I think the key issue around infomercials is context and transparency. While it makes fairly tedious viewing, I can understand advertisers wanting to sell features and benefits. This is particularly true in low-engagement categories like FMCG – if you’re selling bug spray, the consumer’s primary interest is that it kills bugs, fair enough.

Furthermore, I can certainly see opportunity online for direct response, particularly in terms of encouraging people to sign up to receive free samples etc. However, it needs to be clear to the audience that this is ad content and not an impartial product review.

Where the danger lies is in positioning these ads as factual rather than promotional. As I alluded to with the Wal-Mart astroturfing scandal, if you position brand-funded content as independently authored you are likely to mislead consumers or alienate those who see through it – this is where the trouble starts.