Page 17 - Demo

GUARDIAN MEDIA LIMITED AND ITS SUBSIDIARIES ANNUAL REPORT 2021 15on significant cost efficiencies, which translated to the company producing a profit despite a very challenging environment and declining opportunities to earn revenue. This was no easy feat, and the resilience of the team with the guidance provided by the board is to be applauded.In the coming year, the focus will shift more towards aggressive growth. The company will be actively looking for opportunities for collaboration across the region and internationally. This could take the form of new business ventures, alliances or purchasing whole businesses to accelerate growth. The aim is to increase revenue streams and deepen market share.Guardian Media remains the largest multimedia company in the Caribbean thanks to the contribution and commitment of the staff, board, shareholders, advertising partners and consumers. We are optimistic about the evolution of the company into the next 100 plus years.Dr. Karrian Hepburn MalcolmManaging DirectorThe media industry has been forced to evolve at a rapid pace over the last few years. The reality is that the more things change, the more they stay the same in the sense that media has had to focus on it%u2019s audience%u2019s preferences to attract readers and viewers. All platforms need to understand their target audience and similarly the best way to connect brands with their audience of choice. Our decisions will be guided by sound research, an understanding of the market and building a culture of innovation. We will start from the inside out by focusing on our internal culture, ensuring high levels of employee engagement, retooling and training. We will share more openly the positive changes taking place within the organization to allow our stakeholders to share in this journey with us as the story unfolds.The digital space continues to demand our attention. The pandemic exponentially amplified the number of hours spent on social media platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Tiktok etc., in addition to paid subscription viewing platforms such as Netflix and Disney Plus. Crafting and executing a Digital Strategy will therefore represent a major area where we will be very aggressive. We will pursue this digital strategy in a way that not only propels the business forward and satisfies the consumer, but which also adopts a balanced approach that ensures we are able to monetize and or capitalize on the resources expended in implementing the digital strategy.In the same breath the business will be focused on maintaining and raising the standard of journalism where possible in order to continue to effectively fulfil the critical role the media house plays in our society. We will also place significant effort on marketing all our products on services to the public, ensuring that the public understands the breadth of our omni-channel offering in Trinidad and Tobago, which many people do not realize includes print, radio, TV, billboards, digital, content creation, studio space for rent, and website building services. There are also opportunities to grow the business in Guyana through our radio station.The business is optimistic about the gradual reopening of the economy, the outlook of businesses and the spend that will accompany the positive indicators coming from the government. During the last fiscal year, the company focused