In a piece for The Media Leader amid rising industry interest in the importance of trusted sources of information, Electric Glue’s CEO explains the power of news for advertisers and the damage blocklists are doing to well-funded journalism
With the media continuing to grapple with the consequences of rapid digitalisation for both consumers and industry insiders alike, Glucklich highlights the issues around trust, misinformation and “paranoia about brand safety” that have arisen as a result.
She writes: “Unfortunately, we know blanket blocklists are in place which negatively impact news brands… Advertisers are missing out on being present in quality, trusted journalism and the hugely positive results that derive from being in these attentive and engaged environments.”
Mentioning the recent Stagwell/HarrisX research and Reach figures on the consequences of blocklists over the summer sporting season, she goes on: “There are cases of advertisers not just blocking words — which is bad enough — but entirely avoiding being in the news environment. They are dodging news as a category in its entirety, all in the name of being brand safe.”
Citing Peter Field’s IPA Databank research that advertisers using news brands experienced an 88% uplift in the period 2018–2022 compared to non-advertisers in news brands, Glucklich also explained how publishers had powered Electric Glue’s own campaigns for its clients.
She says: “Electric Glue’s work with Charlie Bigham’s is a prime example of utilising a national news brand to great commercial effect. The long-running partnership with the Guardian has built trust and authenticity, while showcasing the brand and founder’s passion for quality.”
Read Pippa Glucklich’s full column for The Media Leader here.
