What have advertisers been asking for since last year?
More and more advertisers want creative content adapted for and targeted towards specific audiences. As the most watched international news channel in Europe (daily TV reach, Global Web Index Q4, 2019), with 12 distinct language editions across TV and digital, advertisers know that we are the best placed to provide a tailor-made offering.
We have developed solutions enabling our clients to curate their message and build relationships with diverse audiences across multiple markets. We do so through sponsorship and branded content solutions combined with audience targeting, which aligns to a diverse array of content from culture, technology and business to innovation, sustainability, lifestyle and travel, using our in-house agency Embrace to develop storytelling that works for audiences in 12 languages and with a unique perspective.
What changes have you noticed in viewer habits?
One trend that had been emerging before the pandemic hit the world has been amplified since. In this time of uncertainty, trusted and established media brands are relied upon more than ever. The digital consumption of news has of course continued to grow and the growth of social media as a news source provides a huge opportunity for trusted news brands to develop new audiences. At Euronews, we have a successful social media newsroom: #THECUBE, and our latest show “Culture Clash” for Facebook Watch showcases the stories dominating the conversation in Europe and is attracting new audiences on our platforms. We are also seeing a strong uptake for more in-depth
curated content via newsletters, with very high engagement rates from new services like our daily
Covid-19 briefing.
What has the short-term effect of the Covid-19 pandemic been on TV viewing?
Unsurprisingly news brands like Euronews are seeing a huge increase in their audiences. 67 per cent of people are watching more news but are also increasingly cautious about fake news. The demand for reliable news sources has resulted in platforms upgrading their news offer for consumers. Even though we are already distributed in nearly 400 million homes worldwide, Euronews has added more than 22 million homes in the last two weeks alone as TV platform operators seek to satisfy the increased demand.
Interestingly, news bulletins on TV are still the most trusted news source during the current crisis at 44 per cent, vs social media at 11 per cent (source: Global Web Index, Coronavirus Survey, March 2020). Euronews’ digital reach is today at an all-time high with unique users up by 62 per cent in March versus February. Overall, unique visitors grew threefold in 5 months (Nov 2019-March 2020).
How do you anticipate that will change as the situation continues, and then eases?
We are living in unprecedented times, which are having an undeniable impact on many industries, including of course on the media industry. Whilst audiences are at an all-time high, it is clearly a time of uncertainty for advertisers. It’s interesting to note that an important portion of people believe that brands should continue to advertise as usual at the present time (37 per cent, according to the survey I already mentioned), but should focus their messaging on important audiences priorities like giving comfort, offering acts of kindness, delivering virtual services and experiences and relieving stress. We are also starting to observe a growing trend towards personalisation: advertisers seeking to develop different approaches to brand management with more initiatives led by local teams focusing on a more tailored and curated approach. Euronews is uniquely placed to support brands on this journey.
