Consumer Reports Just Dropped $3 Million on Its Biggest Ad Push in Five Years

Why is my laundry taking two hours? Is this sunscreen water-resistant? Will my dishes be dry when the dishwasher finishes?

In its first major marketing push in more than five years, the non-profit publisher Consumer Reports unveiled a $3 million, full-funnel brand marketing campaign on Tuesday rooted in addressing the everyday questions that pepper modern life.

The initiative, part of a broader effort from the 90-year-old non-profit to emphasize its utility in a rapidly shifting information landscape, was developed with branding agency Red Antler and media agency Kepler, according to chief marketing officer Khalid El Khatib. 

It will be fully live by March 6 and run through the end of May, spanning digital, social, connected TV, linear, and out-of-home placements across eight DMAs, including Chicago, Atlanta, Phoenix, and Miami.

Anchored in the tagline “We Never Stop Questioning,” the creative leans into the rigor of Consumer Reports’ testing, which has exposed protein powder contaminated with lead, defective child car seats, and recalled toys. The messaging also aims to communicate a broader transformation afoot at the brand, as it repositions itself from a ratings publisher to an independent consumer advocate.

While Consumer Reports enjoys high brand awareness, many consumers still associate it primarily with a print magazine.

“A lot of people know Consumer Reports, but they don’t necessarily know the Consumer Reports of today,” said El Khatib.

The organization publishes one of the top five magazines in the country by circulation and counts roughly 5 million paying members across digital and print tiers, according to El Khatib.

Membership, which costs $39 per year for digital and $64 per year for print and digital, remains its primary revenue driver, bringing in roughly 70% of its overall revenue. Its most recent financial statement, filed March 2025, shows that the organization generated $266 million in revenue and a net income of approximately $1.7 million. 

In addition to its membership program, Consumer Reports generates revenue, in descending order, from philanthropic donations, brand licensing through its CR Recommended program, and affiliate commerce. Unlike many publishers, it does not accept advertising and purchases every product it tests, spending around $33 million annually on independent evaluations, according to El Khatib.

A bifurcated funnel

Strategically, the campaign is designed as a case study in dual-audience targeting, according to Consumer Reports’ director of brand marketing Jennifer Evans.

The non-profit split its media investment between two cohorts: consumers 55 and older, who demonstrate high familiarity and affinity for the brand, and a 35-to-54 audience with lower awareness of its modern identity.

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The older segment is being served lower-funnel messaging designed to drive membership and donations, while the younger cohort is targeted with upper-funnel brand education, aimed at reframing Consumer Reports as an advocacy-oriented nonprofit rather than a legacy magazine brand.

“We have the gift of tremendously high awareness and affinity among older people,” El Khatib said. “Where we need to focus is moving people down the funnel and bringing younger audiences into the fold.”

The campaign is running in eight test markets, with placements optimized based on search, social, and household income data, according to Evans. Several of the placements will incorporate contextual relevance, such as promoting its protein powder exposé in gyms and its toy recall reporting in OOH mall displays.

To demonstrate return on investment, the organization aims to lower customer acquisition costs, while increasing newsletter signups and membership conversions. It is also conducting a cross-platform brand lift study and comparing performance in test and control markets.

A broader publisher push

Consumer Reports’ effort comes amid a wave of brand marketing campaigns from premium publishers, which have sought to bolster their relevance as referral traffic declines and AI disrupts search.

Chris Garbutt, co-president and chief creative officer of VIRTUE, said the timing reflects a convergence of pressures: fragmented media consumption, algorithmic discovery, and a growing need for brands to proactively assert their value.

Creatively, the work is solid but conventional, according to Garbutt, who noted that many publishers are leaning into traditional paid media pushes at a moment when cultural relevance may require deeper participation.

“If I were to optimize it, I’d think about how to make that platform more participative,” he said. “It’s less about share of voice and more about share of platform.”

For Consumer Reports, the campaign ultimately aims to reinforce its core value proposition, which is the trust it has engendered over decades of consumer advocacy.

In the modern media landscape, where consumers often fail to consider the source of the information they receive, Consumer Reports’ non-profit structure and refusal to accept advertising provide a clear narrative advantage.

The challenge, according to Garbutt, is articulating that difference quickly and memorably in a crowded environment.

“Positioning themselves as a trusted source in a world without a lot of trust makes a lot of sense,” Garbutt said. “You can’t just expect people to know what you’re about anymore. You have to tell them.”