This is the fourth installment in a series exploring attitudes to brand-funded content, brand journalism and brand publishing, based on a survey of 1,007 digital content consumers conducted by Toolkits and National Research Group.
- 43% of digital content consumers say they find it “easy” to tell when content is funded by a brand, while only 19% say they find it difficult.
- Younger consumers generally say they find recognizing brand-funded content easier; 47% of Gen Z and Millennials say they find it easy to identify branded content, compared to 33% of Boomers.
As brands increasingly produce and publish their own content in an attempt to reach and engage with audiences, some observers have pointed to “blurring lines” between content funded by brands and that funded by more “traditional” media companies. But according to new research by Toolkits and National Research Group, consumers say they know brand-funded content when they see it.
In a survey of 1,007 digital content consumers, 43% said they find it “easy” to tell when content is from a brand. Only 19% said they find it difficult, while 38% said they were either neutral or unsure.
Younger consumers also believe they’re better at identifying brand-funded content. 47% of respondents who are Gen Z or millennials said they found it “easy” to identify brand content – compared with 36% of those between 45 years and 64 years old. 
Implications for brands
The lines between content marketing and journalism are clear
Some have suggested that lines have blurred between content created by brands and what’s created by “traditional” media. But the research implies perhaps the opposite is happening: There is an “unblurring” of the lines. Consumers say they are more cognizant and aware of brand publishing, and they aren’t confusing it with content created by media organizations. While some of this may be overconfidence on the part of consumers, it does mean that brands now have the opportunity to carve out areas and niches they can own. At the same time, traditional journalism organizations can differentiate their offerings and distance themselves from brand publishing, rather than attempting to compete with it.
Independence, or lack thereof
In an attempt to gain audience trust, companies are increasingly positioning their publishing efforts as “editorially independent” and attempting to distance their coverage from the interests of the broader companies of which they’re a part. Our research indicates this may not be necessary, or even effective: Consumers know when content is produced by a brand.
Clear labeling and disclosures should be a matter of course
The research proves the existence of a savvy consumer, one who is easily able to identify brand publishing vs. content that isn’t produced by brands. Against this backdrop, brands may wish to consider how they are labeling the content they produce and how they disclose this to consumers. And as we noted previously, only 26% of consumers say they trust traditional media over brand content – indicating that brands aren’t on the “back foot” when it comes to gaining audience trust simply because they produce the content
Brands must figure out how to cut through the noise
One key implication across our research has been that quality content is now crucial for brands’ publishing initiatives. Consumers value quality above all, and quality content begets brand trust. Our research indicates that consumers are much savvier than ever before; for years they’ve been pummeled by incessant advertising, and now are experiencing an explosion of online content as well. Brands won’t win by simply creating content – they will win by creating quality content that speaks to audience desires, needs and interests. Because consumers easily connect content produced by a brand with the brand that produced it, publishing is poised to become a priority within companies. That means the C-suite should take an active interest in their companies’ publishing endeavors – because that will soon become a key way consumers perceive their companies.
Methodology: Research was conducted by Toolkits and National Research Group, a global research and insights firm that works with the world’s largest content creators and marketers. The study surveyed 1,007 U.S. consumers aged 18-64 who reported having a current or previous subscription to at least one digital publication and was conducted in October 2023. The audience for this sample was weighted to reflect the pool of total subscribers to digital publications in the US, based on a larger market-sizing study of 6,562 consumers.