Trading Places, Part 2

What are you working with?
Bethany Whitfield: My job is to work with TV4’sYouTube channel, but I’ve ended up working not only with YouTube a lot, but even other social media, like setting up a contest on Facebook. I’ve been helping a lot with Welcome to Sweden, which is the only English show that TV4 does itself – things like putting together a blooper video for YouTube, for example.

Jonathan Nordin: It’s great that Bethany can help with Welcome to Sweden, since it’s a show that’s been bought in the U.S. and they’ll show it there as well. It’s a good example of how we can really cooperate across countries. Bethany is creating buzz for the show that will help with selling it further.

BW: You bring the techniques and knowledge from your own brand, it’s something I can really contribute with.

JN: As for me, I’m doing some of what the managing editor at Flying does – which is coordinating the whole editorial process. But I’m also spending half of my time working with digital stuff, using my experience to help the team with doing videos.

Do you have a lot of contact?
JN: Pretty much every day.

BW: Exactly. Any questions or concerns that come up, we get in touch. For example I just got a suggestion from Jonathan for a headline.

JN: For both of us, we’re working in a constant editorial process so we just shoot questions to each other when we need to.

BW: It’s funny, we have a very unique relationship, we’re always in touch online but we’ve never met each other! I’m jealous of all my colleagues in Winter Park who work with Jonathan.

JN: And I’ve met Bethany’s parents and brothers! When I first got here, Bethany’s father took me out for a plane ride, since I’m working for Flying magazine. I’ve been up three times now. A few of the guys on the team are pilots and I actually thought about getting my pilot’s license but it takes a lot of paperwork ahead of time so it ended up not really being practical.

BW: My first week here, Jonathan and my manager Niclas Janson set it up for me to see a live taping of Let’s Dance, it was the first time for me to be on a TV stage set. It was so exciting even if I had never heard of the Swedish stars on it. But now I’ve been working with the show so much, I feel like I know them, it would be fun to go back and see it again.

What have you learned so far?
JN: I’ve learned the whole process of putting together a magazine. I’ve never worked with magazines before even though TV4 cooperates with newspapers like Expressen and Dagens Nyheter. But it means I know more about what Bonnier does, and I can use that to be better at collaborating.

BW: I’ve been surprised at how similar things are really. But here in Sweden, the balance of life and work is much more important. And society is so calm and orderly, it’s less chaotic. Cars actually yield for you here when you’re walking--

JN: All the cars here in the U.S.! It’s almost impossible to walk, people stare at you and cars definitely don’t yield. And it’s extremely hot, I didn’t expect it to be so hot. I really understand now why people like air conditioning, I’m almost sick of the sun.

When it comes to the job, I’m impressed that there’s a team measuring just social media. We’re good at social media at TV4, but not quite as good at measuring it.

BW: All the video skills I’ve learned are invaluable. We’re working hard on improving our video content at Flying and this will really help. And I don’t know what I’ll do without the Swedish chocolate fudge cake when I go home.

Any final words?
JN: I didn’t know so much about the bigger Bonnier and I’m much more interested now – I had no relation to it but with GROW, I’ve gotten so much more of a broader perspective and a feeling for what we do and how we can cooperate. I hope that will continue.

BW: I agree. I have so much more appreciation for the large spectrum of what Bonnier does and how we relate to each other. We have so many similar challenges, like how to innovate and how to reach younger audiences, and so much we can learn from each other.