Editorial Packages for Sale
Is Advertiser-generated News of Value to a Marketer?
Some newspapers and magazines offer advertising packages that guarantee the advertiser news or editorial space. Savvy marketers usually ask some questions before they invest in the deal.
The packages aren't written about very often because neither the advertiser nor the publication benefit very much from the exposure. They differ from the industry's accepted "advertorials," which are ads formatted to resemble editorial material, but labeled as advertising.
Editorial Packages Offer Ad and PR Benefits
For the advertiser, the packages appear to offer the benefits of both advertising and public relations. The temptation is to get more space for the firm’s money and to generate third-party endorsement for the company's message. However, the wary marketer should ask certain questions first.
Questions to Ask:
- What would the advertising cost without the complimentary news story? Is the ad cost inflated to cover the news space?
- If the news space is given away, how much is it really worth?
- Do readers pay much attention to the news columns if advertisers provide a significant part of its content?
- How much credibility does the publication carry?
- Are there ethical issues involved in such packages?
Free vs. Subscription-based Publications
Free publications are primarily obligated to their advertisers and some think they have done their job once they have distributed the promised number of copies. But the good ones go beyond distribution and try to "reach" the readers by offering good content.
Subscriber publications have a financial obligation to their readers, so they must provide acceptable content to retain their subscribers. They tend to be more protective of their news columns and their credibility, making their news space more valuable.
Most Large Publications Offer Only Advertorials and Special Ad Sections
Most large, respected publications will not offer ad/news packages, but will offer advertorials and special promotion sections in which even the news columns are discretely labeled as advertising. The sections are often dedicated to autos, real estate, special events and holiday editions.
Some ad/news packages are only promoted verbally by the ad salesperson, who may use the free news space as a negotiating chip to wrap up the ad sale.
Advertorial offers, like the following one, can sometimes be found on the publication’s rate card:
"BUSINESS SHOWCASE. An editorial look at your business, with story and photo by our staff of professional, award-winning writers and photographers."
The paper maintains control over the advertorial by saying it will prepare the content, rather than accepting the advertiser’s copy.
Running Ad and Story On Same Page May Lessen Impact
Publications that offer ad/news packages frequently run the advertiser’s news story right next to the company ad. While this may give the advertiser dominance on the page, it probably diminishes the third-party impact by showing the direct connection between the ad and the story.
While editorial purists might frown on them and some newspaper associations forbid their members to offer such packages, it is generally left to the advertiser and publisher to sort out any ethical factors involved in the deals. Some publications do not belong to a publishers' association.
Despite the questions they generate, the ad/news packages remain popular because they appear to offer something free.
Some radio and television stations offer similar arrangements.
