Brand Journalism: Spotlighting Stories over Sales

In a world where content constantly revolves around commerce, brand journalism can offer a refreshing shift: focusing on stories that connect with consumers rather than skyrocket sales. 

Brand journalism is defined as a public relations strategy that tells a story about a company that aligns with their values, creating an opportunity for better consumer-company relationships. Oftentimes these campaigns will pull in concepts that relate to hotter topics in media or global discussion. A popular example of this was Dove’s 2013 Real Beauty Sketches.

Real World Example with Real Beauty Sketches:

For this campaign, randomly-selected women were brought in and challenged to describe themselves to a trained forensic artist sitting on the other side of a curtain. The artist then drew a portrait based on the details given. After that, a random stranger described the woman to the same artist, who then drew a new portrait based on the stranger’s observations — still without ever seeing the subject. The film’s simple but shocking display of self-image struggles highlights Dove’s mission to promote beauty and body positivity. 

The campaign was wildly successful, with 50 million views in the twelve days following the film’s release and a cumulative 180 million views in years since. These numbers prove that even without selling a specific product, the story’s impact likely earned Dove higher sales. 

With examples like Dove, it’s clear that brands can focus on human- and value-centered stories to build stronger relationships with consumers. Brand journalism provides a way to tap deeper into those connections based on values and personal interests rather than how beneficial a specific product or service might be. 

The Benefits of Brand Journalism:

As explained by Content Science Review, brand journalism builds trustworthiness. When consumers feel that a company is creating an authentic space, they’ll feel more comfortable relying on the brand for helpful insights, making them “more likely to buy products or services from that company in the future.” 

In today’s age of social media, authenticity is becoming valued above all else. In an article by Contently, they discuss the benefits of being able to use social platforms for brand journalism, as the immediacy of social media content can provide a much more personal touch.

“Brand journalists create the appetite for the content that is to come. They’ll do this by creating relationships via social media or otherwise, then delivering on the promise of quality and transparency,” says the article.

Brand ability is appealing to companies for its unique ability to foster quick connections between consumers and companies, allowing more people to warm up to the idea of brand genuineness. Due to this, brand journalism has become more popular as a medium than ever before. 

Triple A’s Authenticity Boosts B2C Relationships:

Another example is AAA. In an article published in their newsroom, readers were offered insights on the best times to plan, book, and execute trips over Thanksgiving. This well-intentioned media allowed consumers to feel like the relationship between them and the company is mutually beneficial — not just a grab intended for viewers to purchase AAA services.

Overall, brand journalism can be considered one of the leading factors in business-to-consumer (B2C) relations. In today’s market, storytelling is no longer merely an option; it is essential. Companies that take advantage of this strategy, like Dove, AAA, and others alike, pave the way to authentic, lasting relationships with their audiences. Previously it may have been a question of whether or not to develop brand journalism — now it is a matter of how soon can you start?

Sara Bagley is a senior studying Writing with a minor in Advertising and Public Relations. She currently works as an editor for GVSU’s Lanthorn and for GVSU Housing as Lead Marketing Assistant. She is also serving as a Marketing Intern for The International Research Foundation for English Language Education (TIRF.) Sara is passionate about communication,writing, and anything to do with social dancing.