Advert platform connects with newspaper sites

A one-stop online advertising platform has been established with the support of the Newspaper Society of Hong Kong to ease placing adverts on newspaper websites.

The News Network platform set to launch today will help advertising customers to place traffic-driven ads on the websites of 11 local publications, including The Standard.

Society chairman Keith Kam Woon-ting said placing online ads at news outlets via the network guarantees quality "assured by professional journalists."

"The quality of online information is a mixed bag and fake news is becoming increasingly prevalent, which not only has a negative impact on the community but also creates customer concerns that their advertisements will appear on web pages with dubious content," Kam said.

The operation of the platform is similar to that of existing traffic-based advertising platforms. Advertisers can place ads on no less than three newspaper websites of their selection or at random.

The platform can provide clients with page views for reference for future marketing tactics. It will also cooperate with advertising agencies on a commission-sharing basis.

Spokesman Lo Wing-hung said the network can target ad audiences to news readers. "In the past, customers could only opt for internal agencies to place online ads, but there is no guarantee where the ads will appear. In unfortunate events, they may show up on indecent and gambling websites," he said.

"The internet is like an ocean but websites on our platform are a clear pond that customers can precisely see who reads their ads."

Lo said the market for online ads is monopolized by a handful of international agencies who help customers place ads on the internet.

Despite only being middlemen, they take away up to 90 percent of the ad income from websites where the ads actually appear.

"Our platform will give 70 percent ad income to corresponding newspaper websites to support local media businesses, which are facing many difficulties," he said, adding media outlets in the alliance have a total of 4,000 to 5,000 employees.

"We want to be on an equal footing to international agencies, break their monopoly and help local enterprises."

He said the alliance has approached public organizations to promote the new platform and has received positive feedback.

The other 10 newspapers taking part are Chinese media AM730, Bastille Post, Ta Kung Pao, Headline Daily, Hong Kong Commercial Daily, Hong Kong Economic Journal, Ming Pao, Sing Tao Daily and Wen Wei Po and English publication China Daily (Hong Kong Edition), covering paid and free newspapers.

Lo said the network is inviting more media outlets to join the platform.