Success Story
Improving ad sales with AI
Newsquest, a Gannet company, leads modern media sales with Mediaferry AI
Tags: Media Company
Highlights
Slashed turnaround from 48 hours to 15 minutes.
Instant bookings of live ads
Self-service, brand compliant visuals
Training converts even new hires into sales champions
About Newsquest
Newsquest Media Group is the UK’s second-largest regional news publisher, owned by Gannett, operating over 200 local newspaper and magazine brands across England, Scotland, and Wales. Headquartered in London with more than 5,500 employees, it reaches 28 million monthly online visitors and 6.5 million weekly print readers through trusted local journalism and digital innovation.
The challenges
Newsquest faced significant delays in creative production, with turnaround times stretching up to 48 hours for ad creatives, hindering same-day campaign bookings.
Sales teams lacked control over production, relying on centralized processes that slowed responsiveness and limited their ability to provide instant visuals during client pitches.
These bottlenecks frustrated high-performing teams, reduced advertiser satisfaction, and threatened Newsquest’s agility in a competitive digital media landscape.
The solutions
Mediaferry’s (powered by EKCS) SmartDesign AI empowered Newsquest sales teams with instant, brand-compliant ad creatives generated from minimal inputs like URLs or basic briefs.
Seamless CRM integration automated workflows from booking to approval, eliminating manual handoffs and enabling self-service production. The platform’s brand memory feature ensured “right first time” results, while structured training and super users drove rapid adoption across regions.
The rollout was structured, inclusive and well-supported. With remote training, e-learning, reference guides and “super users” in every region, teams adapted quickly. Initial skepticism turned into enthusiasm as reps saw the quality and speed of AI-generated creatives.
The results
Faster turnaround
Achieved dramatic turnaround time reduction from 48 hours to just 15 minutes for ad creatives.
Campaigns live same day
Enabled same-day campaign bookings and live ads, accelerating revenue delivery.
Faster approvals & conversions
Supercharged sales conversations with instant visuals that secure faster client approvals.
Sell confidently without design experience
Empowered new hires to sell confidently without prior design experience or training.
“It seemed too good to be true, but it actually is that good. A few words and an image can create an amazing ad in minutes.”
Katie Bradshaw
Training Manager
Automation is a game-changer for media companies, providing them with the opportunity to save precious time and money on advertising production costs.
By adopting the offshore model, media companies and publishers can effectively expand their operations, enhance flexibility, and maintain exceptional quality standards. Discover how partnering with EKCS can empower your existing teams to streamline creative production and achieve optimal efficiency.
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