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Earned media (or free media) is content relating to a person or organization, which is published by a third party without any form of payment to the publisher.^[1]^[2] It includes articles by media outlets, interviews with the person or representatives of the organization, or bylined editorials in trade press and other publications. The phrase "earned media" serves as a contrast to the concept of "paid media" or, simply advertising. It may also include social media sharing, unpaid mentions by podcast hosts and guests, or word-of-mouth marketing.^[3]^[4]

Earned media excludes advertising (paid media) and company branding (owned media).^[1]

Background

Marketing communication can be summarized as falling into four categories, (paid, earned, social [or shared], and owned) media.^[5]^[2] This categorization is sometimes referred to as the PESO model.

Paid media is a traditional approach to promotion, and usually takes the form of advertising or advertorials (paid opinion pieces). Paid media also includes marketing activities like sponsored posts and paying to have links posted in a Chumbox.^[2]
Earned media is not paid for, but is published voluntarily by third parties (e.g., an article in a daily newspaper). This includes traditional publicity activities such as media relations or publicity (e.g., sending press releases to newspapers and magazines, in the hope that they will voluntarily publish an independent article about the organization or product) and investor relations (e.g., providing information of interest to investors or a business journal).^[2]
Social, or shared, media refers to customers and other members of the public sharing content on social media platforms (e.g., someone recommending a product to a friend on Facebook), as well as social media content produced by the company.^[2]
Owned media is produced by the company itself on channels it directly controls (e.g., the corporate website, corporate social media accounts).^[3] Owned media is self-published.^[6]

Sometimes, the categories overlap. For example, paying a social media influencer to promote a product or event is both "social" and "paid" media.^[2] If a company is criticized online, and the controversy is described in a news article, that could be both "shared" and "earned" media.^[2]

Description

Earned media is what happens when a person or organization is spoken of by a third party, with no payment changing hands. Examples include mentions in traditional media, guest appearances on television shows, or an opinion piece in a periodical. Sometimes social media mentions, ratings, reviews, and online discussions are included in this category.^[7]

Although earned media is not paid for, it is not entirely cost-free.^[8] Generating earned media may require hiring staff, creating content, promoting the brand through paid media, or creating programs (e.g., a contest) that will result earned media.^[8] If an advertisement or other paid marketing effort goes viral, so that other people and media outlets publish about it without payment, then the additional exposure (but not the original paid media) is earned media.^[8]

While marketers can help generate earned media activity, they do not generate it directly. It is earned "through relationships, incredibly newsworthy stories, and targeted messaging", without paying the media outlet.^[2] One inherent limitation, compared to paid or owned media, is that the person or organization has to convince journalists, editors, and television news producers to write a story about them, or an editor to publish an outside editorial. While this gatekeeper function serves to filter out lower quality and non-newsworthy content, it may also allow media outlets to act as censors when they do not agree with the source or its message.^[1]

Further, because the person or organization does not control the message once it is in the hands of a journalist, the message may not be what they wanted, and may be negative.^[2]^[9] As one example, while the 2016 Trump political campaign was cited as having obtained billions of dollars in earned media, one study estimated that 23% of earned media mentions were negative.^[10]

Reputation

Earned media is trusted more by consumers than other forms of promotion.^[8]

A Nielsen study in 2013 found that earned media (also described in the report as word-of-mouth) is the most trusted source of information in all countries it surveyed worldwide,^[11] and is the channel most likely to stimulate the consumer to action. In a 2019 study by the Institute for Public Relations, participants shown an earned news story, an advertisement, a blog post, and a company blog post found the earned media story the most credible. Readers sought out and paid attention to information such as the independence and credentials of the journalist, the balance of the coverage, and the prestige of the outlet in which the story appeared.^[12] Consumers are more likely to trust a voluntary recommendation from someone they know more than a paid advertisement.^[8]

