{"id":4971,"date":"2025-07-24T11:05:49","date_gmt":"2025-07-24T11:05:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bridged.media\/blog\/?p=4971"},"modified":"2025-09-16T16:49:31","modified_gmt":"2025-09-16T16:49:31","slug":"moving-away-from-display-ads","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bridged.media\/blog\/automate\/moving-away-from-display-ads\/","title":{"rendered":"Media Event Companies are Moving Away from Display Ads. What\u2019s replacing them?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Banner ads had a good run. But they\u2019re not aging well (they\u2019re not wine, after all?!)<\/b><\/h2>\n

Most Media Event Companies are seeing diminishing returns on traditional display<\/span>\u00a0ads.<\/p>\n

The average <\/span>banner ad click-through rate across industries is 0.35%<\/a>. That\u2019s barely more than accidental taps. While online banner ads used to be the go-to for monetising content, their performance may have steadily declined with time, overuse, and consumer fatigue.<\/span><\/p>\n

That said, the real problem isn\u2019t the format itself. It\u2019s how little value it delivers for sponsors in a post-cookie, engagement-driven world.<\/span><\/p>\n

TL;DR:\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n
    \n
  • Traditional <\/span>banner ads are losing steam, with lower engagement and limited personalisation.<\/li>\n
  • In their place: interactive content, sponsored event recaps, first-party data offers, and dynamic sponsor placements powered by AI agents for media event companies.<\/li>\n
  • These new-age content monetisation tools help extend sponsor visibility far beyond event days, offering brands measurable ROI and helping media event companies future-proof revenue.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    So… what are banner ads being replaced with?<\/b><\/h2>\n

    More intelligent, more engaging systems.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Now, media event companies are turning to:<\/span><\/p>\n

      \n
    • Sponsored interactive content<\/b> (quizzes, assessments, calculators)<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Native event recaps<\/b> that blend editorial voice with brand placement<\/span><\/li>\n
    • First-party data offers<\/b> through gated downloads or poll responses<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      \"An<\/p>\n

      These are not <\/span>banner ads examples (with a modern twist) but performance-driven content formats that serve readers and sponsors alike.<\/p>\n

      But who has the bandwidth to keep building all this manually?<\/b><\/h2>\n

      Not many of us.<\/span><\/p>\n

      This is where <\/span>AI in publishing starts to matter.<\/p>\n

      Tools like AI agents for events can now help surface sponsor messages before, during, and after your events, without the brute force.<\/p>\n

      One example is an Offer Wall Agent, which dynamically showcases sponsor content across your event digital properties, recap emails, or gated post-event content. Unlike banner ads, these aren\u2019t fixed placements. They adapt to timing, reader behavior, and event milestones.<\/p>\n

      Then there\u2019s the Polling Agent: it doesn\u2019t just ask questions for the sake of it. Instead, it collects first-party data, engages readers, and routes qualified leads back to sponsors in near-real time.<\/p>\n

      Sponsor renewal is the silent pressure in media-event teams<\/b><\/h2>\n

      If you\u2019re running events, you know the drill. You show sponsor logos. You hand over the impression data. But when it\u2019s time for renewal, there\u2019s hesitation.<\/span><\/p>\n

      Wait, that\u2019s not because your event was bad. It\u2019s because their ROI was invisible. So that means you can create a great event, pull off fantastic sessions, and still lose sponsors next year. Why?<\/span><\/p>\n

      Because brands are asking harder questions, they want measurable outcomes, leads, and post-event engagement that outlives the show floor.<\/span><\/p>\n

      That\u2019s where AI-powered <\/span>content monetisation tools come in, creating multiple sponsor touchpoints across content journeys. By using AI in publishing, media companies are now able to surface sponsor stories within meaningful content, and then prove performance with actual engagement metrics and data capture. Sponsors are also able to get their hands on more useful inventory, with these tools.<\/p>\n

