Standards
Sponsored Content Policy
Commercial content pays for journalism at most publications, including this one. The obligation that comes with it is that a reader should never have to guess which is which.
Last reviewed 10 October 2026
What counts as commercial content
Any article produced with the participation, funding or approval of the organisation it features is commercial content. That includes brand features, sponsored profiles and content produced to accompany a partnership.
- Brand Studio features, produced with the brand and based on material it supplies.
- Profiles produced as part of a recognition package.
- Any article where the subject reviewed or approved the text before publication.
How it is labelled
Commercial content carries the section it was produced for and is published under a desk byline rather than a reporter's, so the basis of the piece is visible from the byline alone.
Commercial content is excluded from the news feeds. It does not appear in the Google News sitemap, and tags exist specifically to keep it out.
What a recognition does not buy
Recognition programmes are a separate business from editorial coverage. Participation in a programme does not purchase an article, a ranking position, or protection from critical reporting.
Where a programme charges for participation, marketing rights or event attendance, that is a charge for those things and not for the recognition itself. Each programme page states its own position on this.
Advertising
Advertisers have no influence on editorial selection or on the content of reporting. Advertising is visually distinct from editorial content.
If labelling is unclear
If you cannot tell whether something you are reading is independent or commercial, that is a labelling failure on our part. Report it to editor@wcrcleaders.com and it will be corrected.
Contact
Commercial enquiries: partnerships@wcrcleaders.com. Editorial concerns: editor@wcrcleaders.com.