Publishers are in a real bind these days. Content consumers have been conditioned to expect that the content they consume on the Web will always be free, and yet many object to the advertising that pays the freight (and have enabled ad-blockers to disable ads). Social networks disincentive external linking to publisher content, and search engines, in their new effort to transform themselves into “answer engines,” aggregate publisher content in their SERPs, further discouraging publisher visits. Now add generative AI (which trains on publisher content and may or may not include source links), the failure of the subscription model across most publisher sites, and cookie deprecation and the future seems even bleaker.
So what are publishers to do? My guest, Kurt Donnell, President and CEO of Freestar, believes that one important step is to reeducate content consumers about the value exchange underlying the ad-supported web. This, and other steps that publishers can take to reward consumers for opting into their sites (and thus allowing the publisher to acquire first-party information on the consumer) may provide an answer.
Our conversation touches on the future of advertising and content creation in a privacy-focused world. We emphasize the need for a clear value exchange between advertisers and consumers and discuss the potential effects of AI on the content creation industry. We also talk about the impact of cookie deprecation on targeted advertising and the transformation of media and content creation through social media platforms. Additional topics include:
- Why publishers should look for subtle ways to remind users through registration walls or newsletters that content is supported by people’s work.
- How relevant ads improve user experience, but targeted ads may soon be replaced by untargeted ones that are less privacy invasive.
- Whether regulators are overreacting to outlier cases, rather than addressing real privacy concerns.
- The importance of publishers pushing boundaries and trying new things in marketing, rather than sticking to traditional methods.
- The degree to which industry trade associations are positioned to educate consumers on the value of ads and content creation.
- The evolution of influencer marketing, where individual creators matter often more than the media brands with which they are associated.
- Why microtransactions are unlikely due to human psychology, with people preferring free content and being unwilling to pay for it.
- The likelihood that third-party cookies will remain until a viable alternative is found, as Google’s advertising business relies on them.
- The degree to which the numerous SSPs and DSPs extant today are really necessary or could be reduced in coming years without damaging the ad ecosystem.
