Digital Content Next

Register now for DCN's Video Strategy Day. This half-day live event in NYC will bring together DCN members to discuss the critical topics impacting the video business today. On Oct. 9, hear from Condé Nast, PBS, Paramount, Vox Media, The Weather Company, Warner Bros Discover & CNN. Join us for this closed-door, members-only event, the best place to share insights with your senior executive peers that will shape and grow your business. | Thank you to our sponsor Cooley LLP for hosting this event! Register now: https://lnkd.in/edNv-2J7

For publishers and media outlets, the stakes have never been higher. You carry the torch, delivering trusted journalism, which safeguards democracy. But there’s a challenge we all face: How do we ensure that advertisers and agencies recognize the critical role media platforms play, not just for society but for their brands? The truth is, news outlets are more than just another space to place ads. They offer something everyone is looking for in today’s fragmented digital landscape: trust, attention, and real brand outcomes. And it’s up to us, as media executives, to make sure the advertising community understands that value. A new study from Teads and Lumen Research underscores what many of us already know—advertising alongside quality journalism isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s also the smart thing to do. Yes, supporting the health of the media is important. But the news and information created by trusted media brands also provides an excellent environment for advertisers. | Teads Natalie Bastian provides valuable takeaway from this new research: https://lnkd.in/exN3CE4u

It’s been nearly 20 years since Apple took podcasts mainstream, but the tech giant seems to be losing its grip on audio audiences: A recent study out this summer found that YouTube is now the most used podcast platform in the U.S. That’s left some publishers and podcast production houses scrambling to figure out a video strategy to complement their audio-only offerings. But there’s at least one player in the game that seems well-prepared for the platform shift: Crooked Media. The company, which is focused on news, politics, and liberal-leaning commentary and analysis, currently boasts more than 40 podcasts in its portfolio. And video is a big part of Crooked Media’s strategy — but they’re not just playing on YouTube. The company is also pushing video content on TikTok, Instagram, and X (formerly known as Twitter). And even better? Crooked Media is generating revenue along the way. | T.J. Raphael speaks to Matt DeGroot, Crooked Media's VP of Production on how Crooked Media leverages video for podcast audiences https://lnkd.in/eS6KS-fb

One of the biggest benefits of being a DCN member are the opportunities we provide for peer-learning. On October 17, join other media technology leaders for a virtual session on Unleashing Innovation: Tech & AI Leadership featuring Chief Technology Officer Vineet Khosla, who leads the charge of infusing AI across all aspects of The Washington Post. With a deep background in technology, including at Uber and Apple, and with AI, machine learning and cloud computing, he is a senior advisor to the CEO leading innovation strategy and building a transformative user ecosystem that enhances the reader experience and provides opportunities for growth. Register to attend https://lnkd.in/ehRnswaY

Check out the session details and register now for DCN's virtual Advertising Strategy Series Oct. 16, 30; Nov 6. featuring speakers from Hearst Magazines, Recurrent Ventures and SiriusXM Media. Thank you to our series sponsors MediaRadar, Inc., Theorem and Permutive! https://lnkd.in/eU_te6sc

Don't miss our virtual Hot Topic event on Advertising Strategy on Oct. 16 featuring Michael Nuzzo, SVP of Hearst Data Solutions in conversation with Alexander Dzegar, Customer Success Director, Permutive. At this event, DCN members will gather to listen, learn, and discuss the most pressing issues impacting their ad sales and business teams. These private events offer candid, high-level insights you won't get anywhere else! Register now: https://lnkd.in/eU_te6sc

This half-day live event in NYC will bring together DCN members to discuss the critical topics impacting the video business today. On Oct. 9, hear from Condé Nast, PBS, Paramount, Vox Media, The Weather Company, Warner Bros Discover & CNN. Join us for this closed-door, members-only event, the best place to share insights with your senior executive peers that will shape and grow your business. Register now: https://lnkd.in/edNv-2J7

News publishers are an invaluable part of our society, providing essential information and fostering public discourse. But as we’ve seen so far in 2024, contentious election cycles can increase challenges for digital advertising in the news sector. Despite the audience engagement that comes with news content, brands sometimes choose to avoid advertising next to volatile topics altogether. Advertisers still benefit greatly from the audiences of established news outlets – even during election years, when volatile content is more commonplace. This is why it is in both sides’ best interests to revise their approach to brand suitability in 2024 and beyond. News can be a volatile space, particularly in an election cycle. But brands can avoid missing out on large engaged audiences by working with publishers and partners to ensure brand suitability. These best practices are a great starting point for brands and publishers to manage brand suitability requirements and reduce brand suitability violations. By Mimi Wotring, SVP of Publisher Sales & Client Services – DoubleVerify https://lnkd.in/eUH28Rvt

Thanks to Digital Content Next for the opportunity to share my thoughts on Week 1 - and what I'm most excited to see this week. 👀 P.S. my call-out on IAB/ANA silence was very timely - I wrote this yesterday, before we heard from Brian O'Kelley's deposition why IAB Tech Lab passed on taking over Prebid. (More on that here in today's update : https://lnkd.in/ejqHNF-D) Link: https://lnkd.in/d8hbryhY

Great update of the morning. These two bullets are critically important confirmed again in testimony of Google’s global director for publisher partnerships for nearly two decades: “- Internal analysis shows that out of nearly 4K publishers, 13 of them received a discount. Instead of paying 20% rate, they paid on avg. 19.7%. How generous. Google was insulated from pricing pressure ‘because it comes with unique demand via AW’ - Lasala mentioned in emails that there’s not 20% of value in AdX, but in other parts. He was advocating for ‘commoditizing’ the ad exchange business instead of ‘extract[ing] irrationally high rent’ tolerated by the market only because of unique demand.”