Increasingly, people choose the news that best suits their needs.
For a business audience, it’s particularly important, since the decisions they take on investment, strategy and markets depend on the robustness of the information they receive – nowhere more so than in Europe.
In terms of world trade, Europe is second only to China in market size, with a total GDP of €14.5 billion in 2021, accounting for 14% of the world’s trade in goods.
The European gap
However, when it comes to business news, content can fail to address the European dimension that is of growing importance to the business audience.
It’s for this reason that Euronews has launched a business news vertical, Euronews Business, that offers a point of view on the impact that the European economy, and its finances and geopolitics, have on businesses and investments of all nationalities in Europe.
Euronews, which has been in operation for 30 years, claims that 55% of its users prefer this European perspective.
Despite the importance of the global economy, research by Euronews found that 55% of its audience prioritised their national economy and 45% prioritised the Eurozone economy.
Optimistic outlook
Not only that, there is an underlying optimism among senior managers about the Eurozone as a good place to do business.
What Euronews Business is promising both news consumers and brands is big-picture insights into global enterprise through a European lens, something its audience said was lacking in the current news environment, where it is felt that there is a stronger focus on international news, and particularly on the US and the UK.
“There isn’t the strongest ecosystem dedicated to business across Europe specifically,” says Angela Barnes, managing editor at Euronews Business. “After analysing the market, we are in a very prominent position to provide this unique perspective on business opportunities in Europe.”
Dedicated insight
As the ongoing trade ramifications of Brexit have underlined, there is often a lack of understanding of how the European dimension affects business and a consequent need for clear and incisive coverage of the area. This is something Euronews hopes to take advantage of with its new offering providing insight on EU laws and regulations, and how to invest in business in the EU.
Uncertain times in Europe, with overlapping crises around the Covd-19 pandemic, regional unrest, supply chain uncertainty and trade conflicts have all drawn attention to the specific conditions European businesses face. It has also underlined the need for specific European expertise and analysis when covering these issues – something Euronews is equipped to provide.
To service these needs, the Euronews Business news offering is shaped by a strong focus on the Brussels newsroom that is located at the heart of the Continent’s political capital. This provides access to influential policymakers and commentators with reporting in 12 languages.
Digital first
Business was already an important content area for the Euronews network – it is one of the top five most searched areas. However, the launch of Euronews Business coincides with a reshaping of its news output for a digital age.
From early 2023 it has adopted a digital-first approach, switching from traditional media where TV production previously led. The business vertical is one of six that are being introduced to underline the depth of its specialist digital journalism.
New digital business content includes a dedicated weekly business newsletter, a podcast, and two new series.
My Wildest Prediction engages in forward-thinking conversation with business game-changers, while The Big Question is a new flagship series that seeks the answers to some of the key challenges facing business, such as the future of AI, the effect of the Ukraine conflict, and barriers to the green transformation.
Other new series this year will feature European founders, demystify the Eurozone, and explore unconventional investment for high net worth individuals.
Brand safety
For advertisers, Euronews emphasises it is a brand-safe environment with 30 years of experience covering the sector, as well as a more responsive approach to the inventory needs of brands.
It claims to reach one in three C-suite executives globally, and an audience that controls €35bn of corporate budgets.
“Brands come to work with Euronews because of brand safety,” says Martin Deloche, International Sales Director. “We have fully transformed Euronews in terms of branding and offerings, moving from a TV-first model to a digital-first model, adapting production and post-production so that it is better suited for web format.”
The brand has also reacted to the consumer’s shift to mobile consumption, which has seen the growth in importance of vertical video and captioned content, diverging from the traditional screen design and ticker format of television news.
Adapting to a new age
By responding to the changing technological environment, as well as the evolving information needs of Europe’s business audience, Euronews aims to keep business people in touch with the Continent’s dynamic markets, business and economy, whatever the platform.