AMPA webinar to explore the ins and outs of ad-edit guidelines

The Alberta Magazine Publishers Association is presenting a webinar called"Ad-Edit Guidelines in a New World" on November 30 at noon MDT. 

The presenters are Outdoor Canada editor in chief Patrick Walsh and Vancouver-based journalist Charlene Rooke, an expert on custom content. Walsh chaired two Magazines Canada task forces that resulted in the current Canadian Magazine Industry Code of Reader and Advertising Engagement. The guidelines were intended to preserve the distinction between editorial content and advertising, so the distinction is transparent to the reader. 

The webinar is $35 for AMPA members and $50 for non-members and registration is valid for individuals or teams.

Canadian Geographic in thrall to its sponsors, says Canadaland site

[This post has been updated] Canadian Geographic magazine and its publisher the Royal Canadian Geographic Society (RCGS) are in the crosshairs of the muckraking website Canadaland. Headed The Sad Story of Canadian Geographic, the first post in projected series says that, essentially, the magazine has sold out to corporate interests.

Like many such stories (not just on Canadaland), principals named in the story refuse to comment. But a good deal of the post rests on quotes from former employees who say the magazine -- keen on developing sponsorship revenue -- has strayed considerably from its mission. Some of the harshest criticism is for André Préfontaine formerly the publisher, now Canadian Geographic's chief development officer*.

One of the quoted passages was from the former acting editor Dan Rubinstein, who left the job at the end of 2012, after four years as the managing editor. In an excerpt taken from his book Born to Walk he explains why:

"...(I spent) a decade as a magazine editor, cresting at the top post at a respected publication. Financial turmoil threatened to swamp the magazine industry. The non-profit where I worked responded by creating 'independent and objective' content in partnership with corporate and government backers...Our sponsors were determined to ramp up either public support or profits, and I was aiding and abetting their newspeak. 

My dream job, which I had moved across the country to take, became a nightmare... A watchdog was opening the gate for the wolves."

Read more »

Removal of controversial post leads exec editor and editor-in-chief of Gawker to resign

Top editors at Gawker Media have resigned from the company, not because of shame over a recent posting, but because the management of the company removed the posting, presumably to defend Gawker's advertising base. 

Tommy Craggs, the executive edtior and Max Read, the editor-in-chief, said the removal was an indefensible breach of the firewall between editorial and business interests. Craggs memo to staff noted that major advertisers such as Discover and BFGoodrich were either putting their advertising campaigns on hold or pulling out entirely. He said that the management decision showed that "the true power over editorial resides in the whims of four cringing members of the managing partnership's Fear and Money Caucus." 

Read said the decision to remove the post was an "absolute surrender of Gawker's claim to 'radical transparency'". 

"I am able to do this job to the extent that I can believe that the people in charge are able, when faced with difficult decisions, to back up their stated commitments to transparency, fearlessness, and editorial independence. In the wake of Friday’s decision and Tommy’s resignation I can no longer sustain that belief. I find myself forced to resign, effective immediately."

American Society of Magazine Editors adopts modified guidelines for making and placing ads

The American Society of Magazine Editors has released its latest set of guidelines for editors and publishers concerning ads and editorial and they are a marked departure from previous versions. For instance, it now no longer says ads should not be sold on covers; and it no longer specifically states that editors shouldn't write ads or collaborate with advertisers.

The slow evolution (erosion or watering down some would say) of these guidelines is apparently being forced on the society by changing economic circumstances of the magazine industry, reeling from loss of ad and circulation revenue to digital media. ASME apparently decided that rather than continue to publish an ever-lengthening list of prescriptions, CEO Sid Holt said in an Ad Age interview, the intention was to make them apply more widely across many platforms (print, web, mobile, apps, social media and even events) and to boil them down to one prescription: "Don't deceive the reader."

"The old guidelines were like a map," explained James Bennet, president and editor-in-chief of The Atlantic as well as an ASME VP who helped draft the revised protocol.. "We want to provide a compass that will help editors orient ourselves as the landscape continues to shift, regardless of whether we're operating in video, events or social.The goal was to focus on the principles rather than a set of specific, very prescriptive rules." 

ASME first published ad:edit guidelines in 1982 and has periodically updated them since. A committee of eight print and digital editors wrote the new guidelines, which were unanimously approved by the ASME board. 

