Gold but old - money thrown out the window? Advertorials on online magazines of publishers and print publications

Advertorials in the area of ​​tension in B2B communication: Traditional media use meets AI-based transformation

The landscape of B2B communication has been undergoing fundamental change for several years, the speed of which has accelerated dramatically through the rapid development and spread of artificial intelligence (AI). In 2025, companies, especially in the B2B area, face a market environment that differs fundamentally from which a few years ago. Classic communication channels and marketing strategies that were considered to be set for a long time are increasingly under pressure, while innovative, technology -driven approaches open up new opportunities. One of these traditional practices that is tested is the use of advertorials in print and online magazines. The question of whether this form of advertising, which tries to place advertising messages in the editorial environment, continues to represent a gold standard in B2B communication or whether it is on the way to the discontinued model is becoming increasingly urgent.

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The status quo: media use in change and the emancipation of the B2B decision-makers through technology

In the past, specialist magazines, both in printed and digital form, were often the primary source of information for professional decision -makers. They offered curated content, industry news, analyzes and background reports that were relevant for daily work and strategic decisions. Publishers and their publications act as important gatekeepers and opinion -educators. Companies used these platforms intensively for their communication, be it through classic ads, PR articles or even advertorials to prominently presented their products, services and expertise.

Today, however, we experience that the visibility and reach of these classic media formats suffers from the progressive digitization and the emergence of new technologies. The way in which decision -makers search for and process information has changed fundamentally. Instead of waiting for relevant content to appear in a magazine, they proactively use digital tools to specifically search for information, solve problems and prepare buying decisions.

A decisive factor in this change is the increasing use of AI-based research and addiction tools. These technologies are able to analyze huge amounts of data from all over the Internet - including websites, blogs, studies, social media and specialized databases - in a matter of seconds and deliver highly relevant, personalized results. B2B decision-makers are less dependent on the selected content of individual publications. You can “emancipate” your own, individual path through the information landscape, so to speak, from the traditional information channels.

This has a direct impact on understanding the so-called “Customer Journey” in the B2B area. Standardized models that try to press the decision -making process in fixed phases (e.g. awareness, considation, decision) and define typical “buyer personas” are becoming less and less. AI enables a much more individual, data -based and dynamic address. The path of a potential customer from the first problem perception to the purchase is often non-linear today, complex and strongly influenced by personalized content that is played over the right channel at the right moment. Companies therefore face the urgent challenge of adapting their communication strategies in order to remain relevant in this dynamic environment and to achieve real market advantages faster than the competition. You have to find ways not only to be heard, but also to be present if the potential customer actively searches for solutions.

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The use and range of specialist media in detail: a differentiated picture

Despite the digital change and the challenges outlined, current surveys on media use of professional decision-makers, for example a special evaluation of the LAE from 2024, indicate that specialist magazines-including print and e-paper-are still an important source of information for this target group in Germany. A considerable number of decision -makers, specifically 45.2 percent, states to use specialist magazines regularly. If you look at the occasional use, the proportion even increases to 85.5 percent. This shows that specialist media have by no means completely disappeared from the information diet of the decision -makers.

Interestingly, when looking at the age groups, there is a clear difference. Decisions from the age of 40, in particular, apparently still fall back on specialist media intensively. In this age group, the regular usage rate is 47.6 percent. This is significantly higher than the use of other channels such as events (25 percent) or purely digital offers (23.8 percent). This could be due to many years of habits, a preference for the haptic experience of reading or a perceived higher credibility of printed content in this age group. For companies whose primary target group are older decision -makers, specialist media could continue to play a role, albeit a different one than before.

However, the importance of these numbers must be considered in the context of further developments. The mere statement of using a medium “regularly” or “occasionally” says little about the intensity or quality of use. And here are clear restrictions for print media. The average reading time for printed books and e-books for 14- to 69-year-olds is declining according to statistics. On average, printed books are only read for about 16 minutes a day, e-books even only a lean two minutes. Even if these numbers do not exclusively map the use of specialist magazines, they reflect a general trend towards shorter, more fragmented consumption habits. The willingness to deal with a printed medium for a long time seems to lose weight.

