The Internet and Branded Content

Katie Flowers
kf163911@ohio.edu

Branded Content: What is it?

Branded content is becoming much more popular in the journalism world. In this video posted on YouTube by Cannes Lions Learnings, what branded content is explained. Essentially, it's masking advertising as editorial content. In ways, it does make sense. Advertising is a necessity to keep publications, online and print, running. Branded content can make advertisers and publications happy and reach a common goal. Branded content is often a very effective way to reach the desired audience and can cause them to be more inclined to share the content. But much goes in to creating and distributing branded content.

The Ethical Dilemma of Branded Content

There is a delicate balance that needs to be kept in mind when using and promoting branded content. First, and most importantly, we must not trick our audience into thinking that the branded content is editorial content. We must remember to be transparent with our readers and clearly indicate that the material is promoted by a brand and not from the news staff. There needs to be a distinction between the two parties. It might also be a good a good idea to disclose the role the brand/advertiser had in the process of creating the content. Did they give the idea for the content, did they write it, etc? Honesty always needs to come first in terms of the audience.

Branded content also brings the ethical standard of independence into question. How much of an influence is the brand/advertiser having on the publication? What is that influence? Those are important questions that need to be kept in mind when companies are creating this content. The publications can't be too influenced and shouldn't be controlled by the brands.

Perhaps the best way to combat this problem is to create a separate staff that handles the creation of branded content instead of the news editorial doing it. This can help create an unbiased opinion and an outside, but still in line with the publication, view. Like what was stated in one of the articles we read for class, there could be someone who isn't afraid to throw out content if it doesn't match the principles or quality of the company. A system of checks and balances could be beneficial for all involved.

BuzzFeed and Branded Content

I am personally a big fan of BuzzFeed. The site offers a wide range of content and excels in interaction with their readership. It's a website where readers, like me, go for news but also fun, original stories. Yet I have also noticed their frequent use of branded content.

It works for BuzzFeed very well. In my experience with the branded content it has posted, it all fits very well with the tone and feel of the company. Many times, it just appears as a regular article. Here is a post sponsored by Allstate Insurance that lists how puppies and babies make cute siblings using GIFs and pictures in a typical BuzzFeed style. It's a cute read and is likely popular with frequent users of the site. In the subhead and byline, it is clearly marked that Allstate is the sponsor and brand publisher. This is a good practice that all publications should use when posting branded content.