"They are still the same principles from 1982, but with the media changing, these are the opportunities to say these are our core principles as magazine journalists and they have support of publishers and media buyers," Holt said.

Read more »

Starting small, Time Inc. titles incorporate ads in previously off-limits covers

TIME magazine and Sports Illustrated have opened the door a crack to advertising on covers, with a discreet ad link for Verizon on the address label of this week's issue and next. Newsstand issues will have the ad next to the bar code. A story in Ad Age notes

The ads are tiny, but their arrival puts a big crack in the longstanding tradition that kept ads off magazine covers. 

The industry's major players have until now almost entirely resisted pressure to sell cover ads, despite a strong need for new revenue in recent years. That's partly because ads on covers violate widely-observed guidelines from the American Society of Magazine Editors, but also because most editors believed in those guidelines, which are meant to emphasize and protect editorial independence from marketers.

Advertisers are also being pitched for ads across the bottom of magazine covers (colloquially called "zippers") and possible "native" placement of ads on the contents pages. 

The Canadian Magazine Code of Reader & Advertiser Engagement  says

No advertisement may be promoted on the cover of the magazine or included in the editorial table of contents, unless it involves an editorially directed contest, promotion or sponsored one-off editorial extra (see “Sponsorship”).

Elle Canada publishes 2nd cover that's an ad for nail polish

The struggle over the selling of magazine covers seems to have been all but lost, at least at one of Canada's largest consumer publishers, TC Media. The current issue of Elle Canada has a standard cover, immediately followed by a second one that is an ad for Sally Hansen nail polish. It features the same cover model (Meghan Collison), the magazine logo and an indistinguishable cover type treatment. There is no label indicating that the second cover is a paid ad. And both the main cover and the ad were art directed by Elle Canada art director Beatriz Juarez, edited by fashion editor-in-chief Denis Desro and photographed by the same photographer Jean-Claude Lessier.

The cover seems to transgress both the letter and the spirit of the industry guidelines that are intended to ensure that the separation of editorial content and advertising images must be transparent to the reader.

Magazines Canada renames ad-edit guide a "Code of Reader & Advertiser Engagement"

Magazines Canada has changed its longstanding advertising-editorial guidelines, adding a new preamble and renaming them the Canadian Magazine Industry Code of Reader and Advertiser Engagement. 

The guidelines have been changed and developed at least three times over more than a decade and were most recently updated in 2010 by a broadly based industry task force [disclosure: I sat on the task force]. The substitution of a new preamble, which was a decision made by the association's board of directors (and not by the task force), was announced in the Magazines Canada newsletter:

These guidelines were developed in 2010 by a Magazines Canada national task force and have been incorporated into the association's membership criteria as they serve to guide members about best practices for positioning advertising and editorial content.

The purpose of the guidelines has always been to ensure quality products for readers by preserving the integrity of both advertising and editorial in magazines. In that spirit, the Advertising-Editorial Guidelines have been repositioned as the Code of Reader & Advertiser Engagement. While the content has not changed from the task force's original 2010 document, the new title and preamble is intended to recognize that publishers and advertisers must work together in a transparent way to foster and preserve reader engagement and trust.
Reader studies consistently indicate that editorial and advertising are equally important parts of the reader experience and that a clear distinction between the two, free from ambiguity, is vital.

Besides the rebranding, the biggest change is in the preamble. Here was the original 2010 preamble:

Magazine readers value both editorial content and advertising as sources of information. The integrity and long-term viability of magazines depends, however, on a clear distinction between the two -- without it, both editorial and advertising lose credibility with the reader.

The following guidelines are intended to help editors, publishers and advertisers maintain an industry-wide standard for preserving this crucial distinction. The guidelines have been designed so that both editors and advertising sales teams clearly understand them, and are able to confidently communicate them to customers.

The editor and editor's designate should have the opportunity to monitor compliance with these guidelines, complete with ample time to recommend necessary changes prior to pubication. The ultimate responsibility to follow the guidelines rests with the publisher.

Here is the new preamble:

Reader studies consistently indicate that editorial and advertising are equally important parts of the reader experience and that a clear distinction between the two, free from ambiguity, is vital.

