Jenny McCutcheon's Blog

Following the birth of TIVO and DVR, we began seeing television shows that are so diluted with product placements, that it’s difficult to determine if the writers even had a say in the script. A typical character line (even in those so-called reality shows) might sound something like this, “After I get back from this XYZ cruise, I’m going to take you to Pearflys for dinner so we can talk about our new Electurbo car purchase.” In the background, music from a carefully selected artist is playing, and the characters are most likely drinking an energy drink while watching another one of the networks t.v. shows, and plugging away on a recognizable brand of laptop. Once you realize this is happening, you will never watch t.v. without noticing the persuasive ploys of these brand pushers again.

You might be thinking, yeah Jenny, we all know about the product placement inundating our favorite t.v. shows. I get that. But what about the product placement creeping into the blogs we all turn to for uncensored, brutally honest thoughts and assessments on a variety of subjects–including products?

I was surprised to have companies start pitching me several weeks after starting this blog. I would hear something like, “We have this new product and we want you to write about it on your blog. We will pay you for every lead/sale/customer you bring in.” The funny thing is, the products never even have anything to do with the subject of my blog–social media and eMarketing. And lets get real, is my blog really the one you want to pitch to draw an audience? I’ve only been blogging for about three weeks! I have six subscribers, and I’m pretty sure one of them is my husband.

Being pitched like this led me to wonder: How many bloggers are being paid-off by companies to favorably represent the subjects they write about? Apparently, quite a few.

After a little bit of research into the subject, I have determined what I deem to be ethical when it comes to blogging about companies or products for cash. Here it is:

• Disclose your relationship with the company. If you’ve been blogging for awhile, your audience will have grown accustomed to your tone and subject. Blogging about a company or subject you are receiving an incentive for is fine–if you disclose the relationship. Your readers are smart. They will see right through you.
• Don’t agree to blog favorably about a company. It’s one thing to agree to include information about a company or product into your blog for money (if you disclose the relationship to your readers), but it’s another to have your opinions on the company/product dictated to you. Which leads me to my next point.
• Be real. I can not stress enough how important I think this is. Your readers trust you to give your honest opinion about your subject. If you’re lying, THEY WILL KNOW. Then all that trust you’ve built? Gone.

I’m not saying that blogging about a company or product is always bad. I’m saying that using good judgment when deciding whether to agree to such a relationship is important.

What do you think about product placement in blogs? If you’re a blogger, have you been pitched to blog about a company or product? If so, how do you base your decision?

********
Other articles you may find interesting:
Product placement as marketing malfeasance
Marqui Product Placement in Blogs
Product Placement on Blogs, An Ethical Dilemma?