Forbes features native ad on its front cover for the first time | M&M Global

Forbes features native ad on its front cover for the first time

Forbes magazine has taken its native advertising offering one step further – by allowing a piece of branded content to feature on its front page.

A small box on its 2 March edition (see below) cover flags up a piece of branded content by Fidelity Investments, called FidelityVoice, as part of Forbes’ wider editorial focus on retirement.

The box states, “FidelityVoice: Revving up your retirement,” but does not flag up the content as paid-for. However, the promotion itself is a much darker colour than the light-blue box listing editorial highlights.

It places Forbes on a collision course with the American Society of Magazine Editors, which disapproves of ads featuring on front covers.

A Forbes spokesperson told Mashable the feature, part of its BrandVoice native ad programme, represents quality content for both readers and marketers: “Forbes continues to innovate, enabling us to deliver quality journalism by offering an experience that serves both readers and marketers alike.

“Our BrandVoice program, which is transparently and clearly labelled, has been an essential component of our successful evolution, and today approximately 30% of our advertising revenues are generated by BrandVoice partners.”

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