Readers expect that magazine content will educate, entertain and inspire confidence in products and services wherever and however they engage with their favourite magazine brands.

Canada’s magazine media are committed to delivering the best possible reading and advertising experience and believes that:

• Magazine readers are entitled to unbiased, accurate reporting and information
• Magazine advertisers are entitled to a trusting and engaged audience
• The separation of editorial content and advertising messages must be transparent to the reader
• Editorial integrity must be free of compromise or external influence

The following guidelines were developed by a Magazines Canada national task force as a tool for editors and advertising sales teams to achieve business activity goals while retaining reader confidence and commitment. 

Transcon sells its editorial so readers can be reminded that crackers go with soup

Canada's largest publisher of consumer magazines, Transcontinental Media, has apparently decided that editorial integrity is an optional extra. It says it is pleased and proud to have played a part in publishing an ad which is made to look exactly like part of an editorial spread. The ad for Premium Plus crackers is incorporated into an editorial food spread about soup shared across nearly one million copies of Canadian Living, Style at Home, Canadian Gardening, Coup de Pouce and Decormag, according to a story in Marketing magazine.  A sticker of soda crackers is strategically floated on top of the soup in a pot so that, when peeled off, it directs the reader to a site called AddSomePlus.ca where there are additional recipes and product information.The ad/photo is made to appear as an integral part of the spread.

The ad was developed in collaboration with agency MediaVest Canada on behalf of client Kraft Canada and Transcon makes no secret of its role in skipping over the once-clear line between ads and edit.  The ad contravenes both the letter and the spirit of the Canadian magazine industry advertising-editorial guidelines (whichTranscon played a part in developing.)

“It acts as a point of interruption and leverages editorial content to pique curiosity and inherently link soup and our crackers,” said Melissa Grant, senior brand manager for Premium Plus crackers [in the Marketing story]. “By using a captive audience of readers already looking at soup recipes, it acts as a reminder to use Premium Plus with soup and increases awareness of other Premium Plus varieties.”

According to a Transcontinental representative, the idea arose from planning sessions between the company’s national account manager, Monique Hourd, and a MediaVest Canada representative.

“We are always open to exploring creative uses for print that will capture the reader’s attention and add value to their experience,” said Janice Davidson Pressick, senior specialist, marketing and communications, for Transcontinental Media in Toronto. Asked about the apparent melding of advertising with editorial content, Pressick said: “It marries nicely with the editorial and is not much different than running a bind-in insert over the editorial magazine page or a pop-up blocker over an article online.”

“We are so pleased to be working with an open-minded agency like MediaVest, which appreciates the importance of providing unique campaigns that are so well suited to our editorial,” said Lynn Chambers, group publisher with Transcontinental.

Advertising Age in the U.S. a while ago wrote that the demarcation between advertising and editorial was increasingly being worn down to a mere warning track. Uh-huh.

Annals of "flapvertising": Sharp magazine sells ad window in its logo

According to a story in Masthead, Sharp magazine has made a deal with the ad agency of automaker BMW to die-cut two separate flaps in its front cover, including one that alters the name of the magazine to become part of an inside front cover ad.

Noah Vardon, strategy manager at Media Experts who worked with Contempo Media [publishers of Sharp] on the execution, explained BMW, the creative agency (Cundari) and Sharp "were on board from the beginning and the final result is an execution that plays in a space (the title) that has never been advertised in before [emphasis added]– not something you can do every day. It’s something that really engages and connects with the reader, which is a big win for the print medium.”

We understand why an advertiser would think this was a great coup, but we find it hard to believe that a publisher or editor would think so. However, John McGouran, Sharp's publisher is quoted as saying

“...this means not only creating compelling print content, but also working with our advertising partners to enrich the way our readers interact with their message. We’re confident that this issue of Sharp continues to lead the way for print innovation in Canada, and we’re thrilled to partner with BMW on it.”

Related posts:

•  Cottage Life goes with a flapvertisement
• ASME calls two magazines on the carpet for ad encroachment on covers
• ESPN magazine takes "flapvertising" another step
• Ads creep onto magazine covers
• "Flapvertising" debuts at Esquire

Tar-sands advertorial in Alternatives Journal: Is it dialogue? or is it blurring the lines?

