January 13, 2009 236 Comments

Differentiating Between Blogger Relations and Sponsored Content

advertising billboards I’m grateful to be mentioned in this ADWEEK article as being part of the “web elite,” and on balance, the article is interesting and informative, but I have issue with the confusion between what I’d qualify as blogger relations versus sponsored posts. I want to take a moment and clarify my perspective on this, in the hopes that we can talk about it more in the comments.

Essentially, my belief is this: there are many ways that brands and media will interact in 2009 and beyond that aren’t exactly the same as they were before.

Blogger Relations

Blogger Relations usually works in similar ways to a PR outreach program. A company or agency decides to reach into a certain community and forge a relationship with the prominent (or most relevant) bloggers in a certain vertical, and then request a media making experience related to the product or service. In these blogger relations campaigns, the blogger (or other media maker) usually doesn’t get paid directly, but might be given products to review and later keep (this last point, about keeping the product, makes it a bit different from traditional journalism, which often has policies around not keeping any items that are reviewed).

The work I did with Panasonic was a blogger relations campaign. I wasn’t paid to write anything about the products. I wasn’t paid for my time. Instead, I was given some gear and some opportunities and told I could write about what I wanted to write about. It was expected that I write about CES and that if it made sense that I write about Panasonic, and I did, but beyond that, there was no quid pro quo, as Greg Verdino pointed out in the ADWEEK article.

Sponsored Posts

A sponsored post in the modern world is where a company works directly or indirectly with a blogger (or other type of media maker) to place a piece of paid inline content on a website. The elements of a sponsored post (at least in my opinion) are that they be clearly marked as sponsored (to differentiate between standard content), that your business relationship is clear during the post as well as afterwards (my sponsors show up in my About page, and that you have full disclosure that the post is sponsored at the beginning and end of the post.

Beyond that, it’s up to the blogger/media maker to attempt to be fair and give information to his or her community in such a way as to preserve the trusted relationships that have been forged. In my case, I’ve stipulated in all sponsorship opportunities that I write about the products or services sponsored in my own words, with no oversight or editing, and with the good and the bad included. In all cases, my sponsors have appreciated that sentiment and welcomed the dialogue. (Example: I wrote that eBillMe was interesting, but could do with some usability improvements.)

I’ve done two sponsored posts on chrisbrogan.com ( here and here).

Not Advertorial

Maybe it’s just semantics, but I consider “advertorial” to be more like those “advertisement” posts in magazines, where it’s clearly marketing-driven, and where the information contained within will never say anything counter to the claims made by the product or service’s creators. These types of posts are informative, but don’t usually leave me with a feeling of trust. Meaning, if there are any cons to think about, I don’t suspect I’d have them in mind when reading an advertorial.

Thus, the ADWEEK post calling both a blogger relations campaign and a sponsored post an advertorial doesn’t really ring true to me. I don’t see them in the same light, and I’m not sure you would, either. (Please stop me if I’m wrong).

Communities and Content Marketing

The difference, as I lay out here, is in the relationship between the information and the community. When I did a review of gourmet food products by Personal Chef To Go, this was a blogger relations campaign. I wasn’t paid beyond getting the products to sample, and I wasn’t obligated to write about them in any way. Thus, the response from my community was that they felt it was genuine and obvious.

When I do a sponsored post, I clearly disclose the business relationship, and thus a member of this community knows what’s entailed. I imagine there’s a level of suspicion in some. “Did he think more favorably because he received money? Can we trust his opinion? Is this just a new kind of advertising?”

My answer to those suspicions is to ask you what value you think I place on you and the future of these interactions over the price I receive from a sponsor. Knowing that I receive 95% of my salary from sources other than this blog might help you form an answer to that for yourself. My relationship with this community is worth more.

Looking Ahead

I think, then, that the value in blogger relations and sponsored content is very high. I believe in both methods as a means of building a different kind of awareness with products and services as communicated by the people voicing their opinions into a community.

There are many companies working on varying methods and models. In full disclosure, my own company, New Marketing Labs, offers content marketing and blogger relations as services. I’ve worked with Crayon and IZEA (where I serve as an advisor) on campaigns like this. I’m also excited by the work of Stacy DeBroff at MomCentral (for having a powerful mom-focused offering). John Battelle of Federated Media has some great content marketing projects (as I’ve written about before).

I think that community-minded content marketing, be that blogger relations campaigns or sponsored posts or content sites like Dell’s Digital Nomads is where the best opportunities lie in 2009, from the perspective of keeping attention and maintaining trusted relationships. That’s what I’m encouraging clients to explore, and that’s what I’m encouraging media makers to consider alongside their other potential money-making opportunities.

Your Take

What do you think of all this? How do you feel blogger relations and sponsored content change the way you look at blogs as media sources? Can you differentiate between sites that use appropriate disclosure versus sites where you’re not quite sure? Would you participate in projects like those mentioned above?

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  • http://scribbit.blogspot.com/ Michelle Mitchell at Scribbit

    A great article–it’s been interesting as a “momblogger” to see how various PR firms handle the new phenomenon of blogging–specifically momblogging (though I cringe to call it that). I get 10-12 press releases a day from various agencies announcing their product or event–in effect asking for my free advertising as if it does any good for me or my readers to hear about the latest Oprah episode constantly.

    Then there are some firms who really get it. I’ve worked heavily with Weber Shandwick who represents Suave and when Glamour Magazine had their annual Glamour Reel Moments sponsored by Suave last fall Weber Shandwick picked seven of us in the blogging community, flew us down to LA, put us up in a beautiful hotel, took us to a Beverly Hills salon to have our hair done by a celebrity stylist with Suave products then took us to the Reel Moments premier and after-premier party to see the stars who produced the films.

    Not only was I impressed with Weber Shandwick and Suave’s forward-thinking but their ability to see their target audience and how more and more women are sharing information and entering that conversation through blogs. But most importantly they gave me something to actually write about.

