Join us Oct. 15-17 in Phoenix to connect with top media buyers
Digiday+ Research: Publishers stick with 2020 revenue priorities, meh on the metaverse and emerging tech
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 →
With some exceptions, publishers’ revenue priorities are nearly identical to the ones they set entering 2020. Direct-sold advertising, subscriptions and branded content were considered the largest areas of focus for the 139 publishing executives surveyed by Digiday in the first quarter of 2022 — as they were pre-pandemic in the fourth quarter of 2019.
Publishers were investing more in commerce as an approach to diversify revenue streams, according to 139 publishing professionals surveyed in the first quarter of 2022. However, that share reported that affiliate commerce revenue leveled off after a pandemic-powered year of significant gains.
And despite the considerable hype surrounding the promise of emerging technology for the media and marketing industries, publishers seem neither hugely impressed with or planning for significant investment in these burgeoning areas. Close to half of the 122 publishing execs surveyed in February think none of these emerging technologies will have a significant impact on their businesses over the next few years. The metaverse, NFTs and blockchain held the most promise, albeit small, while virtual reality and cyrptocurrencies were far lower priorities.
More in Media
Publisher alliance Ozone makes a larger play for U.S. advertisers
Publisher alliance Ozone is on a growth tear in the US and plans to expand its local headcount to 50 people next year.
Media Briefing: From blocking to licensing, publishers inch toward leverage with AI
There are new levers for publishers to test in the AI era. While they’re still far from holding the upper hand, compared to a year ago, the outlook no longer looks quite so bleak.
Mitigating ‘Google risk’: The Independent maps four-pillar growth plan for the AI era
The Independent has built its growth strategy around the “blue links risk” and has stopped measuring its success by audience reach.