Recent issues of Alternatives Journal, the Waterloo-based environmental magazine, have contained the unusual and, frankly, unexpected: two-page spread advertorials for Suncor Energy.

Readers and contributors have apparently been weighing in on the appropriateness of this and it is commented upon in the September/October issue in both the editor's letter and in a feature by Stephen Bocking, a regular contributor to Alternatives and chair of environmental and resource science studies at Trent University. 

Editor Nicola Ross writes in her regular letter to the readers:

"In the five years I've spent as editor of Alternatives nothing has been as controversial as the Suncor Energy advertorials that have been running in this magazine. Many of you have taken advantage of the opportunity to read the opinions of Gord Lambert, this tar-sands company's vice president of sustainability. Some have even had their questions answered by Suncor on our magazine's pages. Others, however, have bristled at these paid editorials."

The current Suncor spread (clearly labelled "advertorial")  is authored by Lambert, headed Enabling a National Energy Strategy and illustrated with a colourful "wedge model", arguing for "solution-oriented engagement":

"While it is easy to articulate what we don't want, it is more difficult to describe what we desire. The NIMBY syndrome generally focuses on the former. To set a higher bar, we need to ask and answer the question: what are we for?

I propose that for every stance someone takes against something, he or she has to articulate his or her view on a solution or suggest a clear option. This will ensure that we get the discourse we need to develop and sustain a National Energy Strategy over time."

Bocking writes somewhat more passionately about the situation and the topic in his article "Our Wicked Addiction" (not posted online):

"These advertorials are something new for Alternatives. For some readers, they are a step backwards. The format is an issue: Blurring the boundary between paid and editorial content also raises concerns. But it's mainly the topic. The tar sands are causing obvious damage to the planet: Talk of improving them seems to echo the twisted concept of "healthy" cigarettes."

When does an editor's involvement with advertisers' products cross the line?

Don't compromise yourself. You are all you've got. -- Janis Joplin

At the recent MagNet conference I heard some examples of where editors involved themselves deeply in the advertising sales and promotional activities of their publications.

In one instance, three editors in one company permitted their own kitchens to be photographed for a special section, with all the appliances on countertops replaced with those sold by the sole major advertiser.

In another, the editor actively participated in a contest in which readers picked their preferred kitchen from among the offerings of a major advertiser and the winning kitchen was installed and photographed in the editor's home .

There have been other, recent examples of editors crossing over into marketing, notably the editorpublisher of Canadian House & Home, Lynda Reeves, posing on the cover of a "flip book" done in conjunction with Procter and Gamble. (In earlier examples, magazines have permitted the use of editorial pages to allow acetate overlays of ads.)

Whether this is the result of pressure editors are feeling from advertisers and their own publishers, or whether they no longer see any clear boundaries concerning editorial integrity and separation of ads and editorial, the central question is what readers think and what's good for the long-term health of magazines. 

Some editors I have spoken with say that their integrity is intact and that readers are not misled. Others say that being flexible is a reflection of new economic realities. Still others bristle at any implication that they might have sold out. But I sincerely wonder if readers will, as a result, come to regard all content as part of paid hustle. 

We are, after all, in the business of renting advertisers access to readers in an editorial environment readers trust. Can/will readers distinguish the editorial pages from the ad pages and do they care if they can't? With the editor's presence in a photo shoot that has been styled with advertisers' products, will readers infer it as an endorsement? And is there anything that the industry can do to clarify this?

A few months ago, the latest iteration of the magazine industry advertising-editorial guidelines was published (I was a member of the task force revising them). While it does not specifically preclude editors appearing in ads in their own magazines (perhaps it should) the intent of the guidelines is clearly set out in the introduction.

Magazine readers value both editorial content and advertising as sources of information. The integrity and long-term viability of magazines depends, however, on a clear distinction between the two—without it, both editorial and advertising lose credibility with the reader.

The blurring of ad-edit lines is proceeding apace in magazine websites, what with "takeover" pages and popups and ad placements and microsites produced by the same people who design the editorial pages. So far, the ad-edit lines remain a little more distinct in print, but this seems to be eroding. And when the editorial gatekeepers are willing participants in blurring the lines, it seems to be less and less necessary for any pressure to be applied by advertisers or their own publishers.

