We are very excited to announce a new model of paid content that we’re calling Sponsored Connections.
Most people consume sponsored content on a daily basis without even knowing it. Advertisers pay media companies to publish journalistic articles that seem to follow the editorial ethics and opinions of the outlet but are usually little more than an elaborate press release.
The worst part of sponsored content is how enthusiastically it’s hidden. Disclaimers are often tiny, designed to be missed, or left out all together. Another pitfall of sponsored content is that it’s typically only available to companies with huge budgets.
At Variable West, we’re dedicated to operational transparency, but we also need an operating budget. Enter: Sponsored Connections.
To avoid any confusion about whose ideas you’re reading, Sponsored Connections will always include a clear disclaimer citing the organization paying for the content.
We also want to extend the visibility deeper engagement of paid content to organizations that might not have a big (or any) marketing budget. That’s why each Sponsored Connection consists of pairings: The fee paid by one organization covers an interview or review about their programming and another interview or review about the programming of an organization with a smaller operating budget.
Sponsored Connections offers us a way to embed community support in our advertising model, and we’re pretty excited about it. Check out our previously produced Sponsored Connections here.
Interested in commissioning a Sponsored Connection of your own? Email hello@variablewest.com to learn more.