    I wrote about the salon, I wrote about the party, I wrote about gift basket of Suave products and all the fun details which my readers loved. Weber Shandwick not only gave me a great week but they gave me half a dozen great posts and a boost of readers to the point that I’m now pretty loyal and have wanted to help them with other campaigns as well.

    As a result when they recently sent me a box of Suave products along with the competing salon brands to do a test for myself on whether the Suave products are as good as the expensive brands I jumped right in. Again, that’s a great idea and it’s something I can actually write about.

    If PR firms want bloggers on board with their campaigns they’ve got to treat us like professionals and look to see how the relationship can be mutually beneficial. Give us something that benefits our blogs and our readers rather than treating us as if we’re just hanging on every press release–that’s somewhat insulting not to mention a boring way to blog.

  • http://www.publicrelationsprincess.com Claire

    Chris, as a blogger who has received product to try, without strings, it is risky for a company to send such gifts for the blogger to open up and start using, no rep from the company around to direct your actions or point out features. As long as you are transparent about it, I don’t see a problem.

    One thing that smells a little is the value of the product in question. A $700 camera rig is powerful incentive to keep it positive. A $25 book, not so much. I think our minds subliminally smooth things over when the stuff is that expensive.

    That being said, I wouldn’t mind if someone sent me a Flip Video or two to use in my Internet Marketing class. I promise to report all results, positive and negative! :~)

    In any case, your blog is extremely interesting, relevant and useful to me. Thank you so much for writing it.

    Claire Celsi (aka PR Princess http://www.publicrelationsprincess.com)

  • http://www.publicrelationsprincess.com Claire

    Chris, as a blogger who has received product to try, without strings, it is risky for a company to send such gifts for the blogger to open up and start using, no rep from the company around to direct your actions or point out features. As long as you are transparent about it, I don’t see a problem.

    One thing that smells a little is the value of the product in question. A $700 camera rig is powerful incentive to keep it positive. A $25 book, not so much. I think our minds subliminally smooth things over when the stuff is that expensive.

    That being said, I wouldn’t mind if someone sent me a Flip Video or two to use in my Internet Marketing class. I promise to report all results, positive and negative! :~)

    In any case, your blog is extremely interesting, relevant and useful to me. Thank you so much for writing it.

    Claire Celsi (aka PR Princess http://www.publicrelationsprincess.com)

  • http://www.publicrelationsprincess.com Claire

    Chris, as a blogger who has received product to try, without strings, it is risky for a company to send such gifts for the blogger to open up and start using, no rep from the company around to direct your actions or point out features. As long as you are transparent about it, I don’t see a problem.

    One thing that smells a little is the value of the product in question. A $700 camera rig is powerful incentive to keep it positive. A $25 book, not so much. I think our minds subliminally smooth things over when the stuff is that expensive.

    That being said, I wouldn’t mind if someone sent me a Flip Video or two to use in my Internet Marketing class. I promise to report all results, positive and negative! :~)

    In any case, your blog is extremely interesting, relevant and useful to me. Thank you so much for writing it.

    Claire Celsi (aka PR Princess http://www.publicrelationsprincess.com)

  • http://www.worh.org/ruraltech/ John Eich

    Chris,

    I think Jeff Korhan (#42) is onto something here. You’ve spent a lot of time defending your actions lately, where you used to just blog your ideas. You used to just follow your own advice of ‘adding value’ to people’s work, and that trust washed back to you in the form of business. The model was simple, quick, and it flowed.

    Since you’ve been experimenting with “blogging arrangements”, you’ve stepped away from that model, and into another. As you’ve clearly and thoroughly documented (and many agree), what you’re doing is not unethical – and kudos to you for taking care in this arena. I respect and am grateful for your hard work on this important point.

    But I’d call a “supported post” (if not sponsored) to be less authentic. There’s suddenly a third party in our relationship (you, your community…and now a patron) where before there were only two of us. I also see this as growing pains for bloggers; in the beginning they rose to power because readers knew they were peers – it was a dialogue between (informed) peers vs a top-down, shut-up-and-listen-to-the-experts model. As bloggers have gained stature and ‘eminence’, they’ve become experts. When companies pay those experts to help convey their messages, it starts looking a lot like the old model … with comments.

    I don’t fault you at all for these ‘supported posts’; I’m glad you’re doing well, and gaining respect for your good work. I find them less interesting, so I don’t read them. It’s a big web out there and life is busy – when you get back to posts on what’s valuable to me, I’ll hit that link! Maybe I’m just a cynical Xer – always wary of the agenda! :)
    …
    The loyalty you’ve developed in me brings me to add a ps here, for what it’s worth. Many years ago I was a young social worker with teens. My boss was very helpful in guiding me to learn about crossing boundaries (even very light gray ones that you cross without noticing). But we found a great indicator: whenever I’d get this slightly squeamish feeling in my stomach, even though what I was doing felt perfectly ethical, I knew there was a boundary somewhere that was being crossed. When I avoided those situations, I had internal clear skies…when I didn’t, I could justify my actions, but there were clouds…

    Best to you in your process on this, Chris. John

  • http://www.worh.org/ruraltech/ John Eich

    Chris,

    I think Jeff Korhan (#42) is onto something here. You’ve spent a lot of time defending your actions lately, where you used to just blog your ideas. You used to just follow your own advice of ‘adding value’ to people’s work, and that trust washed back to you in the form of business. The model was simple, quick, and it flowed.

    Since you’ve been experimenting with “blogging arrangements”, you’ve stepped away from that model, and into another. As you’ve clearly and thoroughly documented (and many agree), what you’re doing is not unethical – and kudos to you for taking care in this arena. I respect and am grateful for your hard work on this important point.

    But I’d call a “supported post” (if not sponsored) to be less authentic. There’s suddenly a third party in our relationship (you, your community…and now a patron) where before there were only two of us. I also see this as growing pains for bloggers; in the beginning they rose to power because readers knew they were peers – it was a dialogue between (informed) peers vs a top-down, shut-up-and-listen-to-the-experts model. As bloggers have gained stature and ‘eminence’, they’ve become experts. When companies pay those experts to help convey their messages, it starts looking a lot like the old model … with comments.

