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Dmitry Shishkin - probably best known for pioneering the user needs strategy at the BBC - earlier this year stepped into a new role as CEO of Ringier Media International with two main goals in mind: solidifying the dominance of Ringier's top titles and growing the titles in countries where they are not the top dog yet.

Shishkin is in charge of about 80 different media brands across Central Europe and Africa. That is a lot of ground to cover for just one person, so one of his first priorities has been getting all of these newsrooms aligned under a consistent strategy.

To do that, he - together with colleagues from across Ringier Media division consisting of its Swiss and international operations - has spent the last six months working on Ringier’s digital media playbook. It is basically an internal guide that helps onboard new team members and gives editors a go-to resource for growing their news brands.

The playbook is pretty thorough—it covers everything from editorial and content strategies to data, audience engagement, product innovation, team building, and even monetisation.

In this week's podcast, Shishkin reveals how this evolving playbook will shape Ringier Media’s strategy in the future — and what challenges might pop up along the way.

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