Connect with execs from The New York Times, TIME, Dotdash Meredith and many more
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
Retail media meets publishing: News UK, Future and Ocado tap clean room tech for smarter data targeting
News UK, The Independent, Immediate Media and Future are teaming up with retail media network Ocado to test clean room-powered data matching.
From sidelines to spotlight: Esports events are putting creators center stage
Esports events’ embrace of content creators reflects advertisers’ changing priorities across both gaming and the wider culture. In the past, marketers viewed esports as one of the best ways to reach gamers. In 2025, brands are instead prioritizing creators in their outreach to audiences across demographics and interest areas, including gaming.
Condé Nast and Hearst strike Amazon AI licensing deals for Rufus
Condé Nast and Hearst have joined the New York Times in signing a licensing deal with Amazon for its AI-powered shopping assistant Rufus.