Editor’s note: In an ongoing series, INMA is profiling our most engaged members — our super fans — to give members a chance to learn more about each other. Today we profile Erik Grimm, research manager for NDP Nieuwsmedia in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

As research manager for NDP Nieuwsmedia in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, Erik Grimm is proud to work for an industry that keeps citizens well informed, investigates issues, and combats fake news. This is something that became particularly important during the pandemic, and he is pleased to see how the news media’s reputation has changed in the past few years. 

“In 10 years’ time, the news media reputation has transformed from boring, arrogant, and old-fashioned to innovative, relevant, and exciting,” he said.

INMA recently caught up with Grimm to learn more about him.

INMA: What big lesson have you learned over the past couple of years that helped shape your plans moving forward?

Grimm: Don’t be too defensive about the advertising market. News media offer a unique proposition to readers and society. The engagement and trust of the loyal reader provide the solid basis for the consumer market. Ultimately, context, reader focus, and trust create a unique proposition for advertisers.

Nowhere can advertisers build their brand and reputation as effectively as in trusted media. This is an insight that has yet to gain ground. In recent years, the balance in advertising had swung too far towards hyper-targeting, conversion, and short-term effects.

INMA: If you had your career to do over again, what would you want to know in the beginning?

Grimm: Spend less time on abundant data collection and perfection. And more about transferring insights. Furthermore, I would have started a lasting platform to retain knowledge, because I notice that the insights about media and consumers fade away after about five to 10 years. The insights from roughly 15 years ago about effective creative ads, for example, still apply.

And, of course, start the profession as a digital native (keeping the current knowledge about traditional media).

INMA: What makes you excited to get out of bed in the morning?

Grimm: A good strong cup of coffee. Then scan my mail for new insights that I can share with colleagues, news media, and the market.

INMA: What is the craziest job or project you’ve ever done in media — and what did you learn from it?

Grimm: Getting consumers in the high street to choose on location the best year’s daily newspaper advertisement. What did I learn from it? The favourites of top creatives do not always appeal to the target group. Advertisers’ subtlety and humour don’t always come across. Therefore, always have the creatives tested first.

INMA: What success within your company are you most proud of right now?

Grimm: The reputation of the news media industry, the trust in the news brands, the confidence of the employees, and the growing awareness in society that unique news content has value. 

INMA: What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned in your career?

Grimm: Don’t oversell. You usually have plenty of good arguments. Communication is 80% form and 20% content. So don’t just focus on the content. Get to the point quickly, and don’t get bogged down in details.

INMA: What do you do to relax?

Grimm: A ride of a few hours on the racing bike. Solo rides through the polders and dunes not only get me in shape, but cycling also creates a state of mind where the best ideas arise.

INMA: If you hadn’t gone into news media, what was your backup plan?

Grimm: Writing articles, teaching. I would have almost become a geography and economics teacher if I hadn’t been accepted to study marketing and communication. On the whole, gathering and disseminating knowledge has proven to be a constant factor in my career.

INMA: What is your favourite thing to read?

Grimm: Currently, the books of Michel Houellebecq, a writer who cannot be compared to other writers. He dares to broach sensitive topics and is not afraid to go against the grain of the establishment. If you look again at his older books, he was way ahead of his time with his themes of culture, decadence, and emptiness.

INMA: What do you find the most challenging/interesting about the news media industry right now?

Grimm: For many news brands, the reader market has gradually become more important than the advertising market. In itself, it is a good thing that citizens are willing to pay money for quality content. At the same time, that bond with the reader and his engagement is very valuable to advertisers. Surely it should be possible to regain market share in the advertising market with this unique quality.

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