Recognizing that news is the foundation of a thriving democracy and a critical marketing vehicle, Stagwell is launching a series of ‘Future of News’ studies and events to fuel discussions on the importance of advertising in news.

Stagwell’s inaugural research for the series examines the concept of brand safety—the measures taken to ensure a brand’s advertisements don’t appear alongside content that could potentially harm that brand’s reputation. Because the current approach to brand safety disproportionately hurts the news industry, Stagwell created a study to determine the real impact of ad adjacency.

The groundbreaking survey reveals that ads placed adjacent to news topics such as politics, inflation and crime perform as effectively as those placed next to business, entertainment and sports stories.

“Our research shows brands shouldn’t fear advertising on news—but rather relish it.  News junkies, who make up 25% of Americans, are one of the most valuable yet under-tapped marketing audiences,” said Mark Penn, Chairman and CEO of  Stagwell. “Instead of feeding the vicious cycle of news demonetization that hurts quality journalism the most, advertisers should kickstart a virtuous cycle of investing in news that allows brands to reach valuable audiences and gives quality news content the financial stability it needs to thrive.”

Additional findings include:

• Among Gen Z, the average purchase intent for brands whose ads were placed next to high-quality news articles on the Middle East conflict was 65%, compared to 66% for inflation and 67% for crime—differences that are statistically insignificant. Purchase intent was 69% for sports (widely considered a ‘safe’ news topic) illustrating a minimal four percentage point difference between the ‘riskiest’ and ‘safest’ topics.
• Among more affluent American households, the average favorability ratings for brands whose ads were placed next to high-quality, yet political news articles on former President Trump and President Biden were each 72%—just two percentage points less than brands whose ads were placed next to a non-political entertainment story.
• Among moms, the average purchase intent for brands whose ads were placed next to articles on inflation (a potentially negative story), and business (a more neutral story) were each 70%, showing no difference between the two. Purchase intent was only two percentage points less for brands whose ads were placed next to a news story about crime with the words “subway shooting” in the title—words that get blocked as a matter of course with today’s brand safety practices.

“Brand safety considerations have become prevalent in the media and marketing industries, but they require serious scientific evaluation and more rigorous metrics to assess whether brands really face dangers from news adjacency,” said Dritan Nesho, CEO of HarrisX, which conducted the study. “Our study shows clearly and repeatedly that ads next to news content that is currently considered ‘not brand safe’ performs on par with ads next to what is currently considered ‘brand safe.'” 

Stagwell is committed to initiating data-driven discussions with advertisers about their investment in news. This topic and more will be discussed at tonight’s inaugural Future of News summit which will be held at Stagwell’s global headquarters in New York.

Interested parties can request a copy of the research here. For additional questions, please contact hello@stagwellglobal.com. 

Methodology

The Future of News Study was conducted among 49,990 U.S. adults from March 29 to April 19, 2024. HarrisX, a Stagwell company, conducted the quantitative survey-based online interviews. The sampling margin of error is +/-0.44% for the total study.

The survey data was weighted to a nationally representative sample of American adults across key demographics, including age, gender, region, race/ethnicity, education, income. Click here to read the full methodology.

About Stagwell
Stagwell (NASDAQ: STGW) is the challenger network built to transform marketing. We deliver scaled creative performance for the world’s most ambitious brands, connecting culture-moving creativity with leading-edge technology to harmonize the art and science of marketing. Led by entrepreneurs, our 13,000+ specialists in 34+ countries are unified under a single purpose: to drive effectiveness and improve business results for their clients. Join us at www.stagwellglobal.com.

About HarrisX
HarrisX is a leading global research consultancy that regularly conducts major market research, public policy polling and social science studies and consulting engagements in more than 40 countries around the world. It is a proud member of Stagwell Global (STGW). Learn more at www.harrisx.com.

Contact:
Kara Gelber
pr@stagwellglobal.com

This summit also marks an occasion to formally debut Stagwell’s new partnership council of U.S. publishers, media buying platforms and social platforms, including Ad Fontes Media, Axel Springer, Axios, Business Insider, POLITICO, The New York Times, The Trade Desk, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post. Together, the council will launch a transformative platform to challenge the advertising industry to reinvest in news.

