CRN: The Best Coverage Money Can Buy?
Check out this rather interesting editorial pattern:
- On page 9, CA Internet Security Plus was listed as a top pick. On page 11, a full-page ad for the same CA product. Even better, the CA product photos in the advertisement and the editorial are exactly the same as well.
The VAR Guy was reading the latest CRN leaflet, er, magazine today. He turned to a July 14 feature story about the Top 10 Microsoft-centric Solutions for today’s IT partners. And then, he got a few surprises.
Check out this rather interesting editorial pattern:
- On page 9, CA Internet Security Plus was listed as a top pick. On page 11, a full-page ad for the same CA product. Even better, the CA product photos in the advertisement and the editorial are exactly the same as well.
- On page 9, Citrix Application Delivery Infrastructure got a nice write-up. On page 7, a shiny full-page ad for Citrix.
- On page 9, Kaseya Managed Services Edition gets a sparkling mention. On page 13, Kaseya has a full-page ad.
- On page 10, Novell SuSE Linux Enterprise Server moves into the editorial spotlight. On page 12, a full-page Novell-Microsoft ad for Windows Server and SuSE Linux Enterprise Server.
The VAR Guy isn’t attacking any advertisers. (He enjoys ad revenue as much as the next guy.) But CRN is muddying the waters between ads and editorial. The Microsoft-centric feature story is labeled as a “supplement to CRN.” Nowhere in the supplement are the words “special advertising section” mentioned.
Shame on CRN. Stunts like advertising-driven supplements (positioned as editorial rather than advertorial) undermine the solid coverage CRN often produces — including this breaking story about Symantec taking its top customers direct.
Var Guy,
We don’t look at the pictures unless they have pretty ladies on them, or unless they have the perfume sample that we can play with, so what’s the big deal? A VAR is going to sell the most profitable product that meets the customer’s needs, this is the way it has always been and the way it will always be.