Brad Berens PhD., IAB Editor-In-Chief Takes Us to School on the Impact of News on Brand Sponsors,And Everything Else

“We don’t advertise in news content; it’s too controversial,” said a cacophony of brands just prior to the fall of our democracy. What happens to a society if the institution tasked with holding the powerful to account loses trust or retreats behind paywalls so that only the wealthiest in society have access to facts. This is the long-term risk as many brands abandon sponsor support of our Fourth Estate. 

Irrespective of societal impact, forgoing news content may be to the immediate detriment of your business if you are in the avoidance camp. 

This week on The Media Roundtable, we are joined by Brad Berens, Editor in Chief at theInteractive Advertising Bureau (IAB), whose membership accounts for 86% of online advertising in the US, including podcasts.  

The conversation begins with Brad discussing the recently released,News Trust Halo Reportconducted by the IAB which found that84% of consumers feel advertising within the news increases or maintains brand trust.He also shares his perspective on the limitations of keyword blocking, choosing brand values that don’t alienate people, and data suggesting advertising in the news can increase customer perception. 

This discussion travels from the history of journalism to the present, and into the future. This includes the sudden rise (and potential fall) of Clubhouse, Facebook’s firm step into audio, and how the new privacy standards surrounding Apple will affect brand advertisers. Brad is not only one of the best-informed minds in our industry, but he also brings keen insights to bear. Among them, he describes a likely future where many corporations do not survive. This and many more insights are now available for free, in this week’s episode of The Media Roundtable. Futuristorian.