    I don’t fault you at all for these ‘supported posts’; I’m glad you’re doing well, and gaining respect for your good work. I find them less interesting, so I don’t read them. It’s a big web out there and life is busy – when you get back to posts on what’s valuable to me, I’ll hit that link! Maybe I’m just a cynical Xer – always wary of the agenda! :)
    …
    The loyalty you’ve developed in me brings me to add a ps here, for what it’s worth. Many years ago I was a young social worker with teens. My boss was very helpful in guiding me to learn about crossing boundaries (even very light gray ones that you cross without noticing). But we found a great indicator: whenever I’d get this slightly squeamish feeling in my stomach, even though what I was doing felt perfectly ethical, I knew there was a boundary somewhere that was being crossed. When I avoided those situations, I had internal clear skies…when I didn’t, I could justify my actions, but there were clouds…

    Best to you in your process on this, Chris. John

  • http://www.worh.org/ruraltech/ John Eich

    Chris,

    I think Jeff Korhan (#42) is onto something here. You’ve spent a lot of time defending your actions lately, where you used to just blog your ideas. You used to just follow your own advice of ‘adding value’ to people’s work, and that trust washed back to you in the form of business. The model was simple, quick, and it flowed.

    Since you’ve been experimenting with “blogging arrangements”, you’ve stepped away from that model, and into another. As you’ve clearly and thoroughly documented (and many agree), what you’re doing is not unethical – and kudos to you for taking care in this arena. I respect and am grateful for your hard work on this important point.

    But I’d call a “supported post” (if not sponsored) to be less authentic. There’s suddenly a third party in our relationship (you, your community…and now a patron) where before there were only two of us. I also see this as growing pains for bloggers; in the beginning they rose to power because readers knew they were peers – it was a dialogue between (informed) peers vs a top-down, shut-up-and-listen-to-the-experts model. As bloggers have gained stature and ‘eminence’, they’ve become experts. When companies pay those experts to help convey their messages, it starts looking a lot like the old model … with comments.

    I don’t fault you at all for these ‘supported posts’; I’m glad you’re doing well, and gaining respect for your good work. I find them less interesting, so I don’t read them. It’s a big web out there and life is busy – when you get back to posts on what’s valuable to me, I’ll hit that link! Maybe I’m just a cynical Xer – always wary of the agenda! :)
    …
    The loyalty you’ve developed in me brings me to add a ps here, for what it’s worth. Many years ago I was a young social worker with teens. My boss was very helpful in guiding me to learn about crossing boundaries (even very light gray ones that you cross without noticing). But we found a great indicator: whenever I’d get this slightly squeamish feeling in my stomach, even though what I was doing felt perfectly ethical, I knew there was a boundary somewhere that was being crossed. When I avoided those situations, I had internal clear skies…when I didn’t, I could justify my actions, but there were clouds…

    Best to you in your process on this, Chris. John

  • http://www.dix-eaton.com Gary Wells

    How do blogger relations and sponsored content change the way I look at blogs as media sources? They don’t change anything at all for me. The most important criterion in either category is crediblity. If a blogger is credible, that is if he or she has a reasoned perspective on a topic regardless of whether I agree with it or not, then I will hear what that person has to offer and consider his or her opinion as I think through the topic at hand. That is like reading George Will. I almost never agree with what he says, but I will read what he has to say. If the particular brand being discussed in sponsored content is credible – the company is a good corporate citizen, it provides good products or services etc. – then I will hear what the author has to say regardless of whether he or she is being paid to write. It’s like watching TV ads put out by Best Buy. I may or may not buy the product or even shop at the store, but I think well of how the management runs that company so I pay attention to the company and that means even its ads. It’s the reputation of the blogger or the brand that matters to me in deciding first whether to take the time to read and second in whether to factor that information into any decision I might make.

  • http://www.dix-eaton.com Gary Wells

    How do blogger relations and sponsored content change the way I look at blogs as media sources? They don’t change anything at all for me. The most important criterion in either category is crediblity. If a blogger is credible, that is if he or she has a reasoned perspective on a topic regardless of whether I agree with it or not, then I will hear what that person has to offer and consider his or her opinion as I think through the topic at hand. That is like reading George Will. I almost never agree with what he says, but I will read what he has to say. If the particular brand being discussed in sponsored content is credible – the company is a good corporate citizen, it provides good products or services etc. – then I will hear what the author has to say regardless of whether he or she is being paid to write. It’s like watching TV ads put out by Best Buy. I may or may not buy the product or even shop at the store, but I think well of how the management runs that company so I pay attention to the company and that means even its ads. It’s the reputation of the blogger or the brand that matters to me in deciding first whether to take the time to read and second in whether to factor that information into any decision I might make.

  • http://www.dix-eaton.com Gary Wells

    How do blogger relations and sponsored content change the way I look at blogs as media sources? They don’t change anything at all for me. The most important criterion in either category is crediblity. If a blogger is credible, that is if he or she has a reasoned perspective on a topic regardless of whether I agree with it or not, then I will hear what that person has to offer and consider his or her opinion as I think through the topic at hand. That is like reading George Will. I almost never agree with what he says, but I will read what he has to say. If the particular brand being discussed in sponsored content is credible – the company is a good corporate citizen, it provides good products or services etc. – then I will hear what the author has to say regardless of whether he or she is being paid to write. It’s like watching TV ads put out by Best Buy. I may or may not buy the product or even shop at the store, but I think well of how the management runs that company so I pay attention to the company and that means even its ads. It’s the reputation of the blogger or the brand that matters to me in deciding first whether to take the time to read and second in whether to factor that information into any decision I might make.

