Startups and scale-ups are only successful if they address an unmet need.
There are only a handful of media outlets in the U.S. for founders and entrepreneurs and
even fewer focused on local markets. And there were no media outlets providing a “one-stop
content hub” dedicated to this niche audience.
That’s the problem OrangeWIP solved.
Our readers are hungry for resources that will help them reach their fullest potential, and
they look to OrangeWIP for resources, examples, and advice from those who have walked
this path before them. Our independent, unvarnished viewpoints become a beacon of light in
the darkness and isolation of entrepreneurship.
We believe quality information for entrepreneurs and founders is not only a human right,
but crucial to building a healthier, sustainable, and inclusive economy.
Yes, more and more media outlets are switching from an ad-supported model to a
subscription model, charging their audiences a monthly fee for access to quality information
and content.
Sounds fine in theory, right?
But only 1 in 5 US adults pays for news and content.
The idea of more and more info moving behind paywalls makes us a little apprehensive.
Information is power, and it should be easily accessible to everyone – not just those willing
to pay or who can afford it.
We’d rather live in a world where accurate, quality information highlighting multiple, real,
and unfiltered perspectives is freely available to those founders and entrepreneurs who seek
it. And why we have chosen to be an ad-supported model.
But then, why native and branded content? Because we live in an “attention economy.”
Newspapers were once able to charge hundreds of thousands of dollars for a single full-page
print ad, but as readers abandoned their print subscriptions in favor of digital news, many
advertisers realized they were no longer reaching the same large audiences in print.
Meanwhile, new digital media began to flourish in the ad-supported digital ecosystem.However, the conventional banner, pre-roll, and pop-up advertising that could be measured for effectiveness—Ad Age has described click-through rates on these units as “abysmal.”
Branded content seems like a perfect solution.
For one, it has none of the many drawbacks of digital display ads. The goal of branded
content is not to distract, irritate, or annoy, but rather to engage people.
Branded content is made with the intent of affecting consumer perception, affinity, and
consideration. And what distinguishes branded content from traditional TV spots or print ads
is that the content attempts to deliver something its target audience will recognize as
valuable.
In contrast to digital display ads, value in branded content is defined by its non-interruptive
nature and the way it provides people with content they might choose to see because it is
entertaining or informative.
Branded content or “native advertising” has undergone hyper-growth as more consumers are
switching off social media and returning to editorial and content-based recommendations
and experiences. And in more than a decade since the term “native advertising” was first
coined, native has expanded to include video, mobile and programmatic advertising.
And the impact of native ads is 5x more effective than other forms of advertising.
Our native and branded content programs are produced in a studio agency model, having an
established in-house creative and editorial team. You may be surprised that other publishers
share this model – The Atlantic, Conde Nast, BBC, and NY Times, just to name a few. So, we
are in good company.
This allows us not to charge founders and entrepreneurs a fee to access our platforms and
content so we can remain accessible and inclusive.