News UK to launch new native advertising division

News UK has today announced a new native advertising division, which has been created to help brands reach the publisher’s audiences through commercial partnerships.

The news comes after a new UK study reveals that the native advertising market is set to see huge growth over the next two years, with 83% of agencies currently including native advertising as part of their digital offering.

News UK, which publishes national titles including The Times, The Sunday Times and The Sun, has appointed one of the Sunday Times’ senior editors, Tiffanie Darke, to head up the new unit.

“Just as newspapers have been quick and dynamic in their editorial strategies to reach their readers, we have to be just as inventive and ambitious in the ways we help brands use papers to speak to their audiences,” said Darke, who is currently in the process of recruiting a team.

“I am hugely excited about the opportunities this move offers, and very much looking forward to raising the bar on the quality of commercial content we are going to produce.”

News UK’s director of ad strategy, Abba Newbery, added: “News UK’s commercial strategy is built on deep engagement with influential audiences. We have an unparalleled relationship with a high-quality, highly-engaged, well-profiled audience that believes our content is worth paying for.

“We can prove that our audiences pay more attention to advertising as a result of their engagement. There is a significant opportunity for us as the largest newspaper publisher to lead the market in identifying and developing new ways in which brands can leverage this relationship. Darke’s new unit will spearhead this project.”