Brand Journalism: The Good, The Bad, and The Basics

  As the technology, news, media, marketing and general information becomes more and more readily available a new trend has begun to emerge. This new trend is brand journalism. Brand journalism is corporate paid for report or article as a journalistic form of marketing. In other words journalist or content developers are contracted to investigate and sometimes provided with content to investigate and report about a company or brand to the general public.

 Brand journalism is born from more and more companies realizing that consumers are not as interested in traditional forms of advertising any longer. Now they want to research and discover if what companies are selling is actually all that they are saying it is. (Friedman, 2013) Companies of large and small scales have discovered creating content that reports facts and information about their product is what their consumers are looking for. They have now turned to hiring traditional journalist as the people to create that content. (Friedman, 2013)

 There are many who disagree with the idea that brand journalism is good for the consumer.  Some believe that if it is the company that is producing the product and then supplying reports and facts on said product that they can manipulate the information to be more positive than truly fact based information and tests. (Glaser,2011) In many ways this is a strong argument. For example when the film, Outfoxed:Rupert Murdoch’s War on Journalism, was released it was discovered that Fox News had not been the unbiased and fair reporting agency that it claimed to be.  As described in the USFCA article, Media as the "FourthEstate" when there are people involved they are still people so opinions and biased viewpoints will be present.

 On the other hand there are some who defend brand journalism by stating that even though they may provide information to their hired journalist the facts have to be supported.  Andy Bull states in his article, “Of course, brand journalists will seek to influence your purchasing decisions. They’ll make claims about their own products. In the modern media world those claims are tested by the crowd. “ Some even believe that the best people to produce branded journalistic type information are the companies.  In the era of readily available information it is argued that consumers are much more savvy when it comes to information that has been

provided. (Sassen, 2011)

 Another side entirely is how journalists feel about this matter. Some journalists view branded journalism as true journalism just with directed path and information while others frown upon this form of journalism calling it a rebrand of PR. (Foremski, 2012) These journalists argue that journalism is ethically bound to be unbiased and transparent in reporting just the facts but that branded journalism is strictly one-­‐sided to the product or information that is being supplied.  (Gombita,2013)  These journalists believe that if a corporation or brand is providing information that it is tainted with opinions or all positive information instead of being completely forth coming with information. (Glaser, 2011)  

But on the other hand if a company wants to make sure their intended audience feels they can trust the information would they not also want to provide some negative to truly give the consumer the sense of true informative reports? Forbes staff member Lewis DVorkin  shared an email exchange with Annalisa Camarillo, NetApp’s senior manager of executive engagement programs, which stated, “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.”

Taking that argument into consideration is branded journalism truly open and honest with it’s reporting? Traditional journalism has a set of ethical rules and standards.  Journalism should be unbiased and transparent with reporting. In todays media driven society the public demands such transparency and if they feel that it is not present they turn to their own research to find the facts surrounding the presented topic or information. In his Tedx speech Tom Rosenstiel stated that no longer does our society just follow what we are told we are a “show me” society. (Tedx, 2013)  Utilizing this information as well as the previous argument that consumers are more inclined to do their own research most general public would say that branded journalism is in fact in line with traditional journalistic standards. Another positive for branded journalism is the journalists themselves. More and more companies are employing actual journalist to do their reporting. Jessica Bennett, former journalist for several publications, stated, “There is 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.”

There are many sides to the brand journalism subject. To truly make a decision as to whether or not this is a true and just form of marketing or journalism all sides have to be presented.  For many journalists the sides are a bit blurry once you have all of the facts and information in front of you. The opinions and banter between journalist as well as corporate conglomerates can and is quite divided. In many articles it is stated this form of brand journalism is still “young” and its future sustainability is unclear at this juncture. Our society as well as journalism, journalistic marketing, and branding are evolving with each new development of shared information.

References:

Bull, Andy. (unknown) The companion website to the brand journalism text book.

Retrieved from: http://www.brand-­‐journalism.co.uk/introduction-­‐to-­‐the-­‐

subject/in-­‐defence-­‐of-­‐brand-­‐journalism/

Foremski, Tom. (2012). Can pr people become journalist? What is it?

