"Andy Was Right": Leo Wehrli Moves from Blick Group to Social Content Newsroom

In early October, Sir Mary and Shining Pictures announced they were launching social content newsroom Andy Was Right (Werbewoche.ch reported exclusively). Just one week later, the second personnel matter after Managing Director Roger Hämmerli has been decided: Leo Wehrli leaves the Ringier media house and joins the company at Pfingstweidstrasse.

In his role as storyteller, Wehrli will focus on how to tailor and tell the story of journalistic content to the respective digital and social channels in order to achieve the greatest impact with the target audience.

The 29-year-old joined Ringier in 2014 as an online intern at the discontinued commuter newspaper "Blick am Abend. Following the internship, Wehrli was hired as a journalist on a permanent basis and a year later was promoted to the newly created position of "Blick am Abend" team leader. From 2017, he worked in the social media team as senior social media manager.

In a short interview with Werbewoche.ch, Leo Wehrli talks about his plans at Andy Was Right and the move from journalism to commercial content creation.

Werbewoche.ch: From journalist to content creator for corporate clients - why did the desire for change come about? 

Leo Wehrli: As a journalist at Ringier and in my new position at Andy Was Right, it's essentially about the same thing: telling stories. Today, in my opinion, every journalist should also create content on different channels. The big change in my job switch is mainly about the switch "established media brand vs. startup". During my time at the Blick Group, I was able to experience firsthand how a leading media company ticks and what rules it has to play by. Now, completely different rules apply in a startup, and that excites me enormously.

Is the role of the journalist changing with digitization?

Journalism used to be many things: gatekeeper, agenda setter, fourth pillar of democracy, perhaps even "creator of reality" of a society. Except for the "Fourth Pillar," all of this is no longer valid today. Digital media, and especially social media, have taken this power away from journalism. A look across the Atlantic shows this phenomenon almost cartoonishly. In my view, the role of the journalist as a classifier who helps the reader sail through the flood of information is becoming increasingly important. 

What fascinates you about your new job?

With Andy Was Right, we want to tell stories differently. The way no one has told them before. As a journalist, I've always wanted to break out of the classic form of the "article. Social media constantly pose new challenges. Algorithm changes, new platforms, new rules, new features. Because of this fast pace, you can never rest on existing strategies. You can't consult smart books, often not even international trade magazines or blogs, because every country ticks differently. This permanent research, analysis and optimization fascinates me. With Andy Was Right, it becomes my daily bread. 

What do you want to inspire your customers with, how can you support them particularly well? 

By showing them what's possible when you work with the right people. Social media is still hopelessly underrated in 2019. It's not an add-on, it's not a gimmick, it's not a trend. It's the place to get the most attention right now. And it's still underpriced. But it's hard for companies to get into it. Too often, the experience has been that social media is money thrown out. With Andy Was Right, that feeling is a thing of the past. We take our clients seriously. We take the platforms seriously. And we tell your stories 365 times a year.