This development is also reflected in the number of editions. Since 2016, the specialist press has recorded a decline in the sold or widespread edition, a total of around 13 million copies per year. This means that the potential range of an advertisement or an advertorial sinks objectively in a specialist magazine.

The alleged reality of what happens to the actually common specimens is even more serious than the falling editions. A non-representative but often cited survey showed that a considerable part of the specialist magazines-namely three out of five copies-should land unread in the trash. Even if this number is to be enjoyed with caution, it indicates a fundamental problem: the discrepancy between the widespread edition (the number of copies that are printed and distributed) and the actual readership (the number of people who actually take and read the magazine). The image of the “garbage can production”, which is nourished by such survey results, may be exaggerated, but it underlines the growing challenge for advertisers to ensure that their message is seen by the target group even if the magazine arrives at her. Factors such as lack of time, information overflowing, lack of relevance of the overall content or the arrival of the magazine in the wrong department or the wrong contact help help to remain unread.

The costs of advertorials: still up to date in the face of dwindling range?

In view of the development sketched-falling editions, decreasing reading time and the risk of remaining unread-the question of the economy of the investment in print advertorials inevitably arises. The costs for such placements are still at a comparatively high level. A double page in an established specialist magazine can easily cost up to 30,000 euros. For an entire individual page, 16,000 euros are often still required, and even half a side costs around 10,000 euros. Even with smaller, specialized titles such as the cited “Business Spotlight”, the prices for a double page are 12,150 euros and for a single page at 7,320 euros.

In the past, these prices have often been justified with the high credibility of the editorial environment, the targeted address of a specific specialist group and the supposedly high attention of the readers. But if the range decreases objectively and a large part of the copies may not be read at all, the relation between costs and actual effects for many companies is no longer available. An investment of 10,000 to 30,000 euros must make a measurable contribution to the business goals. In the digital world, such investments are assessed using metrics such as cost per click (CPC), cost per lead (CPL) or cost by acquisition (CPA). However, determining the profitability of a print assignorial based on comparable key figures is extremely difficult, if not impossible.

Advantages of Print Advertorials: A look at the traditional strengths

Despite the challenges mentioned, print ads and advertorials are often associated with certain advantages that may be more difficult to replicate in the digital world or at least work differently:

1. Consciousness of trust and credibility

Contents that appear in a respected specialist magazine often enjoy a higher advance of trust than many online content. The editorial environment conveys seriousness, and the physical format is perceived by some as “real” or more credible as a fleeting digital content. Advertorials benefit from this aura of credibility because they are visually based on editorial articles. As a result, they often seem less pushy than pure advertisements.

2. Targeted speech (theoretical)

Expert magazines are aimed at specific industries or professional groups. By selecting the right title, companies can theoretically achieve a certain target group of decision -makers. However, this targeting is only as good as the actual readership of the magazine and its fit to the desired target group.

3. Potentially high commitment (in the case of actual reading)

If you consciously take and read a specialist magazine, you often do this with a certain basic motivation and attention. The reading environment is often calmer than the multitasking environment in front of the computer. If a reader actually comes across an advertorial that affects its interests, the willingness to deal more intensively is potentially high.

4. Longer “service life” and physical presence

In contrast to a digital banner that quickly disappears, a printed magazine remains physically present. It can be on a desk, shared by colleagues or later picked up again. This physical presence can extend the potential contact time with the message.

Disadvantages of Print Advertorials: The growing load of limits

However, the advantages mentioned face an increasing number of disadvantages that weigh more and more heavily in today's digital and data -driven marketing world:

1. Disprinted costs

As already mentioned, the absolute costs for print advertorials are high. In relation to the actually achieved and committed target group (taking into account the unread specimens and the falling reading time), these costs are often no longer justified and have a bad cost by contact or cost by commitment.

