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How to get featured in The Drum

How to get featured in The Drum: how its newsroom covers marketing, how to pitch its opinion editor, and how the paid Drum Network differs from editorial.

Website
thedrum.com
Lead time
News: same day. Opinion: depends on the slot and the news cycle; timely pitches move fastest.
Last verified

At a glance

Audience. A global audience of marketers, agency leaders, and media professionals, with strong readership in the UK and US.

  • Marketing and brand strategy
  • Agencies
  • Creative work
  • Media and ad tech
  • Social and creators
  • Opinion and industry debate
Staff reporting
A global newsroom reports news and features on brands, agencies, creative, and media, with a strong opinion section run by a dedicated editor.
Contributed articles
The Drum publishes opinion from outside contributors pitched to its editors. Separately, The Drum Network is a paid membership for agencies that includes a route to publish thought leadership.
Opinion and op-eds
Opinion pieces are pitched by email or direct message with a short synopsis. The Drum's own guide asks for the topic, your opinion on it, your bio, why it matters now, and a taste of your best point.
Press releases
Releases feed news reporting when they carry a real story. Generic announcements are unlikely to run.

Pitching The Drum, step by step

  1. Read The Drum's news and opinion sections and subscribe to its email briefings to learn its tone.

  2. For news, pitch the editorial team with the facts, the work, and why it matters to marketers now.

  3. For opinion, read The Drum's Opinion Guide and pitch a synopsis: topic, your opinion, your bio, why now, and your best point.

  4. Take a clear position. The guide says generic thought leadership does not work.

  5. Create a free TheDrum.com account before submitting, as the guide requests.

  6. Nudge once if you have not heard back. The guide says editors do not mind.

How The Drum decides what to cover

The Drum is a global marketing publication with a newsroom covering brands, agencies, creative work, media, and the creator economy. It is known for an opinionated voice, and its opinion section is a major part of the site, with a dedicated opinion editor.

Its own Opinion Guide sets the tone: the publication wants to hold a mirror to the industry, prefers real issues over hype, and wants contributors who say something. Timeliness matters. The guide notes that nobody opens a piece about Cannes Lions after the sunburn has healed.

How to pitch The Drum

For news, pitch the editorial team with the facts, the work, and a clear reason it matters to marketers now. Creative stories need the work and someone who can explain it.

For opinion, The Drum publishes a guide on exactly how to pitch. It asks for a short synopsis covering five things: your topic, your opinion on it, your bio and why you are the right person, why readers should read it now, and a taste of your best point. It says pitches can come by email or direct message, and that the slots are in high demand. It also asks contributors to create a free TheDrum.com account, which speeds up upload and editing.

Contributed articles and op-eds

The Drum offers two very different routes, and it is worth being clear about which is which.

The earned route is the opinion section. Your pitch competes on substance: the guide says the editors look for genuine expertise, a real opinion, a cultural or news hook, and an engaging read. It explicitly rejects generic thought leadership and AI-generated text.

The paid route is The Drum Network, a membership program for agencies. Members get access to a pitching portal, scheduled editorial and panel opportunities, and help from an editor to publish thought leadership in a member section of the site. Treat this as a paid marketing channel, not as earned coverage.

Frequently asked questions

Does The Drum accept guest posts?

Yes, in its opinion section, pitched by synopsis to its editors. Its Opinion Guide sets out what to include.

The Drum Network is a paid agency membership that includes publishing opportunities on the site. That is distinct from earned coverage in the newsroom and the opinion section.

What makes an opinion pitch work at The Drum?

A strong, formed view on a timely topic from someone with real expertise. The guide says a hot take outweighs a big name most of the time.

A PR-led agency treats The Drum’s opinion section as earned media and pitches it on the strength of the argument, which is how we approach media relations across the marketing trade press.

Mistakes that get pitches ignored

  • Generic thought leadership with no stance or news hook.
  • Pitching from a fence seat. The guide asks for a strong, formed opinion.
  • AI-written word soup. The guide is explicit that it does not want it.
  • Assuming a paid Drum Network membership is the same as earned editorial coverage.

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Sources for this profile (3)

Profiles describe public editorial processes and are reviewed periodically. Digitize is not affiliated with The Drum. Spot something out of date? Email [email protected].