Some articles on here are product placements but most are just what the "Australian Business Traveler" wants to hear about for example the "Australian" traveler would rather hear about Qantas then Cathay and because of the EK and QF partnership you'll also hear about Emriates as well
Its the same reason you hardly hear about Low Cost Carriers on here AUSBT because the business traveler will normally stay clear of the low cost carriers unless they are the only dirrect flight on the route (Qantas please go Melborune/Sydney to Townsville I hate having to fly the star)
Henrus: just a correction – no AusBT articles are 'product placement'. If you see an article which is labelled 'Sponsored content' or similar that is commercial content, but we have run less than a dozen of those in our four years. Everything else is there because we genuinely feel it's a story worth sharing.
The rest of your thoughts are good ones, especially the LCC angle. We prefer to focus on 'premium' travel but will cover some aspects of economy on the bigger airlines because that is how some business travellers fly; but we don't touch LCCs unless they have a premium cabin (which is why Scoot and AirAsia X can get covered but Tiger not).
If you're talking of 'sponsored content' - sometimes the client, sometimes a journalist. But we always have oversight of the finished piece and we've in the past rejected material which didn't suit.
Kash: that's a good question to ask. A lot of factors go into choosing what we write about on AusBT, and there's no simple formula behind it.
Some of those factors include the likely relevance of an article to our primary readership and the likely interest in that article (relevance and interest do not always equate), how an article enhances the content 'mix', a story's news value, how 'unique' it can be or if we can add value beyond a mainstream treatment, if it is being sufficiently covered by the mainstream media, the likely traffic pull, and how a story reflects our site's positioning.
There's another factor that is heavily grounded in day-to-day reality, and that's how busy we are on any given day. If we're flat out on big news stories then we simply don't have time to do smaller ones (eg a new route) which may pop up; or to write some stories we'd like to do but will take time we don't have because of a busy news day (sometimes those stories can be written up the next day, but sometimes that next day is frantic too, and before long the story has lost its news value and gets taken off the slate). Or I might be attending a product launch or taking meetings, which means I'm not available to write up many stories.
Likewise, when Chris or myself are travelling (as is often the case!) and on assignment overseas we're not able to cover as much news due to the work demands of that trip and/or the time difference, so this means some stories don't make the cut because there's no hands on deck to write them. The more newsworthy it is, the higher up the list it'll sit; otherwise it gets cut. So it comes down to prioritisation – think of it as "We've got X writing hours, so what's the best use of those hours?" as guided by the factors above plus others too.
Good to see the real story behind the ‘sponsored content’ issue. I’ve no objection to native advertising or sponsored stories, as we all have to make a crust. There have been a few times when I’ve seen the homepage and it’s looked to be 80% about one particular story, (e.g. Cathay Pacific’s birthday celebration).
Not to detract from David or Chris’s efforts, but it would be nice to see an area where readers could suggest topics. Just a no-obligations comment section, where we could leave a note about topics or news tips that interested us. That way there’d be more interaction and data flowing between reader and supplier.
If an article is clearly identified as some form of sponsored content, then it is, and there's a commercial arrangement behind it - if there's no such declaration then it's an article run purely on its own merits (as was the case with the Cathay Pacific anniversary content).
Sponsored content is content published as part of a commercial arrangememt. Reviews of flights, lounges, hotels, tech etc are part and parcel of what AusBT is all about – there is no commercial transaction – and the reviews are written on their own merits and entirely independently.
I enjoy the articles on here and I'm really not fussed where the articles come from. As has been said, if an article is sponsored you'll know about it I'm sure everyone here can take the article for what it is and decide how they'll let it influence their own thining. It's also worth remembering that the content on here is free and not subsciption based unlike many other similar publications.
kash
kash
Member since 20 Feb 2012
Total posts 5
Just curious
What justifies an article?
Why for example you have not covered CX expansion to Zurich/Manchester ( fastest route for Aussie) Düsseldorf and Boston? ( for Perth)
you cover EU connections on QR/EK etc...
TheRealBabushka
TheRealBabushka
Member since 21 Apr 2012
Total posts 2,058
henrus
henrus
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 23 Oct 2013
Total posts 766
Some articles on here are product placements but most are just what the "Australian Business Traveler" wants to hear about for example the "Australian" traveler would rather hear about Qantas then Cathay and because of the EK and QF partnership you'll also hear about Emriates as well
Its the same reason you hardly hear about Low Cost Carriers on here AUSBT because the business traveler will normally stay clear of the low cost carriers unless they are the only dirrect flight on the route (Qantas please go Melborune/Sydney to Townsville I hate having to fly the star)
Also TRB I have just gone there
David
David
Member since 24 Oct 2010
Total posts 1,016
Henrus: just a correction – no AusBT articles are 'product placement'. If you see an article which is labelled 'Sponsored content' or similar that is commercial content, but we have run less than a dozen of those in our four years. Everything else is there because we genuinely feel it's a story worth sharing.
