What a difference a month makes. Just four weeks ago News Corp Australia food brand delicious. was launching its American Express delicious. Month Out initiative at an event taking over the venues inside Sydney’s Barangaroo House.
Prior to the launch delicious. editor-in-chief Kerri McCallum told Mediaweek about the initial impact coronavirus was having on the dining sector, but no one had any idea it would lead to a shutdown for both the sector (except for takeaway) and the Month Out initiative.
This week McCallum has spoken about the traffic growth at delicious. but not for reasons they could foresee just a few weeks ago.
“We have seen huge traffic growth over the last week, our best five days on record with more than 100,000 mark on average for unique audience and 600,000 page views,” said McCallum.
“We had to pivot quickly off the back of our Month Out campaign with the restaurant industry being severely impacted over a very short period. We needed to find new ways to continue to support them, to bring news and information and also move to respond to consumer’s changing needs.
“So we launched the delicious. Out of Office series or #ooowithdelicious. It’s a socially led series of new programming to help consumers deal with their changing situation – isolation, working from home, uncertainty – and what to do with all those pantry staples. It’s also bringing you breaking news, not just recipes.”
The News Corp Australia food brand has long been an innovator when it comes to content production, but this month it took that a step further: “Because we are all socially distancing, we are relying on iPhones to film, and stream live or via virtual hooks ups or social stories.
“People are desperate for this connection and have the time and desire to watch us – the quality and style of filming is different to adapt to the changing circumstances and a little less formal and polished than normal.”
People at home are taking advantage of new content delicious. has been developing for its new captive audience: “The team are doing things like Masterclass, because it’s the perfect time to master that technique you’ve never had the time to; Use It Up, how to not waste pantry ingredients you’ve stashed; Tried & Tested, product trials at home; and Lunch Break, which is simply lunch inspiration for all those now working at home and unsure what to make.
“We’ve also asked our contributors to submit their own handheld videos at home that will be posted under the delicious. OOO banner.”
The food brand has also reacted to what people might have in bulk at home, said McCallum: “We are seeing a massive lift in recipe searches using products people have stockpiled. Tinned tomatoes, chickpeas, rice, pasta and more, and then also searches for food they are finding it harder to get such as bread, our three-ingredient loaf went gangbusters.”
There is also a new sub-brand coming next month: “We have plans to launch delicious. Drinks in April too, with a flip cover on the magazine and a new digital vertical.”
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Top Photo: Guests at the delicious. launch four weeks ago before the food sector to a big hit: Matt Moran, Bettina Brown, Guillaume Brahimi and Sunday Telegraph editor Mick Carroll