With the issues of brand safety and transparency being ever present in the media landscape, both in Australia and globally, advertisers are becoming increasingly wary about where their ads are placed — and how their ad dollars are being spent. 

As Australia’s No. 1 content provider across news, lifestyle, sports, women, food, business, and community verticals, it is important for News Corp Australia to take a proactive stance in showcasing our commitment to providing effective, strategic, and accountable solutions for our advertisers.  

To meet this mission, we launched a campaign called “Get Real. Get News” on April 3, 2017. The headline of the campaign clients and advertisers this provocative question: “Do you really know where your ads are today?”

We follow up with our own answer: “News does.” The campaign goes on to showcase News Corps ability to reach 10 million consumers monthly across its digital products. In addition, “Get Real. Get News” reflects the position the company has taken on the “fake news” issue that has plagued some of the world’s largest digital players.

As Australia’s leading publisher of unique, compelling, and quality journalism, a key element adding credibility to this campaign was News Corp’s desire to stand by its promises of transparency and brand safety. At the end of all each piece, we added a toll-free phone number, asking clients to call if they wanted to discuss their advertising campaigns or News Corps’ promises surrounding quality assurance.

Lou Barrett, executive general manager of network sales, said the campaign is an important and necessary statement that speaks to the organisation’s enduring credibility in the marketplace, as well as its responsibility to advertisers.

“At News Corp Australia, we are proud creators and publishers of content, so we understand context is critical,” she said. “Additionally, we welcome transparency and scrutiny when it comes to our networks.”

Campaign concept

News Corp’s brief to its agency was to speak plainly to the problems that advertisers currently experience when it comes to ad placement and transparency in the media transaction, and to convey support when it came to questioning agencies about their digital campaigns.

Creative agency Big Red Group then developed the concept of posing a question to advertisers, and worked with News Corp Australia to fine tune the message.

Implementation

With three distinct audiences — sales teams, advertisers, and media agencies — we developed a comprehensive communications schedule, utilising print and digital trade media publications, the media and marketing section of The Australian, and social channels. Additionally, a comprehensive media relations campaign featuring interviews and editorial across all trade media outlets and The Australian was launched simultaneously.

Results

“Get Real. Get News” created a great deal of impact within the media industry, with many commending the proactive stance in assuring customers during a period of uncertainty:

• The campaign received more than 600,000 impressions in its first four weeks across its paid digital component.
• It is shown every 15 minutes across a network of video screens located in all media agencies nationally.
• It is featured weekly in The Australian newspaper’s media and marketing section (targeting 474,000 readers daily).

What’s next for “Get Real. Get News”

As the debate continues, News Corp is committed to continuing the campaign with evolving messaging and headlines that speak to the heart of what matters to its customers. Stay tuned.

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