Cowboy Caleb the liberal arts, grown-up stuff & random mischief

Blog Endorsements Versus Reviews

I was contacted by a public relations and communications consultancy via email recently for a ‘trial’ of a new gadget that is set to be launched in Singapore soon. Apparently because they want to build consumer awareness and preference via my blog’s ‘influence’.

Here’s the mail:

Dear “Cowboy Caleb”,

I hope this email finds you well. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Jill Doe and I am from Acme Inc, a public relations and communications consultancy.

I am writing to you on behalf of my client, a reputable global consumer-tech company, to sound you out on your thoughts regarding using a new-to-market gadget for your blogging needs.

This gadget will be launched very soon in Singapore and we would like you to be an integral part of this revolutionary launch experience. We would like to involve you in a personal trial of this fun, stylish and multi-functional new gadget over a period of 2-3 weeks. We hope you would document your experiences with the product on your blog for your readers, to showcase the various function of this new gadget.

The objective of this initiative is to build consumer awareness and preference of this new gadget through the influence of your blog.

The offer sounded good, I get to play with a new toy without having to show my face in public. So I responded in the positive.

Hi Jill,

Sounds like fun. Give me a call.

regards,
C. Caleb

P.S: I am already using a [censored], so I hope you’re not asking me to test the same gadget.

The response to my statement that I was using a similar gadget was startling.

Hi Caleb,

Thanks very much for your prompt response and for highlighting that you are currently using the [censored]. Unfortunately, as you are currently using a competitive product, we will be unable to take this opportunity further.

Apologies for the inconvenience caused, but we look forward to working with you in the future.
Take care!

Cheers,

Cheryl

So I am using a competitor’s product - so what?! Are only newbies allowed to testdrive this new gadget? So people with experience need not apply?

Look, just because you give me something free doesn’t mean I will endorse it. There is a entire world of difference between an endorsement and a review. If your product sucks, I will say it sucks. If your product rocks I will say it rocks.

Bloggers do not, should not and cannot put advertorials on their blogs.

There are another 2 product reviews coming up this month, and another several in the pipeline. All of them are reviews - my personal feelings about the product or service after I’ve used it. None of them are endorsements.

Just because I get a freebie doesn’t mean I think it’s the best thing since sliced bread. Thousands of people read my blog daily - influencing their decisions based on me getting the equivalant of a payoff just would not be ethical.

Hmm.. competitive product.. probably not that company..

think they should still get people who are using competitive product to try. I mean if the product is good enough to convince a competitive product user to switch, its worth more than a mere review.

ACME?!?

Isn’t that the same company that always provide the useless products for Wile E Coyote to capture the Roadrunner?

Obviously this company failed in “public relations and communications”.

Well that’s enough publicity for it. Hah.

Yikes. I think if you use a competitive product lagi better what! That means you know the functions of that product well enough to have a balanced review of their new product right!

Like what Mandrake said, if you decide to switch means more than anything else liao.

These people… tsk tsk.

*clap clap* for standing up to dumb advertisers.

SG tech PR trials blogger approach

[Update 08 May 2006] After some investigation with the fellow IT journalists community in Singapore, themediaslut has managed to identify the PR agency and the client that they were pushing for the trial with Cowboy Celeb. Also a checked with the PR ag…