IPG Mediabrands Expands Signature Media Responsibility Index, Finds Global Social Platforms Making Most Progress, and Benchmarks Broadcast & Cable, CTV/OTT, Digital Video and Display

Pre-eminent industry barometer transforms into an actionable tool for brands to evaluate responsibility of multiple media types across 150+ global partners  

NEW YORK (October 13, 2022) — IPG Mediabrands and its intelligence arm MAGNA, today unveiled the 4th issue of its signature Media Responsibility Index (MRI 4.0), an initiative that strives to raise industry awareness and standards around harm reduction for brands and consumers in advertising. MRI 4.0 has transformed from an analytical study of 10 social platforms into an actionable toolset, now assessing 150+ partners from a variety of formats across 15 countries and establishing four new ESG-aligned priorities for partner accountability.

The index allows for teams and clients to incorporate brand and consumer safety priorities into their investment decision-making for a variety of media types, from the largest global social platforms to local broadcast media outlets.

The original MRI, the first-of-its kind, was launched in August 2020, in response to concerns about social media platforms not taking steps to acknowledge, measure and reduce their contribution to online and real-world harms. In effect supersized, MRI 4.0’s evaluations now encompass 80% of Mediabrands’ global investments and allow for clients to identify and invest in the media outlets that support their values without compromising ROI.

MRI 4.0 assessed each outlet across four priorities of partner accountability—Safety, Inclusivity, Sustainability and Data Ethics—in alignment with industry-adopted ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) frameworks so businesses can easily extend how they are measuring their impact in these spaces to include media. Previous versions of the MRI had ranked the platforms upon Mediabrands’ 10 Media Responsibility Principles, which are now consolidated within the four priorities.

More than 150 major partners were surveyed, expanding into the realms of Broadcast & Cable, Connected TV, Online Video, and Display. Across Broadcast & Cable, the traditional-first networks also span several subsidiary companies across Connected TV and Online Video properties; The findings illuminated that strict, longstanding federal regulations within Broadcast & Cable have had a trickle-down effect to their digital properties, in effect enhancing safety standards when compared to digital-first counterparts surveyed.

“We developed our first media responsibility index in 2020 to determine exact protocols of the major platforms, as people started questioning the impact of social media in their lives, from the prevalence of misinformation to hate speech and data-collection practices,” said Elijah Harris, EVP Global Digital Partnerships & Media Responsibility at MAGNA. “We have always believed in the need to bring the lens of media responsibility to a broader set of media types. Consumers digest content and opinions from an ever-increasing list of mediums. It only made sense that this rigor we’ve developed for social platforms would be translated for a more diversified mix of media partners. With each iteration, the MRI is becoming more robust and establishing itself as a mainstay in driving industry accountability and powering responsible advertising investment.”

Key highlights include:

  • Social media platforms showed continued improvement across the four priorities (averaging +3-point in overall performance). Partners attained a ~10% increase in Inclusivity, driven by increased focus on internal accountability and creator equity.
  • Safety is a standout priority for broadcast & cable, based in part on federal industry regulations forcing uniformity and 3rd party enforcement in safety standards – including children’s safety rules and advertising approvals.
  • Tech proficient digital-first CTV partners are driving higher Data Ethics performance than their traditional-first counterparts, in part due to their origins and operating in a more tech-oriented space, versus a TV-first space
  • In a mixed marketplace for Sustainability practices, online video platforms showed strength in their ad-business emissions measurement + setting net-zero goals.

Advertising environments remain under the microscope as brands pursue ESG commitments and consumers become more critical of where brands choose to advertise. A Mediabrands survey found that one-quarter of clients adjusted their media mix based on MRI findings, and 90% said they were interested in finding new methods to assess media value beyond price efficiency alone.

“The MRI is an important underpinning of our Media for Good positioning, putting responsibility at the heart of every media decision, as concern over the interplay and societal impact of advertising, media and misinformation increases,” said Eileen Kiernan, Global CEO of Mediabrands. “Our clients are increasingly pursuing ESG criteria within their own businesses and we are providing a resource to support these goals along with advocating for stronger, safer standards in media.”

