Research recently commissioned by PR Newswire offers some insight into earned media’s impact and growing prevalence in today's marketing initiatives.

The June study, “The Earned Media Opportunity,” was conducted by research and advisory firm Outsell. That study surveyed more than 1,500 senior marketing executives on the roles paid, owned and earned media channels play in their campaigns, as well as the perceived effectiveness of each.

OutsellThe study’s findings reinforce the idea that earned media is a crucial component in marketing campaigns, and found that this channel, when integrated in the marketing mix along with paid and owned channels, can drive campaigns' reach and effectiveness.

Overall, the study found marketers rate owned media as the most effective — and most cost-effective — channel. However, earned media is now widely seen as at least as effective as paid media: the study reported that 73 percent of large firms and 81 percent of small firms now rate earned media as “more” or “as effective” as banner or TV ads delivered by media companies.

The study also found that audiences typically view earned media as the most authentic and trustworthy form of marketing. Perhaps as a result of this, marketers’ attitudes toward earned media seems to have shifted recently, as the study indicates a marked rebalancing of this channel in the marketing mix has occurred in the last year: the study shows that marketing executives reported a 10 percent year-over-year increase in spending toward both native ads and social engagement, and a three-percent increase in annual spending toward PR. Top earned media methods reported were press releases, speaking slots, testimonials, case studies and social media monitoring.

The study also found that earned media is more often seen as effective by marketers under 40 than by those over 55. Millennial marketers, in particular, find this channel especially effective. Moreover, marketers commonly view earned media methods as labor intensive, and perhaps for this reason, it’s a channel that’s currently more widely used by larger firms than smaller ones.

The Outsell study also found that CMOs are now reducing the role paid media plays in the marketing mix. However, a majority of those surveyed stated that paid, owned and earned channels are regularly leveraged in concert with one another, and the role and deployment of each channel depends on the specifics of a campaign.