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Blatant Promotion – WSJ Columnist Features His Own Book

Article and ad for new book by Jason Gay
The Wall Street Journal, Sports, D5, November 3, 2015

Did you read The Wall Street Journal and see this on page D5 in Sports on November 3? Take a moment to click on the photo to see it better. In the print edition there was a column about a new book on the upper right hand side and an ad for the book on the bottom.

First, I found it strange to read an entire column by sports columnist Jason Gay touting his new book, “Little Victories: Perfect Rules for Imperfect Living” and secondly, it’s odd to see an ad for the book on the same page.

Seriously WSJ? A journalist was given carte blanche to use his column to promote his new book plus display an ad for it on the same page. Was he given a pass since he covers sports and not breaking news or business? I have no idea but think it’s a conflict of interest for a journalist and a news outlet the size and stature of The Wall Street Journal.

His column “The Best Victories Are the Little Ones” was laced with sarcasm and wit, so it was as usual a fun read. For example, citing his mother’s feelings about his new book he writes, “My mother has proclaimed it to be “Not bad.” In describing his new book he writes, “It’s a life guide for people who hate life guides” and “I want it to make you laugh – a lot.”

I enjoy Jason’s columns as they are usually light-hearted fare for this subscriber who is not well-versed in the world of big-time sports or knows a thing about fantasy football.

I get it. The lines between editorial and advertising are blurring with native advertising, brand journalism, branded content, sponsored content and paid posts all becoming more popular. Even Blurrier Lines on NPR’s On The Media show explores this trend.

Unfortunately we read about cuts everyday at news organizations grappling with how to stay profitable, figure things out and grow their audiences in the digital age. However the WSJ is not your neighborhood weekly where highly promotional pieces may appear that are sold as part of an editorial/advertising package.

Your thoughts? I’d love to know.

 

 

 

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How PR and Media Relations Help Cut Through the Clutter

Cutting a ribbonThere are numerous ways to engage consumers so they will think favorably about your brand, product, service, business, specialty or new idea.

In the “old days” the separation between the advertising and the editorial or production sides of a magazine, TV, radio program or industry trade publication were clear. Today, not so much.

Consumers are now deluged with “native advertising” which are paid messages that blend in with content and are presented as advertorials, sponsored blog posts, promoted tweets, Facebook ads and the like.

It’s easier for consumers to differentiate between the program content vs. the commercials on TV and radio shows than it is for them to know whether they’re reading a paid native ad or not.

So what should you do when planning a communications campaign?

The key is to understand what you’re buying and how the consumer will perceive your message.  Consumers today are savvy and more wary of paid messages than of those that are unpaid.

Time Inc. recently announced it’s planning a big push into native advertising already running with its People and Entertainment Weekly brands. Farhad Manjoo, a technology reporter for The Wall Street Journal, worries that the lines between advertiser-sponsored or commercial content and independently reported content are blurring as legacy media and news and other sites embrace native advertising as a new source of revenue. His concerns are explained in this video and in his column today, “Why ‘Native Ads’ Muddy the Water for Web Surfers.”

The services provided by PR and media relations professionals cut through the clutter to communicate our clients’ messages in the “unpaid”or “earned media” arena which I believe will become even more valuable in today’s increasingly commercial environment. We’re skilled at uncovering what’s newsworthy and unique about our clients and then convey this information in a way that appeals to the media professionals whose audiences would be interested.

Our clients don’t pay and therefore don’t control the space or air time where the messages, interviews, surveys, videos, photos and other content appear, therefore the impact is more genuine and meaningful. Let’s hope that these opportunities for media coverage continue to exist in the future without having to pay for them.

So what do you think about the growth of native ads on the Web? Is this a good thing or not?

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UPDATES:

The F.T.C. held a public workshop today (December 4, 2013), “Blurred Lines: Advertising or Content?” to examine “native advertising.” They’re concerned that sponsored online ads can be misleading and will be taking a harder look at such practices. Here’s the story as reported in The New York Times.

The New York Times plans to start its native ads in January as digitally only. Click here for the details.