Readers have become so jaded to the practice of marketers seeking editorial coverage by paying for it or by using it as leverage for buying ad space, they now believe that a significant amount of the editorial content in media is paid for, according to a study by Starcom MediaVest.

The media agency surveyed readers among different genres of magazines, who were shown excerpts from a publication featuring brand images and/or mentions and were then asked a battery of attitudinal questions pertaining to each excerpt.

The prevailing opinion of consumers (65%) was that advertisers pay for the exposure granted to products featured in editorial content.

The survey did find, to the dismay of most editors, that 50% of the respondents found the practice acceptable.

While this might seem all well and good for marketers, there ought to be some cause for concern over the perceived blurring of advertising and editorial.

As the study’s authors note: “The survey shows clearly that consumers have print product placement on their radar, and that they are willing to accept it when it adds value to their reading experience. That said, the most powerful asset a magazine has is a bond of trust with its readers. While agencies should form tighter partnerships with magazines in order to better understand readers, they should not design any media contact plan that would violate the church-and-state separation of editorial and ad content.”

While the survey did not delve into the reasons for consumers’ perceptions of paid placement, the report clearly indicates that despite the favorable reactions expressed by respondents, if the lines between advertising and editorial become blurred in the minds of most consumers, marketers could experience some bad news. Advertising is paid for by a marketer and most consumers therefore take such messages with a grain of salt – if not out-right cynicism these days. Traditionally, editorial content is expected to be objective and independent – in other words, if a marketer is mentioned in a news story, it’s usually been safe to say that the subject of the story had no control over what's been said about it. That “just the facts” ethos is the heart and soul of media credibility.

Media relations thrives on that credibility. If readers believe that a positive mention of a brand or individual is the result of paid placement, then the value of media coverage is rendered worthless.

Now, there is nothing inherently wrong about paid placements – as long as they are clearly identified as such. That is a necessity and something marketers should fight for. If consumers persist in believing that news coverage is merely another form of advertising, both media relations and advertising messages will find themselves severely undermined.