n a shocking and shameful revelation, almost 48.9 per cent of senior marketing officials admitted that they had paid for brand placements in print as well as broadcast media. What was worse, however, was the admission by half of the rest, who stated that given a chance, they would pay for placements too. These were the results of a survey conducted by PRWeek (www.prweek.com) and PR agency Manning Selvage & Lee, with 266 senior marketing executives at the directorial and VP level.

Many in the industry cite this as an example of dipping standards in the media as well as in the field of public relations. Even though, the consumer glossies are most prone to mixing editorial content with advertising, the perception would perpetuate, and harm the image of other, more serious publications. The survey also revealed that amongst the respondents who said they wouldn't consider paying for editorial or broadcast placements, a mere 43 per cent said that they didn't feel it was ethical. Almost a third of the respondents said they were not convinced of the efficacy of brand placements, while 21.6 per cent stated that they preferred advertising and editorial content to be more distinct. ... more