Dentsu and The 614 Group Spearhead a New Coalition to Enhance Investment in News

Dentsu and The 614 Group announced today the formation of a groundbreaking coalition aimed at fostering substantial and sustainable investments in credible news. This initiative comes as a response to the growing challenges faced by journalism in the digital age, where traditional monetization strategies have struggled under the weight of brand safety and suitability measures.

This collaboration will study why leading brands invest in news today and aim to deliver a marketer’s point of view on how these investments can increase. The effort has gained support from several dentsu clients who will be sharing important data and understanding in the research process. OpenX and Sightly have signed on as underwriters to support the launch of the work. Additional brands and underwriters are currently being invited to participate. 

The effort will create a playbook for leading brands and others who make serious investments in news, especially at critical times such as during the 2024 election cycle.

Rob Rasko, CEO of The 614 Group, remarked, “This is more than just a study on news and brand safety: it's a commitment by leading brands to actively support the infrastructure of news itself and share a concrete view of those plans. Our aim is to ensure that journalism not only survives but thrives by leveraging the collective power of the industry’s foremost players.”

The coalition plans to tackle several key areas:

• Understand how leading marketers wish to activate in news media
• Develop a buyer’s view of the current offerings and commentary on what works and why
• Surface data on performance captured by news
• Rapid Mobilisation: Understanding why brands might block news content and finding consensus on solutions
• Ad Tech Advancements: Enhancing tools that allow for safer, more effective brand presence in news-related media 

The 614 Group, developers of other industry-leading research, such as the ad industry’s leading global fraud/IVT benchmarking study, will lead in organising the necessary research, developing strategic recommendations, and managing public relations materials. These efforts will culminate in a comprehensive report, due for release later this year, which will be accompanied by a series of presentations across various industry conferences and summits.

“Today, more than ever, it is crucial that the digital advertising community recognises the intrinsic value of news—not just as a medium, but as a cornerstone of society. Through this coalition, we aim to highlight that investing in news is not just good ethics; it's sound business strategy," said Deva Bronson, EVP, head of media responsibility, dentsu.

For more information about the coalition or to join in this pivotal initiative, please contact Spencer Janis at Spencer@614GROUP.com.