The $85 Billion Opportunity Media Companies Still Aren’t Selling Aggressively Enough

Why branded content may be the smartest digital revenue growth strategy for finishing 2026 strong

Media companies everywhere are asking the same question right now:

Where will meaningful digital revenue growth come from next?

• Programmatic margins continue shrinking.

• AI-generated content is flooding the internet.

• Traditional display inventory is increasingly commoditized.

  
  

Advertisers are demanding stronger ROI, deeper engagement, and more strategic partnerships.

Meanwhile, one of the largest and fastest-growing opportunities in media sales is still dramatically underleveraged: Branded content.

And the numbers behind it should get every publisher, CRO, digital strategist, and sales leader paying attention.

According to new research from The Branded Content Project and Borrell Associates, businesses are now spending more than $85 billion annually on content marketing, with more than 77% of that spend going to digital channels.

That’s no longer a niche category.

That’s a massive revenue market.

And many local and regional media companies still treat branded content as an occasional upsell rather than a core growth strategy.

That needs to change.

Advertisers Aren’t Just Buying Ads Anymore — They’re Buying Attention, Trust, and Storytelling

One of the most important findings in the Borrell research is this: Nearly 70% of advertisers using content marketing say it’s effective.

That puts branded content among the better-performing marketing investments in advertisers’ minds.

Why?

Because audiences are tuning out interruption marketing.

But they still engage with:

• Helpful information

• Authentic storytelling

• Educational content

• Trusted voices

• Industry expertise

• Community relevance

  
  

In other words: Advertisers increasingly want media companies to help them communicate, not just advertise.

That’s a fundamentally different relationship.

Media Companies Already Own the Hardest Part

Here’s what many publishers overlook:

You already possess the most difficult assets to replicate:

• Audience trust

• Community credibility

• Distribution channels

• Content expertise

• Local storytelling authority

  
  

That combination is incredibly valuable in today’s market. In fact, it’s your superpower!

Corey Elliott from Borrell Associates noted in recent industry research that businesses increasingly need help “telling a story of who we are from our target demographics’ point of view in the media landscape.”

That’s exactly what strong media companies know how to do. No one else in your market can combine your unique storytelling capabilities with YOUR AUDIENCE. It’s a tremendous differentiator.

The Biggest Mistake? Treating Branded Content Like a Side Product

Many organizations still sell branded content reactively.

A client asks.

A rep improvises.

The proposal gets built manually.

Production becomes chaotic.

Results are difficult to scale.

Meanwhile, the most successful media organizations are productizing branded content into repeatable, strategic offerings.

They’re building scalable revenue around:

• Sponsored articles

• Executive thought leadership

• Video storytelling

• Sponsored newsletters

• Podcasts

• Community features

• Industry reports

• Custom social campaigns

• Event-based storytelling

• Multi-platform native campaigns

  
  

And importantly: They’re packaging strategy + storytelling + distribution together.

That’s what modern advertisers increasingly want to buy.

The Biggest Revenue Growth Area? Digital Storytelling

One slide in the Borrell deck should stop every media executive in their tracks.

Digital content marketing spending dwarfs virtually every other channel — by a factor of nearly 9-to-1 over many traditional categories.

That means the growth opportunity is not simply selling sponsored print articles.

It’s building integrated digital storytelling ecosystems.

And the formats advertisers are increasingly embracing include:

• Videos

• Digital articles and blogs

• Newsletters

• Podcasts

• Sponsored content

• Thought leadership

• Social storytelling

  
  

In fact, the research shows enormous growth since 2022 in the use of:

• Videos

• Podcasts/audio segments

• Industry thought leadership

• Digital blogs and articles

• Sponsored content formats

  
  

This is exactly where media companies should be leaning in.

Video May Be the Biggest Opportunity of All

One of the strongest findings in the research is the extraordinary effectiveness of video in content marketing.

Borrell’s data showed 87% of advertisers rated video-based content marketing as very to extremely effective.

That is an astonishing number.

And it should create urgency for media companies still underinvesting in video capabilities.

Because businesses today are not just looking for ad placement.

They’re looking for:

• Storytelling

• Visibility

• Brand authority

• Human connection

• Educational content

• Authenticity

  
  

Video delivers all of it.

