NEW YORK — From new opportunities presented by AI to a growing focus on video storytelling, news remains an important way for brands to connect with consumers, despite concerns that some people will turn away from controversial or sensitive content.
That was the main message at NewsFronts, the inaugural event hosted by marketing services firm Stagwell Global on Oct. 16 to connect news organizations with potential advertisers.
The daylong gathering in New York City featured panels and presentations from representatives from Gannett | The USA TODAY Network, the New York Times and nearly two dozen other news organizations are hoping to drum up interest from brands whose ad dollars can boost the industry’s bottom line as they navigate the rapidly changing way people consume news. Gannett | USA TODAY Network is a Stagwell partner, as are many hosting organizations.
Mark Penn, chief executive officer and chairman of Stagwell Global, said the company launched its “Future of News” initiative last year to allay the concerns of advertisers worried about brand safety and customer churn when ads appear alongside stories that offend some readers or viewers.
“We launched an initiative to help advertisers provide unbiased coverage of the news,” he said in an interview with USA TODAY. “We surveyed 50,000 people and[showed them]ads for different articles: Biden articles, Trump articles, Middle East articles, sports articles. And it really made no difference. So this whole… idea that people would attribute the news next to that news to your brand was never true.”
AI is the “conversation starter”
The New York event was a type of so-called “upfront,” in which TV networks traditionally introduce upcoming shows to marketers. Instead of new sitcoms and talent contests, the focus was on news, with executives talking about their company’s unique services and initiatives.
Kristin Roberts, president of Gannett Media, highlighted the popular Ad Meter, which allows the public to rate their favorite Super Bowl ads. First launched in 1989, more than 173,000 panelists voted for commercials to air during this year’s Big Game.
Roberts said Ad Meter provides “first-hand knowledge of what resonates, what surprises, and what hits home,” adding that the company is considering extending Ad Meter to the World Cup, and this year launched Movie Meter, a movie-focused site where readers can watch trailers of Oscar-nominated films and choose their favorites.
“Whether it’s honoring trailblazing women through our Women of the Year event or amplifying the voices of emerging music artists through USA TODAY’s Acoustic, we create moments that move people and influence purchasing power,” she said.
Panelists also addressed how AI is being used to enhance journalism and improve the reader experience.
Renn Turiano, Chief Consumer and Product Officer at Gannett | USA TODAY Network. “But we also leverage newsroom tools to free journalists from the grunt work and allow them to focus on what they do best, the work that is most valuable to consumers.”
Readers may visit a chatbot to ask basic questions, but those questions “start a conversation, but they’re not an actual conversation,” Tulliano said. “As readers dig deeper into the results, it creates a conversation between journalists and readers.”
Many say such innovations offer new ways to cater to an already important and loyal audience. Guy Griggs, CNN’s senior vice president of ad sales and client partnerships, noted that 80.4 million U.S. adults are characterized as “news junkies.”
“If we can’t reach them, we’re hurting the company and, most importantly, the bottom line,” he said, touting new initiatives that include more direct engagement with CNN viewers and the cable network’s anchors.
Advertising in the news can lead to big profits
Penn emphasized how news can be a useful showcase for brands. Mr. Stagwell found that ad campaigns on news platforms had an average return on ad spend of three times the previous year.
But Penn said that to ensure the public is well-informed, it’s important to go beyond profits to ensure news organizations have the financial means to do their jobs.
“The news industry is not dead. It’s undervalued,” Penn told conference attendees. “A thriving free press is not a luxury; it is an informed public, a functioning democracy, and an infrastructure for effective marketing.”
