As with many public relations agencies, here at matm we receive a good number of offers from publications to place advertorials – often called colour separations or ‘seps’ – on behalf of our clients.
Colour separations are paid-for articles, usually accompanied by a picture (which is where the colour separation term comes from), writes Andy Comber, PR Manager at Shrophire-based marketing, design, web and design agency matm. They became increasingly common in the 1980s when advertising revenue fell sharply – and can also be called editorial reproductions, product insertions or digital profiles in web media.
These offers can be viewed by PR companies and clients alike with some degree of suspicion. Quite rightly, the client doesn’t want to spend money without considering the ROI.
PR professionals like to think they can generate stories that are so compelling that publications will jump at carrying them for no charge. And it doesn’t look good to keep asking clients to dip their hands in their pockets for every Tom, Dick and Harry media opportunity that comes along.
All that said, with the right degree of caution, colour seps can be useful elements of the PR mix.
They are an integral part of the marketing and revenue model for many publications. So paid-for stories may not mean the publication is poor quality or that readers don’t value the content. Also, a colour sep allows the public relations agency and client to exert control over content, image use and page placement in a publication aimed precisely at a desirable target audience.
As an example, matm recently secured for a client a two page feature with multiple pictures in a national building renovation title at a cost of £350. The article generated eight keen sales/information inquiries through the publication’s internal feedback system alone.
So here are some tips when using colour seps as a marketing tactic:
* If there is time, ask to be sent copies of the publication to assess suitability– and check web pages
* Be selective – make sure you are clear about the target audience you want and what is being offered
* Ask yourself if the publication is right for your brand in terms of style and quality
* Ask about readership and reach. Is the publication ABC audited?
* Don’t accept the first price offered – in most cases there is room to haggle
* If there’s no movement on price, negotiate on content, position on page and which page you are being offered, for example the right hand page and the outside edge of the page are favoured positions
* Check the size of any picture offered
* Make sure the article includes a call to action box or strap with contact details
* Be aware that most publications can offer online content as part of the mix
* Require copy and design proof approval
* Think twice about using a publication’s in-house writers. In most cases, they won’t understand your needs
* Don’t pay up front. If a publication doesn’t deliver all it promises, you can withhold payment or negotiate a lower price
* Use targeted advertorials as part of a coordinated marketing communications strategy, also involving web content, e-shots and social media
* Monitor the response. Did the article generate interest or sales inquiries?
Ultimately, the decision should focus on task and objective. Knowing clearly what you want to achieve and targeting marketing and PR spend accordingly should be the key test for whether to pay for publicity or not.
