Awful experience - Digital Content Producer Are Media Employee Review

1.0
21 Jul 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

My role gave me a lot of free products

Cons

I worked at Are Media as a Digital Content Producer across several brands. Unfortunately, my time there was marked by instability, lack of clear direction, and poor communication from leadership. Despite being part of a hardworking and passionate team, the company struggled to provide long-term security or structured growth opportunities. There was constant uncertainty around roles due to ongoing financial difficulties, with multiple staff redundancies including mine carried out with little transparency or support. While I enjoyed creating content and saw great engagement and results from my work, these efforts always went unacknowledged. Morale was always low across the board, and management was out of touch with day-to-day realities. The work environment felt reactive rather than strategic, and internal systems were often outdated or inefficient, making it hard to do your job effectively. Overall, I left feeling disappointed and disheartened, especially after putting in so much effort during my time there. I wouldn’t recommend Are Media as a place to work at all.

Explore other reviews about Are Media

2.0
2 Jul 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Everyone below middle management is so lovely to work with. Occassional sales and industry opportunities (PR, etc.).

Cons

Frequent restructures so lack of stability. Pushing out good managers/people leaders and keeping ones who don't care about employees, only revenue. Pay is far below industry and experience standard. 4 days a week in office (used to be 3). Past coworkers have been bullied out by management. Teams are forced to be skeletons, with slow hiring. Extremely difficult about promotions and pay raises.

2.0
14 Jun 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

You’ll learn the full magazine production cycle fast because you’ll be the one doing it all.

Cons

Straight out of the old Bauer NZ playbook. Management will tell you print isn’t dying with a completely straight face, then would never buy a magazine themselves, digital gets lip service (so clients think they understand the web!) and zero investment. Editorial is treated as disposable, work them hard, pay them little, while sales gets the red carpet, and don’t expect that imbalance to be acknowledged. On top of it, editorial staff are made to feel lucky just to be there, like it’s still the early 2000s glossy magazine fantasy.. No one’s aspiring to print jobs anymore, the industry moved on, so stop dressing up underpayment as a privilege!

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