NDM: Weekly News Article - W/C 3rd April (60)

Why one newspaper's reporting could change the face of digital media

http://www.thedrum.com/opinion/2017/04/03/why-one-newspapers-reporting-could-change-the-face-digital-media

Summary

Proper investigative journalism is something of a rarity. However, there have been exceptions for instance, The Guardian's expose of phone hacking and The Telegraph's campaign on MP's expenses. But, carefully researched stories and campaigns that can dramatically change things are something of a past time. Kudos, to The Times therefore, owned by R.Murdoch with its investigation into online advertising which really shook up the world of marketing. Putting aside more cynical views as to the timing of the big news coverage on the YouTube ad placements coinciding with advertising week - Murdoch didn't hide his desire to challenge YouTube owner, Google on its advertising dominance. It was good to see this serious issue being brought into the public domain rather than just being brought up once and never spoken about again. The result, however is an advertising boycott of YouTube by some very big names including M&S, Royal Mail, the BBC, Mercedes-Benz, the Guardian, L’Oreal, Honda, the UK government.

Key Statistics

• Problems aren't confined to the UK, which is Google's second biggest market outside the UK. The issue has now spread globally. 

• It is said that at least five of the top 20 US advertising companies have also followed suit withdrawing their advertising from YouTube.

• According, to The Times the number of companies that have withdrawn their advertising from YouTube has now risen to 250.

• Analyst Nomura Instinet calculated that as a result of the advertising boycott Google could take a $750m hit. 

My Opinion

As it is probably quite evident by now journalism has and is still changing dramatically as a result of NDM developments. However, I am quite surprised at this 'advertising boycott' from YouTube as with NDM developments I would have thought that YouTube was one of the best advertising platforms. However, as I have talked about in some of my other stories we tend to block or close a lot of these pop-up adverts as we deem them not relevant or similar. Therefore, presenting the question whether advertising via the likes of YouTube is the best thing? but also What does this mean for companies in terms of their advertising choices to reach the best possible spoke of their audience.