Bringing Business to Business

Edvertising

March 29, 2010 at 9:32 pm Leave a comment

What is Edvertising?  It’s a word I made up, but it’s a business practice B2B companies, especially those in the architecture, construction and real estate industries, should watch out for.

There are a handful of publications with this same business model, and they have a similar approach…

An “editor” contacts you via email and phone, letting you know that “your project has been chosen as one of best new projects of 2010, and they’d like to feature it in a multi-page, full-color profile in XXX magazine.”  Then they’ll go on and on about how the profile will bring tremendous value to your project marketing efforts…blah, blah, blah.  As you are soaking this in, the first red flag should be the fact that you’ve never heard of this publication before (that’s because, every year or so, these publications reemerge with different names).

After engaging you with what sounds like an incredible opportunity to get your project some major ink, the editor asks for a list of all the companies that worked on this project as they want to “invite them to get involved with the piece.”  Let me translate this: “Send me your list of project partners, and I am going to hit them up relentlessly for months to buy thousands of dollars in advertising.  And, I’m going to do so in such a way that makes it seem like the owner will be unhappy if they don’t fork over the dough and make this profile happen.”

Advertorial is editorial content controlled by the author (rather than the publication) and placed for a cost.  Edvertising is editorial content that is developed and supported only by advertising. 

The publications engaging in Edvertising are not reputable and, worse, can be downright annoying to your business partners.

– Melinda Hepp

Entry filed under: Media Relations. Tags: Advertorial, architecture, construction, Edvertising, PR, Public Relations, real estate.