“The Future of News Summit will reframe the conversation by debuting research that illustrates the power of news audiences to drive business and debunks common brand safety myths,” said Stagwell Chairman and CEO Mark Penn. “According to our prior research, 90% of voters think the country should have freedom of the press, and yet news monetization is increasingly under attack. Live at the summit we’ll bring both brand and publisher partners together to discuss ways to navigate this climate and maintain consumer trust.”

Penn will kickoff the program and reveal key findings from the research, followed by two panel discussions featuring journalists and brand leaders who see news as the foundation of a thriving democracy and a critical vehicle for marketing ROI.

Panel I: Being A Journalist Today – Stories from the Field: A moderated conversation about the journalists today who are breaking down barriers, holding truth to power, and shining a light on the issues that matter most- despite the most difficult and dangerous of circumstances, featuring: 

• Hannah Beckler, Business Insider: Beckler is the Senior Editor, Investigations at Business Insider. Most recently, she reported on the eight US state prison systems that deploy patrol dogs to attack and terrorize incarcerated people, for which she received a National Magazine Award.
• Jason Conti, Dow Jones: Conti is the EVP and General Counsel at Dow Jones, publisher of The Wall Street Journal. As general counsel, he oversees the company’s legal department. Conti also leads the company’s legal efforts to secure the release of WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich, who has been wrongfully detained in Russia for over a year.
• Jason Rezaian, The Washington Post: Rezaian is a writer for Global Opinions. He served as The Post’s correspondent in Tehran from 2012 to 2016. He spent 544 days unjustly imprisoned by Iranian authorities until his release in January 2016. He is a CNN contributor.
• Megan Twohey, The New York Times: Twohey is an investigative reporter at The New York Times whose work has prompted changes to the law, criminal convictions and cultural shifts. Twohey is most known for being one of the journalists who broke the story of Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein’s long pattern of sexual harassment and abuse, which helped ignite the #MeToo movement and shared in the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service.
• Moderated by Ray Day, Stagwell Vice Chair

Panel II: Why News Works for Brands: Investment in advertising on news platforms is not only brand safe, but also lends itself to a strong return on investment. This session will be an interactive dialogue with business leaders sharing their perspectives on the value of news and how to maximize impact through tailored marketing, featuring:

• Tara Carraro, U.S. Steel: Tara Carraro serves as Senior Vice President and Chief Communications Officer for U. S. Steel where she is responsible for reputation management and communications strategies designed to help deliver on its Best for All® strategy. She also has executive responsibility for Community Relations and non-governmental Stakeholder Engagement.
• Will Doherty, The Trade Desk: Doherty is the Vice President of Inventory Development at The Trade Desk where he oversees strategic partnerships with publishers which includes legacy media, television networks as well as new and emerging channels. Doherty has been responsible for launching products including OpenPath and championing Unified ID 2.0 amongst the publisher side of digital media.
• Dan Gardner, Code and Theory: Gardner is co-founder of the technology-first creative agency Code and Theory and ON_Discourse, a new membership media company focused on the business of technology, prioritizing expert-driven discourse to drive perspectives.
• Shenan Reed, General Motors: Reed is the Global Chief Media Officer at General Motors. She comes to the automaker following three-and-a-half years as SVP, Head of Media at L’Oréal USA and 20+ years of media agency experience.
• Moderated by Lou Paskalis, Ad Fontes Chief Strategy Officer

Interested parties can request a copy of the research here. For additional questions, please contact hello@stagwellglobal.com

About Stagwell
Stagwell (NASDAQ: STGW) is the challenger network built to transform marketing. We deliver scaled creative performance for the world’s most ambitious brands, connecting culture-moving creativity with leading-edge technology to harmonize the art and science of marketing. Led by entrepreneurs, our 13,000+ specialists in 34+ countries are unified under a single purpose: to drive effectiveness and improve business results for their clients. Join us at www.stagwellglobal.com.

