Advertising and sponsorship policy

We treat this policy as binding guidance for any commercial relationship, whether a display advertisement, a sponsored article, or a broader partnership, and we apply it consistently regardless of the size of the prospective advertiser or the value of the proposed arrangement. Because Valour publishes specifically on health and wellbeing topics for an adult male audience, we are particularly attentive to avoiding the kind of pressure tactics, exaggerated promises or fear-based framing that would be inappropriate when readers are considering their own wellbeing. This policy works alongside our editorial policy, which governs how articles themselves are produced, and together the two documents describe the separation we try to maintain between commercial interest and editorial judgment. Any prospective advertiser is provided a copy of this policy as part of the onboarding conversation, so expectations are clear before a commercial relationship begins. Where a specific advertising request conflicts with a principle described here, we will decline the request rather than make an exception.

1. Clear labelling

   Paid placements are marked as advertising or sponsored content. A labelled placement typically carries a visible word or short phrase such as "Advertisement," "Sponsored" or "Partner content" positioned clearly at the top of the relevant block, using a visual style distinct enough from our regular article formatting that a reader can tell the difference at a glance. This labelling appears before a reader engages with the content itself, not buried at the bottom of a long block of text where it would be easy to miss. We apply the same labelling standard whether the placement is a small banner, a longer sponsored article, or a mentioned product within a broader piece of commercial content. Where a labelling approach required by a specific advertising platform differs slightly from our own default wording, we ensure the substance, namely clear and prominent disclosure, is preserved even if the exact phrase varies.

   • Labels appear prominently before the content itself, not hidden at the end.
   • The same labelling standard applies to banners, sponsored articles and in-content product mentions alike.
   • Platform-specific labelling requirements are accommodated without weakening the underlying disclosure.

2. Editorial independence

   Payment never changes an editorial conclusion. This means an advertiser's payment buys visibility and clearly labelled placement, not influence over how an unrelated article discusses a topic, and certainly not the ability to suppress an inconvenient fact or limitation that our editorial standards would otherwise include. If an advertiser requests a change to editorial content as a condition of continuing a commercial relationship, that request is declined, and depending on severity, may lead to a broader review of whether the commercial relationship should continue at all. Our writers and editors are not informed of which companies are current advertisers when making topic or sourcing decisions for unrelated editorial articles, which helps maintain a practical separation beyond the policy stated here. Even within a clearly labelled sponsored piece, basic factual accuracy standards still apply.

   • Advertising payment covers placement and visibility only, never influence over unrelated editorial content.
   • Requests to alter unrelated editorial content as a condition of advertising are declined.
   • Even within labelled sponsored content, basic factual accuracy standards continue to apply.

3. Prohibited claims

   We do not run advertising promising a guaranteed cure or an impossible outcome. A guaranteed-cure claim, for example asserting that a product will definitely reverse a named condition, is rejected outright regardless of how the advertiser phrases supporting evidence. An impossible-outcome promise, such as a specific, dramatic result guaranteed within an unrealistically short timeframe, is similarly rejected, since individual results for any health-related product or practice vary too much to responsibly promise a specific numeric outcome. We also decline advertising that explicitly or implicitly discourages a reader from seeking professional medical care in favour of a product or service. Where an advertiser's standard marketing material includes this kind of language, we ask for it to be revised specifically for placement on Valour, and we decline the placement if a suitably revised version cannot be agreed.

   • Claims guaranteeing a cure or specific medical outcome are rejected outright.
   • Claims promising a dramatic result within an unrealistic timeframe are rejected.
   • Advertising that discourages seeking professional care in favour of a product is declined.

4. Health products

   A health-related advertiser confirms lawful market status and substantiated descriptions. Lawful market status means the product is legitimately permitted to be sold and marketed in the jurisdiction where the advertisement will be seen, which we ask an advertiser to confirm before a placement goes live. Substantiated descriptions means that a specific factual claim about a product's composition or intended use should be supportable by the advertiser with reasonable evidence, rather than resting purely on marketing language with no underlying basis. We apply a more cautious standard to products marketed with an explicit or implicit health benefit, given our audience and subject matter, than we might apply to a general consumer product with no health-related claim at all. We reserve the right to request supporting documentation for a specific product claim and to decline a placement if adequate substantiation is not provided within a reasonable timeframe.

   • Advertisers must confirm lawful market status for the relevant jurisdiction.
   • Specific product claims should be supportable by reasonable evidence, not marketing language alone.
   • We may request documentation and decline a placement if adequate substantiation is not provided.

5. Audience respect

   Creative avoiding shame, body comparison or pressure tactics is required. Shame-based creative, for example advertising that implies a reader's body or health status is embarrassing or inadequate as a way of selling a product, is inconsistent with the respectful, informational tone we maintain throughout Valour and is therefore declined. Exaggerated body comparison, such as unrealistic before-and-after imagery implying a typical result far beyond what is realistic, is similarly inappropriate for our context. Pressure-based tactics, including urgency framing that implies a reader must act immediately or miss out entirely, run counter to the calm, considered tone we aim for across the site and are not permitted. We review submitted creative with these standards in mind before a placement is approved, and we may request a revised version of a creative asset that otherwise would not meet them.

