Brand Journalism: Pro's and Con's in Today's Society

Marketers and Journalists dig deeper into the bad and the good of what is brand journalism. 

            Brand journalism hasn’t always been the vast and useful tool as it is today. Companies didn’t have Facebook or Twitter to reach their target audiences. Social media has allowed them to reach those viewers while also benefitting themselves. Although this is true, a downfall to this is that anyone can publish news or personal views. Another con this causes is that the rich and powerful are not the only ones that can voice their opinions anymore. If a company promotes something in a negative way, it takes a very short amount of time for their product or business to get soiled. A pro to brand journalism though is the fact that businesses can use storytelling to their advantage. By this I mean that brands can create visual stories to sell their products. Which is only becoming more and more frequent.

            Marketing is todays era has become much easier with all the resources businesses are able to use. With social media booming, marketers are able to use these tools to promote their product. Facebook has an option where you can pinpoint your target audience by posting content at specific times, send out messages tailored to the audiences specific interests, and also simple connection tools such as viewing comments, shares, likes, etc. Marketers have been connecting to their audience more now then ever. They are engaging with their viewers on a more personal level in a faster time span. Social media has allowed them to send instant comments, feedback, and personal messages with a click of the button! 

           Not only are businesses branding their content, but they are also advertising and labeling their works. With the constant improvements in digital brand journalism, marketers are learning how to use this to their advantage. They are learning how important a ‘Like’ is on Facebook, a ‘Re-tweet’ is from Twitter, and a ‘Love’ click on Instagram. They are able to see the resonance their product is getting in a much shorter time period. A great pro tool for brand journalism is using the analytics on Facebook. Brands are able to use this tool to really see how well they are doing. “In marketing, you’re trained to leave out the bad and the ugly for good reason: you have to protect the company, your customers, your partners and your shareholders. We’re learning that we have to let go a little. Loosen up our collar a bit to reach our audience at their place and in a more conversational style that’s conducive to dialogue and engagement” (Annalisa quoted from L. DVorkin, 2012).

           

           A downfall to brand journalism is that anyone can publish their own news. With the online world growing every day, more and more websites are being produced and providing false information. Most companies want third-party validation for their work because the general consensus is that an article from a third-party has more validity than someone saying the same thing, but working for the company (D. Spark, 2011). Not only is this a problem, but also companies are finding it much harder to produce content for a profit. Businesses are still figuring out a business plan according to Video Now, a tow center for digital journalism. A company can make a video that reaches over 1,000 views but in the end, they are looking at a profit in anywhere from zero to thirty dollars. Unless marketers are using sponsors, brands will have a harder time profiting from their content. Therefore, marketers are finding themselves in a developmental and investment stage of brand journalism. Research shows that the only revenue businesses have been pocketing is only what they profit from pre-roll advertising. Thankfully, this is all part of the brand journalism process. 

           YouTube is a great example of how having an extensive amount of product can affect brand journalism negatively. With the amount of videos on YouTube, companies have to produce more videos and publish them every day just to keep up with their competitors content. Making sure that the content is accurate, interesting, and sourced is what keeps a good name for journalists. “There are a lot of crap journalism out there, so sometimes it bothers me when people get all high and mighty about branded content. I really think it’s the story, not where it comes from” (A. Friedman, 2013). 

            

           Thirdly, traditional brand marketing opinions were mostly left to the rich and famous, well known dogmatists. Where if something turned out “wrong” such as a negative impact was made, or their brand marketing didn’t work, these well known people would state their opinion and the company would then react to it. Social media has changed that outlook tremendously. With the vast use of the Internet, anyone and everyone are able to voice their opinion about anything. If a company’s brand journalism didn’t turn out the way it was supposed to, one person can voice their opinion, share it with their friends, then those friends can share it and so on. It becomes a domino effect of negativity, which is obviously not good for the company. 

           But, businesses are able to take this negative feedback and turn it into something positive. Always keep a polite and respectful tone when responding to reviews. Engage with customers diplomatically and try to resolve issues whenever you can. Future reviewers may be more likely to behave politely when they’re assured that you read and respond to reviews (A. Morin, 2014). If a company responds to a complaint in a nice and professional manner, it will most likely bring back your customers because they feel appreciated that the business took the time out of their day to make things right. Consumers are way smarter today then they were centuries ago. It is up to the company to earn the trust and credibility they need to thrive. Using negative feedback from anyone is one step closer to success.

           

           Storytelling is huge when we’re discussing brand journalism. It’s almost like the butter to the bread. When a company wants to successfully sell a product, they do so in a creative and story like manner. Visual storytelling is key in content marketing because it sets the business apart from the rest. Not only does this engage the audience, but it also builds credibility to the brand. People want to purchase a product from a company that they trust and feel connected to. “The best stories tap into people’s emotions because someone genuinely connects to what a brand stands for or where it has come from. The marketers who can paint the pictures and create such personal relationships are well on the way to establishing long-term brand loyalty” (S. Hemsley, 2016). Honesty is one of the most important expectations when it comes to brand journalism. If a customer feels inconsistently towards the products or feels lied to, this builds unstable relationships. 

           Again, being honest with the consumer will build life long clients, interested viewers, and profitable margins in the long run. Also, boring stories won’t attract viewers so it’s up to the brand journalist to make sure the content is interesting, entertaining, and truthful. Storytelling in brand marketing is all about imagination, not money. So not only do marketers get to put together an entertaining story while selling their product, but they get to do so without breaking the bank. A brand’s story is no longer limited to or controlled by the media outlets and advertising that it uses. One would even say that this has been completely reversed: the media now runs stories based on how much traction they’ve gained elsewhere. You customers and advocates are now the tastemakers, giving power to the stories that resonate with them (A. Toren, 2015).


            As one can see, there are many pros and cons to brand marketing. It has changed tremendously over the last couple of decades but will continue to be a viable source when marketing. Businesses have an unlimited amount of tools they can use just from the Internet alone. Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter are three great tools to find any desired target audience and start to push content in their direction. Social media has brought together both consumer and seller in a way that is beneficial to both parties. Although brand marketing can receive negative feedback fairly quickly, businesses can use this feedback to make a positive impact for their content. Anyone can publish their own news, opinions, facts, and data, but journalists can publish their brand in a truthful and factual manner by being consistent. Visual storytelling is what brand marketing is all about. In order to connect to your consumer on a personal level, journalists must tell a truthful and entertaining story about the product and brand. Overtime, brand storytelling will become more concrete, especially when it comes to the revenue aspect of things. The rich and powerful no longer control and have the only say in media anymore. Brand journalism is all about the telling of a heartfelt and truthful story about a product while incorporating the brand into it. When the brand can connect with their audience, they connect to lifelong friends.