Business journalism stinks

Advertising Age’s Nat Ives is reporting that the Wall Street Journal is working on technology that will allow them to sell, and print, scratch-and-sniff ads in the business newspaper.

Ives wrote, “The scented Wall Street Journal won’t be the first olfactory offering among newspapers. But until now, broadsheets and tabloids have only been able to convey scents the way magazines do: by adding glossy inserts with flaps readers must open to reach the scent strips inside.

“The paper is still working out the details, including the technology. ‘I believe that our colleagues have perfected chocolate and perfume,’ Mr. Crovitz said. ‘You can quote me saying we encourage Ad Age readers to suggest scents that might be appropriate. One of my colleagues suggested new money.’

“The Journal hasn’t started discussing the possibilities with advertisers yet, but MediaWorks can imagine a few. How about that new car smell? Leather? Whiskey? Cigars? An ocean breeze for Caribbean island ads? In any case, it appears there’s more than one way for a newspaper to get interactive.”

Read more here.