UKNM: Re: Online Advertorial

[Andrew M Warner]

I disagree.  Whilst the advertorial approach has been favoured by some dodgy

advertisers offline (i.e. "you too can become a millionaire by buying my

book"), used properly, it can be a  useful communications option for

marketeers.   Advertorial can work if the brand being advertised and the

host publication are a good match, and the host publication has a well

defined, loyal/passionate readership .  Youth/fmcg brands have used them to

good effect for years with mags such as Smash Hits, More and J17 and more

recently more upmarket brands have utilsed magazines such as Esquire, Arena

and Vogue to good effect.  It is has absolutely nothing to do with conning

people, advertorial is always introduced as promotional content by

responsible publications, and it is pretty obvious that it is promoting a

product.

Advertorial can allow media and product brands to support each others values

and to build credibility.  For example A new shaving product running

advertorial in FHM's 'looking good' section benefits from association with

the FHM brand, is able to introduce its product features to readers and can

then go on to offer readers the opportunity to enter a competition (for data

capture), offer a coupon/discount (to promote sampling) or insert a sample

sachet to allow immediate sampling.  It is not a replacement for

advertising, or any other communication medium, but offers an option that

can be use to good effect if relevant to marketing objectives and to the

readers of a publication.  In the previous example, the FHM brand also

benefits from being able to offer it's readers a competition/free sample and

by introducing them to a new product.  In fact with advertorial in

publications with strong brands of their own, there is probably less chance

of a dodgy product been foisted on the public than with advertising, as

there is a greater degree of vetting and editorial control- a strong

magazine brand does not want to piss off its readers by associating with a

dodgy advertorial for a dodgy product.

On the web, 'advertorial' may not be the best term to use, as it is rare for

consumers to consume large editorial features online in the same way as they

do with a print publication.  Howver the same principles can be applied

effectively.  An example would be Smirnoff's use of summer clubbing site

Beachbeats.com (declaration of interest: site is Emap owned) to promote

their bottled Vodka products to the site's audience of regular clubbers/pub

goers ( http://www.beachbeats.com ).  In no way is this misleading users of

the site, but it allows Smirnoff to interact with opinion formers in their

target audience, to datacapture, to drive product sampling and to associate

with the Kiss and Mixmag brands on the site, without creating yet another

pointless fmcg web site.

As for TV, the medium works in a different way as an advertising platform.

But programme sponsorship, advertiser funded programming, masthead TV  and

product placement are all alive and well.  There are guidelines that have to

be adhered to, but as with advertorial, promoting a product through these

approaches does not have to equal misleading the public.  In most cases they

will be combined with advertising, PR etc as part of an overall

communications plan.  However, as interactive TV develops, and the concept

of the traditional ad-break becomes eroded, IMHO more and more advertisers

are likely to look seriously at these options...though hopefully the quality

will improve on offerings such as OK TV!I


Andrew Warner (mobile)

Head of Marketing

Emap Online

andrew [dot] warneremaponline [dot] com

Date: Fri, 22 Sep 2000 13:39:58 +0100

>

From: "Richard Bailey" <RBaileygodado [dot] com>

>Subject: RE: UKNM: Online advertorials???

>

>>From my view the idea of an advertorial seems wrong and the sell out of

any

>writer.  If it is paid for then it is an advert, if its worth selling then

>say it for no money.  Conning the user into thinking that an advert is real

>content is not good from a moral stand.  You would hope that the content of

>any news, reviews or info site would be honest enough to say when something

>has been paid for.  For example the ITC don't let you do that in a TV

>program, even product placement has a limit.

>

>Richard Bailey

>Internet Sales Executive



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  The biggest, best Chinwag Networking party...ever...

    **27th September 2000**  put it in your diaries now

 RSVP to http://www.chinwag.com/uk-netmarketing/party.shtml

  To sponsor the event email

spareanychangechinwag [dot] com

               generously supported by...

  *** DoubleClick ***      http://www.doubleclick.net

  The leading provider of comprehensive global Internet

 advertising solutions for marketers and Web publishers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  To unsubscribe or change your list settings go to

http://www.chinwag.com/uk-netmarketing or

helpchinwag [dot] com