Branded content has been a rare source of growth for beleaguered publishers over the past few years. With print revenues in steady decline and ad dollars being redirected towards digital platforms, publishers have built up sizeable commercial content teams to attract brand advertisers with more tailored solutions than standard display ad formats.
Early signs after the outbreak of COVID-19 suggested this business model might be about to hit the buffers. In the UK, Telegraph Media Group has moved to “significantly downsize” its branded content arm, Spark, in the wake of the pandemic, as part of a strategy favouring “editorially integrated...