Examples include Snap achieving a 6-point lift YoY, outperforming all platforms in its efforts to protect people and combat misinformation and disinformation due to their robust publisher diligence; TikTok continuing to raise the bar, gaining an 8-point lift on brand safety practices and 24-point lift in children’s wellbeing; and YouTube setting the benchmark for online video across all categories, most notably in Inclusivity for delivering 60% diversity in behind the camera casting for owned and diverse content, and Safety for their policy and enforcement tools to manage UGC.

“Looking back at the strides made by social-media platforms since 2020 not only validated the need for a media responsibility monitor, it motivated us to expand the lens of media responsibility to more media types and markets,” said Harris. “We are proud to be a part of the greater journey to make social media safer for all and excited about the opportunity to improve our industry for all.”

“The 4A’s has been proud to endorse the Media Responsibility Index as an important tool for advertisers to assess how the big social-media players are handling safety issues on their platforms,” said Marla Kaplowitz, President and CEO, 4A’s. “Expanding to include other media types and global markets is a welcome next step.”

To compile MRI 4.0, MAGNA surveyed 150+ global media partners on a dynamic assessment, customized by media type, covering the most pressing safety issues of the day facing consumers and brands and specific accomplishments made by these outlets to help alleviate them. Scores were analyzed based on the varying weights of each question, as well as nuance within the individual platform, against the four brand-safety priorities.

ABOUT MEDIABRANDS:

IPG Mediabrands is the media and marketing solutions division of Interpublic Group (NYSE: IPG). Mediabrands manages approximately $40 billion in marketing investment globally on behalf of its clients and provides strategic services and solutions across its award-winning, full-service agency networks UM and Initiative and through its innovative marketing specialist companies Reprise, MAGNA, Orion, Rapport, Healix, Mediabrands Content Studio and the IPG Media Lab. Mediabrands clients include many of the world’s most recognizable and iconic brands from a broad portfolio of industry sectors.  The company employs more than 13,000 marketing experts in more than 130 countries representing the full diversity of humanity. For more information, please visit our website: www.ipgmediabrands.com and be sure to follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter or Instagram.

ABOUT MAGNA:

MAGNA is the leading global media investment and intelligence company. Our trusted insights, proprietary trials offerings, industry-leading negotiation and unparalleled consultative solutions deliver an actionable marketplace advantage for our clients and subscribers. We are a team of experts driven by results, integrity and inquisitiveness. We operate across five key competencies, supporting clients and cross-functional teams through partnership, education, accountability, connectivity and enablement. For more information, please visit our website: https://magnaglobal.com/ and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

 

PRESS CONTACT:

Isabelle Brenton

SVP, Global Corporate Communications, Mediabrands

[email protected]

The AR Brand Playbook for Marketers

By Aarti Bhaskaran and Prayushi Amin, Published on WARC 

Augmented Reality (AR) is much bigger than a buzzword. When it comes to brand building, it’s a must-have marketing tool every marketer should have in their arsenal. As more marketers look to adopt AR, they need to know how to use it, when to use it and, in an advertising context, how it performs against more traditional formats.

To help marketers understand how to use AR, Snap Inc. collaborated with the Media Trials team from MAGNA Global Inc. to execute new research on the true capabilities of AR ads (Lenses), as well as the power of AR ads in the consumer purchase journey.

The findings culminated in a comprehensive guide on how and why to use AR to grow your brand on Snapchat.

AR offers more than pre-roll

The research revealed that AR ads performed as well as pre-roll video ads in driving significant uplifts in key brand KPIs like awareness and ad recall and also resulted in positive lifts in purchase intent.

Additionally, consumers found AR ads to be significantly more informative and more useful than traditional pre-roll ads, and said AR ads made them feel closer to the brand and excited about the brand.

AR gets results at each phase of the purchase journey

AR ads capture the attention of broad audiences who are early in their purchase journey, with a +7% increase in Aided Ad Recall among this group of consumers. And AR can help brands nudge consumers who are in the consideration phase by making the brand seem more up-to-date and differentiated.

Meanwhile, for those who are ready to make the purchase, AR ads have a full-funnel impact, including driving critical KPIs like bringing the brand top-of-mind and increasing brand favorability. AR also has the potential to influence active searches for the brand, helping to seal the deal on final brand choice.

