Readers should recognize advertising
As you open your newspaper this morning you might be warily scanning the weather map for hurricane news, checking for stories of interest or studying the advertisements for back-to-school bargains.
According to a survey conducted by MORI Research, almost six out of 10 adults (59 percent) use newspaper advertisements “to help plan shopping or make purchase decisions.” The preliminary report was released by the Newspaper Association of America (NAA).
The telephone and Internet survey of more than 3,000 adults indicated that 73 percent of adults regularly or occasionally read newspaper inserts and 82 percent “have been spurred to action by a newspaper insert in the past month.”
Specifics include the information that, of the survey respondents who “took action” as a result of a newspaper ad: 61 percent clipped a coupon; 50 percent bought something; and 27 percent tried something for the first time.
That said, let me also throw in a disclaimer: The survey was sponsored by the Newspaper Association of America. That’s not to say the results aren’t valid, but just that, as a newspaper, we might quote such survey results concerning another industry and we would always include any survey sponsorship information — as well as the method and size of the sampling.
The fact that the survey included Internet responses, in my opinion, gives it more validity, because it indicates that the company did more than ask newspaper readers about their opinions concerning newspaper advertising. But it is my job to give you complete information and let you form your own opinion.
In similar news, A New York Times article last week reported that two of the National Advertising Review Council’s investigative units are set to announce recommendations calling for clear disclosure of sponsorships on blog sites or paid product reviews.
For example, many prominent Web sites invite readers to click on a link about a new product, a bargain or a coupon and read about a great product that is featured. What readers might not realize is that the product comments or discounts are simply part of a paid advertising program.
“It’s something everyone in the consumer protection area is newly focused on,” the article quoted C. Lee Peeler, the chief executive of the National Advertising Review Council as saying. “One of the issues of advertising in the new media is, is it clear that it’s paid-for advertising, or does it look like something else?”
In addition to unlabeled advertising on Web sites or blogs, there is the increasingly pervasive and more troubling use of paid reviewers, planted positive comments about products and bloggers whose opinions are for sale to the highest bidder. It makes the world of on-line advertising even more confusing for consumers.
That’s why, in newspapers, those pages are labeled as advertisements. Sometimes full page ads in The Enterprise, or in our Sunday Parade magazine, are designed by advertisers to look like news articles, but alert readers will note that, usually, prominently at the top of the ad, the words “paid advertisement” or “advertisement” will appear.
The Enterprise and other reputable papers insist on that distinction and also generally select a type font that is dedicated to news coverage and not available for use in advertisements.
This column always urges readers to be wary of the source of their information before they take its credibility for granted. That caution extends beyond the news that consumers read to include where they get their advertising.
Although we acknowledge that we sometimes fail, we continue to strive to produce a fair and accurate product for our customers. We want our readers to know the difference between facts and advertising so they can make informed decisions about the products they choose to purchase.
According to a survey conducted by MORI Research, almost six out of 10 adults (59 percent) use newspaper advertisements “to help plan shopping or make purchase decisions.” The preliminary report was released by the Newspaper Association of America (NAA).
The telephone and Internet survey of more than 3,000 adults indicated that 73 percent of adults regularly or occasionally read newspaper inserts and 82 percent “have been spurred to action by a newspaper insert in the past month.”
Specifics include the information that, of the survey respondents who “took action” as a result of a newspaper ad: 61 percent clipped a coupon; 50 percent bought something; and 27 percent tried something for the first time.
That said, let me also throw in a disclaimer: The survey was sponsored by the Newspaper Association of America. That’s not to say the results aren’t valid, but just that, as a newspaper, we might quote such survey results concerning another industry and we would always include any survey sponsorship information — as well as the method and size of the sampling.
The fact that the survey included Internet responses, in my opinion, gives it more validity, because it indicates that the company did more than ask newspaper readers about their opinions concerning newspaper advertising. But it is my job to give you complete information and let you form your own opinion.
In similar news, A New York Times article last week reported that two of the National Advertising Review Council’s investigative units are set to announce recommendations calling for clear disclosure of sponsorships on blog sites or paid product reviews.
For example, many prominent Web sites invite readers to click on a link about a new product, a bargain or a coupon and read about a great product that is featured. What readers might not realize is that the product comments or discounts are simply part of a paid advertising program.
“It’s something everyone in the consumer protection area is newly focused on,” the article quoted C. Lee Peeler, the chief executive of the National Advertising Review Council as saying. “One of the issues of advertising in the new media is, is it clear that it’s paid-for advertising, or does it look like something else?”
In addition to unlabeled advertising on Web sites or blogs, there is the increasingly pervasive and more troubling use of paid reviewers, planted positive comments about products and bloggers whose opinions are for sale to the highest bidder. It makes the world of on-line advertising even more confusing for consumers.
That’s why, in newspapers, those pages are labeled as advertisements. Sometimes full page ads in The Enterprise, or in our Sunday Parade magazine, are designed by advertisers to look like news articles, but alert readers will note that, usually, prominently at the top of the ad, the words “paid advertisement” or “advertisement” will appear.
The Enterprise and other reputable papers insist on that distinction and also generally select a type font that is dedicated to news coverage and not available for use in advertisements.
This column always urges readers to be wary of the source of their information before they take its credibility for granted. That caution extends beyond the news that consumers read to include where they get their advertising.
Although we acknowledge that we sometimes fail, we continue to strive to produce a fair and accurate product for our customers. We want our readers to know the difference between facts and advertising so they can make informed decisions about the products they choose to purchase.
posted by Sheila Friedeck at 4:07 PM
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