In the news: How often does editorial content reference ad sponsors?

"How Much Editorial Love Do Fashion Magazines Give Their Advertisers?" asks a recent Racked.com headline Erika Adams. The question prompted Racked to study several women's fashion titles to see how often ad sponsors were mentioned in editorial content.

The methodology, straight from Adams's article: "First, we listed all the fashion and beauty brands that advertised in each issue. (Ads for tampons, cigarettes, credit cards, various food products, etc. were left out of the calculations.) Then we combed through the pages to note every brand reference in the editorial pages. We only counted clear mentions: The text had to include the product, price, and directions on where to buy to count as a definite editorial endorsement. After that, the lists were cross-checked to see how many brands had both advertisements and editorial mentions in the same issue." Read about the results here.

Also Notable

A Surge in Indie Magazines

Vogue recently surveyed the founders of several indie magazines to figure out why niche print titles seem to be making a comeback. The resurgence in print indie titles seems to be a response to listicle and blog fatigue; readers are still hungry for more traditional content. Perhaps most surprising, according to Vogue, "the founders of these independent magazines aren't from a generation that grew upon print. Very often they're in their twenties; six out of the seven founders and editors we spoke with are between the ages of 24 and 29." Read more here.

Maximizing Video Content

More and more magazines are looking to video to boost ad revenue. The shift to multiplatform content delivery has been challenging. In a recent Digiday.com article, Robin Steinberg of MediaVest says, "[Traditional publishers] are contending with publishers outside their traditional competitive set with stronger targeting capabilities and pricing structures. Due to their traditional print legacy position in the marketplace, they have to push harder for a prime seat at the digital video marketplace table." To address these challenges, publishers are working to create and promote video content. Read more here.

Congress on Magazine Cigarette Ads

A group of Democratic congressmen has written to US Weekly, Time, Rolling Stone, and Entertainment Weekly about their use of cigarette advertising. Some magazines with a lot of cigarette-oriented ad content, Rolling Stone in particular, are widely read by teenagers. Read more about the legislative effort here.

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