Metrics

Compared to advertising metrics, the value that earned media contributes to the organization's profitability and purpose is harder to determine.^[2] However, various ways of estimating an advertising equivalency have been proposed by the Public Relations Society of America.^[2] Sometimes simpler methods, such as the number of followers on a journalist's social media page, have been used.^[8]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Bradford, Jeff. "Council Post: Choosing The Right Media For Your Message". Forbes. Retrieved 2023-08-24.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k Dietrich, Gini (2014). Spin Sucks: Communication and Reputation Management in the Digital Age. Pearson Education. pp. 38–42. ISBN 978-0-7897-4886-7.
^ ^a ^b Knight, Hanne; Vorster, Lizette (2023-03-03). Digital Marketing in Practice: Design, Implement and Measure Effective Campaigns. Kogan Page Publishers. p. 7. ISBN 978-1-3986-0888-7.
^ Stanton, Terry (2023-05-23). "What Is Earned Media? How PR Helps". Forbes Books. Retrieved 2023-08-24.
^ Robinson, Steve (2021-06-10). "What is the PESO Model for Marketing?". Brilliant Metrics. Retrieved 2023-08-24.
^ Coen, Sharon; Bull, Peter (2021). The Psychology of Journalism. Oxford University Press. pp. 21–22. ISBN 978-0-19-093585-6.
^ Stephen, Andrew T.; Galak, Jeff (October 2012). "The Effects of Traditional and Social Earned Media on Sales: A Study of a Microlending Marketplace". Journal of Marketing Research. 49 (5): 624–639. doi:10.1509/jmr.09.0401. ISSN 0022-2437. S2CID 167535488.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Kelley, Larry D.; Sheehan, Kim Bartel; Dobias, Lisa; Koranda, David E.; Jugenheimer, Donald W. (2022-12-30). Advertising Media Planning: A Brand Management Approach. Taylor & Francis. pp. 30–31. ISBN 978-1-000-81456-9.
^ Hardy, Jonathan (2021), "Meeting the challenges of media and marketing convergence: Revising critical political economy approaches", The Routledge Companion to Media Industries, Routledge, doi:10.4324/9780429275340-5, ISBN 978-0-429-27534-0, S2CID 211451604, retrieved 2023-11-02
^ Stewart, Emily (2016-11-20). "Donald trump rode $5 billion in free media to the white house". TheStreet. Retrieved 2023-08-25.
^ "Nielson Credibility Report". nielson.com. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
^ "Is Earned Media More Credible than Advertising? | Institute for Public Relations". instituteforpr.org. Retrieved 2023-08-24.

[:0-1] Bradford, Jeff. "Council Post: Choosing The Right Media For Your Message". Forbes. Retrieved 2023-08-24.

[:1-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k Dietrich, Gini (2014). Spin Sucks: Communication and Reputation Management in the Digital Age. Pearson Education. pp. 38–42. ISBN 978-0-7897-4886-7.

[:2-3] Knight, Hanne; Vorster, Lizette (2023-03-03). Digital Marketing in Practice: Design, Implement and Measure Effective Campaigns. Kogan Page Publishers. p. 7. ISBN 978-1-3986-0888-7.

[4] Stanton, Terry (2023-05-23). "What Is Earned Media? How PR Helps". Forbes Books. Retrieved 2023-08-24.

[5] Robinson, Steve (2021-06-10). "What is the PESO Model for Marketing?". Brilliant Metrics. Retrieved 2023-08-24.

[6] Coen, Sharon; Bull, Peter (2021). The Psychology of Journalism. Oxford University Press. pp. 21–22. ISBN 978-0-19-093585-6.

[7] Stephen, Andrew T.; Galak, Jeff (October 2012). "The Effects of Traditional and Social Earned Media on Sales: A Study of a Microlending Marketplace". Journal of Marketing Research. 49 (5): 624–639. doi:10.1509/jmr.09.0401. ISSN 0022-2437. S2CID 167535488.

