In Search of the Next Challenge

Christopher Boyd got his first job out of university as a new media journalist in early 2009. By 2016 he was Head of Marketing for Foxtel. How did he get there you may ask? Trusting that by putting in big effort, you receive big reward and he was right.

UC and the basics

Chris grew up in a typical Aussie sporting family, fostering a love of sports and communications from an early age. His love of sport was the catalyst to start his career in journalism. His studies at the University of Canberra formed the base for what would lead to a career move into Marketing.

You need to strive for career choices that genuinely interest you.

“Once you understand that, it’s about finding specialist skills such as communications. UC was a really good starting point for that.”

At UC, he learned what emotional and rational triggers are important to an audience among other crucial basics in communications.

Graduating in December 2008, Chris started as a digital journalist at Fox Sports. The position gave him the skills and experience to realise he wanted to steer his creativity in a different direction.

"I wanted to pivot into a role where I could more directly drive business growth."

Marketing was the way to go.

Going up the ladder

What followed was a return to university where Chris gained the skills to dive headfirst into the Marketing segment of his career. After several years working as a marketing and PR coordinator, marketing executive and brand marketing manager at Fox Sports, he did a secondment at News Corp before landing a promotion as Head of Marketing at Foxtel.

“Thinking about your career and committing your energy to that, I think you can really surprise yourself with what you can do,” Chris said.

As Head of Marketing, he looked after the brand and subscription initiatives for various channels including Foxtel, Fox Sports, ESPN, and other sport channels. With a team of three, he worked on long term and quick tactical initiatives, collecting data and consumer feedback while heading various consumer campaigns.

“One thing about Marketing is that it’s relentless,” Chris said.

It’s vital to stay on top of both consumer trends and industry best practice.

And with the disruptions that the internet has introduced to traditional mass communications, it’s important to adapt.

Future of pay-per-view

The new media wave of content moving to the internet has put a lot of power into the hands of the consumer. Over-the-top (OTP) internet services means that it is important to look at subscription models that are cheaper and more accessible to your audience.

With platforms like Netflix and Stan, one would expect pay-per-view channels that a company like Foxtel hosts would be more challenged, but Chris and other sources have an open mind.

According to Chris, competition is healthy because it grows the market of people who are willing to pay for content. Furthermore, newer OTP services target different types of buyers who don’t want a premium experience and would prefer to dip in and out of a lower-cost service.

After garnering all this experience, Chris is looking for a new challenge, moving away from sports to seek a different industry where he can apply his skills.

On to the next challenge

At the moment, Chris is preparing for a move to America next year. He has one piece of advice for Sports Media students and any student really: “Take the opportunity to get practical industry experience early in your career.”

“When you make a big effort, things will happen, but you have to commit,” he said.

It’s about identifying what you want and going for it.

Words by Aline Neyonsenga