Publisher Ziff Davis is moving to the FreeWall model by Rezonence, straddling the world between free content and the paywall, says DigiDay. Ziff Davis successfully tested Vodafone campaigns this summer, and is ready to test on a larger scale, starting in the U.K.Ziff Davis is the #1 publisher in the technology, gaming and men’s lifestyle arena, reaching audiences with popular products including PC Mag, IGN and AskMen, attracting more than 69 million unique visitors every month.Rezonence calls FreeWall the third monetization strategy, granting users access to premium content in exchange for “accepting a meaningful and brief brand message or experience.” For such interactions, advertisers compensate publishers, providing them with an additional source of revenue.Rezonence considers its advertising alternative the best of all possible worlds, because all stakeholders get something they want:

• Users get access to premium content for free.
• Advertisers get to engage with their target audience to educate them about their brand or product.
• The publisher is rewarded for bringing advertisers and users together and for providing quality content that keeps readers engaged.

Here is a sample of a FreeWall ad for Emirates:

   According to DigiDay, ad units will appear on Ziff Davis sites after the third paragraph of an article. To access the remainder of the article, users must answer a relevant question offered by an advertiser.”The technology gives value to the editorial content that’s being produced,” Adam Hopkinson, international commercial director at Ziff Davis told Digiday. “It helps to create that channel effect where that content is appearing. If there are metrics that demonstrate people are engaging with editorial on that platform, then it’s a good thing for the publisher and the advertiser.”Rather than working on a CPM or CTR basis, the model is based on a cost-per-engagement model. FreeWall ads are capped at one per site, per month, so the ads are more sustainable and scalable, says DigiDay. Rezonence said that FreeWall works because it provides two-way communication between advertiser and user.City A.M. is among the earlier adopters of FreeWall. Martin Muncaster, head of commercial development for City A.M. has been pleased with the results so far and surprised at the lack of reader complaints.”We took a punt of FreeWall and now think it will make us more money than any other monetization strategy,” said Muncaster.Insider Take:We love the innovation of the FreeWall model and its focus on reader engagement, especially with the latest statistics showing that 56% of all website visitors are bots, not humans. The value of an ad to advertisers – and publishers – is not necessarily the number of impressions, especially if the majority of web traffic is automated. Instead, it is the ability to engage with users, whether it is getting their ad seen or interacted with.Rezonence has come up with a creative solution, offering an unobtrusive, optional way for readers to get valued content for free in exchange for engagement or information. With the appropriate limits in place, like daily or monthly caps, FreeWall and publishers can maintain integrity while utilizing a new monetization strategy.Will it work for all publishers? Probably not. It won’t replace the subscription model or paywalls, but FreeWall can serve as a revenue stream for companies who wish to diversify income sources and who want to maintain a quality experience for their readers. FreeWall is also an opportunity to combat ad blockers and produce real value for all parties involved. The concept has a lot of potential.~ Dana E. Neuts, Subscription Insider