[:3-8] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Kelley, Larry D.; Sheehan, Kim Bartel; Dobias, Lisa; Koranda, David E.; Jugenheimer, Donald W. (2022-12-30). Advertising Media Planning: A Brand Management Approach. Taylor & Francis. pp. 30–31. ISBN 978-1-000-81456-9.

[9] Hardy, Jonathan (2021), "Meeting the challenges of media and marketing convergence: Revising critical political economy approaches", The Routledge Companion to Media Industries, Routledge, doi:10.4324/9780429275340-5, ISBN 978-0-429-27534-0, S2CID 211451604, retrieved 2023-11-02

[10] Stewart, Emily (2016-11-20). "Donald trump rode $5 billion in free media to the white house". TheStreet. Retrieved 2023-08-25.

[Nielson_Credibility_Report-11] "Nielson Credibility Report". nielson.com. Retrieved 6 March 2018.

[12] "Is Earned Media More Credible than Advertising? | Institute for Public Relations". instituteforpr.org. Retrieved 2023-08-24.

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+{{Short description|Content relating to a person or organization}}
-'''Earned media''' (or '''free media''') refers to [[publicity]] gained through [[Promotion (marketing)|promotional]] efforts other than advertising, as opposed to [[paid media]], which refers to publicity gained through advertising.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.wordspy.com/words/earnedmedia.asp |title= Earned media |accessdate= 2008-06-18 |work= Word Spy |publisher= Paul McFedries and Logophilia Limited |quote= earned media n. Free media coverage, such as a news story or opinion piece. }}</ref>
+{{redirects|Free media|the kind of license|Free content}}
+'''Earned media''' (or '''free media''') is content relating to a person or [[organization]], which is published by a third party without any form of payment to the [[publisher]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Bradford |first=Jeff |title=Council Post: Choosing The Right Media For Your Message |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2021/03/02/choosing-the-right-media-for-your-message/ |access-date=2023-08-24 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Dietrich |first=Gini |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KCbgAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA38 |title=Spin Sucks: Communication and Reputation Management in the Digital Age |date=2014 |publisher=Pearson Education |isbn=978-0-7897-4886-7 |pages=38–42 |language=en}}</ref> It includes articles by [[Mass media|media outlets]], interviews with the person or representatives of the organization, or bylined [[Editorial|editorials]] in trade press and other publications. The phrase "earned media" serves as a contrast to the concept of "paid media" or, simply [[political advertising|advertising]]. It may also include [[social media]] sharing, unpaid mentions by [[podcast]] hosts and guests, or [[word-of-mouth marketing]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last1=Knight |first1=Hanne |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=B5avEAAAQBAJ&dq=%22earned+media%22+%22key%22&pg=PA7 |title=Digital Marketing in Practice: Design, Implement and Measure Effective Campaigns |last2=Vorster |first2=Lizette |date=2023-03-03 |publisher=Kogan Page Publishers |isbn=978-1-3986-0888-7 |pages=7 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Stanton |first=Terry |date=2023-05-23 |title=What Is Earned Media? How PR Helps |url=https://books.forbes.com/blog/blog-what-is-earned-media-pr/ |access-date=2023-08-24 |website=Forbes Books |language=en-US}}</ref>
+Earned media excludes [[advertising]] (paid media) and company [[brand|branding]] (owned media).<ref name=":0" />
 ==Background==
+Marketing communication can be summarized as falling into four categories, (''paid'', ''earned'', ''social'' [or ''shared''], and ''owned'') media.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Robinson |first=Steve |date=2021-06-10 |title=What is the PESO Model for Marketing? |url=https://www.brilliantmetrics.com/knowledge/blog/what-is-the-peso-model-for-marketing/ |access-date=2023-08-24 |website=Brilliant Metrics |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":1" />  This categorization is sometimes referred to as the [[PESO model]].
