The Guardian’s advertising department and senior leaders including chief executive Anna Bateson and chief advertising officer Imogen Fox were joined by brands and agencies from across the advertising industry for a breakfast briefing on Wednesday morning. (Photo credit: Anna Gordon for the Guardian)
Imogen Fox and James Fleetham, director of clients, marketing and research, announced exclusive updates and shared the latest opportunities the Guardian is offering to advertisers.
Fox and Fleetham explained four key things that they want Guardian Advertising to be known for. Firstly, the news brand’s formula of scale, influence and integrity will be central to its advertising offering, combining its wide audience and successful supporter funding structure with its commitment to pursuing advertising partnerships with brands that most fit with the publisher’s values.
Secondly, the morning’s talks and panels spotlighted five brand categories particularly aligned to the Guardian’s strengths as an advertising space: brands connecting with big national moments such as sporting fixtures or watercooler TV; everyday brands consumers couldn’t live without; challenger brands looking to shake things up with better ways to get things done; purpose-driven brands looking to do the right thing; and premium brands ranging from classic luxury to premium lines in the weekly shop.
Next, Fox and Fleetham announced three new advertising products. Firstly, homepage or section front ads will no longer feature MPUs, with bigger, more premium and eye-catching full-width formats in their place. This will be accompanied by new mobile formats, as well as Guardian Light, an ad solution that delivers ads to privacy-aware users that opt out of technology such as website cookies.
Lastly, the news brand announced its first advertising awards, which will champion campaigns featured on Guardian channels across the last year. Entries are now open.
Find out more from the morning’s upfront here.
