Effective leveraging of reference value content

A good niche market publication, which assists you in reaching your target market whilst avoiding the clutter of competitors, is worth reviewing. Publications which take you to your selected audience are vital. Niche sector publications are particularly effective for providing the right mix of editorial and branding information.

Witness the success of periodicals such as Martin Creamer's Engineering News or that remarkable survivor, Farmers Weekly, where depth of content and editorial have a strong appeal for the reader, and where the advertiser is guaranteed a well-defined target market.

Publications that are able to maximise their value offering by building on this foundation whilst incorporating reference value with longer term longevity such as year book and sector-specific journals, ensure repeat exposure for the advertiser and build the reader's awareness of the branded content in the publication. Financial Mail is one of the leaders in this category with its annual Little Black Book and Top Companies, to name just two examples. This model works well because it takes the concept of a niche publication a step further and incorporates editorial control of branded information.

Add to this the value of niche, electronic marketing, which maximises effective use of new technology, and you have a valuable media mix which, when used correctly, can achieve the objectives of the advertising campaign even within tight budget constraints.

For this model to work, the advertiser should embrace the difference between advertorial and branded editorial. In the case of the latter, the editor of the publication will have complete control of the content of branded information to protect the publication's integrity and credibility - and the successful advertiser is prepared to let this happen.

The publisher who adds depth of research to this recipe will frequently ensure maximum results for all stake-holders. Strong research is critical both for determining what readers want and for ensuring that the content of a publication is credible. If readers select a publication on the basis that it contains information that they want to read, that is relevant to their interests and needs, and that they trust, they will also accept the credibility of the brand information. So make sure that the editor's decisions are backed by solid research of what the readers want. If your brand information adds value for the reader and supports the generic content of the publication in which it appears, you will get the bang you want for your buck.