Blogher Day 1: Blog with Integrity, PR with Integrity
Guess what the first and last topic was on the first day of Blogher? Right. That FTC stuff. Disclosure was the main message from the Blogher founders. Blogher requires its network of 2,500 bloggers to aggregate product reviews to a separate review blog and note that reviews are sponsored.
But is disclosure enough? Do we need or, let me rephrase, want “compensated reviews”? If a product or service is truly break-through and relevant to the audience, and the outreach is well timed and appropriately targeted (if I can put in just a small plug for PR), reviews get written and for the right reasons.
There was a lot of discussion throughout Blogher Business about how bloggers “add value for marketers.” But most blogs weren’t started as a marketing platform, and even as they’ve collectively evolved to be a viable channel for advertisers online, the audience needs to come first. If it doesn’t, we all lose.
A group of bloggers we have a heck of a lot of respect for launched an initiative this week called Blog with Integrity, inviting bloggers to take a pledge of a code of conduct – totally voluntary and completely about raising the bar back up in the blogosphere for mom bloggers and all bloggers.
So what about us PR peeps? Almost a decade ago, The Council of PR Firms set forth a code of ethics by which members firms (including 360PR) agree to conduct business – to help ensure PR with Integrity. ”In communicating with the public and media, member firms will maintain total truthfulness and accuracy… the sources of communications and sponsors of activities will not be concealed,” reads an excerpt.
Social media, and PR’s prime-time role in social media, have raised the stakes. We need to strive to be authentic, accurate and transparent in every interaction with bloggers, journalists and analysts every day. What would our moms say? Just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should.
What are your thoughts?
Thank you so so much for your support 360. I hope it’s the beginning of a productive discussions on how we all can work together and reflect positively on both our industries.
(Eek, is blogging an industry? Well I guess it is!)
“We need to strive to be authentic, accurate and transparent in every interaction with bloggers, journalists and analysts every day.” Laura, thank you for saying this. Hopefully working together to strive to be at our best in our fields will inspire others to blog (or market) with integrity.
Thanks for the comment Liz. It was great to see all the interest in Blog with Integrity at Blogher, from bloggers and brands, and nice to see AdAge and others picking up this important news.
[...] is certainly gaining lots of attention in the industry. Issues with the FTC (see Laura’s recent post), Blog with Integrity and the recent announcement of the PR Blackout Challenge all point to an [...]
I am reading “The new rules of Marketing & PR” by David Meerman Scott. This come highly recommended.
Wake up Marketing world the rules are changing…
Thanks for commenting Anne-Marie. Look forward to working – and cooking! – together more. We can all learn from each other.