The Economist launches ad network
The Economist Group is launching its own UK digital ad network that offers brands the opportunity to target consumers based on editorial content rather than using cookies.
The Ideas People ad network, which has existed in the US since 2010 but is now being expanded to UK publications, enables advertisers to reach audiences across The Economist, New Statesmen, The Browser and Prospect Magazine’s UK websites, reaching a potential audience of more than 2.5 million users, according to comScore.
It will be hoped that the Ideas People’s differentiated proposition from other ad networks will help attract more “quality” UK advertisers to the involved media brands, boosting digital revenues.
The Ideas People channel claims it is the first branding platform to aggregate its audiences based on a “psychographic” rather than demographic characteristics and is the only network to reject the use of cookie targeting.
From 29 May, all websites must gain user consent in order to use cookies to store information about them to comply with the EU’s e-cookie directive.
Stephane Pere, vice president and head of Ideas People Media, says: “Digital advertisers should not rely only on cookies to reach their target audience; editorial relevance and quality should be core to any audience buy.
“Publications attract readers of a specific mindset and interest, therefore, selecting the right publications is the best way to get the right audience. We do not need cookies and algorithms for that. Our algorithm is our publisher list.”