Read the Full Study

 

Read the Article in WARC

Why the Convergence of Content and Commerce Is Critical for Brands

By Andrew Cole, Published by Adweek

Since its humble beginnings, online retail has evolved in myriad ways to streamline experiences for consumers—and its momentum is undeniable, with a 76% increase in total U.S. online retail sales over the last four years according to eMarketer. Content has been key in this progression as it feeds into online retail by initiating the desire to purchase.

For most of this time, the gap between content and commerce remained largely unaddressed. Typically, when consumers learned about a new product while watching TV there was no direct link or immediate call to action driving purchase, leaving the consumer on their own to find the product online or in store.

But this path to purchase is evolving to the point where brands have the capability to connect online retail with other cultural formats, like TV shows and movies, to more seamlessly merge content and commerce.

One prime example of connecting content and commerce is the rise of brand-funded entertainment. Notable instances of this successful union include Disney’s The Mighty Ducks and the establishment of the Anaheim Ducks NHL expansion team, as well as the popular LEGO film franchise and the reality TV show LEGO Masters, which weave the fabric of the brand into the storytelling.

To explore the growing convergence of content and commerce, MAGNA Global, Inc. and Amazon Ads partnered on a recent study, “The Converging World of Content + Commerce” that examined how these concepts deliver value for brands relative to traditional means, such as standard TV ads.

The findings from this study reveal the impact these formats have on the consumer experience in a world where the boundaries of brand, content and commerce continue to blur. Here are some of the key findings.

Consumers care more about content quality than brand participation
The study found that consumers do not differentiate if TV shows are created by a brand—what keeps them watching is the content itself. When asked why they chose to watch brand-funded entertainment, 59% of respondents said they found the show “fun to watch.”

Other top reasons why respondents chose to watch brand-funded entertainment were because they “enjoyed the content” (45%) and “learned something new” (34%).

Few members of the surveyed audience were deterred by the fact that a brand created the show; interestingly, brand involvement in content creation elevated esteem for both the brand (66%) and show (67%) from the respondents’ perspective.

Viewers accept brand-funded entertainment more than traditional commercials
The participants in the study preferred brand-funded entertainment over the traditional TV ad format, with a higher index among those who primarily stream video content (+10%) in comparison to traditional pay TV viewers.

Given the positive response to brand-funded entertainment, this is a prime opportunity for brands to weave themselves into culture, inspire motivation and drive purchase intent among their audience.

The study also shows that younger audiences in particular—like adult Gen Z and millennials—react positively to brand-funded entertainment. This positive reaction, in turn, fuels momentum for intent and purchase signals.

Evolving the standard path to purchase is an area of opportunity for brands
The existing path to purchase, especially from products seen on TV shows to online or offline purchase, can cause friction for the consumer. Over half of the consumers surveyed in the study said they felt frustration when trying to purchase a product seen in a TV show (52%).

Frustration was especially felt among younger generations, such as adult Gen Z (+13% higher than the baseline survey population) and millennials (+7% higher than the baseline survey population).

Expediting the path to purchase is an opportunity for brands across all industries and price points. Among survey respondents, 34% desired to purchase low-cost products (food, home cleaning supplies, etc.) immediately. The desire to purchase immediately for mid-cost products (clothing, games, etc.) was similar at 29%. And the study shows that even with products at a higher price tag (cars, insurance, etc.), audiences still want to have the ability to research the product or service immediately (33%).

Forward-thinking brands looking to optimize the consumer shopping experience should reimagine how they can dovetail their content and commerce experiences in a way that not only delights consumers, but battles the long-held belief among marketers that these categories must be treated as mutually exclusive.

Brand-funded entertainment inspires commerce moments
Audiences are often inspired to purchase what they see featured on TV shows when the content sparks their interest.

While watching TV shows, 63% of respondents reported wanting to purchase a product they saw either every single time or sometimes. This urge was most felt by younger generations, such as adult Gen Z and millennials, with Gen Z leading the way (+20% when compared to the respondent average).

Often, the desire to purchase products from TV content leads to actual purchases. Overall, 54% of respondents said that they had purchased products they saw on TV shows. Generation-wise, millennials tend to be most prone to purchasing (+9%), followed by adult Gen Z. Even though the existing path to purchase from TV ads can at times be cumbersome, the study shows that consumers still find ways to get what they need albeit with friction.