-There are many types of media available to online marketers and fit into the broad categories: owned, paid, and earned media.  Owned media is defined as communication channels that are within our control, such as websites, blogs, or email; while paid media refers mostly to traditional advertising.  Earned media, on the other hand, is generated when content receives recognition and a following outside of traditional paid advertising, through communication channels such as social media and word of mouth.<ref>{{cite web|last=Yu|first=Jim|title=Earned Media Rising - The Earned Media Ripple Effect|url=http://marketingland.com/earned-media-rising-the-earned-media-ripple-effect-56528|work=Column: Social Media Marketing Column|publisher=Marketing Land|accessdate=3 April 2014}}</ref>
+* ''Paid'' media is a traditional approach to promotion, and usually takes the form of [[advertising]] or [[advertorials]] (paid [[opinion pieces]]).  Paid media also includes marketing activities like [[Sponsored post|sponsored posts]] and paying to have links posted in a [[Chumbox]].<ref name=":1" />
-Earned media often refers specifically to publicity gained through editorial influence, whereas [[social media]] refers to publicity gained through grassroots action, particularly on the [[Internet]]. The media may include any [[mass media]] outlets, such as [[newspaper]], [[television]], [[Radio programming|radio]], and the Internet, and may include a variety of formats, such as news articles or shows, [[letter to the editor|letters to the editor]], [[editorial]]s, and [[Opinion poll|poll]]s on television and the Internet. Critically, earned media cannot be bought or owned, it can only be gained organically, hence the term 'earned'.
+* ''Earned'' media is not paid for, but is published voluntarily by third parties (e.g., an article in a daily newspaper).  This includes traditional publicity activities such as [[media relations]] or [[Publicity program|publicity]] (e.g., sending [[Press release|press releases]] to newspapers and magazines, in the hope that they will voluntarily publish an independent article about the organization or product) and [[investor relations]] (e.g., providing information of interest to investors or a business journal).<ref name=":1" />
+* ''Social'', or ''shared'', media refers to customers and other members of the public sharing content on [[Social media marketing|social media]] platforms (e.g., someone recommending a product to a friend on Facebook), as well as social media content produced by the company.<ref name=":1" />
+* ''Owned'' media is produced by the company itself on channels it directly controls  (e.g., the corporate website, corporate social media accounts).<ref name=":2" /> Owned media is [[self-published]].<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Coen |first1=Sharon |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rm8vEAAAQBAJ&dq=%22owned+media%22+%22self-published%22&pg=PA22 |title=The Psychology of Journalism |last2=Bull |first2=Peter |date=2021 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-093585-6 |pages=21–22 |language=en}}</ref>
+Sometimes, the categories overlap. For example, paying a [[social media influencer]] to promote a product or event is both "social" and "paid" media.<ref name=":1" /> If a company is criticized online, and the controversy is described in a news article, that could be both "shared" and "earned" media.<ref name=":1" />
-==Impact of Earned Media==
-A [http://www.idiro.com/2013/09/nielsen-report-finds-that-word-of-mouth-is-the-most-trusted-source-again/ Nielsen study in 2013] found that earned media (also described in the report as word-of-mouth) is the most trusted source of information in all countries it surveyed worldwide.  It also found that earned media is the channel most likely to stimulate the consumer to action.  [http://www.idiro.com/2012/05/the-inherent-weakness-of-online-influence/ Other authorities] make the distinction between online and offline earned media / word-of-mouth, and have shown that offline word-of-mouth has been found to be more effective than online word-of-mouth.
+== Description ==
-Many consider earned media to be the most cost effective method of marketing.  As a result, many companies are investing in earned media.  The increased use of earned media is converging traditional owned and paid methods of marketing.<ref>{{cite web|last=Yu|first=Jim|title=Earned Media Rising - The Earned Media Ripple Effect|url=http://marketingland.com/earned-media-rising-the-earned-media-ripple-effect-56528|work=Column: Social Media Marketing Columns|publisher=Marketing Land|accessdate=3 April 2014}}</ref>