Retrieved from:

http://www.siliconvalleywatcher.com/mt/archives/2012/10/can_pr_people_b.php

Friedman, Ann. (2013). Branded but independent media.

Retrieved from:

http://www.cjr.org/realtalk/rise_of_branded_but_independen.php?page=all

Week 4 Lynda.com Certification: Writing Articles

Below is a post regarding my Lynda.com certification for Writing Articles.  This class was intended to help educate me in how to write a successful article using the proper tools, communicating with potential employers and how to complete an article from start to finish.

Below is an image of my certificate for completing the course.

The portion I found most beneficial to my career and career goals was following up with the client, interviewee, and other contacts surrounding a project article.  The reason this particular item captured my attention was because he gave some great examples of not only keeping in touch with the client for future projects but how to utilize the article for potential clients.  For example when he said, " If you wrote an article about How to learn a foreign language, you may want to let the Linguistics professor from the local university that you had been speaking with about the article's release."  This is a great ti that I myself had never thought about before.  It is beneficial to utilize projects for your portfolio but it can be even more powerful to allow a possible client to view your work before they are in search of your expertise because they would already be familiar with what you can do.

Week 4 Reflection: Project Revision

The below post is to highlight my revisions to my previous project soft launch for my fictitious client The Holy Magdalena Cupcake Express Food Truck.  his revision was to help make necessary improvements to the website.  My objective was to identify a least 3 items that needed improvement and to take note of the suggestions and pieces that were identified by my instructor as well as my fellow classmate during their critiques of the site.

Below you will find the link to my revised website for The Holy Magdalena Cupcake Express.

The Holy Magdalena Cupcake Express


First let me begin with this was by far one of my favorite projects.  Initially when I began I had no idea where to start.  But as I moved through the site and elements it would take to build it I became very motivated to learn everything I could.  After my initial launch I shared it with colleagues as well as my personal friends and family.  After everyone gave me feedback and I went back to the site several times I began finding more items that I myself wanted to improve upon.  Once I read and heard the feedback from Julia and Instructor Wray it was even more confirmed for me what needed to be added, taken away, changed and edited.

The three items that immediately became apparent from all of the feedback and my own evaluation of the site were, the menu page, the header, and general layout of all the pages.  I changed the sizing of the logo, to my disappointment I could resize and slightly move the logo but because this site was built utilizing the free elements of weebly I was unable to maneuver it very much.  But in the end the general placement and sizing work very well.  After resizing the logo I took Instructor Wray's advice and rearranged the pages to have more of the proper bookends.  The next item that was most important for me was adjusting the menu page.  I immediately got feedback from friends and colleagues stating that they got to the page and were very excited but the were missing what the items were made of, so I added the ingredients and also rearranged the page.  The new layout is much more balanced also it looks more well placed on the page.  I was also unhappy with the layout for the pricing and felt it also could use a bit more information.  So I made the text for "Pricing" larger and a different color to help it standout on the page better.  The next step for me in completing the revision was to adjust all the page layout to be more pleasing to a visitor's eye.  I rearranged the text on the about us page and added a photo of a cupcake to keep with a more consistent layout throughout the site.  I renamed the locations page per Instructor Wray's critique which was a great idea because it shows that day's location on the calender widget.  I also added the disclaimer to every page because weebly did not allow me to add a footer since I was utilizing the free version to build the site.  I did change the accent color, unfortunately I was limited to that template's color pallet so I utilized a color that would compliment the items on the site but still keep with the more masculine feel that the client wanted.  The revision made a world of difference not only in the look but the overall feel of the site.





The following images are before and after screenshots of the site:

Header


Before:

After:

Home page


Before:

After:

About Us


Before:

After:

Today's Location


Before:

After:

Menu


Before:

After:

Week 4 Reflection: RISE Self-Evaluation

The below video post is my reflection and self evaluation of my time during my web design class.  In the video I address what I learned and how I can benefit from the new skill set I now have.

Week 4 Reflection: RISE Peer Feedback

The below post is my peer review for my classmate in my web design class Loren Maxwell.  This review is to help give feedback to my classmate regarding his project as well is help build critical thinking skills for myself when looking over designs.  This tool will help build a good foundation for critiquing my colleagues' work in my future career.