ASME unveils augmented guidelines about magazine websites

The American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME) has unveiled new guidelines about magazine websites, augmenting its longstanding print guidelines for publishers and editors. According to a story in Adweek, the new guidelines have the same spirit as print, but deal with specific areas of concern such as product placement, paid links and interruptive advertising. The revised print guidelines were released in October.

“The overriding principle is still the same—the user has to be able to distinguish ads from edit,” said Eric Schurenberg, editor in chief of the CBS Interactive Business Network, who consulted with editors and publishers in spearheading the new guidelines. “We don’t want to stand in the way of innovation, but [want to] make it clear who’s in charge.”

 The addition of the web guidelines to the print now offers a comprehensive list of best practices which will probably be observed by most, but sniffed at by some. The guidelines are voluntary and sanctions are stern warning letters and possible exclusion from the ASME-run National Magazine Awards.

The new guidelines say paid or sponsored links should be identified as such; Web sites should not promote products in exchange for advertising; and sponsored microsites should be visually distinct from the main Web site. A section on interruptive advertising says such ads should be subject to editorial approval. ASME wants such ads to have a prominent “close” or “skip” button and last no more than 10 seconds.

ASME also gets into the burgeoning area of social media. Marketing messages shouldn’t be integrated with editorial content, while bloggers should disclose commercial ties they have with an advertiser or marketer, reflecting new FTC rules aimed at the blogosphere, the organization says.

The new guidelines include a section on tablet versions of magazines, attempting to ensure that ads alook different from editorial pages to avoid confusing the two, since tablets' ads often aren’t displayed opposite editorial the way they are in print.
 
The Canadian magazine industry's advertising-editorial guidelines were recently revised, with the suggestion that similar guidelines would also soon be developed for web applications.

New ad-edit guidelines released by American Society of Magazine Editors

On the heels of the release of revised Canadian ad-edit guidelines, the American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME) have released theirs, the first revisions in 5 years. In both cases, the revisions were an attempt to reflect the prevailing realities and to drive in some stakes to protect valued ground.

New language in the guidelines refers to false covers, cover flaps, use of logos, labelling,  sponsored sections, interruptive advertising and ad adjacencies. According to a story in Mediaweek

ASME also is working on revisions to its digital guidelines to reflect the growing use of invasive and interruptive ads online and federal rules requiring bloggers to disclose commercial ties. That process is expected to be finished later this year.

Sid Holt, CEO of ASME, said the goal of the guidelines is still to ensure that readers can tell the difference between editorial content and ads—while anticipating new kinds of ad executions.

“Everyone’s looking for new ad units and sponsorships,” he said. “You’re definitely seeing more interruptive advertising, more innovative units, more efforts to integrate advertising and editorial more closely.”

Like the Canadian guidelines, the central issue is transparency and clarity for the reader. Unlike the Canadian guidelines, which are purely voluntary, ASME may sanction members who transgress and, for repeated willfull violations could disqualify the magazine from the (U.S.) National Magazine Awards.

New, revised Canadian advertising-editorial guidelines released

The revised Canadian Magazine Industry Advertising-Editorial Guidelines have now been  released and will be discussed in a podcast by the co-chair of the task force that revised them, Patrick Walsh, the editor of Outdoor Canada.

This is the latest revision of the guidelines that are intended to help editors, publishers and advertisers maintain a standard for distinguishing between editorial and advertising content. [Disclosure: I was a member of the task force.] Magazines that wish to become members of Magazines Canada are expected to observe the spirit and the letter of the guidelines.

While they are only guidelines, the intention is to provide clarity in a marketplace where advertisers are, understandably, pushing for more opportunities, ranging from product placement and advertorials to mentions on covers. There is also the thorny issue of editorial staff being involved in the design and even the presentation of advertising.

Editors are faced every day with challenges to the editorial integrity they believe is the lynchpin of success in this business -- giving access to readers in an editorial environment they trust. When there is no clear demarcation between paid hustle and editorial content, readers might be forgiven for wondering what they can believe. 

New this time around is a more clear statement about editorial staff involvement in custom publishing by their own companies, advertisers or third parties, particularly in subject areas for which they are responsible.  

The podcast during which Walsh will walk participants through the guidelines and show examples of what falls within and outside of them, is at 2 p.m. on Thursday October 14. Registration is free, but space is limited so it is wise to reserve a spot today (staff groups are welcome).