      Media companies who\u2019ve moved beyond banner ads are seeing\u2026<\/b><\/h2>\n
        \n
      • Press Gazette <\/b>saw a 2000\u00a3+ added value per campaign by deploying a <\/span>Polling Agent <\/b>paired with an <\/span>Offer Wall Agent<\/b>, replacing static ads with interactive polls and dynamic sponsor offers embedded within high-performing content.<\/span><\/li>\n
      • Camino Ways<\/b> increased sponsor <\/span>click-through rates by 27% after integrating advertiser-led polls into their content experience.<\/li>\n
      • The Officer<\/b> boosted <\/span>advertiser renewals by combining the <\/span>Polling Agent, <\/span>Knowledge Agent, and <\/span>Advertiser Ad-On Agent, helping sponsors capture leads in a way that felt native, contextual, and genuinely useful to readers.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        None of these outcomes came from rethinking \u2018<\/span>what are banner ads?\u2019 They came from rethinking how sponsors fit into the attendee\u2019s actual journey.<\/p>\n

        So, what should replace banner ads in your monetisation strategy?<\/b><\/h2>\n

        Here\u2019s a quick checklist:<\/span><\/p>\n

          \n
        • Replace static banner placements with <\/span>AI content monetisation<\/b> modules<\/span><\/li>\n
        • Build post-event recaps that include interactive sponsor elements<\/span><\/li>\n
        • Use polls and quizzes to collect opt-ins, not just clicks<\/span><\/li>\n
        • Plug sponsor offers contextually inside high-performing content<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

          You don\u2019t need to ditch the display overnight. But it\u2019s time to think less like an ad ops manager and more like a product marketer.<\/span><\/p>\n

          What are AI agents and how do they help media event companies?<\/b><\/h2>\n

          In simple terms, AI agents are like assistants for media event companies that never sleep. They plug into your CMS, data tools, and campaign stack to:<\/span><\/p>\n

            \n
          • Surface content based on user behavior<\/span><\/li>\n
          • Inject sponsor messages across relevant journeys<\/span><\/li>\n
          • Create and optimise high-performing recap or gated content<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

            Unlike generic automation, <\/span>AI agents for media event companies <\/b>are purpose-built for the media workflow. You get scale without sacrificing editorial control.<\/span><\/p>\n

            Wrapping Up<\/b><\/h2>\n

            The shift away from <\/span>online banner ads<\/b> isn\u2019t a loss. It\u2019s a chance to build better monetisation engines. If you\u2019re looking at how to future-proof your sponsor strategy, the smartest move isn\u2019t just a format refresh; it\u2019s adopting <\/span>AI agents for media event companies <\/b>who can do the heavy lifting.<\/span><\/p>\n

            FAQs<\/b><\/p>\n

            Q: What are banner ads and why are they declining?<\/b>
            \n<\/b>A:<\/b> Banner ads<\/b> are static or dynamic ad placements commonly seen on websites. Their CTR has declined due to ad fatigue, poor targeting, and cookie restrictions.<\/span><\/p>\n

            Q: What are some banner ads examples that still work?<\/b>
            \n<\/b>A:<\/b> Only when placed contextually\u2014e.g., inside a live blog, recap article, or alongside personalised recommendations. Static headers and sidebars no longer perform.<\/span><\/p>\n

            Q: What are AI agents?<\/b>
            \n<\/b>A:<\/b> They\u2019re automated assistants built with specific publishing goals: boosting engagement, optimising placement, and monetising content intelligently.<\/span><\/p>\n

            Q: How does AI content monetisation work?<\/b>
            \n<\/b>A:<\/b> It uses tools like polls, offers, and smart gating to turn engagement into actionable sponsor outcomes. This goes far beyond old-school CPM models.<\/span><\/p>\n

            Q: Is AI in publishing just hype?<\/b>
            \n<\/b>A:<\/b> Not anymore. Media event companies are using <\/span>AI content monetisation<\/b> tools are increasing revenue without overworking editorial teams.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

            Banner ads had a good run. But they\u2019re not aging well (they\u2019re not wine, after all?!) Most Media Event Companies are seeing diminishing returns on traditional display\u00a0ads. The average banner ad click-through rate across industries is 0.35%. That\u2019s barely more than accidental taps. While online banner ads used to be the go-to for monetising content,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4976,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[95],"class_list":{"0":"post-4971","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-automate","8":"tag-media-event-companies"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bridged.media\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4971","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bridged.media\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bridged.media\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bridged.media\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bridged.media\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4971"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.bridged.media\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4971\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4997,"href":"https:\/\/www.bridged.media\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4971\/revisions\/4997"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bridged.media\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4976"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.bridged.media\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4971"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bridged.media\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4971"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.bridged.media\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4971"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}