2. Extremely difficult to measurable ROI

This is one of the most serious disadvantages. There are hardly any reliable methods to understand or prove the actual contribution of a print advertising to the company's success (leads, sales, brand awareness). You can hardly find out how many people have seen the advertorial, how long they have read it, whether they have made an action (e.g. a website-which can only be tried via specific, difficult to track methods such as special landing pages or QR code) or whether it ultimately led to a business. This makes data -controlled optimization and budget allocation almost impossible.

3. Objectively falling range

The shrinking conditions mean that the maximum potential number of households or people achieved decreases constantly. Even if a magazine is read, it reaches fewer people than a few years ago.

4. A lack of interactivity

Print is a static medium. It offers no way to direct interaction at the moment of perception. A reader cannot click on a link, watch a video, fill out a form, ask a question or contact the company directly. In a B2B world, in the lead generation and the beginning of a dialogue, this is a significant restriction.

5. The image problem of “garbage can production”

The idea that a large part of the widespread magazines is disposed of unread not only damages the image of the publishers, but also that of the companies that advertise in it. It raises the question of how sustainable and efficient this form of communication actually is.
6. No real personalization: a print assignorial is identical to every reader of the magazine. There is no way to adapt the message, the offer or the graphic design based on the specific interests, the behavior or the stage of the buyer in the decision -making process.

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AI-Digital alternatives: The era of AI-based, personalized B2B communication

While the traditional print media are struggling with structural problems, the digital channels and the possibilities of B2B communication have developed dramatically. Driven by data and reinforced by AI, they enable precision and efficiency that were unthinkable in the print world.

As mentioned, the modern customer journey in the B2B area is complex and often individual. It no longer begins with leafing through a specialist magazine, but often with a search query, researching online communities, visiting a company website or interaction on professional social networks such as LinkedIn.

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Here digital, AI-based strategies come in

1. AI-supported content marketing

Instead of placing an advertisement once, companies create relevant content (blog posts, white paper, e-books, webinars, infographics) and use AI to identify topics that are of interest to the target group. AI can support content creating, optimizing content for different formats and channels and, above all, personalizing the delivery of the content. Based on the previous behavior of a user on the website or in other digital channels, the AI ​​can decide which content should be displayed next to accompany it on its individual path.

2. SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

Companies optimize their digital content so that they are found by potential customers when they actively search for solutions. Ki helps to identify relevant keywords, to understand the search intentions and to design the structure and content of the website so that they rank well in search engines. This ensures that the company is present exactly when there is a need - an invaluable advantage over print that hopes for passive perception.

3. Social Selling (especially on LinkedIn)

Professional networks have become central locations of exchange and information procurement. Social selling uses these platforms to build relationships, demonstrate expertise and address potential customers. AI tools can help to identify ideal leads, formulate personalized messages (or at least create designs) and to analyze the commitment on the platform in order to increase the effectiveness of the activities.

4. Data -driven campaigns

The core of modern digital communication is the ability to collect data, analyze and gain knowledge from it. AI enables a deeper analysis of customer data (CRM data, website behavior, interactions in social media, opening and click rates of emails) in order to precisely segment and optimize campaigns in real time. This leads to a significantly more efficient use of the marketing budget.

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Digital channels also offer inherent advantages over print

Measurability

Almost every interaction can be tracked and analyzed. Clicks, impressions, length of stay, downloads, form fillings, leads, conversions - all of these metrics provide precise insights into the performance of a measure.

personalization

Contents, offers and messages can be dynamically adapted to the individual user, based on his data and his behavior.

Interactivity

Digital channels enable direct dialogue, collecting leads, the integration of videos, interactive tools and other elements that increase engagement and accompany the user on the way to the customer.

Flexibility and scalability

Digital campaigns can be started, adapted and scaled quickly. Budgets can be controlled flexibly and increased or reduced if necessary.

