News Canada is rebranding as Fifth Story to better reflect the company’s content marketing solutions. The organization, which has been in the business of developing and distributing content for clients for 30 years – mainly in earned channels – will officially launch its new name, logo and website on May 8.
With the tagline, “Elevate your content,” Fifth Story is meant to communicate the five key elements of content marketing: insights, production, distribution, measurement and analysis. The company will continue to use the News Canada name to distribute copyright-free content to journalists.
“The News Canada name didn’t really fit all the services we offer our clients,” which include ad agencies, marketers and PR agencies, said president Shelley Middlebrook, who joined News Canada in 2012. “The company has been around a long time and it’s evolved over the years. We needed to continue to evolve to meet the needs of our clients and the changing landscape of how consumers interact with brands.”
While producing earned media content is still a big part of what the company does, “with digital and social, there became more channels and ways to reach consumers,” said Middlebrook. “Brands are trying to be more purposeful with the content they create and how they can repurpose that content to get the message out.”
In the past year or so, News Canada launched new paid and owned media services, and bolstered its creative and production credentials. Last June, it hired a creative director, Stephen Stanley, formerly creative director at Brunico Communications. Tom Symes, previously managing partner of Imported Artists, was brought on board in Feb. 2013 as vice-president of News Canada’s video division.
“On our video side, we had done a lot of video news releases and broadcast news releases, but we [started] developing more creative videos and doing commercials,” said Middlebrook. “We needed somebody who could take the creative to the next level. The two of them have helped elevate our level creativity.”
Middlebrook said it’s been interesting to see PR agencies hire creative directors for the same reasons over the past little while. “I guess we’re all thinking the same thing, which is good in way, because we’re meeting the needs of clients,” she said.
News Canada worked with Gabby Nobrega, principal at Breakthrough Communications, on the rebrand.