Cottage Life goes with a flapvertisement

The summer issue of Cottage Life magazine features a "peel and reveal" cover which, when so peeled, features an ad for Corona beer. According to the blog Cover Sell, quoting an unattributed staffer:

“This was an idea that our sales team presented to the client about a year ago. It was expensive to produce, and required five additional days to print, glue and die cut. This is a first for Cottage Life, but the creative was executed easily. We were able to work with the client while sharing cover and creative at early stages with each other. Positioning of the peel worked well along the edge, and our cover lines were not compromised. This isn’t for everyone, but the concept was a success and everyone was happy.”

This is an example of what's come to be called "flapvertising", which proponents say doesn't offend industry ad:edit guidelines and is a a pure revenue play but which critics say makes covers just another advertising page.  

Esquire magazine was an early adopter, but there have been others. The Canadian industry is just now in the midst of a review of its guidelines (I sit on the task force) and it should make for interesting discussion. Wade in.

Related posts:

• Ads creep onto magazine covers
• Is Esquire leading the way down the slippery slope?

Magazine Industry ad:edit guidelines to be reviewed and revised. Have your say

Magazines Canada is managing a process this summer to update the industry's advertising:editorial guidelines, last revised in 2006. A task force has been created with a dozen representatives of both consumer and b2b publications. The co-chairs are Patrick Walsh, the editor of Outdoor Canada, and Todd Latham, the publisher of ReNew Canada.

The Canadian Magazine Industry Advertising-Editorial Guidelines are intended to help editors, publishers and advertisers maintain an industry-wide standard for preserving the important distinction between advertiser messaging and editorial content. The guidelines are designed so that both editors and advertising sales teams clearly understand them, and are able to confidently communicate them to customers. Magazines Canada uses these guidelines in its membership review process.

This task force has been formed to review the current guidelines, which were last reviewed in 2006. Since that time, advertising-editorial practices have continued to evolve, as has our association, which now accepts business-to-business media as well as consumer magazine membership applications.

While not pre-judging the outcome or second-guessing the task force, it might be useful if editors and publishers reading this post were to comment here on what they think should be kept, what should be added and what should stay the same to meet current conditions. After reading the guidelines, of course.

[Disclosure: I have agreed to be on the task force.]

Page number "takeovers" latest trend in encroachment into edit space

 The creep of ads into previously well-defined editorial spaces of magazines continues; this time in the June issue of Condé Nast’s Bon Appétit, Kraft Philadelphia Cream Cheese is running a series of page number “takeovers.” According to a story in Mediaweek, the fractional ads, which are labeled as such, appear in the corners of 10 pages.

“The goal was to communicate the message of alternative uses of cream cheese,” said [Ron] Steinberg, svp, director of print investment and activation at MediaVest. “Using the page numbers was a unique idea. For Condé Nast, I think it’s a big deal.”

Print ads are increasingly creeping into editorial space. Scholastic Parent & Child has been running ads on the corner of its covers and interrupting editorial content inside the magazine. Hearst’s Esquire recently ran a cover flap that opened to reveal an ad on one side.

Canadian House & Home does a flip book to promote a line of cleaning products

Just what the heck is "sponsored editorial integration"? Apparently this is the description Canadian House & Home magazine uses for a "flip book" promotion whereby its back page  becomes an upside-down alternate cover for a multi-page special section promoting Procter & Gamble cleaning products. 

It's called Clean Style and features publisher Lynda Reeves prominently. This is complemented by a dedicated online micro-site that features a $20,000 contest where, to qualify, the reader is asked to drag various P&G products into the room of a cutaway house where they might be used. (Thanks to Media in Canada for the pic.)

This comes a couple of months after Canadian Living did a similar "flip book" fashion promotion in association with L'Oreal, the cosmetics giant.

It's probably not completely coincidental that the current industry ad:editorial guidelines are being re-examined in light of changing circumstances (including, for the first time, covering both business-to-business magazines as well as consumer titles). And not a moment too soon, given that the above-noted initiatives skate close to, or right over the edge of, the current guidelines. [Disclosure: I have been asked to sit on the committee reviewing the guidelines.]