   • Shame-based or body-comparison creative is declined regardless of the advertiser's size or spend.
   • Urgency or pressure-based framing is not permitted in creative shown on Valour.
   • Creative review occurs before approval, with revision requested where standards are not initially met.

6. Data

   Advertising does not grant access to reader contact information. This means that if you submit a message through contact.php, that message is handled according to privacy.php and is not forwarded to, or made accessible by, an advertising partner as a matter of course. If a specific future feature, such as a sponsored survey, would involve a different, more direct relationship between a reader and an advertiser, that would require a separate and clearly disclosed basis before it could proceed. Our current advertising arrangements are placement-based rather than data-sharing arrangements, meaning an advertiser typically purchases visibility on the site rather than access to any reader information Valour holds. Where an advertiser operates its own tracking on a linked destination page after a reader clicks through, that tracking is governed by the advertiser's own privacy practices rather than by Valour's.

   • Contact-form messages are not shared with advertising partners as a matter of course.
   • Any future reader-facing advertiser interaction would require a separate, clearly disclosed basis.
   • Current arrangements are placement-based, not data-sharing arrangements.

7. Links

   Sponsored links lead to the advertiser's own site, governed by their terms. Once a reader clicks through to an external destination from a commercial link, that destination's own terms of service, privacy notice and any further claims made on that page are governed by the advertiser, not by Valour, even though we have reviewed the initial placement and creative under this policy before it went live. We do not continuously monitor an advertiser's external destination after approval, since the destination can change at any time after our initial review, which is why we rely partly on reader feedback to flag a destination that has drifted from what was originally approved. If a reader reports that a destination page now contains a claim inconsistent with what this policy would permit, we treat that as a trigger for re-review of the placement, potentially leading to its removal pending resolution with the advertiser.

   • External destination content and privacy practices are governed by the advertiser, not Valour, once a reader clicks through.
   • Destinations are not continuously monitored after initial approval; reader reports help flag later drift.
   • A reported mismatch between a destination and this policy triggers re-review and possible removal.

8. Complaints

   Report a concerning advertisement through contact.php. A useful complaint about a placement includes the page where the advertisement appeared, the approximate date you saw it, and a description or screenshot of the specific claim or creative element you found misleading. We review a reported placement against the standards in this policy, specifically checking it against the prohibited-claims and health-product sections above, and we will communicate the outcome of that review to a reader who has provided contact detail for follow-up. Where a complaint is substantiated, remedies may include requiring the advertiser to revise the creative, temporarily pausing the placement during revision, or in a serious or repeated case, ending the advertising relationship entirely. We take a reported complaint seriously regardless of whether the advertiser is a long-standing partner or a new one.

   • Useful reports include the page, approximate date and a description or screenshot of the claim in question.
   • Substantiated complaints may lead to creative revision, a pause, or ending the relationship.
   • The same review standard applies to every advertiser regardless of relationship length.

9. Review

   A placement may be paused while a concern is assessed. A pause during assessment means the specific advertisement is temporarily removed from rotation while we investigate a reported concern, rather than continuing to run while the question remains open, which reflects our preference for caution over continued revenue from a disputed placement. The assessment process typically involves reviewing the specific claim or creative element against this policy, and where relevant, requesting the advertiser's own supporting evidence for a factual claim at issue. If the assessment concludes the placement did not actually breach this policy, it may resume; if it concludes there was a genuine breach, the advertiser is asked to revise the creative before any resumption, or the relationship is ended if a suitable revision cannot be reached. We document the outcome of each such review internally, which helps maintain a consistent standard across different advertisers over time.

   • A paused placement remains off the site for the duration of the assessment.
   • Assessment may include requesting the advertiser's own supporting evidence for a disputed claim.
   • Outcomes are documented internally to maintain consistency across cases over time.

10. Version

    This policy is reviewed alongside the editorial policy on a similar schedule. Prospective advertisers are shown the current version of this policy during the proposal stage, and any material update to this policy going forward will be communicated to active advertisers so that an existing arrangement can be reviewed against the updated standard rather than grandfathered indefinitely under an older version. We expect to review this policy at least annually, in addition to any sooner review triggered by a specific complaint pattern or a change in how we structure commercial relationships generally. Where a future update meaningfully tightens or changes a standard, we will apply a reasonable transition period for existing advertisers to adjust their creative rather than demanding instant compliance with no notice.

    • Advertisers are shown the current policy at proposal stage and notified of material future updates.
    • Annual review at minimum, with earlier review triggered by specific concerns.
    • Reasonable transition periods are applied when a tightened standard affects existing advertisers.