Augustus Media is a cutting-edge media company founded in 2015, with a mission to become the preferred modern media entity in the Middle East. Based in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Qatar, Augustus Media is known for its innovative platforms like Lovin, a local news and lifestyle brand, and Smashi, which offers business, sports, and entertainment content. Their vision focuses on leveraging data and content to create a new order in media advertising, aiming to enrich the lives of their audience through compelling stories and groundbreaking communication.

Richard Fitzgerald, the CEO and founder of Augustus Media, brings over a decade of experience from digital, media, and social media agencies in Europe and the Middle East. In this interview, Richard shares insights into the inspiration behind founding Augustus Media, the strategies that have scaled the company, the challenges faced while expanding their Lovin brand, and the future of media and content creation in the Middle East.

For 10 years in social media agencies, I often considered starting my own but always hesitated, unsure how it would stand out from the rest. I envisioned a ‘real-time’ agency for social media publishing as a solution. Then, I noticed new media brands thriving on social media and seized the opportunity to establish one in Dubai. It turned out to be like running a real-time social media agency, with the added responsibility of being a regulated news provider.

We aim to become the leading modern media company in the MENA region. Currently, we have at least one journalist in 11 countries, with 22 more to go! Our long-term vision is guided by three fixed parameters:

1. Our own IP/brands as the media,

2. Digital as the medium,

3. MENA as the territory.

This gives us ample room for experimentation while maintaining a clear focus. We are builders, acquiring assets to grow our brands through a step-by-step, incremental approach. We plan our growth by focusing on the next few hires, next year's revenue, and quarterly objectives.

Originally, Lovin' was a franchise, so transitioning to an independent entity and developing a region-specific product was a significant challenge. Convincing people that a hyper-local news brand could thrive across the region and demonstrating the commercial benefits to clients required determination. Keeping pace with the constantly evolving new media landscape demands velocity and ingenuity—two of our core values.

Smashi is a content platform designed for the driven, dreamers and doers, emphasizing inspiring stories through its media lens. Navigating Pan-Arab media is complex, but with Smashi, we approached audiences through specific verticals, finding success with Smashi Business and Smashi Sports. While much of the content in these areas is Western-centric, we focus on telling the rich and diverse regional stories that deserve attention.

FitzyFund is dedicated to the media tech space in emerging markets, providing me with an outlet to operate within my area of expertise and invest in high-potential ventures that currently align with Augustus Media's strategy. Being an entrepreneur and an investor are distinct roles. As an advisor to my investments, I trust the entrepreneurs to make key decisions. Our portfolio includes Podeo, a podcast platform based in Lebanon; Bongo BD, a streaming service in Bangladesh; Plant Based News, an eco-news platform; and Balquees For Her, a content and education platform for women in the Gulf region.

I am hopeful that we will see more regional champions in this sector, and perhaps even global leaders emerging from the region.

There is tremendous growth in content production, with Saudi Arabia becoming a major hub and more content creators rising from the region. While global platforms currently dominate, AI presents a fresh opportunity to level the playing field and create new possibilities.

What: Augustus Media

More Info

Who: Richard Fitzgerald is CEO and Founder of Augustus Media, an award-winning modern media company based in UAE, Saudi Arabia and Cairo, publisher of Lovin Dubai, Lovin Saudi and Smashi TV. Initially working in digital, media and social media agencies in Europe and the Middle East for over a decade, Richard founded Augustus Media in 2015 which has grown to over 80 employees with offices in Cairo, Riyadh and Dubai to become one of the leading modern media companies in the region. The Lovin platform is present in 20+ cities across the region, and the Smashi streaming service includes Smashi Sports, Smashi Business & Smahsi Entertainment for the driven, dreamers and doers. In addition to running Augustus Media, he also manages a portfolio of media, tech and content investments under Fitzy Fund.