Turner EMEA appoints Marc Goodchild to Head of Digital Content Strategy & Product

Turner Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) today named Marc Goodchild as its Head of Digital Content Strategy & Product for EMEA.

Goodchild, an award winning television producer and digital executive with a 20-year track record in broadcast, production and the start-up community, will be responsible for the overall content strategy and digital content vision for EMEA, working in close collaboration with all regional content and digital teams. He will also lead the EMEA Central Digital Team and any third party digital vendors, provide support and editorial guidance to the local heads of digital and work in close collaboration with the central research, commercial, advertising sales, marketing, PR and franchise management teams.

Reporting to Patricia Hidalgo, SVP Chief Content and Creative Office EMEA and International Kids Strategy, Goodchild will also be responsible for building and maintaining close collaboration and relationships with all key digital global stakeholders, both technical and editorial, in particular with the recently formed Digital Ventures & Innovation division of Turner International.

His responsibilities for developing and managing EMEA’s digital content and product strategy includes the implementation of Turner-owned digital products and content from the global business, along with those from international and/or EMEA origin that increase and enhance engagement with our audiences and brands across the region.

Patricia Hidalgo said: “This appointment recognises Turner’s focus on giving our fans even more innovative and immersive digital experiences. Marc’s wide range of expertise in the broadcast, production and start-up sectors makes him ideally suited to help us build on our existing momentum in the digital space and deliver a cohesive digital strategy for EMEA. He’ll be integral in helping us continue to create and curate great content so that it is discoverable and engaging how, when and where our fans want it.”

The appointment comes at a time of rapid evolution for Turner into a more consumer-centric, data-driven media company, which includes an accelerated focus on driving and expanding its portfolio of kids and general entertainment branded destinations across all parts of the digital ecosystem.  

In EMEA last year alone, the business launched 10 new YouTube channels and 16 new apps and introduced its signature CN Anything app into seven new markets.  It saw its kids' app downloads up +83% year-on-year and its YouTube viewership went up more than fivefold across 18 Cartoon Network and nine Boomerang channels. Turner EMEA currently operates a suite of more than 60 websites and other digital platforms and recently appointed DHX Media’s Wildbrain to manage its YouTube channels in both EMEA and Latin America.

The increased focus on digital will in turn also allow Turner to provide its various partners with fresh and varied ways of associating with our content to reach audiences across the digital spectrum. 

Goodchild joins Turner this month after a period working with UK start-ups where among other achievements he pioneered a new second-screen system for kids shows, and most recently a family app gifting platform. Most recently co-founder and CEO at creative app studio and technology house Gingersnap Studios, he was previously co-founder and CCO at SyncScreen providing second screen authoring and synchronisation tools for non-live and VOD productions. His career includes a mix of senior director, producer and executive roles at Disney and the BBC, and on commissions for Discovery and Channel 4. He has also worked as a digital consultant for independent production companies including Jamie Oliver, Zodiac Kids, Lion TV etc.  He has a BA Hons in Politics from the University of Nottingham and a post-grad in Broadcast Journalism from City University.

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About Turner EMEA
Turner International operates versions of core Turner brands including CNN, TNT, Cartoon Network, Boomerang and TCM Turner Classic Movies, as well as country- and region-specific networks and businesses in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), Latin America and the Asia Pacific region. It teams with Warner Bros. and HBO to leverage Time Warner’s global reach. In the EMEA region, Turner currently operates 66 channels in 19 languages in 126 countries Committed to innovation and development, its brands are available to audiences across the EMEA region via the web, VOD, DVD, gaming, mobile, merchandising, publishing or emerging platforms. Turner is a Time Warner company.

Contact
Claudia Coles VP Corporate Communications, International & EMEA
claudia.coles@turner.com +44 20 7693 0946 / +44 7785 725 705