Moving forward in the converging worlds of content and commerce
Although there is high interest in purchasing products seen on TV shows, the current trajectory on the path to purchase includes more friction than is necessary given today’s emerging tech capabilities. In turn, this friction can lead to frustrated consumers and a leaking pipeline for brands.

Forward-thinking brands should take note of these pain points and begin to think about how they can innovate in a way that would solve for this—particularly among younger adult generations—which would have both short- and long-term positive implications for the brand and consumer.

It’s time to merge the content and commerce experiences for viewers in a way that makes their purchase journey smoother and more intuitive and, perhaps more importantly, in a format that entertains and delights them.

Read the Full Study

 

Read the Article in Adweek

Magna research: The do’s and don’ts of native and repurposed advertising on TikTok

By Michael Bürgi, Published by DigiDay

It’s hard to dispute that TikTok is currently the hottest social platform given its massive user base is on track to be about 750 million by year’s end, according to eMarketer (TikTok said its base is more like 1 billion).

But there are do’s and don’ts marketers (and the agencies that build and execute their campaigns) must pay close attention to, if they want to break through to the hordes of TikTokers sucked into its algorithmic maw of endless content.

Magna, the research and buying arm of IPG Mediabrands, sought to dig a bit deeper into what resonates, looking specifically at native advertising on TikTok, as well as ads repurposed from broader marketing campaigns on other platforms or media. The study, called “Understanding the Strengths of TikTok Ads,” was shared with Digiday in advance of its public release today.

Working with TikTok’s research team, Kara Manatt, evp and managing director of intelligence solutions at Magna, said the first “hard and fast rule” learned is that any repurposed ad needs to be converted to a vertical presentation, even if it requires redoing the creative.
“There was a huge difference in the performance of the same ad, depending on whether it was vertical or horizontal,” noted Manatt. Vertical ad recall hit 44 percent, whereas horizontal recall was 35 percent. More importantly, the study showed, purchase intent for vertical ads reached 8 percent, while horizontal achieved 3 percent. “That’s a very desirable impact on a metric like purchase intent,” she said.

Manatt pointed out that in many cases, marketers will need to factor verticality into the broader campaign because sometimes converting horizontal ads to vertical made them look “weird,” as she put it.
Generally, native ads performed better because they flowed more organically with TikTok’s user-created or creator-created content, added Manatt. Using beauty and entertainment clients she declined to identify out of client confidentiality, respondents to the survey found native ads “felt more like content,” she said. TikTok did not respond to requests for comment on the study.
Given its appeal to advertisers, how much is too much, even when it comes to native ads on TikTok? After all, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter have gotten heat from their user bases about being overly cluttered with ads.

“There’s been a lot of discourse around how social experiences for users are feeling either really saturated or disrupted by ads,” acknowledged Sadie Miller, svp of social media strategy and partnerships at Magna sibling Reprise. “One of the things TikTok has a step ahead in, is that a lot of the ads that show up on the platform don’t feel like ads off the bat. [For example,] the virality of hashtag challenges — asking users to participate in a brand message — had never been done before. In essence, every participant was part of an ad campaign, even if it didn’t feel that way to them.”

Miller said TikTok’s appeal goes beyond just young audiences, and can help to connect with new audiences. It’s a major part of the consideration when launching social campaigns, having graduated from testing the waters last year.

“A lot of our brands spent 2021 testing it out,” said Miller. “Now we’ve established a great rhythm with brands on how to show up on the platform, which was one of the bigger hurdles” before, when brands used one creative platform to feed multiple social efforts.

Manatt went even further to point out that “anybody who’s really focused on new acquisition should lean into the native format, specifically…Native has the unique ability to cast a wider audience net, because it looks and feels like content. That’s exactly what we found with video completion — that people who have never purchased the brand before who are potential new customers, were more likely to watch the video with native versus repurposed.”

The study’s final learning, as Manatt saw it, was that brands that use TikTok in a native capacity have to prioritize the organic feel of whichever creator they are working through, and focus less on production quality. In other words, authenticity wins. “Brands have a tendency to want to make the creator do this high production thing that doesn’t even fit in with what their norm is right,” she said.

Read the Full Study

 

Read the Article in Digiday