Bauer Media has announced the launch of The Associates; a curated influencer network within Bauer’s insight-led brand entertainment division, Story54.

The Associates division was created to give clients access to a talent pool of over 500 individuals including Bauer editorial talent, industry talent, micro, macro and mega influencers for client campaigns that run across the Bauer Media network.

The Associates influencers will be pre-qualified for engagement and effectiveness for our audiences and brands, taking a data led approach to selecting appropriate talent for creative solutions.

“We know that our own editors and contributors influence our audience in their areas of expertise, and social platforms have given us another place to have this conversation. By launching The Associates we hope to extend this highly successful model by introducing a wider of pool of talent.  We are not managing talent as much as we are curating and matching the best talent in market with our premium brands. This network will allow us to take our expertise and ability to influence to our clients and remove the guesswork around choosing appropriate talent for clients” said Jane Waterhouse, General Manager of Bauer Media’s Story54

To lead the program, former fashion marketer Kendell Bardenhagen has been appointed as Story54’s talent manager. Of her appointment, Kendell says “I’m extremely excited to be joining such an iconic business. There are so many opportunities to grow The Associates into a major driver of effective client campaigns and I can’t wait to contribute to that process.”

“Our ability to streamline the influencer selection process combined with the strength of our trusted magazine brand networks and category expertise will make Story54 even more efficient and competitive in market”.