Infotisement
Coined in 2000 by copywriter Matthew McDermott, an infotisement is a print article that, on the surface, provides readers with useful news or information on a topic, but whose ultimate purpose is to promote or sell goods or services related to the article's topic. Infotisements are developed by the advertiser. As a result, their content (particularly in terms of validity, objectivity, and truthfulness) is vulnerable to the ethics of the advertiser.
In form and function, an infotisement (or, alternately, "info-tisement") serves as key visual element within a larger ad or is laid out within close proximity to advertising messaging to establish or enhance the article's connection to the goods or services. The strategy boosts the value proposition by offering readers "valuable" information (in addition to the selling points of the actual product or service).
Advertising icon David Ogilvy popularized the strategy, most notably with his work promoting tourism and industry for countries such as Puerto Rico, Jamaica, England, and France. In his book, Ogilvy on Advertising, Ogilvy readily praises a piece by Merrill Lynch's Louis Engle—a long form ad featuring investment information and strategy, followed by Merrill Lynch company contact information. Though more subtle than techniques used today, the ad, Ogilvy notes, racked up 10,000 responses—despite being "buried near the end" of the New York Times.
Advotainment and infomercials employ similar approaches, executed over TV, video, web, radio, and podcasts.
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