Digiday Research: 88% of publishers say they will miss forecasts this year
This research is based on unique data collected from our proprietary audience of publisher, agency, brand and tech insiders. It’s available to Digiday+ members. More from the series →
In a new survey examining business confidence, Digiday Research found that 88% of publishing executives surveyed expect to miss their business goals this year due to the outbreak.
Ninety-five executive-level publishers were surveyed this week in a snap poll to understand the effects of the outbreak on their business. Of them, 85% said also that they expect to see a decline in ad revenue due to the pandemic.
That problem is an exceptionally difficult one. Coronavirus dominates news coverage, and with levels of worry skyrocketing, plus a lot more people working from home, means more people are consuming news. But publishers have found it difficult to monetize this coverage with advertising: Many big brands are staying away from spending adjacent to coronavirus coverage, and throwing associated keywords into their block lists.
About 79% of publishers surveyed said they also expect, unsurprisingly, to see a decline in event revenue due to the outbreak. Events have been a particularly important source of revenue for publishers across B-to-B and consumer media. With large gatherings effectively banned, this important source of revenue is essentially decimated.
Right now, only 38% of publishers say they expect to lay off staff due to the outbreak.
More in Media
BBC Studios, NBCUniversal and Genius are 2025 Digiday Media Awards winners
This year’s Digiday Media Awards winners celebrate the power of partnerships and emerging technologies. Across the 2025 winners, themes include a continued embrace of short-form video, a rise in interactive storytelling through formats like VR and AR, and a focus on collaboration to drive engagement and innovation. BBC Studios’ StoryWorks and Brand USA took home […]
Twitch’s Discovery Feed isn’t delivering, creators say
Before the rise of competitors such as Kick and YouTube, Twitch was the only major platform for livestreaming creators.
Roblox courts advertisers with fresh data on its ad effectiveness
Roblox advertising data shows the platform’s power to boost brand recall. Marketers are encouraged, but want to see more concrete metrics.