The 'Advertorial'
You may not have heard of the 'advertorial' before, but if businesses have their way, you're going to be seeing a lot more of it, and won't even know you're viewing paid advertising. Advertisers are desperate. More and more, the lines are being blurred between what is paid advertising and what is news, opinions or entertainment. Already magazine spreads are filled with pages that pose as articles -- and you would be duped into reading the "article" if you didn't see the Special Advertising Section note on the page header. Then there is product placements in everything: television shows, movies, video games, books and music. Some advertising has become entertainment -- where the "show" stars the product.
Things are about to escalate as businesses try even more for your eye. Now, advertisers are looking to buy articles -- they're looking to buy editorials -- where a product would be the feature of the article or editorial. Advertisers are definitely desperate. Our eyes and dollars are becoming more difficult to reach. We've reached advertising saturation, and are doing a TiVo to stop the soliciting advertising popups. We're cornered however, because as desperate as advertisers are, big media is even more desperate as traditional ad dollars fly to other channels. There is a price for your eyes and wallets, and the media companies that once adhered to a separation between advertising and editorial content have a dollar figure in mind -- and you've been sold out.
An aside -- the Devil's Dictionary defines advertorial as, 1) spurious; disingenuous; karmic; and, my favourite, 2) the dildo of literature — while in theory somewhat like the real organ, in practice a perpetually frustrating disappointment.
Things are about to escalate as businesses try even more for your eye. Now, advertisers are looking to buy articles -- they're looking to buy editorials -- where a product would be the feature of the article or editorial. Advertisers are definitely desperate. Our eyes and dollars are becoming more difficult to reach. We've reached advertising saturation, and are doing a TiVo to stop the soliciting advertising popups. We're cornered however, because as desperate as advertisers are, big media is even more desperate as traditional ad dollars fly to other channels. There is a price for your eyes and wallets, and the media companies that once adhered to a separation between advertising and editorial content have a dollar figure in mind -- and you've been sold out.
An aside -- the Devil's Dictionary defines advertorial as, 1) spurious; disingenuous; karmic; and, my favourite, 2) the dildo of literature — while in theory somewhat like the real organ, in practice a perpetually frustrating disappointment.
You're right about advertisers desparately looking for new ways to get our money. But why, then, have you got a million ads; Amazon, the Body Shop, etc etc down your blog? Yes, there are even blogs now coming up that are outright written by Coke, as a way of communicating with their customers about their drinks, and getting feedback, etc. It's in the business week about blogs. But The ads down the side of your site just ... I dunno ... annoy me sometimes, for that reason. Your blog is good, but the ads are distracting. I would like it if you might be able to "censor" them out. Or off. Your blog would be so much more powerful, as would your message against advertorials and advertising, without the ads.
ReplyDeleteBTW, I know what an advertorial is, I have worked for Excalibur, and we have had a couple of editorials against them!
Did you read the post? I have no issues with advertising. I work for a retailer. We advertise so we can sell people stuff they don't want, so we can make money to pay employees, like me, so I can afford a car and the gas money to drive it when I need to pick up a certain daughter of mine from work at midnight. (A daughter, who mind you is in a program, that when she graduates, will be in the business of creating the propaganda that will drive people insane with a need for whatever it is she's spouting on about ... if she's successful -- and I hope she is.)
ReplyDeleteHaving said that however, I realize that you didn't read the post, because if you did, you'd notice that I harp on the blurring of the line between advertising and opinion pieces. With regular advertising, like the ads down the side of my site, you at least know it's an ad, because it's there, screaming out, "Hey! Look at me! I'm a friggin' ad!" With advertorials however, the reader, especially those that actually don't read, don't realize that what they're reading isn't an editorial piece, but an ad with an agenda: get you to part with your money. It's tricking you into believing that the editorial is real. Sort of like some opinionated books that pass off an author's world view as facts to the uninitiated.
I have a problem with advertorials. I do not have a problem with advertising. I'm hoping that someone may actually be enticed by the advertising on my site, click a link, buy some shit and hopefully get me some money for the ad click. Yes, I'm delusional -- but at least I'm fully aware of my delusions and still have my scruples intact. Advertorials bad.
Can you get me PayPal, and pay for some BodyShop stuff for me if I click on the link, then? ;)
ReplyDelete