what we’ve done. The Debrief was borne from the realisation that there was nowhere online that was talking to young women about the topics they cared about the most in a way they could relate to. From Housemate Hunger Games to Stranger Shaming, Changing Room Selfies to The Debrief Podcast, we created a brand that really ‘got’ our audience and their lives in a way that no-one had done before.
And we were passionate about changing their lives for the better too – from Make Renting Fair, our (successful) campaign to get unregulated letting agent’s fees banned in the UK – we changed the law guys!, to Mad About The Pill, an investigation that went further than any other women’s brand in the UK at interrogating the link between hormonal contraceptives and mental health.
The Debrief was a huge success thanks to a brilliant team of young women and a roster of brilliant voices – but also because of YOU – our loyal, funny, sharp and engaged audience. Whether at a reader event, still chatting and drinking long after the bar was supposed to close, signing petitions, tweeting campaigns and sharing your stories, emailing feedback, we have been immensely privileged to write for you.’
Whilst it is debatable for any digital brand to announce that it was a success in the light of full closure, there is no question that current prevailing trends have counted against the title, especially January’s changing of Facebook’s algorithm which has also seen a slew of digital brands shut this year. Indeed, earlier this year, the female-focused digital publisher LittleThings closed its doors, after the Facebook news feed change caused its traffic to plummet by 75%.
It is not known what will happen to the brand’s 11-strong team – 10 staff are based in the UK, with one based in New York to publish overnight elements.
Further reading:
The Debrief: An announcement from The Debrief
