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Powered by Ceros
Twelve years ago, Adam Sangster took a bet on a little-known company with a big idea: empower marketers to create high-impact digital experiences without having to rely on developers. Today, that company is Ceros. Sangster is VP of Channel Revenue and leads a growing team that supports over 120 publishers and creative agencies using the platform to build standout branded content—faster and smarter.
“What we’re really trying to unlock is the art of the possible,” says Sangster. “How far can you push your creative ideas when you’re not bogged down by code, cost, or templates?”
At this year’s Native Advertising Days 2025 in London, he’ll explore exactly that in a fireside chat with Victoria White of The Times and The Sunday Times. The focus? How publishers are transforming luxury brand partnerships through customized, scalable, interactive content.
From templates to total creative freedom
Ceros, in Sangster’s words, is a “a creative platform where you can build any type of digital experience with unlimited creativity and zero developers.” In plain terms, it lets publishers and agencies create interactive content without writing a single line of code. And that’s a game-changer.
“If all you're doing is long-scroll parallax, there are cheaper tools out there,” Sangster admits. “But if you're doing choose-your-own-adventures, gamified experiences, custom maps, or premium storytelling for luxury brands—that's where Ceros really shines.”
That flexibility is one reason publishers like News UK, Future, and Business Insider have turned to Ceros to bring their branded content to life. And for Sangster, the key differentiator is simple:
“If you put great design in, you’ll get great interactive power out.”
Creative elevation at scale
In an era of shrinking print budgets and increasing demands on digital teams, publishers are constantly looking for ways to do more with less. For legacy media like The Times and The Sunday Times, the challenge is even sharper: How do you create content worthy of premium brands without ballooning production costs?
Victoria White’s team at News UK has found a sweet spot.
“They’re activating large campaigns with custom content that would normally require front-end developers,” Sangster explains. “Instead, they’re using Ceros to do it faster, at scale, and in a way that maintains the quality luxury brands demand.”
From Cartier to five-star travel destinations, the examples Sangster plans to share in London are designed to inspire, not sell.
“Everyone already knows we’re the sponsor,” he laughs. “Our goal is to get out of the way and let the work speak for itself.”
Engagement over eyeballs
If Sangster sounds passionate, it’s because he’s spent over a decade watching branded content evolve—and sees both its promise and its pitfalls.
“Most media plans are still sold on CPMs,” he says. “You spend 80% driving eyeballs to the content and 20% on the content itself. That’s madness.”
Instead, he wants to shift the conversation to what he calls “anchor content”—the destination that actually captures attention and drives meaningful interaction.
“If you’ve got bad anchor content, your media has to work twice as hard. But great content? That pulls people in, gets shared, boosts SEO—it’s a multiplier.”
And it’s not just about dwell time. Sangster points to the power of engagement metrics: custom events, video plays, click-throughs.
“You might have lower dwell time but higher engagement. That’s where real value lives.”
Designing for differentiation
With AI reshaping content production, design has never been more important.
“In the short term, elevated creativity is the biggest differentiator from AI-generated content,” Sangster says. “And it’s not just about aesthetics—it's about ideas. The publishers using Ceros retain top creative talent because their teams know they won’t be boxed in by templates.”
He likens it to Figma—a tool that doesn’t define the outcome but amplifies creativity.
“Everyone might be using the same tool, but it’s what you put in that determines what you get out.”
At Native Advertising Days 2025 you can witness Sangster and White show what’s possible—not just technically, but creatively and strategically.
Want to hear more? Join Adam Sangster at Native Advertising Days 2025 in London.
