Timeliness, connection and trust are the most significant context attributes for trusted news environments, according to research testing COVID related content released by IAB Australia and neuroscience research firm Neuro-Insight.
The study of more than 900 Australians, assessed three different types of news content – hard breaking news, COVID related updates and lifestyle content that is linked to our current COVID lockdown lives – and explored how the attributes of these could help advertising messages take on additional meaning.
The study challenged the notion that advertisers need to develop new creative that directly or indirectly addresses COVID-19.
It found that while it’s important that advertisers are not tone deaf, that the news environments do some of the heavy lifting for the advertising messages in allowing marketing messages to achieve a certain amount of transferred equity that speaks to messages being “timely”.
IAB Australia CEO Gai Le Roy says with changes in third party cookies and increased privacy regulation around the world, the industry should be actively revisiting the power of context.
“The importance and value of a thriving credible news environment is coming through loud and clear with increased audience numbers and engagement," Le Roy says.
"Last month we called on marketers to stop blocking advertising on essential news sites and we are now delivering research that provides marketers with proof that ads within news environments not only connect with engaged audiences it allows them to leverage the brand assets of the media environment as well.
“Transferred equity of timeliness, connection and trust would be assets many brands would be seeking. This research shows that investing in news environments is not only good for society it is a smart brand investment."
The study also affirmed that increasing share of voice and having stronger associative factors with a media environment is incredibly powerful and is likely to weaken a competitor's attributes.
Neuro-Insight APAC CEO Peter Pynta says the way media context influences ads is largely a subconscious process.
"We intuitively know it’s there, but it’s extremely difficult to articulate and measure through traditional means," Pynta says.
"Neuroscience is uniquely suited to capturing and measuring these effects through carefully designed studies which allow us to deliver a routine, objective measurement technique that can examine two crucial dimensions: the medium’s context and its influence on advertising.
“We believe this research can help identify new creative opportunities for marketers that offer an optimised brand fit between advertiser and media environment unlocking increased economic benefits through the advertising investment."
The research will be presented at a free webinar hosted by the IAB today. The full study will be available on the IAB website from Monday May 11, 2020.
The research was commissioned by IAB Australia following its call to marketers last month to support news environments that were investing in producing highly valued news and information.
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