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When branded content is done right, it doesn’t just build awareness. It sells. That’s the message Yvonne Beister, Director of the Content- and Strategy-Unit at Axel Springer Brand Studios, is bringing to the stage at Native Advertising Days 2025 in London.
With over 18,000 employees across more than 200 media brands worldwide, Axel Springer is one of the most influential media houses in Europe—and Beister is at the forefront of transforming how branded content is created, delivered, and measured.
The storytelling revolution is AI-powered
What excites Beister most about the upcoming event is what’s shaking up every corner of the media industry right now: AI.
“Nothing is currently shaking up the media industry more than AI,” she says. At Axel Springer, this transformation has a name: HEY_, the company’s proprietary AI tool that enables direct communication between readers and brands. “Suddenly, a dialogue between reader and brand is possible. We’re now offering this to our clients as well, creating fully customized chatbots. It’s a revolution in storytelling.”
At Native Advertising Days 2025, Beister looks forward to exchanging ideas and inspiration with peers from around the world—especially when it comes to AI. “I’m curious to see what AI solutions and AI products other publishers have come up with.”
Branded content that doesn’t just talk—it sells
Beister’s session in London isn’t just about innovation for innovation’s sake. It’s about results. Her talk, “How Branded Content Sells Products,” focuses on a high-performing campaign that Axel Springer Brand Studios created for Manuka Doctor—a relatively unknown New Zealand brand trying to break into the crowded German honey market.
“We created 12 emotional stories for Manuka Doctor and published them on Germany’s largest news platform,” Beister explains. “Over a million people read those stories, and more than 100,000 clicked through to the client’s site. A large portion of them bought the product.”
Those numbers are more than impressive—they’re competitive even with the top-performing influencer campaigns on social media. What made the difference?
“Because we explained why it’s worth paying around 60 euros for this honey,” she says. “Just think about that—it's a huge price, yet thousands paid it because we communicated the value through perfectly crafted stories. Good content always opens the readers’ wallets!”
Emotional storytelling outperforms traditional ads
For Beister, the effectiveness of branded content comes down to the human brain. “We remember real stories with real emotions and real people much more than flippant sales pitches,” she says. “Emotional stories get clicks—they reflect our lives and add value to the reader’s experience. And as a result, emotional storytelling often leads to a purchase decision.”
It’s a reminder that branded content isn’t just about visibility. When executed with authenticity and emotional depth, it moves people—and motivates them to act.
Building trust, from awareness to conversion
“Branded content has always been seen primarily as an awareness tool,” Beister says. “But there’s so much more to powerful storytelling.”
What sets publishers apart, she argues, is the context they offer. “People don’t just trust the news on our platforms—they trust the advertising, too. That means the impact is often many times higher than what you’d see on social platforms.”
This trust, paired with editorial-quality content, allows branded storytelling to guide consumers through the entire journey—from awareness to consideration to conversion.
The secret ingredient? Trust between client and studio
While great content matters, Beister is quick to highlight another essential ingredient in successful branded performance campaigns: trust.
“The client gave our creative team 100% trust, which allowed the experts to develop stories that truly resonated across Germany,” she says of the Manuka Doctor campaign. “The secret to success? Emotional stories paired with an attractive discount code—and we helped design the client’s homepage, too.”
It’s a formula she believes applies far beyond honey. “Only when there’s mutual trust can a campaign become a huge success.”
Performance-driven content is here to stay
Looking ahead, Beister sees performance-focused branded content becoming the norm—not the exception.
“Every ad ultimately aims to sell products. Today, content has to perform,” she says. “Brands have learned that content doesn’t just build image—it can directly achieve business goals.”
She points to tools like native call-to-action banners and data-driven personalization as ways to integrate conversion goals into storytelling without disrupting the user experience. “Branded content that adapts based on user behavior becomes more relevant, more impactful, and more sales-effective.”
With thought leaders like Yvonne Beister driving the conversation, Native Advertising Days 2025 promises to be a must-attend event for anyone serious about powerful storytelling and the future of native advertising.
Want to hear more? Join Yvonne Beister at Native Advertising Days 2025 in London.
