Major media take ad fight to tech giants
Australia's major media companies have joined forces to promote the benefits of investing in premium media content.
Australia's major media companies have joined forces to promote the economic and brand benefits of investing in premium media content to advertisers and marketers, who have been bombarded by technology giants and their troves of data.
In a world-leading initiative, News Corp Australia, Seven West Media, Nine Entertainment, Network Ten, Foxtel Group and Foxtel Media have formed The Premium Content Alliance to promote its vast consumer reach across publishing, broadcast and online operations.
Together the alliance's shareholders reach four out of five adults in Australia every week.
The move is part of the media industry's push to claw back ad and marketing money that has flowed to tech groups like Google, Facebook and Twitter, at a time when budgets have been hit by the weak Australian economy.
The US-based tech companies face a regulatory crackdown locally in a bid to ensure everyone is playing by the same rules.
The alliance will be chaired by News Corp Australasia's executive chairman Michael Miller and run by ThinkTV chief executive Kim Portrate.
Mr Miller said the group would inform and educate advertisers and their agency partners about the true value premium media delivered to brands. “We are proud supporters and publishers of premium content, and the opportunities and challenges that we face are also faced by the other shareholders,” Mr Miller told The Australian, which is published by News Corp Australia.
“We are promoting the value of premium content to marketers, agencies, advertisers and the business partners, and that is an industry challenge. Our objective is to grow revenue and market share.”
The alliance will consist of three divisions: ThinkTV, which represents the television industry; ThinkNewsBrands, currently known as NewsMediaWorks; and ThinkPremiumDigital. The later will highlight the “unique benefits of advertising in premium video and display environments” amid rising questions about brand safety on social media.
Retail heavyweights Coles and Woolworths plus Commonwealth Bank last year pulled ads from Google's video-sharing platform YouTube over concern about their brands appearing alongside inappropriate content.
Ms Portrate said there was rising demand from executives for “information about how channels work together”. “Understanding where they should be placing those media investments, which are normally the single largest line item in their budget, to drive impact, they’re looking for more information to make informed decisions," she said.
Ms Portrate said there was a “real difference” between the impact of a business placing an ad inside “premium, quality, trusted environments”, which carries a halo effect because of the good work that has been done. “We really need to remind, excite, re-engage advertisers and agencies with the notion that placing yourself with premium content delivers a better business outcome.’’
Seven West Media CEO James Warburton said the alliance was an extension of ThinkTV's work since 2016.
“Expanding on the important work that ThinkTV has delivered, this initiative will bring this same attention to the power of premium content across proven media to grow brands and businesses, in the face of unregulated digital giants.”
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