Substack announced updates to its “Sponsorships” program at Advertising Week New York on October 8, introducing three new formats designed to help publishers earn more from brand partnerships while giving brands new ways to measure the impact of those campaigns.

Dan Robbins, Substack’s Head of Brand Sponsorships, detailed the changes in a post on “On Substack.” The update follows the program’s first phase, announced in June, which introduced “Creator Kits,” customizable media kits that help brands evaluate a publication and its audience.

The three new formats work differently from standard digital advertising. “The Unlock” lets a brand sponsor one of a publisher’s paid posts, making it free to read while the publisher still gets paid. 

“The Upgrade” gives a publisher’s free subscribers a month of paid access underwritten by a brand, with readers able to convert to paying subscribers once the sponsored period ends. 

“The Masthead” has a brand work with writers and creators to curate or commission content around a theme, assembled in a dedicated destination on Substack similar to a digital zine.

Substack is also adding independent measurement to the program. For sponsorship campaigns with sufficient scale, the company will offer Kantar studies using privacy-safe surveys to track changes in brand awareness, perception, and purchase consideration, moving beyond the impressions and clicks that typically measure creator marketing.

Robbins framed the approach as a departure from traditional ad models: “An ad grabs you by the collar; a sponsorship is the wind at your back.”

Publisher participation remains opt-in. Bestsellers can signal interest in brand sponsorships by activating their Creator Kits. Substack said it has been testing the new formats with brands including Balenciaga, Uber, and T-Mobile ahead of the October 8 announcement.

Image source: Substack

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