Commentary

Just an Online Minute... Refusing Ads

A few weeks ago, when New York Times Digital and CBS MarketWatch refused to run the now famous Sony ad that looked too much like an advertorial, the ad world was somewhat shocked. Interestingly enough, move that scenario offline, and no one seems to mind at all.

Yesterday, the newly launched magazine for full-figured women - Grace magazine - said it will not carry weight-loss and tobacco-related advertising since it opposes their message to readers. The restriction also applies to the publication's website.

At the same time, the publisher said it does not see a negative impact on its revenue. "We don't expect (the move) to impact us in a negative way," Pam Henning, co-founder and EVP of sales and marketing of the magazine told Reuters. Grace expects other advertisers, predominantly from the fashion industry, to perk up the magazine's advertising revenue.

On one hand, this is no big loss because tobacco companies have cut back on magazine advertising, one of the few mass-market media outlets available to them. The same goes for their online spending. As it is, Philip Morris has not run any Marlboro magazine ads this year, preferring to spend their money on in-store promotions.

The weight loss ad segment, however, is a different story.

So how could a publisher possibly afford to do such a thing in the current ad climate? Looks like the aforementioned online publishers may have set a precedent. In the case of the Sony ad, both the NYT and CBS MW said their editorial integrity is their most important asset and no amount of ad revenue is worth compromising that.

Henning echoed, “The message throughout our magazine is to be healthy."

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