For nearly twenty years, Outbrain has been at the forefront of this transformation, encouraging the industry to step out of its comfort zone and explore new approaches to unlock the opportunities that the open web can offer consumers, advertisers and publishers.
The media landscape is changing, and so is Outbrain
As the digital age progresses, user attention has become a prime resource. The average on-screen attention span has dropped 69% since 2004 , and the competition for it has driven the rise of short-form video cash app database content, with 89% of users wanting to see more branded videos by 2024. Today, short, digestible, and easily shareable content is the most sought-after. While “walled gardens” have dominated this format, they are not the only ideal environment for its distribution. In fact, only 27% of young adults are fully engaged on social media, compared to 50% who are on the open web. It is now our turn, as an industry, to pay attention to the opportunities offered by the latter.
In an effort to become the go-to partner for the open web, we’ve seized these opportunities and diversified our offering to meet advertisers’ needs and reach consumers in the right place. In the last 12 months alone, we’ve successfully reinvented ourselves, moving beyond our performance and conversion-focused roots to integrate ultra-premium and engaging mid- and top-of-funnel experiences through our branding platform, Onyx . This expansion bridges the gap between publishers’ needs and advertisers’ goals. Leading brands and agencies can now invest their media budgets in tools that maximize ROI, while enabling publishers to demonstrate the true value of their ad space and drive sustainable revenue.
Progressing while remaining true to our values
From its inception, Outbrain has been committed to sustainable, independent journalism to meet the evolving needs of the open web. As content consumption preferences evolve, and despite industry recognition of the value of news audiences , publishers are struggling to diversify and stabilize their revenues.
Providing brands with more opportunities to impact the open web allows us to address the challenge of monetizing leftover inventory—which currently represents at least 30% of available inventory, according to a recent Outbrain study conducted in partnership with Prohaska Consulting . Our goal is to preserve free access to a trusted open web, which is the preference of 78% of users who are willing to engage with more ads to maintain that privilege, as reported by eMarketer.
Rethink What's Possible: Discover the New Era of Engagement
As Outbrain continues to innovate, real-world successes like Sisley ’s highlight the tangible impact of our vision. Using Onyx ’s formats and Brand Studio ’s creative expertise , Sisley’s campaign not only captured the attention of its target audience, with attention rates of +50% vs. standard open web benchmarks, but also achieved a 5% engagement rate. The integration of Outbrain’s retargeting strategies amplified these results, doubling the campaign’s click-through rate, demonstrating the potential of our cross-funnel solutions.
Sisley’s example shows that advertisers who dare to challenge the status quo and exploit the new possibilities offered by Outbrain can achieve exceptional results. It is time for our industry to redefine its boundaries to adapt to the rapidly changing media landscape. Rethink what’s possible!