About HarrisX
HarrisX is a leading global research consultancy that regularly conducts major market research, public policy polling and social science studies and consulting engagements in more than 40 countries around the world. It is a proud member of Stagwell Global (STGW). Learn more at www.harrisx.com.

Quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals Joe Burrow; former Brazilian soccer player Roberto Carlos; Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett; professional climber Alex Honnold; former NFL wide receiver Chad “OchoCinco’ Johnson; American snowboarder and 2-time Olympic Gold Medalist Chloe Kim; tennis coach Patrick Mouratoglou; former American football player and sports television personality Shannon Sharpe; 7-time World Champion skier, philanthropist, and businesswoman Mikaela Shiffrin; and American college basketball player JuJu Watkins will participate in featured programming and appearances. 

“Now more than ever, athletes are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in sport – and the smartest brands are there to meet them,” said Chief Brand and Communications Officer Beth Sidhu. “We look forward to bringing our athletes and brand partners together in year two of Sport Beach, where they’ll once again redefine what it means to build meaningful connections that drive business, fandom, and culture.”

Athletes

• Joe Burrow (football) – A star quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals, Joe has solidified himself as one of the NFL’s best. Following a successful career at LSU, which included a 2019 National Championship, Joe was awarded the prestigious Heisman Trophy. Entering the NFL as the #1 overall pick in the 2020 Draft, Joe has gone on to set numerous franchise records in his first four seasons with the Bengals, and helped lead the team to an appearance in the 2022 Super Bowl. He was also named the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year that season.  Off the field, Joe is passionate about giving back to the communities that have fostered his growth, and launched The Joe Burrow Foundation, which focuses on addressing the issues of food insecurity and childhood mental health.
• Roberto Carlos (soccer) – Widely regarded as the greatest left-back of all time, Roberto Carlos, across the course of his 25 year career, recorded 3 Champions League and 4 La Liga triumphs alongside the greatest prize in football; the World Cup for his national side, Brasil. After a successful spell with Brazilian side Palmeiras, Roberto left for Europe where he played in Spain, Turkey and Russia.
• Myles Garrett (football) – Myles is an American football defensive end for the Cleveland Browns and the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year. He played college football at Texas A&M, where he received unanimous All-American honors in 2016, and was selected first overall by the Browns in the 2017 NFL draft. Garrett has been named to five Pro Bowls, three first-team All-Pros, and is the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
• Alex Honnold (climbing) – Alex is widely recognized as the most accomplished and daring rock climber of his generation, gaining national attention for his free solo ascent of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, immortalized in the Academy Award®-winning documentary Free Solo. This monumental feat solidified his status as a superstar of the climbing community. Beyond climbing, Honnold is known for his humility, environmental advocacy, and philanthropy aimed at preserving climbing areas and promoting access to the outdoors. Whether conquering towering cliffs or advocating for conservation causes, he continues to push the boundaries of human potential, inspiring others to reach new heights in their own lives.
