AI-generated search is pulling out the rug from publishers, as referral traffic declines and walled gardens gobble up the ad dollars.
These are all real and legitimate challenges facing digital media. But it’s time to forget the well-worn narrative about the helplessness of publishers in the face of industry disruption.
It’s more than possible for publishers to grow sustainably, even in a tricky environment, says Liz Gough, the co-founder and newly minted chief revenue officer of Puck, speaking on this week’s episode of AdExchanger Talks.
Puck, which launched in 2021, is proving that there’s a place for long-form, in-depth, dishy journalism in a world of social media soundbites.
“We’ve all seen a lot of lessons in digital media, such as companies that were launched 10 to 15 years ago, where everything was about growing as quickly as possible at all times,” Gough says. “We want to grow aggressively, but we also want to grow smartly and methodically.”
To foster long-term growth and steady engagement, publishers should lean into their uniqueness, Gough says.
For Puck, that means reporting on the inner workings of politics, entertainment, business, tech and finance—deep and narrow coverage, rather than attempting to do it all.
“We’re not trying to build a newsroom and we’re not trying to cover the waterfront,” Gough says. “We focus on what the mass media is leaving out and on what the insiders are really saying.”
Also in this episode: Puck’s monetization strategy, why programmatic isn’t in the cards (at least not yet), why niche journalism is appealing to advertisers and Gough’s love of live music (late ’90s and early 2000s indie rock, in particular).
Plus: Why Puck decided it was time this year to add a CRO to its C-suite for the first time.
