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Huffington Post UK launches advertorial 'Inspiration' section

The Huffington Post UK has launched a new 'Inspiration' section on its site which will enable brands "to communicate directly with prospective consumers via video, blogs and social media," announced a press release from AOL.

Its first focus is a cross-platform package in conjunction with other AOL properties to promote Iceland as a year-round tourist destination. As the press release says, the 'Inspired by Iceland' campaign, sponsored by Promote Iceland and Iceland's government, is "the first Europe- wide marketing campaign that fully integrates a comprehensive suite of AOL advertising products, content and platforms."

There are other posts on the page that are unrelated to the Iceland effort, and HuffPost UK editor-in-chief Carla Buzasi said that the Inspiration section is dedicated to "all things inspirational." Food will be a theme over the next few days, then careers and lifestyle, with participation from both HuffPo's journalists and bloggers.

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Emma Goodman's picture

Emma Goodman

Date

2012-02-24 13:58

Sponsored tweets - a great new revenue stream?

Advertising is crucial to the health of the news industry; it is the egg in the cake mixture, the crucial ingredient that binds everything together, even when print product sales are dropping. As the newspaper business navigates the transition to into the digital era, online advertising is becoming an ever more important revenue stream, much has been said about the necessity to 'stack those dimes' that trickle in from web ads in order to survive tough financial conditions.

In light of this situation, when someone proposes an alternative source of advertising, you can't blame news organisations for pricking up their ears and listening. What is this new source of ad revenue? The sponsored tweet.

'Great! Another way to grab some much needed cash!' you might think... but is it really a good idea for newspapers to issue sponsored material on their Twitter feeds?

Why could you argue that sponsored tweeting is a good idea?

1) MONEY. It's sad but true, newspapers need money. According to Nieman Lab, sponsored tweets can supposedly bring in $300 per day for a publication like The Statesman , which deals with news and entertainment in Austin, Texas. The publication puts out two clearly labelled sponsored tweets per day promoting local businesses and events. This is valuable revenue from 140 characters.

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Author

Katherine Travers

Date

2011-11-15 15:37

Advertorials: do they represent the paradox of the Fourth Estate?

Is the line between advertising market pressure and editorial integrity becoming thinner?
Within the crisis much of the press is facing, being able to attract more advertising can be a critical factor in a publication's survival. And branded, or 'advertorial' content has become more popular: content published in the layout of an article. It is vital, when using this, however, to maintain editorial integrity.

As Journalism.co.uk reported, the Association of Online Publishers has taken an interest in how media outlets can take advantage of branded content without losing readers' trust and held a conference entitled "Maintaining editorial integrity and making partnerships pay" on February 17th in London.

"The line between advertising and editorial is set to blur even further this year. Some say we're going to see more advertising moving toward content, and more acceptance of that, while others warn of inevitable damage to editorial integrity", AOP said presenting the event. While for years advertisers have been trying to align ever more closely with publishers brands online and cross-platform, now different models between simple partnerships are emerging, especially as digital advertising becomes richer and more complex - it noted.

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Federica Cherubini's picture

Federica Cherubini

Date

2011-02-21 16:36

Former editor criticizes ethics of LA Times advertorial

T.L. Caswell, formerly of the Los Angeles Times editing staff and current writer for Truthdig, recently published an article criticizing the Times' decision to run a realistic looking advertorial on the July 1st edition of their LATExtra. The publication, which has won 39 Pulitzer prizes, has the fourth largest circulation in the United States. Caswell, holding the newspaper in high esteem, expresses his sentiment that the Times is "among the greatest dailies of modern time." He adds, however, that "now, the good times are gone and, some will argue, the good Times is gone."

Facing bankruptcy, the Times, like many other publications, must make changes in order to survive. Caswell notes that is spite of staff cutbacks and several other adjustments, such as the introduction of the LATExtra section, have not "cured the ills" of the paper.

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Author

Carole Wurzelbacher

Date

2010-07-06 12:43

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The World Editors Forum is the organization within the World Association of Newspapers devoted to newspaper editors worldwide. The Editors Weblog (www.editorsweblog.org), launched in January 2004, is a WEF initiative designed to facilitate the diffusion of information relevant to newspapers and their editors.

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