Why Backing News Is a Smart Move for Advertisers

Over my last 20+ years in digital media, I’ve seen the digital advertising landscape change in line with the evolution of how consumers engage with content. Today, I want to take a look at something that hasn’t changed: the vital role that advertising investment plays in supporting news publishers.

Making the Case for Brand Presence in News Media

In recent years, advertising strategies have shifted as brands, rightfully concerned about their reputations, have become more cautious about their ad placements. While understandable, this caution has led many advertisers to avoid news content entirely, fearing association with controversial topics.

This blunt approach has proven to be short-sighted and ultimately detrimental to the health of news publishers. And in the meantime, marketers have missed out on a high-performance, under-utilized advertising environment that can be safe and suitable when using the right tools and strategy.

Some proof points to support this POV:

• News sites attract large, highly engaged audiences. DV data shows that advertising on news sites drives nearly 20 percent more engagement than non-news content. These aren’t just passive viewers; they’re active, informed consumers who pay attention to the content — and the ads — they see.
• Advertising alongside news content builds brand trust. When your ad appears next to journalistic content, it signals to consumers that your brand values accuracy, reliability and integrity.
• News content is safe for brands. Most news content aligns with brand safety standards, and DV’s advanced sentiment and suitability tools provide nuanced controls to ensure ads align with your unique suitability strategy.
• News sites perform better. Higher engagement rates, established trust and brand safety — these are all factors that demonstrate how advertising on news sites can improve campaign performance. 

Supporting Advertisers and Publishers with DV’s News Accelerator Initiative

DV is dedicated to bridging the gap between advertisers’ need for brand safety and suitability and news publishers’ essential role in providing information that fosters a well-informed society. That’s why we launched our News Accelerator initiative, designed to better align DV’s product innovations with the needs of the news industry and encourage advertiser investment in journalism. As part of this initiative, we established new products that are news-focused, built advanced controls to better align advertisers’ suitability standards with appropriate content and enhanced analytics that enable advertisers to more effectively navigate news and manage their controls.

Key Components of DV’s News Accelerator

New Product — DV News Plus Contextual Segment: We’re introducing a contextual news segment within leading DSPs to help advertisers run on news content while maintaining brand safety and suitability.

Advanced Suitability Controls: We’re expanding our suitability controls by integrating more insights from the news community to guide product development.

Enhanced Analytics: We launched Advertiser Avoidance Alerts that enable notifications when advertisers have higher than average avoidance rates; and we are attacking the limitations of the misuse of keywords, which are poor substitutions for our more sophisticated solutions.

Industry Collaboration and Leadership: DV continues to build relationships with leading news publishers and engage them as we build solutions that support their businesses while meeting the demands of our advertiser clients. We are investing in research to help educate the industry on balancing brand suitability with news advertising opportunities. DV recently appointed Jack Marshall, Head of News, to lead and advance these efforts.

By investing in these product developments and having a dedicated leader providing news oversight, our goal is to equip advertisers with the tools, education and guidance needed to navigate this complex landscape and build stronger partnerships with publishers.

Cultivating Balance and Growth in Digital Advertising

A balanced digital advertising ecosystem is essential: publishers require support to continue delivering valuable content, and advertisers need safe, effective platforms to reach their audiences. Together, we can create a mutually beneficial environment for all.

I encourage advertisers to rethink their approach to news content. Don’t avoid it — embrace it strategically. Use the sophisticated, nuanced tools available from leading companies like DV to achieve brand suitability and alignment while unlocking the significant performance advantages of advertising alongside news.

Supporting journalism isn’t just good citizenship; it’s smart business. Let’s work together to shape a digital advertising landscape that serves advertisers, publishers and consumers alike.