- 28 Nov 2024
Trusted media advertising drives better brand performance
Trust in media, journalism, objectivity, and accurate reporting: a theme that is perhaps more relevant than ever. Fake news became widely known among the general public around 2016 during the run-up to the US presidential elections. And trust in media took a significant hit during the period when COVID-19 entered our lives.
What are the latest developments in this area of trusted media advertising in the Netherlands? And what do we know about the reliability effects of advertising within the right medium? DVJ Insights and BNR investigated this for you!
Interest in News Declined, but Trust in Journalism Stable
Trusted media advertising shows clear results. To cut to the chase: trust in journalism has held steady in 2024 compared to 2022. Motivaction published research in September which revealed:
- People with high trust in news follow daily news more frequently than others
- The proportion of Dutch people who consider press freedom and independent journalism important for society’s proper functioning has risen significantly
- The size of the ‘news doubters’ group has slightly decreased vs. the previous study (from 12% to 11%)
- People with high trust in news are generally more highly educated and enjoy higher incomes
- Social media is trusted the least
- The highest average score (7.5) in the study went to NOS Journaal. BNR Nieuwsradio scored 6.7, placing it in the ‘top tier’ of investigated news programmes and brands
Advertising in highly trusted media brands translates into increased brand performance
The Dutch Media Authority published the Digital Media Report 2024 in June which includes insights about trusted media advertising. It revealed that about half of the Dutch population indicates interest in news. Of all Dutch people, 54% trust the news. While trust in news is declining (in 2018, 59% indicated trust in news), it remains high compared to other countries. Interest in news is also not low compared to other countries.
An important question here: is the same decline in trust also seen with news brands? This is not the case. The Media Authority notes that most Dutch people are familiar with news brands and have maintained high trust in them for years. Even 9 out of 10 young people trust news brands.
We see the same in another study. The Edelman Trust Barometer 2024 (international research across 28 countries) shows that trust in news in the Netherlands has slightly increased compared to a year earlier. Moreover, the Netherlands scores well above the global benchmark in this study.
Research Agencies' Advice: Advertise in News Media
GroupM investigated the impact of advertising in news media last year. Campaigns reach engaged consumers. They perceive advertising on trusted news platforms as more appealing. In this study, Mike Follet, CEO of American research agency Lumen, was asked for his opinion:
"One of the very worst advertising environments for attention is social media: 'People are scrolling so tremendously quickly, like on a slot machine in Vegas - is it any wonder no one actually looks at these ads?' One of the most valuable advertising spaces according to Lumen's data is next to long, absorbing articles from trusted publications."
The powerful effect of advertising on news platforms has also been demonstrated by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB). Their research shows that advertising in news content has a large-scale positive impact on consumers. Advertisers benefit from increasing purchase intent and increased consumer recommendations through their campaigns in news media.
"We're seeing increasing attention among advertisers for an appropriate and safe environment for their advertisements. The mass reach of tech companies is no longer the be-all and end-all. Brand safety and an appropriate trusted environment for their messaging are now paramount for many advertisers."