+''Earned media'' is what happens when a person or organization is spoken of by a third party, with no payment changing hands. Examples include mentions in traditional media, [[Guest appearance|guest appearances]] on television shows, or an [[opinion piece]] in a periodical.  Sometimes social media mentions, ratings, reviews, and online discussions are included in this category.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Stephen |first1=Andrew T. |last2=Galak |first2=Jeff |date=October 2012 |title=The Effects of Traditional and Social Earned Media on Sales: A Study of a Microlending Marketplace |url=http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1509/jmr.09.0401 |journal=Journal of Marketing Research |language=en |volume=49 |issue=5 |pages=624–639 |doi=10.1509/jmr.09.0401 |s2cid=167535488 |issn=0022-2437}}</ref>
+Although earned media is not paid for, it is not entirely cost-free.<ref name=":3">{{Cite book |last1=Kelley |first1=Larry D. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KeGgEAAAQBAJ&dq=%22earned+media%22+%22key%22&pg=PA30 |title=Advertising Media Planning: A Brand Management Approach |last2=Sheehan |first2=Kim Bartel |last3=Dobias |first3=Lisa |last4=Koranda |first4=David E. |last5=Jugenheimer |first5=Donald W. |date=2022-12-30 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-1-000-81456-9 |pages=30–31 |language=en}}</ref>  Generating earned media may require hiring staff, creating content, promoting the brand through paid media, or creating programs (e.g., a contest) that will result earned media.<ref name=":3" />  If an advertisement or other paid marketing effort [[Viral marketing|goes viral]], so that other people and media outlets publish about it without payment, then the additional exposure (but not the original paid media) is earned media.<ref name=":3" />
+While marketers can help generate earned media activity, they do not generate it directly.  It is earned "through relationships, incredibly newsworthy stories, and targeted messaging", without paying the media outlet.<ref name=":1" />  One inherent limitation, compared to paid or owned media, is that the person or organization has to convince journalists, editors, and television news producers to write a story about them, or an editor to publish an outside editorial.   While this [[gatekeeper]] function serves to filter out lower quality and non-newsworthy content, it may also allow media outlets to act as censors when they do not agree with the source or its message.<ref name=":0" />
+Further, because the person or organization does not control the message once it is in the hands of a journalist, the message may not be what they wanted, and may be negative.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Citation |last=Hardy |first=Jonathan |title=Meeting the challenges of media and marketing convergence: Revising critical political economy approaches |date=2021 |url=https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780429275340-5/meeting-challenges-media-marketing-convergence-jonathan-hardy |work=The Routledge Companion to Media Industries |access-date=2023-11-02 |publisher=Routledge |doi=10.4324/9780429275340-5 |isbn=978-0-429-27534-0|s2cid=211451604 }}</ref>  As one example, while the 2016 Trump political campaign was cited as having obtained billions of dollars in earned media, one study estimated that 23% of earned media mentions were negative.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Stewart |first=Emily |date=2016-11-20 |title=Donald trump rode $5 billion in free media to the white house |url=https://www.thestreet.com/politics/donald-trump-rode-5-billion-in-free-media-to-the-white-house-13896916 |access-date=2023-08-25 |website=TheStreet |language=en-us}}</ref>
-{|
-|+'''Examples of paid, owned and earned media'''<ref>{{cite journal|author=Stephen, A.T. & Galak, J.|title=The Effects of Traditional and Social Earned Media on Sales: A Study of a Microlending Marketplace|journal=Journal of Marketing Research|date=October 2012|page=625}}</ref>
-|-
-! Type      !! Definition !! Offline Examples !! Online Examples
-|-
-| '''Paid'''      || Media activity related to a company or brand that is generated by the company or its agents ||
-* Traditional advertising (e.g., television, radio, print, outdoor)
-* Sponsorships
-* Direct Mail
- ||
-* Display/banner advertising