  • http://www.ickledotco.co.uk ickledot

    One of the earliest comments here made the point that Leno never asks difficult questions for fear of scaring off Hollywood. However, he and other chat show hosts have no problem working at the other extreme: heaping praise on their guests, deserved or otherwise.
    We have so far discussed the danger that a blogger with links to a company would perhaps steer away from criticising their products too harshly.
    What would have happened though if you’d found that camera to be the absolute dog’s bollocks – the best example of video technology upon which you’d ever laid eyes or hands? I’m thinking that, unlike Leno and chums, you’d have felt the need to temper your enthusiasm in order not to appear as sucking up to the man. Blandness could ensue.

  • http://www.ickledotco.co.uk ickledot

    One of the earliest comments here made the point that Leno never asks difficult questions for fear of scaring off Hollywood. However, he and other chat show hosts have no problem working at the other extreme: heaping praise on their guests, deserved or otherwise.
    We have so far discussed the danger that a blogger with links to a company would perhaps steer away from criticising their products too harshly.
    What would have happened though if you’d found that camera to be the absolute dog’s bollocks – the best example of video technology upon which you’d ever laid eyes or hands? I’m thinking that, unlike Leno and chums, you’d have felt the need to temper your enthusiasm in order not to appear as sucking up to the man. Blandness could ensue.

  • http://www.ickledotco.co.uk ickledot

    One of the earliest comments here made the point that Leno never asks difficult questions for fear of scaring off Hollywood. However, he and other chat show hosts have no problem working at the other extreme: heaping praise on their guests, deserved or otherwise.
    We have so far discussed the danger that a blogger with links to a company would perhaps steer away from criticising their products too harshly.
    What would have happened though if you’d found that camera to be the absolute dog’s bollocks – the best example of video technology upon which you’d ever laid eyes or hands? I’m thinking that, unlike Leno and chums, you’d have felt the need to temper your enthusiasm in order not to appear as sucking up to the man. Blandness could ensue.

  • http://www.beautyprpro.com Alexander Irving

    Excellent dialog! My input is simple.

    The only thing that makes Blogs and Twitter worth my time is the value (interesting, helpful or thought-provoking content) they offer.

    I’m not purist. — we all have to make a living to be able to offer the good stuff. I’m a big boy and know how to skip over ‘commercials’, so for me it boils down to two things:

    1. The number of commercials I have to sort through (TV long ago passed my limit, thus the mute button and DVR recording).

    2. The transparency of what I am reading. (Is it a commercial?)

    If a blogger is ‘laboring’ to make something fit and working on it to sound relevant and interesting, I’ll know. That blogger is ‘turning to the dark side’. Like TV, I’ll weigh the ‘value’ of the program I like and make a choice.

    Although, the great thing about blogs and tweets these days is that it is relatively easy to find the good stuff and the good people to follow. With more commercials and (marketing communications) on the station, there will be more channel switching and muting in the future.

    Excellent question. Thank you Chris

    My advice to me and anyone else who blogs “sure, why not” but WATCH IT! (he said with a stern voice) or I’ll go where there’s less commercial clutter.

  • http://www.beautyprpro.com Alexander Irving

    Excellent dialog! My input is simple.

    The only thing that makes Blogs and Twitter worth my time is the value (interesting, helpful or thought-provoking content) they offer.

    I’m not purist. — we all have to make a living to be able to offer the good stuff. I’m a big boy and know how to skip over ‘commercials’, so for me it boils down to two things:

    1. The number of commercials I have to sort through (TV long ago passed my limit, thus the mute button and DVR recording).

    2. The transparency of what I am reading. (Is it a commercial?)

    If a blogger is ‘laboring’ to make something fit and working on it to sound relevant and interesting, I’ll know. That blogger is ‘turning to the dark side’. Like TV, I’ll weigh the ‘value’ of the program I like and make a choice.

    Although, the great thing about blogs and tweets these days is that it is relatively easy to find the good stuff and the good people to follow. With more commercials and (marketing communications) on the station, there will be more channel switching and muting in the future.

    Excellent question. Thank you Chris

    My advice to me and anyone else who blogs “sure, why not” but WATCH IT! (he said with a stern voice) or I’ll go where there’s less commercial clutter.

  • http://www.beautyprpro.com Alexander Irving

    Excellent dialog! My input is simple.

    The only thing that makes Blogs and Twitter worth my time is the value (interesting, helpful or thought-provoking content) they offer.

    I’m not purist. — we all have to make a living to be able to offer the good stuff. I’m a big boy and know how to skip over ‘commercials’, so for me it boils down to two things:

    1. The number of commercials I have to sort through (TV long ago passed my limit, thus the mute button and DVR recording).

    2. The transparency of what I am reading. (Is it a commercial?)

    If a blogger is ‘laboring’ to make something fit and working on it to sound relevant and interesting, I’ll know. That blogger is ‘turning to the dark side’. Like TV, I’ll weigh the ‘value’ of the program I like and make a choice.

    Although, the great thing about blogs and tweets these days is that it is relatively easy to find the good stuff and the good people to follow. With more commercials and (marketing communications) on the station, there will be more channel switching and muting in the future.

    Excellent question. Thank you Chris

    My advice to me and anyone else who blogs “sure, why not” but WATCH IT! (he said with a stern voice) or I’ll go where there’s less commercial clutter.

  • http://chrisbrogan.com chrisbrogan

    @Jeff Korhan – can you explain that a little better? I don’t disagree, but I’m not sure to what I’m agreeing.

    @Jennifer Jarratt – you said that the last time I wrote about this topic. What’s your take on it all? You’ve indicated that when I talk about advertising-type content, you’re nervous. How do YOU consume advertisements? I’d love your perspective.

    @Shelli Johnson- and as I’m a noob at Yellowstone, that kind of content would be really useful, so maybe it’s a matter of HOW or the circumstances of such advertorials.

    @Chris Marsden – that’s a really great question, the “Would I Pay for It?” I’m going to do something with that in follow-on posts. It’s really powerful.

    @Tony Farley – while I’d never want you to stay subscribed if you don’t find the value, I’m hoping you’ll understand that I use my blog and all the work I do as a lab for figuring out what comes next. I signal ahead of every post and I try to call back to the first post when something is part of a lab experience. You’ll see links back to the first Panasonic post with that. Does that make sense?

