Is Buzzfeed a Trick?

Nick Rees

nr972810@ohio.edu          

Photo Courtesy of Buzzfeed

In a world focused on material and the sale of items to any person with the money to afford
them, should we be surprised that some news stories are advertisements? Is it not the business of ad executives everywhere to penetrate our boundaries by strategically placing the products right under our noses, and remaining unfazed when the sale of said products soar?

In a world obsessed with products and the fastest anything and everything, why would advertisements not be placed among news items in a way to deceive us? I am a lover of Mad Men, and am wondering how Don Draper didn’t discover this method ages ago! The fictional '50s would’ve been revolutionized further, and Sterling & Cooper would have been the most lucrative outfit in town.

What are “Native Ads?”

We’ve all been exposed to this form of advertising, which has permeated some of our favorite websites by posing or “emulating” actual content. Another term to describe the evolution of ads into storytelling is branded content. Yes, companies do note the true origin of the “article” or ad, but that attribution is normally quite small and goes unnoticed. The font is tiny, and we’re effectively duped.

            
I personally prefer this creative method of shoving a product in my face, because it’s less invasive. Think about it, would you prefer the million pop-up ads at every click of your mouse? I doubt it.

This is the next form of advertising to evolve after the others have lost their effectiveness. These ads are built to read and resemble original content through their resemblance and writing style. These ads have been designed to fit right into these publications or more likely, websites.

An intriguing point of view is that of Ad Age, which has an issue with calling sponsored content native. This article argues the content is anything but native. If anything we should be referring to this technique as advertorials. Ok, that term is much flashier.

Another example of sponsored content.
Photo Courtesy of Devour.

Where are advertorials found?

BuzzFeed is the first place I would imagine finding advertorials. I must confess that I’m addicted and have read far too many of BuzzFeed’s countdowns to remain an unbiased writer. I just love them. Everyone loves a great countdown! Sex and the City’s Samantha Jones’ Top 21 sayings from the series’ run has found a special spot in my heart.

Explain Yourself!

In multiple articles in Adweek native advertising is analyzed for effectiveness and methods to better the system. This article is a prime example of what native advertising actually is and the growing pains this technique is experiencing. Is this a lucrative use of time and advertising dollars? The jury is currently out, but my mind is still hung up on the creative element.

            
This is essentially a completely creative technique, and people are upset because they were tricked. People hate looking like a fool, and this smart form of advertising did just that.

Can it be regulated?

ASME, or the American Society of Magazine Editors, has released updated regulations on how magazines will utilize native advertising. After multiple complaints about identifying ads, ASME is requiring magazines to clearly state the origin of the article at its head.

            
The most crushing regulation states that a magazine can’t design the native ads to look like original content. ASME is calling for different type fonts, graphics and layout to be used, so this sneaky form of advertising can be identified for what it is.

These regulations are being implemented as a means of transparency, but it defeats the entire purpose of this ad method. I suspect a new method will be popping up shortly to dupe us all over again. Remember there are smart Don Drapers working in glass offices finding ways to convince us to spend our cash. The cash will get spent either way. As long as attribution is noted, I’m a happy camper.

I’ll be on BuzzFeed if you need me!

Photo Courtesy of Buzzfeed