As digital transformation accelerates, media organizations must rethink their strategies for revenue generation, audience engagement, and data collection. That’s exactly what The Baltimore Times and Gray Media have done—with remarkable success—using Audience.io’s innovative engagement solutions. In a recent webinar hosted by Editor & Publisher, Paris Brown (Publisher, The Baltimore Times), Ryan Pinnell (Regional Sales Director, Gray Media), and Creighton Green (Co-founder, Audience.io) shared how their organizations leveraged interactive campaigns to boost revenue, build brand engagement, and capture valuable first-party data.
A smarter way to collect first-party data and drive revenue
The media industry has been in a waiting game for the inevitable demise of third-party cookies, but savvy publishers and broadcasters aren’t sitting idle. They’re actively building first-party data strategies, and Audience.io is at the center of this shift.
“We started 14 years ago with a simple product that helped media companies run contests and sweepstakes,” Creighton Green explained. “But as our partners came to us with more needs—polls, UGC, brackets, popups—we kept building. Today, we offer a full suite of tools focused on first-party data. If you’re not building and owning your audience, you’re falling behind.”
Mike Blinder, E&P’s publisher and webinar host, noted how many advertisers are now desperate to capture leads, echoing that Audience.io helps not just publishers but also local businesses.
“Leads are the most requested result that any advertiser wants,” Green emphasized. “By running an engagement campaign, you’re not only capturing valuable data for your media brand, but also creating leads for advertisers—giving them real ROI.”
The Baltimore Times’ six-figure success with ‘Best of Black Baltimore’
For The Baltimore Times, a publication with a lean team of just three and a half people, adopting Audience.io’s solutions turned out to be a game-changer. Their “Best of Black Baltimore” campaign generated six figures in revenue and significantly expanded their email database and community engagement.
“When we first sought out Audience.io, we just wanted to celebrate Black businesses in Baltimore,” explained Paris Brown. “We didn’t expect all the additional benefits—revenue, engagement, and brand visibility.”
The campaign had multiple phases: nominations, voting, and community engagement. Businesses and community members actively nominated their favorite Black-owned businesses, which were then voted on by thousands of Baltimore residents.
“The best part?” Brown continued. “We discovered so many businesses we didn’t even know existed. This became more than just an awards program; it became a discovery tool for potential advertisers.”
The engagement numbers were staggering:
Businesses enthusiastically embraced the campaign, generating their own marketing assets to drive votes and engagement. Some even called the award “the most prestigious recognition in Baltimore.”
“One company called us at 10 p.m. in tears, saying they needed to be part of this campaign,” Brown recalled.
Downlide the slide deck used during the broadcast
Gray Media: Driving foot traffic, app downloads, and lead generation
While The Baltimore Times leveraged Audience.io to monetize community engagement, Gray Media took a different approach: using contests and promotions to generate audience data, app downloads, and revenue.
A prime example? A grocery store campaign that offered $100 gift cards as incentives—but required participants to download the station’s news app to enter.
“We ended up with 97,000 total entries and 12,000 unique users,” said Ryan Pinnell. “But the biggest win? Every single person had to download our app to enter.”
That’s 97,000 new app downloads—all tied directly to an advertiser’s sponsorship.
Audience.io’s bonus entry feature played a key role. Participants could visit grocery stores for additional chances to win. “Every time they checked in at a store location, they got 10 bonus entries,” explained Green. “Not only did this drive foot traffic, but it also generated valuable first-party data for the retailer.”
This strategy aligns perfectly with what advertisers actually want. “Nine out of ten advertisers aren’t just looking for brand exposure,” Pinnell emphasized. “They want leads. And this platform delivers leads at scale.”
From small publishers to major broadcasters—why engagement campaigns work for all media brands
One of the webinar’s most powerful takeaways? Audience engagement strategies work for media brands of all sizes.
For small, independent publishers, they provide a turnkey solution to generate revenue and audience growth. For large media groups, they offer scalable strategies for data capture and advertiser ROI.
“In every local market, there’s an opportunity to use engagement to drive revenue,” Green explained. “Whether you’re a newspaper, a digital publisher, a TV station, or even a niche magazine—if you’re not building audience-first campaigns, you’re leaving money on the table.”
Ryan Pinnell echoed this: “If you’re not leveraging these tools, you’re missing out on the easiest way to generate advertiser revenue and community goodwill.”
For The Baltimore Times, a publication with a lean team of just three and a half people, adopting Audience.io’s solutions turned out to be a game-changer. Their “Best of Black Baltimore” campaign generated six figures in revenue and significantly expanded their email database and community engagement.
“When we first sought out Audience.io, we just wanted to celebrate Black businesses in Baltimore,” explained Paris Brown. “We didn’t expect all the additional benefits—revenue, engagement, and brand visibility.”
The campaign had multiple phases: nominations, voting, and community engagement. Businesses and community members actively nominated their favorite Black-owned businesses, which were then voted on by thousands of Baltimore residents.
A blueprint for media success in 2025 and beyond
Audience.io’s next phase will be even more exciting, as the company expands into larger-scale, high-value promotions that media companies can instantly activate.
“We’re rolling out national promotions where publishers can participate without having to create their own prize pools,” Green revealed. “Want to offer a ‘Win a Free Mortgage for a Year’ contest? We already have that ready for you. It’s turnkey.”
Mike Blinder closed the session with a powerful takeaway: “This isn’t just about making money. It’s about creating engagement that builds brands, strengthens relationships, and turns audience interaction into revenue.”
For media companies looking to future-proof their revenue models, the message is clear: engagement-driven revenue strategies aren’t optional—they’re essential.
Want to learn more? Visit Audience.io to schedule a demo.
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