    @Ellen – thanks for that.

    @BarbaraKB – that really makes sense, what you and Jason mention above with regards to the tweet stream. 140 characters isn’t enough to disclose. I will take that perspective forward.

    @John Eich – great point and thanks for filling in the other thoughts. I’m appreciating your thoughts and perspectives. Gives me yet another blog post to write, too.

  • http://chrisbrogan.com chrisbrogan

    @Jeff Korhan – can you explain that a little better? I don’t disagree, but I’m not sure to what I’m agreeing.

    @Jennifer Jarratt – you said that the last time I wrote about this topic. What’s your take on it all? You’ve indicated that when I talk about advertising-type content, you’re nervous. How do YOU consume advertisements? I’d love your perspective.

    @Shelli Johnson- and as I’m a noob at Yellowstone, that kind of content would be really useful, so maybe it’s a matter of HOW or the circumstances of such advertorials.

    @Chris Marsden – that’s a really great question, the “Would I Pay for It?” I’m going to do something with that in follow-on posts. It’s really powerful.

    @Tony Farley – while I’d never want you to stay subscribed if you don’t find the value, I’m hoping you’ll understand that I use my blog and all the work I do as a lab for figuring out what comes next. I signal ahead of every post and I try to call back to the first post when something is part of a lab experience. You’ll see links back to the first Panasonic post with that. Does that make sense?

    @Ellen – thanks for that.

    @BarbaraKB – that really makes sense, what you and Jason mention above with regards to the tweet stream. 140 characters isn’t enough to disclose. I will take that perspective forward.

    @John Eich – great point and thanks for filling in the other thoughts. I’m appreciating your thoughts and perspectives. Gives me yet another blog post to write, too.

  • http://chrisbrogan.com chrisbrogan

    @Jeff Korhan – can you explain that a little better? I don’t disagree, but I’m not sure to what I’m agreeing.

    @Jennifer Jarratt – you said that the last time I wrote about this topic. What’s your take on it all? You’ve indicated that when I talk about advertising-type content, you’re nervous. How do YOU consume advertisements? I’d love your perspective.

    @Shelli Johnson- and as I’m a noob at Yellowstone, that kind of content would be really useful, so maybe it’s a matter of HOW or the circumstances of such advertorials.

    @Chris Marsden – that’s a really great question, the “Would I Pay for It?” I’m going to do something with that in follow-on posts. It’s really powerful.

    @Tony Farley – while I’d never want you to stay subscribed if you don’t find the value, I’m hoping you’ll understand that I use my blog and all the work I do as a lab for figuring out what comes next. I signal ahead of every post and I try to call back to the first post when something is part of a lab experience. You’ll see links back to the first Panasonic post with that. Does that make sense?

    @Ellen – thanks for that.

    @BarbaraKB – that really makes sense, what you and Jason mention above with regards to the tweet stream. 140 characters isn’t enough to disclose. I will take that perspective forward.

    @John Eich – great point and thanks for filling in the other thoughts. I’m appreciating your thoughts and perspectives. Gives me yet another blog post to write, too.

  • http://chrismarsden.com Chris Marsden

    @chrisbrogan – I like your point about lab (isn’t that your company name?). I think it makes a huge difference if you are engaging in an experiment and reporting your findings and generating new questions and then digging in and researching those questions.

    Maybe your advice and opinions and experience with Panasonic are not as unbiased as you thought (going by some comments, I thought it was fine). Maybe you missed some angles like disclosure on twitter and whether you would have paid for the experience and products. But it is an experiment. You learned things about the process, not just Panasonic. Maybe you’d do it again, maybe you’d tweak some things, or maybe you’d running screaming in the other direction.

    Regardless of how I (or anyone else who read’s your blog) have been influenced towards or away from Panasonic, I (we) should be looking at the experiment, not just the company/product involved. I have clarified for myself some self-checks for when I do reviews. If given a similar opportunity, I will already be a few steps ahead in the collaborative research project. This is the value I (we) take from your site. This is why I (we) subscribe.

    Thanks for experimenting and reporting.

  • http://chrismarsden.com Chris Marsden

    @chrisbrogan – I like your point about lab (isn’t that your company name?). I think it makes a huge difference if you are engaging in an experiment and reporting your findings and generating new questions and then digging in and researching those questions.

    Maybe your advice and opinions and experience with Panasonic are not as unbiased as you thought (going by some comments, I thought it was fine). Maybe you missed some angles like disclosure on twitter and whether you would have paid for the experience and products. But it is an experiment. You learned things about the process, not just Panasonic. Maybe you’d do it again, maybe you’d tweak some things, or maybe you’d running screaming in the other direction.

    Regardless of how I (or anyone else who read’s your blog) have been influenced towards or away from Panasonic, I (we) should be looking at the experiment, not just the company/product involved. I have clarified for myself some self-checks for when I do reviews. If given a similar opportunity, I will already be a few steps ahead in the collaborative research project. This is the value I (we) take from your site. This is why I (we) subscribe.

    Thanks for experimenting and reporting.

  • http://www.leadingfuturists.biz Jennifer Jarratt

    I’m not nervous, I’m enjoying the discussion.
    The problem you have is that it is difficult to be a one-man-band. Old media has/had worked out how to have a successful business model and to preserve a proper distance between news, opinions, reviews, etc. and crass commerce. The people soliciting ads and sponsorship were not the same as the people criticizing and reviewing. In the new media, they can be all rolled up in one person, which is you. That’s why it can make your readers feel queasy. Are they reading you as the honest broker of independent opinion, or you as the shill for whatever company you are currently in bed with. As a pioneer, you seem to be honestly struggling with these issues. You can’t manage them all, however.

    It’s interesting how blogs are being aggregated. Someone will soon work out how to build a business model of a blogging “community” that includes independent talent, information, sellers, buyers, opinion leaders et al. all in the same package, but clearly distinguishable from each other.