Comparison: Print-advertorial vs. digital B2B communication (AI-supported)

In order to emphasize the differences even more clearly, it is worth comparing the criteria of effectiveness directly:

Cost

While print-advertorials cause high absolute costs, the costs of digital campaigns are variable, but often significantly cheaper per contact or committed contact. They also enable much better control over the budget and the assignment to the channels with the best performance.

reach

The range of print drops and is limited to the widespread edition, from which part remains unseen. Digital range is potentially global and can be scaled by targeted measures (SEO, PAID advertising, social media) in order to achieve exactly the relevant users.

Target group stargeting

Print only offers a static targeting based on the suspected readership. Digital communication enables precise, dynamic, data -based targeting based on demographic characteristics, interests, behavior, search queries and even predictive models created by AI.

Measurability

The effectiveness of print is hardly understandable. Digital campaigns offer an exact measurement of performance, often available in real time, based on a variety of KPIs.

Interactivity

Print offers no interaction. By definition, digital channels are interactive and enable lead generation, dialogue, feedback and automated follow-ups.

personalization

Print offers no personalization. AI-based digital communication enables very high individualization of content, offered and address.

lifespan

A print magazine can physically exist, but the actual attention is fleeting and a large part is disposed of unread. Digital content can be short -lived, but can be found and repeatedly consumed by search engine optimization and strategic distribution over long periods of time. Evergreen content in digital formats has a potentially unlimited lifespan on the web.

engagement

The engagement in print is difficult to measure and depends heavily on chance whether the reader perceives the advertorial and gets involved. Digital engagement (clicks, shares, comments, length of stay, conversions) is precisely measurable and can be very high due to relevance and interactivity for the really interested target group.

image

Print is often perceived as credible, but can also appear as “old -fashioned” or less dynamic in the context of digitization, especially among younger decision -makers. Digital communication, especially if it is intelligent and personalized, conveys an innovative, modern and flexible company image.

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The dominance of the digital and the niche for print

If you look at the developments in B2B marketing, the falling extensive of traditional print media, the high probability that content will remain unread, and the enormous possibilities for precision, personalization, measurement and efficiency of digital, AI-based communication strategies, the answer to the initial question is clear: an investment of 10,000 to 30,000 euros or more in one In 2025, Print Advertorial is no longer difficult for the vast majority of B2B companies to justify up to date and economically.

The gold standard era for this form of print advertising is over. In many cases, it has become a discontinued model, the costs of which are no longer in relation to the potential benefit. The high scatter losses, the lack of measurability and the lack of interactivity make print advertorials inefficient and non-transparent compared to data-driven digital alternatives.

The future of B2B communication is clearly in digital, flexible and, above all, intelligent approaches. AI-supported marketing strategies based on precise targeting, personalized content, real-time optimization and extensive measurability offer significantly more opportunities to successfully accompany the complex and individual customer journey of today's B2B decision-makers. As a rule, they are cheaper in relation to the effect achieved and can be scaled much more flexibly, depending on the budget and target.

This does not necessarily mean the full end of print in any form. In very specific individual cases, print can still play a role as part of a broad, integrated and data -driven marketing mix. Niche strategies are conceivable, for example for pure image maintenance for a very conservative or older decision-maker target group, which is actually demonstrably still using print media. Very high-quality, limited print products as an exclusive part of premium branding could also be an exception. But even then the use of print should be strategically well-founded, careful against digital alternatives and, as well as possible, should be integrated into the entire data analysis (e.g. by using QR codes, specific URLs or the mention of specific action codes in print, to enable at least a touch of measurability).

However, the primary push for B2B marketing budgets in 2025 and beyond must be digital. Companies that continue to rely on expensive, non-measurable print advertising and ignore the opportunities of AI-supported digital communication not only risk inefficiency, but also to lose connection to the competition that uses the new tools for a more precise, faster and relevant approach of its target group. The investment in technology, data analysis and digital expertise is today the real gold standard for successful B2B communication.

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