In a recent blog post we highlighted the innovative approach that Quartz takes to storytelling and how it is expanding that approach to advertising content as well. For Quartz, a story is a story, and there is no reason why advertising storytelling cannot be as interesting as that of editorial.
Touchy subject, I know. Purists will question the ethics of this sort of “blending” of that which is sponsored content and that which isn’t.
Another publication to keep an eye on in this area is Medium—a favorite of ours for the type of stories that it publishes.
Medium is a blend of platform and publisher — hosting content that others write for free, but also commissioning its own content from established writers.
Like Quartz, Medium is innovative and experimental with its treatment of native advertising content. Medium has launched a number of experiments around how it creates and displays sponsored content with topic-specific verticals as an advertising strategy. Medium has recently launched its second of these: called Gone, it is focused on travel and sponsored by the Marriott Hotel chain.
In its first installment, about the opening of a new Marriott hotel in Haiti, the first paragraph reveals how Gone will work:
Marriott Hotels has partnered with Medium to launch a new travel publication, Gone, and provide a unique insider look at the innovations that are driving the world’s leading hospitality brands. This is Part One in a five-part series.
A paragraph in the midst of the story reminds us of the association between Medium and Marriott:
“Gone accompanied Marriott here to see firsthand the state of the nation as it nears the five-year anniversary of the Jan. 12, 2010 earthquake that crumpled the city and left an estimated 100,000 dead.”
For those who think that the lines of editorial and advertising are blurred, I remind you that the audience is savvy and will immediately identify this content as sponsored. I can’t imagine a single reader of this piece who will not also assume that Marriott’s sponsorship includes paying all expenses for members of the Gone/Medium team and their travel to Haiti.
Quartz and Medium show us the way and part of the reason that innovation is so vibrant here is that there is no print legacy to present any obstacles.
Keep and eye on Medium, too.
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For more information
Why media companies should pay attention to Medium’s native ads
My piece in Medium
This is a story about change and about one person's downsizing.
Take a look:
https://medium.com/@DrMarioRGarcia/the-editing-of-your-life-ae8ac7dccb5