  • http://www.leadingfuturists.biz Jennifer Jarratt

    I’m not nervous, I’m enjoying the discussion.
    The problem you have is that it is difficult to be a one-man-band. Old media has/had worked out how to have a successful business model and to preserve a proper distance between news, opinions, reviews, etc. and crass commerce. The people soliciting ads and sponsorship were not the same as the people criticizing and reviewing. In the new media, they can be all rolled up in one person, which is you. That’s why it can make your readers feel queasy. Are they reading you as the honest broker of independent opinion, or you as the shill for whatever company you are currently in bed with. As a pioneer, you seem to be honestly struggling with these issues. You can’t manage them all, however.

    It’s interesting how blogs are being aggregated. Someone will soon work out how to build a business model of a blogging “community” that includes independent talent, information, sellers, buyers, opinion leaders et al. all in the same package, but clearly distinguishable from each other.

  • http://chrismarsden.com Chris Marsden

    @chrisbrogan – I like your point about lab (isn’t that your company name?). I think it makes a huge difference if you are engaging in an experiment and reporting your findings and generating new questions and then digging in and researching those questions.

    Maybe your advice and opinions and experience with Panasonic are not as unbiased as you thought (going by some comments, I thought it was fine). Maybe you missed some angles like disclosure on twitter and whether you would have paid for the experience and products. But it is an experiment. You learned things about the process, not just Panasonic. Maybe you’d do it again, maybe you’d tweak some things, or maybe you’d running screaming in the other direction.

    Regardless of how I (or anyone else who read’s your blog) have been influenced towards or away from Panasonic, I (we) should be looking at the experiment, not just the company/product involved. I have clarified for myself some self-checks for when I do reviews. If given a similar opportunity, I will already be a few steps ahead in the collaborative research project. This is the value I (we) take from your site. This is why I (we) subscribe.

    Thanks for experimenting and reporting.

  • http://www.leadingfuturists.biz Jennifer Jarratt

    I’m not nervous, I’m enjoying the discussion.
    The problem you have is that it is difficult to be a one-man-band. Old media has/had worked out how to have a successful business model and to preserve a proper distance between news, opinions, reviews, etc. and crass commerce. The people soliciting ads and sponsorship were not the same as the people criticizing and reviewing. In the new media, they can be all rolled up in one person, which is you. That’s why it can make your readers feel queasy. Are they reading you as the honest broker of independent opinion, or you as the shill for whatever company you are currently in bed with. As a pioneer, you seem to be honestly struggling with these issues. You can’t manage them all, however.

    It’s interesting how blogs are being aggregated. Someone will soon work out how to build a business model of a blogging “community” that includes independent talent, information, sellers, buyers, opinion leaders et al. all in the same package, but clearly distinguishable from each other.

  • http://www.prninja.wordpress.com Brandon Carlos

    I really wish I had caught this post earlier, Chris.

    You know that blogger relations hits close to the heart. I like that you distinguished between blogger relations and sponsored posts, but you failed to address the real issue here: what constitutes good vs bad blogger relations practices.

    It’s great that Personal Chef to Go, for example, sent you some free product in the hopes that you’d write about it. The issue: You’re not a food critic! Your expertise is in the social media space. I can understand, then, if you were commissioned by a new social media service to try out their product; that would make sense to me (ofcourse, social media is, by definition, free, so how do you stand to gain from that). What does a social media advisor like youself have to do with food more than any other person online?

    The difference is that you are an “influencer;” and this is where blogger relations becomes bribery, selling-out, fake, fraud, exploitation of an audience for capital gain.

    I’m a firm believer that if you’re great at something, you have the right to make as much as you possibly can doing it; but not at the cost of the people who depend on you.

  • http://www.prninja.wordpress.com Brandon Carlos

    I really wish I had caught this post earlier, Chris.

    You know that blogger relations hits close to the heart. I like that you distinguished between blogger relations and sponsored posts, but you failed to address the real issue here: what constitutes good vs bad blogger relations practices.

    It’s great that Personal Chef to Go, for example, sent you some free product in the hopes that you’d write about it. The issue: You’re not a food critic! Your expertise is in the social media space. I can understand, then, if you were commissioned by a new social media service to try out their product; that would make sense to me (ofcourse, social media is, by definition, free, so how do you stand to gain from that). What does a social media advisor like youself have to do with food more than any other person online?

    The difference is that you are an “influencer;” and this is where blogger relations becomes bribery, selling-out, fake, fraud, exploitation of an audience for capital gain.

    I’m a firm believer that if you’re great at something, you have the right to make as much as you possibly can doing it; but not at the cost of the people who depend on you.

  • http://www.prninja.wordpress.com Brandon Carlos

    I really wish I had caught this post earlier, Chris.

    You know that blogger relations hits close to the heart. I like that you distinguished between blogger relations and sponsored posts, but you failed to address the real issue here: what constitutes good vs bad blogger relations practices.

    It’s great that Personal Chef to Go, for example, sent you some free product in the hopes that you’d write about it. The issue: You’re not a food critic! Your expertise is in the social media space. I can understand, then, if you were commissioned by a new social media service to try out their product; that would make sense to me (ofcourse, social media is, by definition, free, so how do you stand to gain from that). What does a social media advisor like youself have to do with food more than any other person online?

    The difference is that you are an “influencer;” and this is where blogger relations becomes bribery, selling-out, fake, fraud, exploitation of an audience for capital gain.

    I’m a firm believer that if you’re great at something, you have the right to make as much as you possibly can doing it; but not at the cost of the people who depend on you.

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  • http://chrisbrogan.com chrisbrogan

    @Brandon Carlos – so here’s my take on what you said. I’m not being sent this stuff to critique it. I’m being sent this stuff to experience it and write about the experience. The difference is HUGE. I’m not a tech reviewer. I’m someone who uses tech. The differences are monumental, and that’s what these companies are experimenting with.

    Believe me, there are tons of people more qualified to judge which foods are quality and gourmet. I work with Justin Levy every day and he’s better qualified than me.

    But what these people want when they send something my way is that they want MY thoughts and how I experienced it. One reason is that I write rather well. Another reason is that I have an audience, and within that audience are people who might be interested in the products.

