Stagwell's (STGW) 'Future of News' Initiative Heads to Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity with Panels Highlighting the Power of News to Drive Business Results for Marketers

Leaders from Ad Fontes Media, Bloomberg, Business Insider, CNN, The New York Times, Stagwell, The Trade Desk, The Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal

NEW YORK and CANNES, France, June 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Stagwell's (NASDAQ: STGW) Future of News series will continue with its next chapter at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, the world's largest advertising, marketing, and creativity event.

Stagwell will convene two panels at Cannes Lions as it continues to encourage advertisers to reinvest in the news industry. The panels will continue the discussion around Stagwell's groundbreaking News Advertising Study, a survey of 50,000 U.S. consumers which revealed ads placed in quality news sources adjacent to articles on provocative and polarizing topics had no negative impact on brand favorability, purchase intent among other brand health metrics to the companies featured in those ads.

The conversations include:

The Future of News: Why News Audiences Matter as Much as Sports Junkies
Wednesday, June 19 | 12:30 PM CEST
News is the future – and represents a unique and complementary platform for brands to drive business results. Advertisers, however, are increasingly reluctant to take advantage of advertising in news, largely due to concerns about appearing next to content that could be divisive or polarizing in some way. How are news media preparing for the next thirty-six months in light of this? A conversation with CEOs discussing the path forward and opportunities ahead for journalists, brands and advertisers featuring:

• Sara Fischer, Media Reporter, Axios
• Meredith Kopit-Levien, CEO, The New York Times
• Barbara Peng, CEO, Business Insider
• Mark Penn, Chairman and CEO, Stagwell
• Mark Thompson, CEO, CNN

The Business of News: The Opportunity for Brands and Quality Journalism
Wednesday, June 19 at 10:15 AM CEST
News has never been more important, yet there still remains a gap between consumers demand for quality journalism and advertisers' willingness to include news as a critical component of their paid media strategy. How are the business leaders of news publications solving for this disconnect? What are advertisers missing out on by not leveraging news?  A conversation with C-Suite leaders discussing immediate ways brands can engage with news and drive meaningful return featuring:

• Christine Cook, Global Chief Revenue Officer, Bloomberg Media
• Jed Dederick, Chief Revenue Officer, The Trade Desk
• Johanna Mayer Jones, Global Chief Advertising Officer, The Washington Post
• Vanessa Otero, CEO and Founder, Ad Fontes Media
• Joy Robins, Global Chief Advertising Officer, The New York Times
• Josh Stinchcomb, Global Chief Revenue Officer, Wall Street Journal | Barron's Group
• Kara Swisher, Co-Founder of Recode & Code and Editor-at-Large at New York Magazine

"News is the future. A thriving free press is critical to democracy – and a crucial platform for marketers seeking to reach critical audiences," said Mark Penn, Chairman and CEO, Stagwell. "Our data shows, without a doubt, consumers understand the difference between news and advertising – and as an industry, it is time to reevaluate the current 'brand safety' standards."

"The Stagwell Research is a game changer and it thoroughly debunks the primary reason that we've seen a significant increase in news avoidance by many advertisers in recent years," observed Vanessa Otero, CEO and Founder of Ad Fontes Media.

To learn more about Stagwell's Future of News Initiative, please reach out to [email protected].

To request a copy of the "News Advertising Study," please visit https://www.stagwellglobal.com/future-of-news/.

About the Future of News Initiative

Stagwell's  'Future of News' initiative is a transformative platform comprised of original research, groundbreaking events and thought leadership aimed at elevating driving the conversation around the importance of advertising in news. Stagwell, alongside its coalition of publishing and industry partners, have built this dynamic series to challenge the advertising industry to reinvest in news. Partners include: Ad Fontes Media, Axel Springer, Axios, Business Insider, Newsweek, POLITICO, The New York Times, The Trade Desk, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post. Together, the council will launch a transformative platform to challenge the advertising industry to reinvest in news.

About Stagwell  
Stagwell (NASDAQ: STGW) is the challenger network built to transform marketing. We deliver scaled creative performance for the world's most ambitious brands, connecting culture-moving creativity with leading-edge technology to harmonize the art and science of marketing. Led by entrepreneurs, our 13,000+ specialists in 34+ countries are unified under a single purpose: to drive effectiveness and improve business results for their clients. Join us at www.stagwellglobal.com

Media Contact:
Kara Gelber
[email protected] 

SOURCE Stagwell Inc.