Posts Tagged "PR Blackout"

A few days ago, I blogged about the PR Blackout proposed by some mom bloggers. Today, I have an article in the online newsletter, Engage: Moms,that looks at the changes taking place in the blogosphere right now, with a shift in blogger attitude toward publicists and other marketers just one among many. I can’t help but wonder how such current developments will play out in the near future. Below is a copy of the article, called Mommy Blogger Backlash, for your comments:

Is the momosphere ready to implode?

A relationship that was once based on a simple understanding — companies supplied products to mom bloggers to review, moms reviewed products for fun and to attract an audience — may suddenly be in semi-crisis.

There are several contributing factors — legislation, compensation and, well, “vacation,” among them — all of which are in play at this very moment:

Holding the Line

While many organizations view mom bloggers as individuals expressing opinions, there is one influential group that does not: The Federal Trade Commission. This summer, the FTC plans to determine whether bloggers, including mom bloggers, and the companies that work with them, should be held to the same advertising standard that bans deceptive or unfair business practices. That is, the agency may choose to go after bloggers  for any false claims or failure to disclose receipt of a free product or of payment. While some moms are unperturbed by this pending regulation, others are taking action — checking with attorneys or posting disclaimers on their sites. Still others are considering beating a retreat — getting out of the blog review business for good.

Gimme Money…

Two or three years ago — when many of today’s bloggers were just coming into their own — a few brave companies thought there actually might be something to communicating with moms directly via social media rather than through third-party, traditional media. At the time, a lot of moms really loved the idea of being sent products to review, and the recognition and appreciation for their blogging skills and influence that relationship implied. And let’s face it, all those freebies were pretty cool too.

However, in recent times, the values of those giveaways has morphed dramatically upward. What was once a $20 toy is now an appliance, an automobile on loan, or an all-expenses paid trip to Disney World. Meaning, some bloggers will turn up their noses at anything less. Others, meanwhile, will now only comment on companies if paid to do so.

…Or at least, Gimme a Break

That’s if they still want to blog about companies at all.

As of last week, a number of mom bloggers are protesting that they’ve had enough. Of what? Apparently, of a good thing — too many freebies! They are feeling put upon by the surge of marketers sending them products and asking them to write about them.

So — they’re going on strike. The plan is that the week of August 10, certain mom bloggers are taking a “vacation” from marketing — what they’re calling a “PR Blackout” — refusing to post anything that could possibly promote a brand, or to even TALK to a publicist that entire week.

One wonders what would happen if the marketing world instituted an extended “Blogger Blackout” in return — no samples, no giveaways, no coupons, no trips. And readers would then keep going to those blogs because…?

On the surface, this blogger pushback is all about these busy moms giving themselves a well-deserved break from all of us evil marketers who insist on giving them things. Or it could be that, totally unrelated to PR “demands,” some moms are getting tired of the whole gotta-get-a-post-out-there-every-day grind — and beginning to feel that what used to be a wonderful mode of self-expression may have become too much like a job. According to some blogger comments, certain moms may also feel that it’s always the same few other moms who get recognition for their work — by media and companies alike — so why bother putting in the effort?

So — where does that leave mommy bloggers and marketers alike? Between bloggers who are changing their attitudes and marketers who may not appreciate the FTC ruling, paying bloggers or having their phone calls refused because of a bloggy strike — well, time will tell.

For the original Engage: Moms article, visit here.

Over the past several days, the big news in the momosphere has been all about the upcoming “PR Blackout” — a movement instigated by a blogger who runs a mom blog review network, to encourage all mom bloggers to take a “vacation” the week of August 10 – during which they will refuse to do any product reviews, and in fact will not respond at all to the public relations people who contact them. The gist behind this move was that the bloggers were getting so many products to review and were spending so much time doing it, they needed a break. This has created a tremendous amount of buzz, including repeated observations that mom bloggers are not appreciated – and not compensated — for what they do, and I’d like to share a few thoughts of my own:

• In the world of mom bloggers, public relations agencies are not the enemy, and for bloggers to position us as such is self defeating.  Product sampling began as a mutually beneficial opportunity for marketers and mom bloggers alike: Marketers generated visibility for their products, moms found a way to create more content for their blogs. This content, in the form of reviews, coupons, giveaways and the like, attracts readers. Which increases blogger visitor numbers. Which creates opportunities — including paid opportunities — for those bloggers. For the mom bloggers we’ve worked with on a consistent basis, this has included profiles on our corporate blog and exposure in our company newsletter (circulated to more than a thousand other companies), fun meets-ups hosted by us or our clients, paid spokesperson gigs, paid consulting opportunities, blogger conference sponsorships and more.
• No marketer ever forced a blogger to post reviews. While some moms were already doing reviews before publicists got into the act, many began separate review sites because they saw the possibilities in partnering with us.  If certain mom bloggers are just plain tired of doing product reviews and feel put upon for doing so, they should simply stop – please! We’d all be happier in the end.
• We’re not blind – those of us who have been around for awhile know that as more companies have become aware of bloggers’ value, moms are being bombarded. And we know a proper review takes a lot of time – that’s why we so appreciate those bloggers who take it all seriously and do a great job. We hope they will remain loyal to the companies and the PR agencies that have worked with them from the start and respect the ones that respect them. For those who would rather not, perhaps we PR types should launch our own Blogger Blackout.