The Rise of Brand Journalism

Abstract

There are few commercial communication concepts that have had a rise as spectacular and fast as brand journalism. Brands’ journalistic activities were usually considered under the category of content marketing and are also sometimes described using terms such as custom content, content publishing or corporate journalism. Although corporate journalism is an old practice, its development in digital environments has elevated it to a new dimension. Today, as a matter of fact, there are few large corporations or brands that resist the urge to start initiatives in the field: brand journalism seems like a modern marketing imperative. This chapter tries to clarify the conceptual nature of brand journalism, given its growing importance. First, it explains the different factors that contributed to its rise. Then it analyzes its various forms along with some keys to its use by corporations. Finally, the effects of brand journalism in terms of audience engagement, and its contribution to the tension between information and misinformation in markets, are evaluated and future developments assessed.