BY Kathy Crosett
Does advertising placed around news content make a difference for marketers? Around 25% of U.S. adults regularly read local news, reports AudienceSCAN, powered by AdMall. And around 23% regularly watch the evening news in their local markets. Your accounts want to reach their audiences, but they worry about brand safety when it comes to the news.
How does news content connect to advertising?
Wurl reports that “news accounts for 8.6% of FAST [free ad-supported TV] viewing hours.” When consumers watch traditional news, they notice ads. There’s a “77% lift in brand recall” when ads appear in these situations. And 42% of local TV news watchers have taken action after seeing an ad in the past month, according to AudienceSCAN.
What do brands worry about?
Marketers are concerned about brand safety and don’t want their ads appearing near some types of content. Often, news content falls into easily identifiable IAB categories such as death/harm/tragedy or sexual content. While non-news programming scores a 54.5% safety rating from advertisers, news only gets a 35.7% safety rating.
With a tech-based system that matches safety ratings with content, your accounts can be assured that their messages run in a desirable environment. If you have that type of system in place, let your accounts know.
How do consumers define news?
At the same time, your accounts want to advertise adjacent to content that qualifies as news. According to Pew Research, consumers have definitions about news. For example, they’re likely to agree that a report about elections is newsworthy. Here’s how consumer opinion about news breaks out.
- Election updates 91%
- Car accidents 80%
- Achievements by local residents 78%
- Financial results for businesses 67%
- Sports updates 55%
- Celebrities 17%
How can marketers reach specific news audiences?
With a subscription to AudienceSCAN, powered by AdMall, you can share key information about the audiences your accounts want to reach. Here are a few examples.
TV Tabloid Show Watchers
As your accounts seek to target consumers who follow celebrity news and gossip, check out AudienceSCAN’s report on TV Tabloid Show Watchers. With this profile data, you’ll see that many of these consumers watch TV over five hours a day. And they’re an attentive audience for products that promise better sleep or an improved appearance. When you flag this content with the appropriate IAB category, brand safety will not be a worry for your accounts.
Local News Readers
25% of U.S. adults enjoy reading the local news in newspapers and magazines. They’re more likely than average to give to political campaigns and to vote in every election. They’re also more likely than average to support disaster relief and social justice issues. It’s likely they’ll be paying attention to news stories on those topics.
Local Evening News Watchers
Local evening news watchers comprise 23% of U.S. adults. They are slightly less likely than average to have a digital news subscription. They are also more likely than average to be in the market for a new car. Look for these consumers to over-index for visiting the dentist, dermatologist and eye doctor.
Fake News Avoiders
Around 19% of U.S. adults are fake news avoiders. These consumers seek out traditional news outlets according to AudienceSCAN. Nearly 36% of these people are age 65+.
Media Distruster
Then there are media distrusters. 22% of the U.S. adult population belongs to this group. Not surprisingly, 20% of these consumers rarely or never watch TV. How can advertisers reach them? They are far more likely than average consumers to read traditional newspapers and magazines. These consumers are also more likely to be age 55+. And they are far more likely than average to vote in most elections.
Opportunities in news consumption trends
Around 48% of adults are extremely/very interested in the news. Pew-Knight data shows that at least 20% of consumers also believe they should be “discerning or skeptical.” This attitude has nothing to do with ads and brand safety.
In these cases, consumers are seeking other sources to fact-check what they’ve heard. Or they may also look for more in-depth reporting to learn the “why” behind some of the attention-getting headlines.
This consumer behavior is an opportunity for your accounts. They can develop more in-depth reporting and place the content in a variety of formats ranging from social media to online reports. And when advertising supports this content, your accounts will be noticed by news-hungry consumers.
While the news category remains important for advertisers, they must also maintain brand safety and reach the right audiences. Work with your accounts to show them how to target specific news audiences with a diversity of content.
Image by Cottonbro Studio on Pexels.