    Why is Personal Chef to Go of interest to me? Because I’m busy. I fly all the time. My family is on the run. By having my food prepared and sent in a “just heat it up” method, I’m getting back some time that I can use different ways. Make sense? It’s not because I’m a gourmet, but because I’m a user. Ditto the Panasonic.

    Make sense?

  • http://chrisbrogan.com chrisbrogan

    @Brandon Carlos – so here’s my take on what you said. I’m not being sent this stuff to critique it. I’m being sent this stuff to experience it and write about the experience. The difference is HUGE. I’m not a tech reviewer. I’m someone who uses tech. The differences are monumental, and that’s what these companies are experimenting with.

    Believe me, there are tons of people more qualified to judge which foods are quality and gourmet. I work with Justin Levy every day and he’s better qualified than me.

    But what these people want when they send something my way is that they want MY thoughts and how I experienced it. One reason is that I write rather well. Another reason is that I have an audience, and within that audience are people who might be interested in the products.

    Why is Personal Chef to Go of interest to me? Because I’m busy. I fly all the time. My family is on the run. By having my food prepared and sent in a “just heat it up” method, I’m getting back some time that I can use different ways. Make sense? It’s not because I’m a gourmet, but because I’m a user. Ditto the Panasonic.

    Make sense?

  • http://chrisbrogan.com chrisbrogan

    @Brandon Carlos – so here’s my take on what you said. I’m not being sent this stuff to critique it. I’m being sent this stuff to experience it and write about the experience. The difference is HUGE. I’m not a tech reviewer. I’m someone who uses tech. The differences are monumental, and that’s what these companies are experimenting with.

    Believe me, there are tons of people more qualified to judge which foods are quality and gourmet. I work with Justin Levy every day and he’s better qualified than me.

    But what these people want when they send something my way is that they want MY thoughts and how I experienced it. One reason is that I write rather well. Another reason is that I have an audience, and within that audience are people who might be interested in the products.

    Why is Personal Chef to Go of interest to me? Because I’m busy. I fly all the time. My family is on the run. By having my food prepared and sent in a “just heat it up” method, I’m getting back some time that I can use different ways. Make sense? It’s not because I’m a gourmet, but because I’m a user. Ditto the Panasonic.

    Make sense?

  • http://www.d2eboston.com/blog Lorelei

    I agree with Chris. The companies are after his experience and many times, they may want to hear what a non-expert in the field has to say. Sometimes we can learn more from the non-experts. They don’t approach the task in the same way, and that alone can bring interesting information. Chris might find the food great because his taste buds are not as refined as an expert, but he could have some interesting insights into the service or packaging.

    It seems to me that the main point is to be transparent. If you are clear about the relationship with the company and clear about what you are doing – telling us what Chris Brogan thinks about the product – then I don’t see any problem with it. We are intelligent enough to decide if someone is being real and we can decide to continue reading or tune out. It is definitely clear to me from his blog that he is not a foodie.

  • http://www.d2eboston.com/blog Lorelei

    I agree with Chris. The companies are after his experience and many times, they may want to hear what a non-expert in the field has to say. Sometimes we can learn more from the non-experts. They don’t approach the task in the same way, and that alone can bring interesting information. Chris might find the food great because his taste buds are not as refined as an expert, but he could have some interesting insights into the service or packaging.

    It seems to me that the main point is to be transparent. If you are clear about the relationship with the company and clear about what you are doing – telling us what Chris Brogan thinks about the product – then I don’t see any problem with it. We are intelligent enough to decide if someone is being real and we can decide to continue reading or tune out. It is definitely clear to me from his blog that he is not a foodie.

  • http://www.d2eboston.com/blog Lorelei

    I agree with Chris. The companies are after his experience and many times, they may want to hear what a non-expert in the field has to say. Sometimes we can learn more from the non-experts. They don’t approach the task in the same way, and that alone can bring interesting information. Chris might find the food great because his taste buds are not as refined as an expert, but he could have some interesting insights into the service or packaging.

    It seems to me that the main point is to be transparent. If you are clear about the relationship with the company and clear about what you are doing – telling us what Chris Brogan thinks about the product – then I don’t see any problem with it. We are intelligent enough to decide if someone is being real and we can decide to continue reading or tune out. It is definitely clear to me from his blog that he is not a foodie.

  • http://www.prninja.wordpress.com Brandon Carlos

    @Chris Brogan

    Absolutely, I wasn’t ever confused about the agenda of these organizations. And you obviously aren’t, either. But there are plenty of places for organizations to try their products out on “every day” people *(see http://www.bzzagent.com or http://www.influencers.ca, entire word of mouth communities).

    And I have trouble believing that your writing has anything to do with it, either– there are thousands of great writers in the blogosphere.

    You command an audience, and you gained that following by being a social media expert, plain and simple. People don’t come to this blog to hear about your “experiences” with Personal Chef to Go, they come here because you’re a social media authority.

    i equate your version of blogger relations to sponsorship. Call it what you want, you’re being given a product with the intention of boosting sales. Sure, you could report negatively on it, but when have you ever done that?

  • http://www.prninja.wordpress.com Brandon Carlos

    @Chris Brogan

    Absolutely, I wasn’t ever confused about the agenda of these organizations. And you obviously aren’t, either. But there are plenty of places for organizations to try their products out on “every day” people *(see http://www.bzzagent.com or http://www.influencers.ca, entire word of mouth communities).

    And I have trouble believing that your writing has anything to do with it, either– there are thousands of great writers in the blogosphere.

    You command an audience, and you gained that following by being a social media expert, plain and simple. People don’t come to this blog to hear about your “experiences” with Personal Chef to Go, they come here because you’re a social media authority.

    i equate your version of blogger relations to sponsorship. Call it what you want, you’re being given a product with the intention of boosting sales. Sure, you could report negatively on it, but when have you ever done that?

