With this year’s Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity underway, news has emerged that the Guardian, along with the Telegraph and News UK is set to launch a joint venture for advertisers to buy online ads – known as The Ozone Project.
The ad business, which is due to arrive in August, was set up in response to demand from advertisers for a one-stop-shop to buy ads across multiple news websites while addressing “brand safety, data governance, lack of transparency in the supply chain and ad fraud” following a number of online advertising scandals.
Using the platform from August, advertisers can purchase online ad space on the Guardian as well as via News UK-owned publishers the Times, the Sun and the Telegraph from a single site.
According to deal, only online ads can be purchased while there is no crossover in editorial content or data between newspaper publishers.
“We are working together to build a better digital ecosystem for advertisers, readers and publishers,” said Hamish Nicklin, the Guardian’s chief revenue officer.
Eric Visser, CEO and founder of JustPremium was positive on the news and believes that premium publishers are taking the “right steps” to assist in the clean up of the supply chain, ensuring that they can offer brands the opportunity to buy advertising that they know is going to be reaching the appropriate audience.
“Brands and agencies have made it clear that they are keen to have access to a one-stop shop, that gives them access to the most premium inventory, at a good price, conveniently,” said Visser; “It is important to remember that this is only one part of the supply chain, and brands still need to ensure that the ads that are served include engaging creative that is relevant to the consumer viewing them, and that they are in the most appropriate format to give the brand maximum viewability.”
