| Knowledge for new solutions from the American Press Institute |  |
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- Gawker comments offer appealing alternative to banner ads
Advertisers with sponsored posts on Gawker will have the ability to guide the comments connected to their posts using Gawker's new comment system. The system sorts comments by threads, with the person -- or company -- who starts a thread given control over which comments are featured. Given the high readership for comments, Felix Salmon writes, this may be an attractive alternative to rarely clicked banner ads. Reuters/Felix Salmon blog
(5/22)     
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- AOL hopes to put Patch on profitable path
Pursuant to AOL CEO Tim Armstrong's pledge to make the Patch hyperlocal operation profitable by next year, Patch announced 20 layoffs as it merges management for its southern and eastern regional operations. The announcement may bode well for Patch, writes Alex Salkever, as it indicates the company "is getting a better handle on what hyperlocal must look like in order to succeed." The Wall Street Journal
(5/22), Street Fight
(5/22)
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- Huffington Post offers brands a helping hand with websites
AOL's Huffington Post is stepping up its work with brands by offering help setting up branded websites that it then supplies with content and distribution. The AOL unit's extensive experience with SEO is one draw, and the Huffington Post is already working with one major consumer brand on a site, said Janet Balis, senior vice president for AOL Advertising. "The theme in the marketplace is brands are increasingly recognizing that they are in the business of producing content," Balis said. Advertising Age (tiered subscription model)
(5/22)
- Networks help hyperlocals broaden ad base
Hyperlocals have options when seeking a network to fill the typically large amount of ad space not sold directly. Though rates are lower, the networks provide a way to generate at least some revenue from the otherwise unused space while building a bigger list of advertisers. Street Fight
(5/22)
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- Automotive drives rising Google+ brand engagement
Circled "adoption" of top 100 brands in the Google+ social network is up from 21% in early February to 35% in early May, according to Simply Measured. During the same period, circler counts of 100,000 or more grew from 13% to 22%. The automotive category is driving the highest engagement, followed by electronics and luxury goods. eMarketer
(5/23)
- National brands expect bigger return from locally targeted ads
National brands expect to get more from advertising that's targeted locally, according to a survey by Balihoo, which helps brands efficiently target many local markets. National brands with more than $1 billion in revenue are more likely to target locally than brands taking in $100 million to $250 million. Street Fight
(5/22)
- Social media sharing enhances deals
Social media sharing remains important for online deals, but users expect something in exchange for their willingness to share, according to Second Street Media. The social element is also found to be particularly helpful with email campaigns. BIA/Kelsey
(5/21)
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- Newspapers suffer from outdated commitment to objectivity
 Changing ad models and the digital world aren't the only afflictions besetting newspapers, writes Mathew Ingram. What journalism professor Jay Rosen calls the "voice from nowhere" -- a noncommittal adherence to judgment-free reportage -- is also depriving readers of the kind of strong voice they increasingly want, Ingram argues. GigaOm
(5/22)
- Is media branding losing its value?
Amid a proliferation of media branding, having a brand -- particularly in the case of legacy media -- ceases to be the expansive and valuable asset that it once was, argues journalist and author Rory O'Connor. "We're in an age where we're all told that we have to create our personal brand ... so we have to begin to question what that very word 'brand' means," O'Connor says. Nieman Journalism Lab
(5/22)
| SmartQuote | | |
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 | It is the dull man who is always sure, and the sure man who is always dull."
--H.L. Mencken,
American journalist and essayist
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| About API |
The American Press Institute's purpose is to educate constituencies about the value of newspapers and to provide training,
research and best practices for newspaper industry executives. Founded in 1946, API is located in Arlington, Va., at the
headquarters of the Newspaper Association of America. The API and NAA Foundation boards voted to merge the NAA Foundation
into API in early 2012. The merger was finalized on February 6, 2012, and the new organization retains the API name.
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