News Corp showcases value of data partnerships

New data partnerships and ways to use it will be announced at News Corp Australia’s annual advertising showcase.

Suddenly founder Simon Smith and Come Together Producer Katy Trevethan outside News Corp in Sydney. Picture: Tim Hunter.

New data partnerships and ways to use that enriched information will be announced at News Corp Australia’s annual advertising showcase this week with more than 20 ­initiatives spanning video, audio and commercial relationships.

The media company is looking to exploit its vast print and digital news operations, and plans to unveil a series of commercial initiatives on a “journey” designed by its content marketing agency, Suddenly.

Michael Miller, executive chairman of News Corp Australasia, said the group had worked hard to develop new products for clients, noting that companies were looking at having an “ongoing relationship with existing and prospective customers”.

“The pendulum has swung from pure data and targeting and retention to a better balance of acquisition and the hunting,” Mr Miller said. “That’s where the campaigns become far more interesting and the categories a bit more diverse.”

Among the commercial partnerships on offer is Code Block, around major sporting codes, including AFL, NRL and cricket, motorsport and racing.

For the first time, companies will be able to secure category exclusivity across News Corp Publishing for its coverage of a chosen sports code, allowing clients to block coverage of a season or one of the many big sporting events.

Damian Eales, chief operating officer of publishing at News, said: “All marketers know the value of sports rights, and the ability to advertise during sports broadcasts. It’s unquestionable.”

“Connecting with fans in the heat of the moment has obvious brand association benefits but what’s missed by a lot of marketers is that fans have a relationship with the sports they affiliate with it, right throughout the season and right throughout the week, not just restricted to the 90 minutes on the field,” Mr Eales told The Australian.

“Code Block is our way of ­giving our clients access to those fan rights. We do that by packaging together all of the content that we produce on a particular sport — and we produce pages and pages of printed content, countless digital articles — and we package that content for exclusive rights to advertisers so that they can own the category coverage for that particular sport.”

Mr Eales said the content would be married with detailed digital segmentation so that partners could follow those fans elsewhere throughout News’ broader digital network. Code Block ­allows advertisers to target sports fans seven days a week all through the entire season, he said.

The first commercial partnership under Code Block had wagering group Ladbrokes tied to horseracing content in Queensland, South Australia, Northern Territory and Tasmania.

Looking to build on the success of The Australian newspaper’s ­record-breaking true crime podcast, The Teachers Pet, the company will launch NewsCast, a portfolio of 20 new podcast series. Companies will be able to advertise before or during the podcasts.

The podcasts will be devoted to sport, travel, food, fashion and true crime, which will be produced, marketed and distributed by News Corp’s businesses.

Mr Miller and Mr Eales will host the advertising showcase, which will be attended by more than 1000 ­advertising, marketing and media executives over six days in Sydney and Melbourne. The attendance is expected to be up 30 per cent from last year.

The Sydney event will run for three days until Thursday, before heading to Melbourne from March 26 to 28.

News used last year’s showcase to unveil its new content marketing agency, Suddenly, which now boasts 22 external clients and bespoke one-off companies.

Over the past six months, Suddenly has produced more than 100 brand videos and 5 commercial podcast series, Mr Miller said. “Australian marketers are still learning how to capitalise upon the growth in podcasts, the consumers are onto it but not the marketers,” he said.