A platform agnostic
Abba Newbery, director of advertising strategy at News International, asks if we should be ‘platform agnostic’ – publishing one edition to allow readers to enjoy products whichever way suits them best.
At the recent Newsworks tablet debate ‘What Next for Tablets?’ much discussion centred on whether the tablet should be treated differently as a separate channel or as part of total newspaper sales. Almost a quarter of the online UK population now currently own or use a tablet and a further 15% say they plan to get one in the next 2 years – with 38% of all tablet owners having read a newspaper on their tablet (tech tracker insight 2012).
This is rapidly becoming mass technology, and therefore it’s a debate we need to have.
I am of the firm belief that we should be platform agnostic. That is to say, if readers read the newspaper on a tablet in the same way that they read a newspaper, why would we create a different measurement currency?
The debate ended with the conclusion that we need a new trading currency. I am not advocating that we have the answer, but here’s my argument…
Readers have a genuine relationship with their newspaper – trust, willingness to be influenced by, and engagement with the product – which typically they don’t have with commercial TV or radio stations. This has a direct impact on the advertising and it is incumbent on all newspaper publishers to prove this.
A critical benefit of a print newspaper is that the content is finite, highly edited and linear, unlike the internet, or even newspaper or TV websites, which are infinite, non-linear and chaotic. As a result the impact of the printed content – and the advertising sitting next to it – can be much greater because the reader is more engaged – and is more likely to be so throughout the paper.
In short, our core strength is that we deliver a measured view of what is going on in the world even though you don’t have to read everything; what you do read is of quality, and the adverts and the content do not detract from each other.
Digital content – irrespective of platform – should flow in a fashion that enables the reader to access a discrete and well-managed set of valuable information, interspersed with adverts which they engage with. Our recent tech tracker research even shows that tablet users devote specific time to engage with our tablet editions at home, rather than as a second screen or for use while commuting.
In short, we want to be platform agnostic, publishing one edition to allow our readers to enjoy our products whichever way suits them best.
We should sell by single measure of advertising cost (i.e. CPT) and sell our products through a cover price or subscription charge to access any version of the content (i.e. all behind the paywall) because the content has to have value.
We simplify the quantum of advertising to small, medium and large campaigns – this makes it easier to buy and sell across many platforms and screen sizes – and essentially we price on advertising impact rather than size.
We enhance advertising value by offering the opportunity to optimise the advertising through data, and charge premium for enhanced content – with a clear rule that this must not distract you from the flow of the underlying content otherwise the product becomes just like the chaotic internet.
Ultimately, we are selling access to our readers, all of whom have a strong, frequent and intimate relationship with us. We know what they like, what they are interested in, what they are intending to purchase.
This relationship is rooted in the trust and enjoyment of the product we produce for them every day. Their influence reaches far and wide through their ability to inform and influence others, share content, save for later and recommend.
These readers consume our products across paper, tablet, web and mobile and all are equal. This unique combination of reach, relationship and influence carries an audience premium based on our ability to deliver market leading advertising outcomes.