In a blog written for the 2023 Newsworks Awards, Allwyn global head of media and chair of judges Ross Sergeant discusses the vital role of trusted editorial content for advertisers as the lottery operator takes over the National Lottery license in February
For Sergeant, “trusted sources of information during times of uncertainty” make news brands “more important than ever” for readers concerned about misinformation. Drawing on Newsworks’ ‘Fact not fake’ research, he highlights how nearly 80% of UK consumers worried about fake news counteract this through using news brands as a fact-checking source.
“This is incredible trust placed in a quality platform”, he adds. “Ads appearing in news brands are seen as trustworthy and suggest high quality, which leads to growth for advertisers.”
This mix of editorial content flowing into commercial content makes for a “very powerful combination”.
“Our relationship with our consumers is built on trust and we believe that our advertising should exist alongside quality editorial”, Sergeant writes, pointing to news brands’ ability to engage audiences and communities as a prime environment for the National Lottery’s campaigns.
He adds this link is particularly strong when it comes to news brands’ and the National Lottery’s strengths in supporting social justice through campaigning journalism and distributing funds raised by lottery players.
Read the full blog from Allwyn’s Ross Sergeant here.
