I Like Variety's Approach To Sponsored Emmy Content

It’s a simple thing, really. But it’s effective, good business and something I’ve always thought should be more prevalent among the trades: sponsored news packages. Right in the middle of its homepage, Variety has a module. USA Networks is the advertiser, and off to the right are five Emmy stories. Clean, packaged, tight. And it's not special reports copy that was written AFTER an advertiser came onboard and pretends to be real. Just daily news that ebbs and flows and that has a common theme...in this case, Emmys. It’s strange that I don’t see it that often on anything except newsletters, which feel very 2009. Because think of all the things that could be sold as a package, designed beautifully, and executed flawlessly: reviews, international stories, television profiles, Oscar Q&As. The list goes on.

I remember when the journalism world went nuts over the L.A. Times’ decision to put an ad on its front page. But, of course everyone overreacted; it was just a business decision that any educated reader could see was done for the right reasons. And anyone with a brain didn’t let it get in the way. I find this to be exactly the same kind of thing despite many protests I hear all the time about “sponsored content.” But I think it’s a good idea and one of the things that could save financially bolster the business of trade news.