New research shows brand content contributes to purchase motivation and loyalty

A study from News Australia’s content agencies finds that brand content is now central to cut-through, clarity and customer experience.

The announcement:

News Australia’s content agencies Medium Rare, Suddenly and Storyation, have released new research identifying brand content* as the key to delivering cut-through, clarity and customer experience – three critical pillars for driving brand success in the year ahead.

The Future of Brand Content research, conducted with global cultural insights and strategy agency Crowd DNA^, found more than half of Australian consumers now engage with brand content at least once a day – an 11% surge since 2021 – with 72% of consumers motivated to purchase after reading or viewing brand content.

News Corp Australia managing director, commercial content, Mike Connaghan said: “Brand content has evolved beyond helping consumers in the brand consideration phase, and now helps drive awareness, conversion, connection and community. The brands that succeed achieve real cut-through, provide clarity, and weave content seamlessly into their customer experience. When you do that well, you’re not just capturing attention, you’re building trust, fostering loyalty, and creating genuine impact.”

Medium Rare Content Agency managing director, Nick Smith said: “The way people engage with brand content has fundamentally changed. It’s no longer background noise – it’s part of how Australians research, decide, connect, and ultimately purchase. Consumers now expect brands to show up with content that’s multi-dimensional, entertaining, human, useful, consistent, and value-adding to their day. This research shows how brands can use content to deliver real business results.”

Cut-through: earning attention in a crowded market
Today’s successful brand content doesn’t shout louder – it delivers genuine value:

• 60% say it plays an important role in their final purchase decision
• 68% say it helps them discover new products

Clarity: building confidence through simplicity
When brands remove complexity, they build trust and drive action:

• 81% feel more confident making purchase decisions after consuming brand content
• 72% have been motivated to make a purchase after engaging with brand content

Customer experience: from transaction to loyalty
Strategic brand content transforms the entire customer journey:

• 60% say it eliminates guesswork when making purchasing decisions
• 77% say it has prevented them from needing customer service support

These findings build on Medium Rare, Suddenly and Storyation’s original Power of Brand Content research from 2021, demonstrating the increasingly critical role brand content plays in a highly competitive market.

Mike Connaghan and Nick Smith will host an exclusive webinar on the Future of Brand Content on Wednesday 12 November. Explore the full research findings and learn how to turn clarity, cut-through and customer experience into trust, preference and measurable results. Register here.

*Brand content is everything a brand creates to communicate outside of traditional advertising. It may include articles, videos, social media, podcasts, newsletters and magazines.

^Crowd DNA conducted the research in two stages between May and July 2025: cultural landscaping using social listening and insights, followed by a quantitative study of 1,001 Australians measuring brand content engagement, perceptions and impact on purchasing behaviour.

Source: News Corp Australia