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A new initiative was launched a few days ago by a group of mom bloggers attempting to shift the focus away from “blogola” and perceived brand shilling to the ethical practices much of the community already observes. 200+ bloggers have signed the “Blog with Integrity” pledge and are displaying the badges on their blogs as we speak. Liz Gumbinner (@Mom101) is one of the four bloggers behind the campaign and elaborates on it here:source
In the wake of the FTC announcement, some of our clients are anxiously wondering if they should change the way they’ve been dealing with bloggers. If you’re in PR, I’m sure you’re having the same conversations with your clients and marketing colleagues. So I’ve been thinking about this a lot, and was eager to hear what some of the leading voices in the mom blogosphere had to say during a Twitter chat last week on bloggers and brand representation. ...There is sentiment in many corners that bloggers deserve compensation for what they do. I was interested to hear some bloggers describe what they offer on their sites as “advertorial” in nature, thereby casting themselves in the role not of content editor, but publisher. In other words, akin to the business-building side of the classic magazine church/state divide. Which is sticky, because we PR types have helped our clients “get” bloggers by equating them with editorial influencers. In which these rules apply: marketer provides gratis product, editor tries, editor may or may not write about it favorably. No money changes hands. So the editorial game is high risk/high reward – you can’t control the outcome, which is why PR will always be several parts art (vs science) – but the potential value of unpaid editorial endorsement far outweighs the risk that an editor will slam your product after trying it. Here’s where blogging gums up the works. “Publisher” vs “editor” distinctions don’t apply anymore. The blogger role is actually a new publishing paradigm. They wear multiple hats: selling advertising space, marketing themselves and their blog(s), creating promotional partnerships with brands, publishing content – but (here’s the gummy part) they are also the ones writing that content. And in some cases, that content involves road-testing and endorsing products. But unlike the magazine world, the blogosphere has no guidelines establishing the boundaries between publishing and editorial — indeed, publishing and editing seem to have merged and no one’s quite sure how to assign a monetary value to the blogger’s output.
example quote : "If a blogger received a free sample of skin lotion and then incorrectly claimed the product cured eczema, the FTC could sue the company for making false or unsubstantiated statements. The blogger could be sued for making false representations."My initial thought on this is that if it does pass, which it hasn't yet, but is suppose to- is that we as marketers will just have to be even more diligent in ensuring that the bloggers we are working with are writing accurate claims and to make sure that get the story right -- This will require us to make sure that we are building relationships with the right bloggers but then also helping them correct anything that may not be accurate. There are a number of problems with regulating this like advertising and there are numerous thoughts floating around out there about editorial versus advertising regulation and this will certainly open up a huge can of worms -but- I think that as always we must insist on transparency from bloggers we are working with and full disclosure with all that we do as bloggers ourselves. Here are some of the conversations going on out there. The full article is below.
Advertisers brace for online viral marketing curbs By David Gelles in San Francisco Published: April 2 2009 20:38 | Last updated: April 2 2009 20:38 Advertisers in the US are bracing themselves for regulatory changes that they fear will curtail their efforts to tap into the fast-growing online social media phenomenon. Revised guidelines on endorsements and testimonials by the Federal Trade Commission, now under review and expected to be adopted, would hold companies liable for untruthful statements made by bloggers and users of social networking sites who receive samples of their products. The guidelines would also hold bloggers liable for the statements they make about products. If a blogger received a free sample of skin lotion and then incorrectly claimed the product cured eczema, the FTC could sue the company for making false or unsubstantiated statements. The blogger could be sued for making?false?representations. “This impacts every industry and almost every single brand in our economy, and that trickles down into social media,” said Anthony DiResta, an attorney representing several advertising associations. Advertisers have significantly increased spending on social media and word-of-mouth campaigns, even during the recession. Through blogs and services such as Facebook and Twitter, companies are able to communicate more directly with consumers. Spending on social media marketing reached $1.35bn in 2007 and is expected to reach $3.7bn by 2011, according to the Word of Mouth Marketing Association. The advertising industry has argued that the revised regulations are too stringent and would stifle innovation in the emerging field of social media. It remains in favour of self-regulation. Richard O’Brien, vice-president of the American Association of Advertising Agencies, said it was premature to regulate blogs or other forms of new media. He wrote to the FTC that “regulating these developing media too soon may have a chilling effect on blogs and other forms of viral marketing, as bloggers and other viral marketers will be discouraged from publishing content for fear of being held liable for any potentially misleading claim”. The FTC is revising the guidelines for the first time since 1980, in response to the new forms of advertising spawned by the internet. “The guides needed to be updated to address not only the changes in technology, but also the consequences of new marketing practices,” said Richard Cleland, assistant director for the FTC’s division of advertising practices. “Word-of-mouth marketing is not exempt from the laws of truthful advertising.” The main target of the new guidelines appears to be the widespread practice of viral marketing in which companies recruit non- employees to talk up products in exchange for samples or promotions. Companies regularly offer free samples and concert tickets to bloggers and journalists, in the hope of generating press. However, determining which bloggers are acting as an agent of a company may prove difficult.http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/9a58f44c-1fae-11de-a1df-00144feabdc0.html?nclick_check=1
Earning digital media doesn't mean it's free. It's not. It's just that instead of paying directly for a placement or making arrangements with a partner or you are paying for the time and resources of people who will investigate what's being said about your brand and engage on your behalf. These can be employees, contractors, agencies etc. but it requires manpower and effort. However, the reason the "media" (apologize for lack of a better term) is earned is because you can never actually buy it. The people talking about your products and services are never compensated by an agency or network, however they can be set into action by triggers you've put in place. This could mean establishing a relationship, sharing news, seeding content, talking to, and in general interacting with the people who actually care about your product
Jon Cronin (bio) is Director of Digital Marketing Strategy at DeVries Public Relations - North American Agency of the Year - SABRE Awards.
It’s Jon's job to keep his agency and clients at the forefront of how digital technology is affecting consumers’ lives. He studies global technology, media and online trends and shapes them into actionable insights and marketing communications strategies.
He has spent his entire 15 year career in the digital marketing arena working with leading brands such as Yahoo!, Microsoft and P&G .
Jon believes that openness, sharing, and diversity encourages creativity, participation and innovation and through these virtues brands can succeed in the online space.
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