  • http://www.prninja.wordpress.com Brandon Carlos

    @Chris Brogan

    Absolutely, I wasn’t ever confused about the agenda of these organizations. And you obviously aren’t, either. But there are plenty of places for organizations to try their products out on “every day” people *(see http://www.bzzagent.com or http://www.influencers.ca, entire word of mouth communities).

    And I have trouble believing that your writing has anything to do with it, either– there are thousands of great writers in the blogosphere.

    You command an audience, and you gained that following by being a social media expert, plain and simple. People don’t come to this blog to hear about your “experiences” with Personal Chef to Go, they come here because you’re a social media authority.

    i equate your version of blogger relations to sponsorship. Call it what you want, you’re being given a product with the intention of boosting sales. Sure, you could report negatively on it, but when have you ever done that?

  • http://blogs.open.collab.net/oncollabnet Jack Repenning

    I really like the way you draw this line, Chris (in all your work, not just here). None the less, there doesn’t seem to be any inherent line of demarcation, more a continuum or spectrum. Which is exactly why we should be careful to distinguish the ideas: to keep alive the questions of bias and trust for _every_ individual post.

  • http://blogs.open.collab.net/oncollabnet Jack Repenning

    I really like the way you draw this line, Chris (in all your work, not just here). None the less, there doesn’t seem to be any inherent line of demarcation, more a continuum or spectrum. Which is exactly why we should be careful to distinguish the ideas: to keep alive the questions of bias and trust for _every_ individual post.

  • http://blogs.open.collab.net/oncollabnet Jack Repenning

    I really like the way you draw this line, Chris (in all your work, not just here). None the less, there doesn’t seem to be any inherent line of demarcation, more a continuum or spectrum. Which is exactly why we should be careful to distinguish the ideas: to keep alive the questions of bias and trust for _every_ individual post.

  • http://www.jmorganmarketing.com jacob morgan

    hey chris,

    im actually curious to hear your take on a post that david churbuck (vp web marketing at lenovo) put up around 2 months ago http://www.churbuck.com/wordpress/?p=2358

    “If bloggers want to be accorded the same respect and gravitas of a professional journalist/writer then they need to abide by the same code of ethics. Journalists don’t accept money to cover stuff. Period. They may do that in some backwards nations, but not in the USA. Bloggers who join any sort of program that compensates them for coverage of any kind — positive or negative — openly disclosed or not — are, in my traditional ethical mindset, crossing the line.”

  • http://www.jmorganmarketing.com jacob morgan

    hey chris,

    im actually curious to hear your take on a post that david churbuck (vp web marketing at lenovo) put up around 2 months ago http://www.churbuck.com/wordpress/?p=2358

    “If bloggers want to be accorded the same respect and gravitas of a professional journalist/writer then they need to abide by the same code of ethics. Journalists don’t accept money to cover stuff. Period. They may do that in some backwards nations, but not in the USA. Bloggers who join any sort of program that compensates them for coverage of any kind — positive or negative — openly disclosed or not — are, in my traditional ethical mindset, crossing the line.”

  • http://www.jmorganmarketing.com jacob morgan

    hey chris,

    im actually curious to hear your take on a post that david churbuck (vp web marketing at lenovo) put up around 2 months ago http://www.churbuck.com/wordpress/?p=2358

    “If bloggers want to be accorded the same respect and gravitas of a professional journalist/writer then they need to abide by the same code of ethics. Journalists don’t accept money to cover stuff. Period. They may do that in some backwards nations, but not in the USA. Bloggers who join any sort of program that compensates them for coverage of any kind — positive or negative — openly disclosed or not — are, in my traditional ethical mindset, crossing the line.”

  • http://disruptology.com Aaron Uhrmacher

    Good conversation here.

    On the one hand, you’ve done just what Panasonic hoped. You allowed them to pay for you to go to CES, you attended their events, took pictures, blogged about it and when you returned, raved about your experience and even did a giveaway on your blog. They received great SEO and coverage on a leading blog, and you got a trip to Vegas.

    You were transparent about it from the beginning. The part that disappoints me is that Panasonic did not participate in the social media part of this in any way throughout the process (even by just commenting on a post!). So is this an authentic approach by Panasonic or is it pay for play? I think that’s the heart of it for me (which I see echoed above in some comments as well).

    Anyway, just waned to bring it up for discussion and hopefully get your thoughts.

  • http://disruptology.com Aaron Uhrmacher

    Good conversation here.

    On the one hand, you’ve done just what Panasonic hoped. You allowed them to pay for you to go to CES, you attended their events, took pictures, blogged about it and when you returned, raved about your experience and even did a giveaway on your blog. They received great SEO and coverage on a leading blog, and you got a trip to Vegas.

    You were transparent about it from the beginning. The part that disappoints me is that Panasonic did not participate in the social media part of this in any way throughout the process (even by just commenting on a post!). So is this an authentic approach by Panasonic or is it pay for play? I think that’s the heart of it for me (which I see echoed above in some comments as well).

    Anyway, just waned to bring it up for discussion and hopefully get your thoughts.

  • http://disruptology.com Aaron Uhrmacher

    Good conversation here.

    On the one hand, you’ve done just what Panasonic hoped. You allowed them to pay for you to go to CES, you attended their events, took pictures, blogged about it and when you returned, raved about your experience and even did a giveaway on your blog. They received great SEO and coverage on a leading blog, and you got a trip to Vegas.

    You were transparent about it from the beginning. The part that disappoints me is that Panasonic did not participate in the social media part of this in any way throughout the process (even by just commenting on a post!). So is this an authentic approach by Panasonic or is it pay for play? I think that’s the heart of it for me (which I see echoed above in some comments as well).

    Anyway, just waned to bring it up for discussion and hopefully get your thoughts.

  • http://www.d2eboston.com/blog Lorelei

    re: Jacob Morgan
    Okay – admittedly I am new to this whole topic. But I was under the impression that Bloggers are not in any way journalists. They are people talking about subjects that they are passionate about, and thereby have some expertise. Obviously some bloggers are more expert than others, and one can easily figure that out.

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