Historic planning principles focused on reach and frequency. Although still relevant today, accountability of performance across digital channels has shifted the focus away from the value of where brands show up with long-term brand building, to short-term performance metrics.

While social media is adept at creating quick hits of trending content pulling you down the rabbit hole for extended periods, the fleeting nature of attention makes it more challenging for brands to make a lasting impression.

It’s possible to achieve high engagement rates with clicks, likes and shares without significantly moving the needle on brand perception or loyalty. 

When it comes to ad attention, an average hour on premium video generates 5 mins of ad attention; 2.6x more than YouTube (1:54mins) and 25x more than social video (12 sec)* – looking at this across news.com.au specifically, that’s 9 seconds in view vs 1.7 seconds across social.

We’ve seen our editorial content verticals grow +50 per cent over the last 24 months to support consumer demand across our 138 brands.

A video first approach to engage audiences has led News Corp to ranking as Australia’s leading news, information and video publisher as per Ipsos iris August 2024 data. Reaching 4 in 5 online Australians with an audience of 17.563m spanning core categories in, News, Finance, Lifestyle, Sport and Travel.

Built on trust and credibility, it’s no surprise, premium video environments assure high–quality curated content. Audiences expect a certain level of professionalism, storytelling, and attention to detail. Whether it’s getting the wrap-up on the US Election debate, watching the sports highlights from the weekend or expert recommendations on the best Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales. These moments are intentional, active if you will, where the viewer is there to engage purposefully often without distraction.

Combining reach with engagement helps ensure advertising spend is directed towards not just broad audiences, but those more likely to interact with and respond to advertising. We call this Engaged Reach; as the quality of attention commanded is unmatched leading to more effective campaigns and better results.

ThinkNewsBrands’ August 2024 Report “Exposing the brand suitability myth” reveals that many advertisers mistakenly avoid advertising in news publishing environments due to the myth that these environments negatively impact brand perception. The evidence presented however contradicts this, showing no discernible difference in brand perception between “hard” and “soft” news placements.

Whether ads are placed next to topics like crime, politics or entertainment; brand reputation, purchase intent and favourability remain consistent.

For Australian audiences, trust across premium news platforms remains critical as 75 per cent of Australians are concerned about misinformation on social media with 40 per cent fewer trusting it compared to traditional media channels.

By brands avoiding negative impacts or association by investing away from engaging news publisher platforms they are also missing out on significant ROI and profit. 

Leaning on trusted premium publisher brands, news environments and contexts that maintain deep audience engagement, brands can partner to craft narratives that resonate with audiences on a deeper emotional level.

Amplified with brand promoted social posts, advertisers can tap into the incremental reach of social while leaning on a trusted brand voice of authority to tell their message and we’ve seen it’s success with a 2023 Cosmetics Campaign that delivered +4 per cent in Brand Awareness, +2 per cent in Brand Consideration and +4 per cent in Purchase Intent.

So, as brands look to the future, it’s not about abandoning social media but about understanding where its limitations lie.

While social platforms are great for quick, short-term wins or big reach, premium video environments across news platforms and trusted brands are where the lasting, meaningful audience connections are made leading to more effective campaigns, better results and maximising efficiencies.

In a world where attention is becoming the most valuable currency, that difference is everything.

Click HERE to stand out in the stream with premium video solutions
 

_{* Think Premium Digital, Not ‘all time spent’ is equal, March 2022}