The rest of your thoughts are good ones, especially the LCC angle. We prefer to focus on 'premium' travel but will cover some aspects of economy on the bigger airlines because that is how some business travellers fly; but we don't touch LCCs unless they have a premium cabin (which is why Scoot and AirAsia X can get covered but Tiger not).
Hugo
Hugo
Member since 12 Jun 2013
Total posts 216
>Everything else is there because we genuinely feel it's a story worth sharing.
But they do write the article for you, right?
David
David
Member since 24 Oct 2010
Total posts 1,016
If you're talking of 'sponsored content' - sometimes the client, sometimes a journalist. But we always have oversight of the finished piece and we've in the past rejected material which didn't suit.
David
David
Member since 24 Oct 2010
Total posts 1,016
Kash: that's a good question to ask. A lot of factors go into choosing what we write about on AusBT, and there's no simple formula behind it.
Some of those factors include the likely relevance of an article to our primary readership and the likely interest in that article (relevance and interest do not always equate), how an article enhances the content 'mix', a story's news value, how 'unique' it can be or if we can add value beyond a mainstream treatment, if it is being sufficiently covered by the mainstream media, the likely traffic pull, and how a story reflects our site's positioning.
There's another factor that is heavily grounded in day-to-day reality, and that's how busy we are on any given day. If we're flat out on big news stories then we simply don't have time to do smaller ones (eg a new route) which may pop up; or to write some stories we'd like to do but will take time we don't have because of a busy news day (sometimes those stories can be written up the next day, but sometimes that next day is frantic too, and before long the story has lost its news value and gets taken off the slate). Or I might be attending a product launch or taking meetings, which means I'm not available to write up many stories.
Likewise, when Chris or myself are travelling (as is often the case!) and on assignment overseas we're not able to cover as much news due to the work demands of that trip and/or the time difference, so this means some stories don't make the cut because there's no hands on deck to write them. The more newsworthy it is, the higher up the list it'll sit; otherwise it gets cut. So it comes down to prioritisation – think of it as "We've got X writing hours, so what's the best use of those hours?" as guided by the factors above plus others too.
changa86
changa86
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
Member since 17 Feb 2014
Total posts 15
Any idea on how we might be able to conribute too? Paper carry articles from guest writers once in awhile!
David
David
Member since 24 Oct 2010
Total posts 1,016
No immediate plans, to be honest.
tuzza1
tuzza1
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 02 Aug 2012
Total posts 93
Had to Laugh...
I first read this as
"no immediate plans to be honest "
LOL
Jono
Jono
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 25 Jan 2013
Total posts 108
Good to see the real story behind the ‘sponsored content’ issue. I’ve no objection to native advertising or sponsored stories, as we all have to make a crust. There have been a few times when I’ve seen the homepage and it’s looked to be 80% about one particular story, (e.g. Cathay Pacific’s birthday celebration).
Not to detract from David or Chris’s efforts, but it would be nice to see an area where readers could suggest topics. Just a no-obligations comment section, where we could leave a note about topics or news tips that interested us. That way there’d be more interaction and data flowing between reader and supplier.
David
David
Member since 24 Oct 2010
Total posts 1,016
If an article is clearly identified as some form of sponsored content, then it is, and there's a commercial arrangement behind it - if there's no such declaration then it's an article run purely on its own merits (as was the case with the Cathay Pacific anniversary content).
henrus
henrus
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
Member since 23 Oct 2013
Total posts 766
But sometimes an airline/hotel/tech product might give you a free flight (or a delivery flight), free hotel night, free product
They then assume that AUSBT will write an article about them (it may be good but does not have to be) and that is sort of sponsored content
David
David
Member since 24 Oct 2010
Total posts 1,016
Sponsored content is content published as part of a commercial arrangememt. Reviews of flights, lounges, hotels, tech etc are part and parcel of what AusBT is all about – there is no commercial transaction – and the reviews are written on their own merits and entirely independently.
rob01
rob01
Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards
Member since 10 Nov 2011
Total posts 110
I enjoy the articles on here and I'm really not fussed where the articles come from. As has been said, if an article is sponsored you'll know about it I'm sure everyone here can take the article for what it is and decide how they'll let it influence their own thining. It's also worth remembering that the content on here is free and not subsciption based unlike many other similar publications.