Strategy magazine publishes first "augmented reality" cover

Strategy magazine is publishing Canada's first "augmented reality" cover on its November 2009 issue. It was created by Secret Location, a Toronto-based agency, and has an image on the cover that, when held up to a webcam, triggers three images of winners in this year's Agency of the Year awards.(Even if you don't have a copy of the magazine handy, you can download the printable icon in pdf form.)

"It's been amazing to innovate with emerging technology and redefine what a magazine cover can represent and lead to," Secret Location executive producer and partner James Milward told Media in Canada.

Distinctions between ad and edit are sometimes being lost online

The fuzzy alliances of web publishing and advertising, particularly by established print publishers, is illustrated by the recently announced cooperation between Reader's Digest Canada and Kraft Foods. Not that these companies are exceptional, but a release from Reader's Digest highlights their close connection of the editorial and advertising functions online. If a church and state divide exists at all online, it seems to be becoming a paper-thin one.

Reader's Digest has announced the launching of the French-language version of Allrecipes.com, called Allrecipes.qc.ca. The new site, says the release, features localized content, language and measurements for home cooks in Québec, similar to that on the Seattle-based Allrecipes (part of the Food & Entertaining RDA, a division of The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc., which attracts about 2 million visits monthly from Canada, 150,000 from Quebec. Worldwide, the site gets about 12 million monthly visitors, with localized versions in United Kingdom/Ireland, Australia/New Zealand, France, Germany and Japan.

Now, here's the language that describes an apparently cosy relationship on the Quebec site:

The Québec launch will feature a four-month exclusive partnership with Kraft Canada that includes banner advertising, text links, integrated Kraft recipes and ingredients on Allrecipes.qc.ca, plus additional advertising on selection.ca and in the magazine Sélection. One of the key features of Kraft’s partnership will be its Sponsor status, which will enable the company to create a profile to connect and interact directly with the Allrecipes community. “We have worked closely with Allrecipes.com in the past, and now look forward to connecting with Québec home cooks at Allrecipes.qc.ca. We have developed some delicious new recipes to cater to the millions of Canadians who enjoy Kraft products.” –Sandra Cifersons - Director, Consumer Communications

Allrecipes’ distinctive user-generated content and social networking platform provide advertisers with a dynamic advertising vehicle, enabling them to reach a highly active and engaged audience of primary household decision makers at their immediate time of need at a time when consumers place the highest level of trust in peer opinions. The seamless integration of branded content into the site’s daily food conversations, members’ recipe ratings, reviews and photos generate powerful results for participating brands to deliver contextual relevance in a trusted and captive environment [my boldface]. Advertising sales for the new site will be handled by the Reader’s Digest Ad Sales and Olive Media.

"Captive environment" and "seamless integration of branded content", indeed.

We asked Robert Goyette, VP, Book Editorial and Editor-in-Chief, Magazines of Readers Digest Canada, to respond to our concerns about different editorial standards online than in print. Here is what he said:

"We do not feel we are crossing any ad-edit guidelines with this site, the first of its kind in French Canada. As you know, this is a reader-contributed web site posting recipes. The source of any posting is clearly mentioned at the top of any item.

For example, the «Saumon en croute» recipe that was online today comes from Kraft Canada and was so labelled in the source field right below the title. When you clicked on that recipe, you moved to the recipe page where another disclosure was added: sponsored by Kraft Canada in two prominent places. I do not believe customers can confuse this with recipes from other members, also clearly identified.

The idea behind the ad-edit guidelines is to make sure there is no confusion in the customer's mind. I think we achieve that clarity on the French Allrecipes site. This is not a site with a great diversity of genres, with features and departments that have to be designed to accommodate advertising. We are creating an environment that allows for clearly-labelled advertising content on its pages."

M. Goyette contends that significant safeguards are built in and that readers won't be confused. One nevertheless wonders if this site is a symptom of what is to come. Not all the Allrecipes versions internationally have such a tight sponsor relationship. In the UK and Australia/New Zealand, there is no evidence of it. But in Germany advertisers actually sponsor individual recipes.

If multi-media publishers move to a low common denominator in terms of ad:edit integrityonline, my concern is it will reduce to gossamer the distinction between paid hustle and legitimate editorial. Am I worried about nothing?

Related info:

• Canadian Magazine Industry Advertising-Editorial Guidelines