Newsbrands are uniquely placed in the multi-platform world.

They have grown audiences as each new device has risen in popularity, but until now there was no clear picture of how advertising in newsbrands builds brand health. We wanted to know the impact of each platform – print, tablet, computer and mobile – and how each of these platforms work together.

Newsworks collaborated with media agencies to measure five client campaigns across newsbrand print and digital platforms. BDRC Continental conducted matched controlled exposure tests. The analysis gave us the net uplift in brand metrics, taking into account competitor shifts, across all newsbrand platforms – both solus and in different combinations.

We found a consistent pattern of responses:

• Print is the most effective single newsbrand platform for brand building, driving an average 5% uplift in brand health measures
• Print plus digital newsbrands is the most efficient combination, leading to a 17% uplift in brand health measures
• Print plus digital newsbrands produce a 3.4 times multiplier effect on brand health measures
• Exposure to print advertising primes readers to respond more positively to digital advertising. Advertising in digital newsbrands also has an appreciable impact on brand health measures (+3%) but needs print to deliver the all-important multiplier effect

Watch the summary

James Myring, director of media and branding research at BDRC Continental, talks through the key findings of the multi-platform study.