What is Branded Storytelling?
Branded Storytelling is a highly effective marketing tool for clients who have a story to tell to build their brand, reinforce a positioning, introduce a complex topic, or simply tell a story about themselves that CT Mirror readers are likely to find interesting.
Here are a few examples. You can view all Branded Storytelling pieces here.
Could biodiesel fuel take the lead in CT’s new energy plan?
As Connecticut considers a new plan to curb carbon emissions, CEMA is urging state regulators not to leave biodiesel out of the plan.
CT Humanities grants strengthen communities, cultural organizations statewide
For the past two and a half years, CT Humanities has been using state, federal, and foundation funds to steward the cultural sector through the pandemic.
UConn announces plans to create School of Public Policy
Given its focus on graduate professional education and location in Hartford, UConn’s existing public policy department had been operating much like a school already.
Making Hartford Home: The push for equitable home ownership
We can break the cycle of disinvestment in urban neighborhoods, offering everyone opportunities to benefit from neighborhood growth and vitality.
How does Branded Storytelling work?
Here’s a look at the exposure your story would get across all CT Mirror platforms through our Branded Storytelling promotional efforts.
1. We publish a client-created story headline and excerpt into the main news well of the CT Mirror home page, above the fold, exactly the way we publish other daily stories. This headline and excerpt link to a story that you create.
We recommend publishing branded storytelling on Sunday because it will remain in a prominent position above the fold until Monday early afternoon since we rarely publish new content on Monday morning.
2. Readers who click on the headline or excerpt will be taken to a “story page” designed specifically for you, with your content, including headline, copy, and visuals that you provide. The story page will be clearly identified as Branded Storytelling and as a “Paid Post.”
3. If you publish your story on Sunday, it will also appear in our Sunday morning newsletter and in our Monday morning AND afternoon newsletters.
4. It will also publish on our Twitter and Facebook platforms.
5. After residing in the main news well, above the fold on the CT Mirror home page for 36 to 48 hours, your story headline will migrate into the “Recent Stories” section of the CT Mirror home page, and ultimately will migrate to the searchable CT Mirror story archive. (The searchability of your story is a significant benefit in that readers can find your story, actively looking for it or incidentally, forever.)
6. Wherever your story appears on the CT Mirror site (home page, “Recent Stories,” category pages, site archive, etc.) it would have an “eyebrow” above the headline that says “Branded Storytelling.” In our newsletter and on our social platforms it would be clearly marked as “Paid Post.”
What qualifies as Branded Storytelling?
Your story must be informational in the way that a news story is informational. It must focus on an issue with a clear Connecticut context and ideally be written by a Connecticut person, company, nonprofit, trade association, or other group.
Your story should include at least one, and preferably three to four photos. Links to supporting materials, graphics, video or audio embeds, and interactive features will enhance your story but are not required.
Submissions may not be overly promotional but can include a single “call to action” in which you briefly encourage readers to take an action such as registering for a newsletter or event, signing a petition, or visiting a web site.
Stories may not include endorsements or direct criticisms of a political candidate or party. They may, in the context of a balanced piece, advocate for or against a specific policy. CT Mirror reserves the right to decline to accept submissions at its discretion for any reason.
How do I publish a Branded Story?
The cost is $1,500 per story, with a 20% discount for packages of three or more stories in a three-month period. If interested, please contact Publisher Bruce Putterman at publisher@ctmirror.org.