-* Search advertising (e.g. Google AdWords)
-* Social network advertising (e.g. Facebook ads)
-* Electronic direct mail (e.g., email advertising)
-|-
-| '''Owned'''      || Media activity related to a company or brand that is generated by the company or its agents in channels it controls||
-* Retail in-store visual merchandising or displays
-* Brochures
-* Company press releases
- ||
-* Company/brand website
-* Company/brand blog
-* Company-owned pages/accounts in online social networks (e.g., Twitter account, Facebook brand page)
-|-
-| '''Earned'''      || Media activity related to a company or brand that is not directly generated by the company or its agents but rather by other entities such as customers or journalists ||
-* Traditional publicity mentions in professional media outlets
-* Ratings and reviews in TMOs (e.g., movie reviews)
-* Consumer-to-consumer WOM conversations about products, including advice and referrals
-* Consumers showing or demonstrating products to each other
- ||
-* Traditional publicity mentions in digital media outlets (e.g., professional blogs)
-* Online WOM referrals (e.g., invitations to join a website)
-* Post in online communitiies or social networks (e.g., status updates, tweets)
-* Online ratings and reviews (e.g., Yelp.com for restaurants, Amazon.com for products)
-|}
+== Reputation ==
-The increasing use of earned media has provided marketers with new ways in which to interact and engage their customers.  These innovative approaches are replacing traditional marketing methods such as email and banner ads, and provide innovative methods to find, optimize, and measure return on earned media investments.<ref>{{cite web|last=Yu|first=Jim|title=Earned Media Rising – The Earned Media Ripple Effect|url=http://marketingland.com/earned-media-rising-the-earned-media-ripple-effect-56528|work=Column: Social Media Marketing Column|publisher=Marketing Land|accessdate=3 April 2014}}</ref>
+Earned media is trusted more by consumers than other forms of promotion.<ref name=":3" />
+A [[Nielsen Media Research|Nielsen]] study in 2013 found that earned media (also described in the report as [[Word-of-mouth marketing|word-of-mouth]]) is the most trusted source of information in all countries it surveyed worldwide,<ref name="Nielson Credibility Report">{{cite web |title=Nielson Credibility Report |url=http://www.nielsen.com/uk/en/press-room/2013/nielsen--earned-advertising-remains-most-credible-among-consumer.html |access-date=6 March 2018 |website=nielson.com}}</ref> and is the channel most likely to stimulate the consumer to action.  In a 2019 study by the Institute for Public Relations, participants shown an earned news story, an advertisement, a blog post, and a company blog post found the earned media story the most credible. Readers sought out and paid attention to information such as the independence and credentials of the journalist, the balance of the coverage, and the prestige of the outlet in which the story appeared.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Is Earned Media More Credible than Advertising? {{!}} Institute for Public Relations |url=https://instituteforpr.org/understanding-how-changing-media-sources-in-the-promotional-mix-inform-credibility-and-consumer-action/ |access-date=2023-08-24 |website=instituteforpr.org}}</ref>  Consumers are more likely to trust a voluntary recommendation from someone they know more than a paid advertisement.<ref name=":3" />
+==Metrics==
+Compared to advertising metrics, the value that earned media contributes to the organization's profitability and purpose is harder to determine.<ref name=":1" />  However, various ways of estimating an [[advertising equivalency]] have been proposed by the [[Public Relations Society of America]].<ref name=":1" />  Sometimes simpler methods, such as the number of followers on a journalist's social media page, have been used.<ref name=":3" />
 ==References==
 {{reflist}}
+[[Category:Public opinion]]
-==External links==
+[[Category:Public relations]]
-* [http://www.avc.com/a_vc/2009/04/earning-your-media.html Earned Media proponent Fred Wilson gives relevant examples of earned media success stories]
+[[Category:Social influence]]
-* [http://blogs.forrester.com/interactive_marketing/2009/12/defining-earned-owned-and-paid-media.html Forrester Blogs - Defining Earned, Owned And Paid Media]
+[[Category:Marketing techniques]]
-[[Category:Marketing]]