• Chad “OchoCinco” Johnson (football) – Famously known for changing his last name to Ochocinco in 2006, Chad Johnson was drafted 36th overall in the 2001 NFL draft. Fans worldwide quickly embraced his vibrant personality and playmaking ability, making him one of the most prominent figures in sports. Throughout his 11 year NFL career, he earned six Pro-Bowl selections, three All-Pro honors and was inducted into the Cincinnati Bengals’ Ring of Honor in 2023. On the heels of his playing career, Chad transitioned into entertainment, where his compelling storytelling ability captivated audiences globally. He served as a lead analyst for Fox Sports during the 2022 World Cup and co-hosted Inside the NFL on CW this past NFL season. In addition, he partnered with Shannon Sharpe to create Nightcap, a sports podcast that perfectly encapsulates culture. Nightcap recently won a Webby Award for the Best Sports Podcast.
• Chloe Kim (snowboarding) – The 2022 Winter Olympics cemented Chloe as the female face of both snowboarding and action sports when she became the first female in history to win back-to-back Olympic Gold Medals in halfpipe snowboarding. Most recently, Chloe has continued to break records including earning her seventh gold medal at the 2024 X Games where she became the first woman to land a 1260 in a competition. Chloe has been featured on Forbes 30 under 30 list, TIME’s 100 list, and TIME’s 30 Most Influential Teens list (three years in a row), as well as the cover of Time Magazine, Shape, Sports Illustrated, and ESPN Magazine. Chloe cofounded Togethxr, a media platform geared towards elevating and amplifying the voices and stories of female athletes and now serves on the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition.  
• Patrick Mouratoglou (tennis) – Legendary tennis coach of Serena Williams and current coach of Danish star Holger Rune, Patrick is widely recognized as one of the most influential and respected coaches of the 21st century. With 10 Grand Slams titles, 4 Coach of the Year awards, 39 coaching singles titles, 2 Olympic medals, and over 40 players who have reached the Top 100 under his instruction, Patrick knows how to succeed. Voted into the Top 50 most influential people of France by Vanity Fair, his hard work and passion speak for itself.
• Shannon Sharpe (football and media) – Former American football player and sports television personality known as one of the greatest tight ends to ever play the game. After retiring from football, Shannon transitioned to a successful career in sports broadcasting and in 2021 co-founded the award-winning Cognac brand Le Portier.
• Mikaela Shiffrin (skiing) – A native of Edwards, Colo., Mikaela is the greatest skier of all time. Despite being only 28 years old, Mikaela holds the most World Cup wins (97) of any male or female alpine skier in history. Mikaela was named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World for her dominance in her sport, her philanthropic work with organizations such as Protect Our Winters, and her authentic connection with her audience when it comes to topics like mental health, the importance of family, and her openness about what it takes to be at the top of one’s craft.
• JuJu Watkins (basketball) – JuJu is an American college basketball player for the USC Trojans. She graduated from Sierra Canyon School in her hometown of Los Angeles, where she was ranked as the number one recruit in her class by ESPN and earned national high school player of the year honors. The All-American shooting guard led her team to their first NCAA Elite Eight in 30 year and has scored the most points as a freshman in NCAA history.

