Samways, Executive Vice President and Global Editor-in-Chief of Metro International in the UK, presented the company’s digital strategy which is more about “extending the Metro Moment than defending it,” she says.

That Metro Moment occurs every morning as readers commute to work between 7 and 9 a.m. For most, that has meant reading Metro’s print edition. But today that is being challenged by the onslaught of other platforms.

“The most important thing for us is to be true to our DNA and that is the Metro Moment. To continue to define what that means to us and our readers and especially what that means to them on mobile, tablets, and web.”

In essence, Samways says Metro wants to build new distribution channels, gain unique access to online audiences and thus create new Metro Moments. “We will use the print product to build awareness of our new products, continue to target people on the move and create some of those ‘lean back’ moments with Metro using verticals that are relevant to readers.”

Three examples of the strategy, that embraces user-generated and interactive experiences, include:

• ModMods.com: Capitalising on the trend of personal style sites and blogs emerging, this site will encourage readers to engage and even promote their own personal sites and blogs. It differentiates from other similar sites with dedicated bloggers and content to drive engagement.
• SCOOPSHOT: Photos are a great way to also create interaction and engagement and this new crowdsourcing tool allows readers to publish photos and videos get paid to do it. Users take a photo, set a price, and send to a repository; photos are categorised, then Metro can select and buy it, or share with other poeople. Metro can communicate with its Scoopshooters by sending them tasks, choosing a region and setting a price.
• POINTCLOUD: This extension of QR code publishing will launch in the spring on Android and users can take their phones to the print edition and find links to a plethora of galleries and multimedia content.

“We feel like these platforms will take us forward, but we have also learned that we cannot discount our traditional media audience,” Samways said.