The Washington Publish is at an inflection level.
It noticed a surge in visitors from news-hungry audiences throughout the Trump administration and COVID-19 pandemic. However considerably much less fascinating occasions means smaller audiences, and WaPo’s advert income (along with its subscription enterprise) has suffered.
The WaPo advert tech unit, referred to as Zeus, which for years has been a focus, just lately ceased third-party licensing. However WaPo does nonetheless wish to construct its personal options for focusing on, measurement, contextual promoting and model suitability.
WaPo has a turnaround plan, which has meant a number of new govt appointments this week, together with the publication’s first-ever chief promoting officer, Johanna Mayer-Jones.
Mayer-Jones has been WaPo’s head of North American shopper partnerships since July 2022. And he or she believes the time is correct to capitalize on a resurgence in advertiser curiosity in information content material, and the AI pattern, to create new alternatives for model collaborations.
Mayer-Jones spoke with AdExchanger.
AdExchanger: Why did WaPo determine to create the chief promoting officer place at the moment?
JOHANNA MAYER-JONES: It’s a mirrored image of how essential promoting is, not simply as a income supply however in how we prioritize shopper relationships. We additionally introduced our new CRO, Alex MacCallum, and our new CTO, Vineet Khosla. We’ve got a possibility to mix a client-advertising-first strategy with their expertise in product improvement and client income.
WaPo has been shedding subscribers, and impressions are down in comparison with 2020 for information publishers. Do these current hires signify a brand new regime?
Our legacy is coverage and politics protection. However we’ve invested in wellness and journey and put 11,000 recipes on-line. We’ve got the one devoted full-time incapacity and accessibility reporter in America. We’ve got a brand new model part launching in September.
We’ve needed to rethink how we work with companions, whether or not that’s by way of affiliate internet marketing, devoted verticals or new viewers merchandise. Now, it’s not nearly the way you wish to attain our viewers. It’s about what can we construct collectively.
Information is a tricky promote for some advertisers. How is WaPo overcoming model security issues?
Due to the rise of misinformation, information has a special function to play. Advertisers are searching for trusted environments and high quality knowledge, and we’re seeing a flight again to information. We offer certified audiences and secure adjacencies.
We’re constructing a brand new model suitability device. The thought of detrimental key phrase focusing on is kind of rudimentary, and we’re utilizing our ML and AI instruments to take this to a extra refined degree.
How will these instruments work?
I’d like to avoid wasting that for a follow-up dialog. We’re additionally on the cusp of launching new viewers focusing on and efficiency measurement instruments.
WaPo discontinued licensing its Zeus advert tech on the finish of final yr. What’s the present state of Zeus?
The following iteration of Zeus is a part of our future story round advert focusing on and model suitability.
Are there nonetheless different publishers utilizing Zeus? In that case, what number of?
I can’t touch upon that or share that quantity.
The place are you seeing probably the most power in your advert enterprise?
We’re seeing progress in dwell occasions, content material and in our worldwide enterprise. Over the previous couple of months, progress in consumer-based audiences has been higher than B2B audiences.
We began the yr in Davos [at the World Economic Forum], and we might see momentum constructing round AI. There’s been a rush for trusted details about AI and alternatives for companions to become involved, so we have now a brand new AI subsection, an AI Summit dwell occasion and an AI assist desk video sequence.
The pullback in advert spending due to recession fears was an enormous matter over the previous yr, nevertheless it appears to have dissipated. Have you ever seen any modifications in how advertisers are spending?
We’re experiencing challenges in a few of our largest sectors, like tech and finance. That’s constant throughout the trade. However we’re seeing inexperienced shoots of progress in our client sectors, like journey and luxurious, and there’s some momentum in our well being care sector. We’ve constructed groups to fulfill [the demand] in these progress areas.
What we’re experiencing feels according to the remainder of the trade. However we have to innovate on inventive advert models and the way we use expertise.
Whereas WaPo is increasing into new protection, it additionally just lately disbanded some sections, specifically the Sunday print journal and the gaming vertical Launcher. Have been these not viable advert merchandise?
The journal was shut down, however we’re launching a brand new model vertical. Our dedication to overlaying tradition, model and style continues, however with a digital-first proposition.
Launcher’s content material nonetheless exists as a part of our wider protection. We’ve additionally launched new proprietary video games, like Key phrase. Our video games part is one in all our hottest areas, and we see a few of our highest engagement there.
How are you monetizing your video games?
Given Alex MacCallum’s expertise [monetizing The New York Times’ gaming vertical], that is an space I can see us enjoying with. We’re working show advertisements. However video, pre-roll, constructing customized video games with companions – all of that’s on our street map.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
