Hello friends.
We are living through an unprecedented and difficult moment. I’m reaching out today to thank you for reading Ad Age and to give you a look inside the work we are doing—and plan on doing—to keep you informed about the impact coronavirus is having on the advertising, marketing and media communities. No one is untouched by this pandemic, and Ad Age journalists are deeply committed to keeping you informed about how COVID-19 is affecting business and daily life.
As a public service, we have lifted the paywall on our daily digital coverage of the coronavirus, and we will continue to allow free access for the foreseeable future. We remain committed to expanding our communication with you as events play out with a range of offerings, updated in real time.
In addition to reporting individual news stories as they break, we have two live blogs running simultaneously. One tracks marketers’ responses to the virus. The other follows agencies’ efforts. And in the early days of the outbreak we launched the Coronavirus Industry Event Tracker to provide real-time updates, including postponements, cancellations, rescheduled dates and other useful information, for a comprehensive list of industry events. As we now know, any events that haven’t already been canceled have been moved several months into the future (Ad Age’s events included).
Our daily Wake Up Call newsletter is a free daily roundup of all of the day’s news, through the lenses of the industries we cover. Subscribe here. It has, by the nature of current events, become dominated by coronavirus-related news and commentary.
We have increased the frequency of our Marketer’s Brief podcast, overseen by assistant managing editor E.J. Schultz. The podcast format allows for in-depth discussions with marketers on the front lines about how they are adjusting and readjusting to the news as it happens. Subscribe here.
With a newsroom spread across six cities and two continents, Ad Age has long relied on Slack as a crucial communications tool. Now we, like the rest of the world, are discovering more about the possibilities of Zoom videoconferencing. The result of our efforts is a new video series called “Remotely,” hosted by senior editor Jeanine Poggi. New episodes of "Remotely" will drop throughout the week, featuring video interviews with Ad Age reporters and industry sources who will discuss the unfolding news of the day.
All of our coronavirus-related coverage is tagged and lives here.
We have also been exploring ways we can move the story forward proactively to help marketers, brands and agencies position themselves for post-pandemic life. This has already been an important through-line in our reporting, for example:
“How to go virtual with your event”
"How China's agencies are coming back after the pandemic and returning to work”
“4A's issues guidance on coronavirus, including how to advise clients”
In the current climate, every day feels like a week. On behalf of everyone at Ad Age, we are grateful that you have put your trust in our reporting. Of course, for sanity’s sake we hope you are taking regular breaks from constant media consumption. Go for a (socially distant) walk. Meanwhile, if you like the coverage you’re getting and haven’t yet signed up for a subscription, please consider doing so by going here.
Our promise to you is to deliver the most comprehensive report we can on a daily basis. Thank you, as always, for engaging with us. Stay safe and healthy.
Brian Braiker