Credibility Has No KPI: The Intangible Value in Media
CNN Brasil's Vanessa Gregoraci explains why brands turn to trusted media outlets to protect reputation and build value.
Speaking on Marketing - The Podcast, Vanessa Gregoraci discusses how the pursuit of credibility drives decisions for C-level executives and brands. The commercial director at CNN Brasil explains why reputational returns elude traditional metrics and how news outlets reach diverse audience segments.
Vanessa Gregoraci, commercial director at CNN Brasil, spoke with Bruno Gimenes on Marketing - The Podcast about the return of credibility as a core priority for brands and business leaders. The full episode also explores other topics surrounding the business model of news organizations.
For Gregoraci, protecting institutional image demands continuous attention from executive leadership, especially during periods of market volatility. In the video above, she breaks down the dynamic between brand reputation and the commercial viability of media outlets.
The Intangible Value and Crisis Protection
Concerns over corporate reputation have demanded direct oversight from top-tier executives, who are once again prioritizing associating their brands with established editorial platforms. In Gregoraci's view, building brand equity serves as a safeguard against adverse market conditions, even if it does not fit into conventional direct-conversion metrics.
"We need to pay closer attention to branding and the brand itself, because during a crisis—a crisis sparked by any negative context—getting back in the game takes a long time. Now, if you have an established brand with a strong reputation, everything becomes much easier," says Gregoraci. "It's a domain where we need to understand that there won't be a KPI. The KPI is intangible. So we often ask: What's the KPI? What's the result? What's the estimate? Some endorsements simply don't have estimates. It's intangible, and credibility is all about that."
Balancing Reputation and Retail
Operating within a quality journalism environment does not isolate a media outlet from everyday consumer initiatives. Gregoraci points out that news audiences consume products and services just like any other, opening opportunities for brands to balance institutional positioning and retail campaigns within the same ecosystem.
To engage different demographics and age brackets, traditional outlets are expanding their formats into soft news thematic verticals. Gregoraci highlights programs like Viagem e Gastronomia and shows tailored for Gen Z, such as Na Palma da Mari, as ways to accommodate advertisers' diverse communication needs within a single editorial environment.
Aspirational Audiences and Multiplatform Reach
While traditional news often connects with decision-makers and opinion leaders, Gregoraci notes that the demand for verified information attracts audiences well beyond the corporate bubble. Interest in environments free from misinformation expands the reach of journalistic brands.
"If I want to grow as a person, I will seek out a safe environment without fake news that provides high-quality information," Gregoraci emphasizes. Expanding into digital formats, such as YouTube and connected TV, enables outlets to engage new audiences looking for trusted sources, while also serving as authoritative references for AI tools and search engines.