Beyond Programmatic: How Branded Content Can Future-Proof Publisher Revenue Against Big Tech

While global ad spend surges past $1 trillion, the lion’s share is funneled into a handful of platforms, leaving publishers to fight for scraps.  

With a powerful foreword by media veteran and Future Media founder Ricky Sutton, Beyond Programmatic explores why branded content is the most defensible, scalable, and effective channel in a world where traditional models are losing steam. Sutton calls branded content “an antidote to the past and an opportunity for the future”, and this paper shows you why.
 

Packed with industry data, publisher insights, and real-world examples (including a standout case study with Coco Pops), this guide is designed to help publishers better articulate the value of branded content to advertisers, and scale it into a high-margin, sustainable business, one that Big Tech can’t replicate. 

Whether you're leading commercial strategy or building out branded content operations, this is your playbook to compete beyond programmatic.

What you'll take away:

• Why branded content delivers up to 3x more brand lift than traditional ads
• The five unique benefits publishers own to build a MOAT: attention, trust, relevance, education, emotion
• How to reframe value to shift advertiser investment from intrusive ads to content
• Practical tips to increase your branded content campaign results
• Actionable strategies to increase demand and secure greater investment