Brand Partners

• Business Insider, a new Sport Beach partner and publisher of business, technology and innovation journalism, will bring its CMO Insider Breakfast to Sport Beach on June 18 to engage chief marketing officers in dynamic discussions exploring how brands leverage experiences and cultural moments to build authentic connections.
• The Chicago Bulls is a global sports and entertainment organization that is part of the National Basketball Association. Founded in 1966, the Bulls have won six NBA championships and become an iconic brand with a worldwide fan base, including more than 38 million followers across multiple social media platforms. The Bulls take pride in championing inclusivity within the workplace and have a longstanding history of giving back to underserved communities across Chicago.
• Diageo, a global leader in premium drinks with over 200 brands and sales in nearly 180 countries, returns as a premier partner of Sport Beach. The “Don Julio Paloma” will be the official cocktail of Sport Beach 2024 and be served throughout the week. Sport Beach attendees will be able to sip on this refreshing cocktail of tequila, grapefruit soda, lime, and a hint of sweetness as they soak up the sun and enjoy the ultimate beach vibes.
• Epidemic Sound has transformed the soundtracking experience for global brands and professional creators, with an expansive catalog of world-class music and sound effects that’s seen and heard over 2.5 billion times a day around the globe. Providing a direct license model that comes with all rights included and next-generation soundtracking tools, Epidemic Sound empowers creators to unlock more feeling in everything they create and share their stories with the world. Epidemic Sound continuously enriches its world-class catalog of music by teaming up with artists, composers, and producers to create tracks spanning all genres, while supporting them financially and creatively.
• La Fete debuted in 2019 as a fresh, modern, and inclusive wine brand geared toward drinkers of all backgrounds. In 2021, the company introduced a limited-release white wine – La Fête du Blanc – which became a permanent addition to the portfolio in 2022, and in 2023, La Fête du Rouge was introduced. According to Circana, La Fête du Rosé was the fastest-growing luxury imported rosé label of 2021 and is now the #3 luxury imported rosé brand in the US. In January 2022, 12-time NBA All-Star Chris Paul (CP3) became an equity partner in the company. Since its inception, the company has donated a portion of the proceeds from every bottle sold to various programs that send underrepresented youth on unique travel experiences and organizations focused on creating opportunities for the BIPOC community in the wine and spirits industry. All La Fête Wines are produced in partnership with the prestigious winemakers of Château Saint-Maur, one of only 18 Cru Classé estates in Provence, situated in the iconic Gulf of St. Tropez.  For more information or to purchase online, please visit LaFeteWine.com.
• LoopMe, the technology company that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to improve brand advertising performance and outcomes, joins Sport Beach as a new partner. LoopMe was the first to apply AI to brand advertising and its Intelligent Marketplace, finding solutions to industry challenges that haven’t previously been solved. With consumer insights and AI at its core, LoopMe makes brand advertising better, outperforming industry benchmarks for leading global brands.
• Meta joins Sport Beach for the first year to provide the ultimate sports experience. Attendees will step into a transformed space with Meta Quest to play Pickleball with a friend or sit courtside at an NBA game. During Open Play, guests will be able to try on the next-gen smart glasses for Ray-Ban Meta and capture life’s best moments to share on Instagram and Facebook. Learn more at www.meta.com and get ready to play on Sport Beach.
• Octillion, now a Premion and Tegna company, and founded in 2019 by Gabe and Tina Greenberg, was purpose built to support streaming advertising for local and mid-market advertisers. As a Sport Beach partner, Octillion will highlight their patent pending technology to insert into live sports at the channel level. Octillion is a platform as a service company (PaaS) powering the planning, buying, attribution and optimization tools for local and mid-market advertisers and agencies utilizing their proprietary tech stack. As the first and only TAG/TrustNet certified transparent CTV/OTT solution for local advertisers, Octillion’s technology stack is founded on the principles of data and business ethics, and transparency powering the future of for local by local advertising for video, CTV, audio, digital, DOOH and more.
• Recess Pickleball will run the Sport Beach Pickleball tournament for the second year. Inspired by the childhood nostalgia of time spent on the playground, Recess Pickleball is a celebration of good old-fashioned fun. Launched in 2021 by childhood friends Maggie Brown and Grace Moore, Recess creates high-quality paddles, clothing and accessories that are built for play, in an array of aesthetic designs that are as approachable as pickleball itself. Backed by tennis stars Naomi Osaka and Nick Kyrgios, our mission is to bring that wholesome Recess feeling to people of all ages, encouraging them to take a break, have some fun, and play.
• Saucony, the ‘Original Running Brand’ and a division of Wolverine World Wide, Inc. (NYSE: WWW), is a leading global performance running brand that fuses innovation, style and culture. Widely recognized for award-winning technologies including PWRRUN™ PB, PWRRUN+™, and SPEEDROLL™, Saucony creates innovative technical and lifestyle footwear and apparel across Road, Trail and Originals. Founded in 1898, Saucony exists to inspire and enable people to live a better life through running culture, self-expression and their impact on the world. For more information, visit www.saucony.com. 

For the full roster of leaders, innovators, and cultural influencers joining Sport Beach 2024, visit sportbeach.com.

To learn more about partnership opportunities on the ground at Sport Beach, reach out to cannescomms@stagwellglobal.com for more information. Sport Beach will be produced by TEAM in partnership with Cheerful Twentyfirst.

About Stagwell 
Stagwell (NASDAQ: STGW) is the challenger network built to transform marketing. We deliver scaled creative performance for the world’s most ambitious brands, connecting culture-moving creativity with leading-edge technology to harmonize the art and science of marketing. Led by entrepreneurs, our 13,000+ specialists in 34+ countries are unified under a single purpose: to drive effectiveness and improve business results for their clients. Join us at www.stagwellglobal.com.

Media Contact
Kara Gelber
pr@stagwellglobal.com