The New Branded Content Buyer Is Smarter Than Ever

Another important insight from the research: Content marketing buyers tend to be:

• Younger

• More marketing savvy

• More digitally sophisticated

• More likely to be full-time marketers

• More likely to work for larger organizations

• And my very favorite - less price sensitive!

  
  

That changes the sales conversation.

These buyers don’t want generic pitches.

They expect strategy.

Ideas.

Audience understanding.

Business outcomes.

Media sellers who rely on transactional selling will struggle here. And if that’s been your hesitation, the team at the Branded Project can help. At my company, Dream Local Digital, we also do a lot to help media companies make this shift, train their sales teams and offer fulfillment support creating the content where needed. The Branded Content Project also has free content resources.

The winners will be consultative sellers who know how to uncover:

• Brand positioning opportunities

• Story angles

• Audience pain points

• Educational opportunities

• Executive visibility strategies

  
  

This is not “selling an ad.”

It’s solving a communication problem.

The Hidden Opportunity: Executive Thought Leadership

One of the fastest-growing branded content opportunities right now may actually be executive visibility.

Many businesses want their leaders positioned as experts.

They want credibility.

Authority.

Recognition.

Trust.

But most don’t know how to build it.

Media companies are perfectly positioned to help create:

• Executive interviews

• Sponsored columns

• Video Q&As

• Industry insights

• Podcast appearances

• Educational content series

• Community leadership profiles

  
  

And in an AI-saturated world, authentic expertise becomes even more valuable. You can help them tell their story and showcase their expertise to your audience! Then, they can share that content on their own channels.

Advertisers Are Basically Telling Us They Want More Help

One of the most revealing findings in the Borrell research: Advertisers using content marketing are more likely to believe they are underspending in the category.

That’s incredibly important.

It suggests the market still has room to grow.

At the same time, advertisers cited major struggles around:

• Reaching the right audience

• Keeping content fresh

• Measuring effectiveness

• Finding time to execute

• Proper distribution

• Maintaining quality

  
  

Those are exactly the problems media companies can solve.

Five Practical Ways Media Companies Can Grow Branded Content Revenue Now

1. Stop Selling Products — Start Selling Outcomes

The conversation should shift from:

“Would you like sponsored content?”

To: “What story does your market need to hear?”

2. Productize Your Offerings

Build scalable branded content packages with standardized pricing, deliverables, workflows, and amplification strategies.

3. Invest in Video

The effectiveness data is too strong to ignore. Video should be central to your branded content strategy.

4. Train Sellers to Become Strategic Advisors

Your reps need skills in discovery and storytelling, as well as business acumen—not just rate-card knowledge.

5. Lean Into Your Trust Advantage

Tech platforms have reach.

Media companies have credibility.

That distinction matters more than ever. Remember, it’s your superpower!

The Media Companies That Win Will Become Storytelling Partners

The future of media revenue growth will not come from selling more commodity inventory.

It will come from helping businesses:

• Educate

• Build trust

• Establish authority

• Reach communities authentically

• Tell stories that matter

  
  

That’s what branded content does exceptionally well.

And the publishers who operationalize it now may be the ones that finish 2026 far stronger than everyone still trying to compete on impressions alone.

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We would love to help your organization make better use of Branded Content. Subscribe to our email list to get new Branded Content ideas, invitations to our Big Branded Call series, and training opportunities. We are here to help.

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About the Author:

Shannon Kinney is a seasoned startup Founder and Executive with over 30 years of experience in digital marketing. She has been at the forefront of digital transformation for media companies since 1995, and has consulted with and presented to media companies large and small worldwide. She is considered a thought leader in the online space, and is a highly sought after keynote speaker, advisor and consultant. With deep experience in sales, marketing, online product development and leadership, Dream Local Digital is her third nationally-scaled digital marketing solution company. She founded the company in 2009 “to bring the power of online marketing to small and medium sized businesses ”. She has a wide and highly engaged network of leaders in media, technology, and startups worldwide, and has developed Dream Local Digital to be a widely recognized brand as best of breed in online marketing. She has helped more than 75,000 small and medium sized businesses and media companies through her work with Dream Local Digital. She spent many years on the Local Media Foundation and Local Media Association boards and is passionate about their mission to create sustainable business models online. 

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 The Branded Content Project is designed through a strategic partnership between Local Media Association and the Local Media Consortium, with funding from the Knight Foundation, to help facilitate additional growth, engagement, and revenue success for more publishers of all shapes and sizes.