‘The content is the hero, not the product’ – how Reuters created authentic stories for Canon
Sponsored editorial poses an ethical dilemma for news agencies that rely on their integrity. But, as Reuters’ Jeff Perkins explains, the key to satisfying both brand and readers is to focus on credibility.
Reuters is a name most associated with hard news. The 166-year-old agency is one of the most trusted news sources there is, with its breaking newswire relied on by thousands of organisations to inform millions of people in more than 100 countries.
But that reputation provided a challenge for Jeff Perkins, the business’ EMEA commercial director, when they moved into creating branded content for clients.
Jonathan Bachman’s now famous photo of protester Leshia Evans being arrested by a squad of riot police during a peaceful protest for Black Lives Matter in Baton Rouge, Louisianna
“We had to be incredibly careful,” he admits. “A huge part of our organisation is supplying independent journalism. But today you are more likely to survive a plane crash than click on an advertising banner. Now, $313bn is predicted to be spent on content marketing by 2019, and it’s going to be $412bn by 2021.”
Founded in 1850, Reuters is an international news agency headquartered in London.
This is sponsored editorial about the ethical dilemma of sponsored editorial??!! Worse, it is paid for by Reuters to assert the point of view that they have integrity. Meta? Or a poor PR decision?