Why Newsbrand Advertising Remains Essential to Your Digital Strategy

By Lucas Thompson

In an ever-evolving media landscape, newsbrands remain an anchor of trust and influence. Arguably, there are few news organisations that’ve successfully navigated these changes as well as The Telegraph. This made attending the newsbrand’s recent Media Immersion Day a particularly compelling opportunity to explore the strategies that were driving its success.

The day was packed with informative sessions from the commercial and editorial teams, followed by insight into the significant role that newsbrands play in the advertising industry. 

Here are my four biggest takeaways from the event:

 

New Brands Are Key for Reach

According to data, 24 million people – nearly a third of the UK’s population – continue to consume published content from newsbrands everyday. This offers countless opportunities to connect with audiences that are highly relevant to your brand. 

Beyond their unparalleled reach, research shows that news publishers attract higher-quality audiences compared to non-news brands. Ads on newbrands’ websites often resonate better with users – with a 30% increase in ad memorability. 

This heightened recall is likely due to the relevance and credibility of the content on newsbrands sites. Users are more focused and receptive when engaging with trusted, high-quality content. This makes it easier for ads to capture their attention and leave a lasting impression. 

Therefore, as we see an influx of ads on a growing number of media channels, prioritising scale and quality audiences is essential to maximise the impact of your digital strategy.

 

Trust = Profit 

Public trust in brands is at an all-time low, and this has ongoing implications for advertisers. In fact, 67% of consumers say that they will stop using brands that appear on lower quality content. 

It’s crucial that brands advertise in contextually relevant environments that are aligned with their values. Newsbrands invest heavily in becoming a trustworthy and reputable source, and we can see how this trust extends to advertising brands. Research shows that ads in newsbrands deliver:

• A 68%+ higher attention uplift compared to non newsbrands
• A 261% higher click-through-rate 
• A 51% increased conversion rate 

It’s clear that trust not only enhances your brand’s image but also drives revenue. Therefore, it’s key to invest in advertising placements that drive both factors simultaneously – an ability that newsbrands excel at. 

 

Newsbrands Are the Key to First-Party Data 

The uncertain fate of the cookie has left many advertisers lost on how to reach their audiences effectively. However, thanks to their wealth of first-party data, subscription-based newsbrands are uniquely positioned to circumvent this deprecation. 

By assigning each subscriber a unique ID, publishers are able to go beyond basic demographic data and gather greater insights such as:

• On-site behaviour (i.e. dwell times)
• Interests and preferences (based on categories and articles they read)
• Ad interactions 
• Purchase intent

These granular insights allow newsbrands to build rich audience segments for advertisers to target in their campaigns. Therefore, if the digital landscape shifts, newsbrands have a guaranteed advantage for delivering data-driven campaigns. 

 

News Publisher Ads Can Be Engaging Too

We’re currently seeing a wave of innovation in display advertising, with newsbrands pioneering creative concepts to push the boundaries of user engagement. 

While standard display ads often follow traditional IAB formats, ad fatigue has prompted a sudden reimagination of display ads’ capabilities. 

For instance, The Telegraph have recently launched shoppable formats – enabling users to seamlessly transition from viewing an ad to making a purchase, streamlining the customer journey.

Similarly, The Guardian offers a dynamic Rotating Billboard format with a 3D cubic effect, showcasing multiple sides of an ad for added depth and capturing greater attention. 

With rich media driving engagement 7.44 times greater than standard IAB formats, choosing to advertise with newsbrands allows you to integrate these innovative formats into your strategy, maximising its impact and boosting engagement. 

As new brands continue to evolve and innovate, they are successfully pathing their own way in a contested media landscape. With clear and structured goals, you can leverage their growing capabilities to meet and exceed your advertising expectations, reaching audiences that matter most.

If you’re looking to expand into newsbrand advertising, Tug offers expert Programmatic and Above-The-Line (ATL) services. We can help you tap into the trusted environments and advanced targeting capabilities of newsbrands to maximise reach and ROI.

Contact us to see how we can elevate your advertising strategy.