Hi Loren,

First and foremost let me say you did an excellent job with your project.  The general layout was very clean and aesthetically pleasing.  Also it was very easy to use. 

One of the items that I first noticed was the second row of tab buttons.  Was this intentional?  The reason I bring this up is because these buttons appear right under your pages menu.  To me this seems a bit repetitive.  Are you trying to get your client’s customers to be more attracted to those pages in particular? 

If this was an intentional attention to those pages, you may also consider changing the colors in the menu instead of utilizing a second row of tabs.  Changing the color from the other page links will definitely draw attention.  Another suggestion would be to put the extra tabs below the text and utilize some of the extra space at the lower portion of the home page.

Something else I noticed was the inspiration page.  I remember in the critiques our instructor mentioned this page.  I wanted to view it myself to see if I may offer another helpful suggestion to make this page a bit more impactful and relevant for your client.  Since the title of this page is inspiration and the client is known for his ability to remove bandages with as little pain as possible, maybe consider adding links to other forms of helpful health techniques.  Or active links to becoming and living a healthier lifestyle.  Something that would inspire a better quality of life, like a link to “How to eat healthier” or “Having an active lifestyle”.

Overall I think you did very well with your site.  I believe with just a few minor tweaks your site will be very powerful for you client.  I really do think you were on to something with the inspiration page.  If you utilized it for something more closely related to your clients business it would be much more impactful for the site. 

As always you did a great job.  I enjoyed getting more in depth into your project.  I believe your client would be very happy with the final result.

The below link is to Loren’s website:

No-Owie

Thank you,

Felisha Hodges

Week 3 Lynda.com Certification: iPhone Photography

Below is a post for my MCPP class.  This post has a lynda.com Certificate for iPhone shooting techniques.  This post displays my certificate and a brief summary of what I thought was the most beneficial part of the class.

 Lynda.com Certificate:

I really enjoyed the shooting techniques.  It was very helpful in order to capture better images.  I myself love taking photos not just as documentation of my personal life but also as my love for utilizing photography as art.  Hearing the tips to help me utilize my iPhone take better photos is great.  I will take the techniques and be able to create even more art out of my photography.  Also one technique that stood out for me was utilizing headphones to help disguise being a street photographer.  I think that is a great idea.  I have always found that my pictures are much better when they are true life photos.  This is a great way to ensure that your subject does not pose.  I want to be able to utilize my own photos in my design work this course definitely equipped me with more ways to utilize the technology I have available to me to make that possible.

MCPP Portfolio Project Submission: Collins Street Tattoo Digital Flyer Revised

The following post is a portfolio submission for my MCBS Degree program MCPP Portfolio class.
The is a resubmission of my previous portfolio submission.  This resubmission has all of the suggested changes that my professor I make.

Star Rating Sought:

I am hoping to receive a 2-star rating.

Project Description:

This project was to create a digital flyer to help spread the word to the client's customers about their tenth anniversary specials.  The main objective for this project was to create a flyer that contained the special verbiage and store information requested by the client as well as help bring in business.

Link to Deliverable:

The below link will take you to an image of the revised flyer.
The revised Collins Street Tattoo Digital Flyer

Feedback Received:

Initial feedback received from client:

During the process of creating the flyer I had the client select photos and the exact text they wanted for the flyer.  There were two revisions on color and placement of the photos. The image that is linked above was the final product that the client posted to their Facebook as well as their Instagram accounts.  It was my understanding that the flyer did help to bring in more foot traffic than normal.  The initial feedback from the client was that they really liked the final layout of the flyer.

Feedback received from my instructor for first submission:

My instructor stated that the initial flyer's black text made it very hard for the intended audience to read the information and suggested I make it white or a more readable color.  This would make the information more easily read by the client's intended audience.

Resources Utilized:

PI utilized Adobe CS6 Illustrator to design and layout the flyer.  To deliver the final product to the client I emailed a JPEG copy of the artwork. For making the required adjustments I utilized Adobe Illustrator CS6.