Bloggers throw around a lot of jargon. So what exactly is the difference between and editorial review and an advertorial? I will tell you.
But let me explain two very different forms of media from the point of view of a public relations (PR) rep. First, there is “earned media” then you have “paid media.” When PR reps only worked with print/television/radio journalists, they had to “earn” coverage for their clients with hard work and relationship building. It is against the law for a journalist to accept any money or gifts from a person on the behalf of a company. This is typically called “pay for play.”
Earned media back before blogs looked like this: Polly the PR rep built a friendship with Rhonda the reporter. She sent her press releases for Olay. When Olay was doing this newsworthy thing, Polly sent the press release and called Rhonda, hoping she’d pick it up. If she did, she scored!
Then you have paid media. Paid media is, well, paid for by the brand. Before blogs, you might see a “back to school fashions” insert inside Seventeen magazine with the tiny words “advertisement” on the top or TV ads like the award-winning commercials of mike morse. You can also see electronic advertising media posted with help from LED Displays Manufacturers.
Now you have bloggers. Bloggers are super influential and brands are taking notice. The FTC requires bloggers disclose if they receive things from companies, but that is the only rule.
From the point of view of a PR rep, an honest review with only a product as compensation, is still “earned media.” If a blogger receives only the product to review and not cash and product, then this blogger will (most likely) be more inclined to be more honest about it. To all the newer bloggers that get giddy when a “free” package arrives in the mail (I remember the feeling) you will be more valuable to brands if you share the complete honest opinion of the product instead of just glowing reviews all the time.
Nicolena Stephana, rep for Identity PR, said when a blogger receives cash it should be treated like advertising, not an honest review:
I think it gets sketchy when bloggers want money in exchange for writing a post about a company/product/service. That’s where it’s more like advertising. Bloggers are less inclined to write an honest opinion because they are receiving cash. There is more pressure, or more expectation from the company, to receive a glowing post if they are paying money. Then bloggers aren’t being fair to their community. They aren’t writing about something that they believe in or truly love and want to share with their readers. They’re writing about it because they received payment to do so. That’s advertising. If companies are going to advertise, they can do so in the form of a sponsored post or banner advertising. And with the new FTC guidelines, do bloggers really want to disclaim that they received money to write a particular post? Aren’t they worried they will come across as less authentic to their community?
I totally agree with her. Bloggers, we deserve to get paid. But if you are asking for products and cash, treat it like a brand ambassadorship or a creative marketing campaign. Once they paid you, you are now their spokesperson and they have a right to tell you the message they prefer you to spread.
I think bloggers ought to engage in marketing campaigns and blog spokesperson gigs and earn as much money as they can. I also hope you can see why some reps are hesitant to pay you cash. They might be only interested in generating “authentic” buzz about their clients, not paying to get a specific message out there.
This is a great post. I never ask for cash and product together. It is one or the other. I LOVE testing out products, so that is my main thing I do on my blog, and on occasion I do sponsored posts. I have a mix of both.
Just stopping by to say I voted for you – best of luck, Annie!
Great post, Annie. Sometimes we bloggers get caught up in patrolling our worth and forget that there are different methods of advertisement that come with different compensation standards. When you make your blog a business you take on an entirely different set of guidelines. I think most bloggers are simply unaware of what those guidelines are and that’s where the ‘mom bloggers are just in it for as much as they can get’ stereotype comes in. Thank you for sharing this.
This was a great post, Annie. I also think that PR companies and brands should understand that bloggers have the right to say what they don’t like about a product even if they are getting paid to talk about the product. At the very least, describing the downside as well as the upside feels more authentic to the reader.
Thanks Jessica! I kinda disagree with you a bit. When a blogger is paid cash, it becomes advertising only and a blogger must agree with the brand what is going to be said, before the blogger just airs all her feelings about a product/brand. If you want to voice your opinions, don’t accept payment in the form of cash for a review. Now if you get a free product without money, I agree that you should always say the good and the bad sides, for authenticity’s sake.
I think when you disclose you were paid cash for a “review” the authenticity is already lost for the reader, so not saying any downsides is not going to hurt it. Because once you are paid cash, you are viewed as being hired by the brand, so your readers will expect you to say what the brand wants you to say.
I still think advertising and marketing campaigns must be kept in your unique voice, with your unique style of writing/personality. But if you want to write editorially instead of advertising, then don’t accept cash.
This is another reason bloggers should feel free to write all the downsides they want when all they are getting is free product from the company. The rep understands the risk of giving “only product” is complete honesty about all the faults, and readers expect honesty when you aren’t getting paid.
I’m with Jessica. I honestly don’t see payment that way at all. I think of the payment as compensation for my time and effort to share the brand and product. The product itself is for review. My opinion is not a payoff to say all things positive. My opinion is just that… an opinion of one person using the product. When I except payment for a post it’s because I worked hard to write and promote it through social networks.
What I’m hearing is … if bloggers accept payment and product they are selling out for loyal company approved reviews and not honest review. I just can’t agree with that. Payment for my time to write a post and a receiving a product to review means I appreciate you and your time as well as your honesty.
If they want advertorial only with out opinion then that is a paid advertorial only post with no thought. As if I slapped up a company approved commercial or a highway billboard w/press release and called it a day.
That’s why brands work with several different bloggers because we all do things differently and depending on the way a company works things they will pick and chose which bloggers they work with for this very reason. Great read. Thanks Annie.
I’m sorry Tricia that you don’t agree with it, but this is the honest truth. Tell me – when you see an ad on TV and someone is saying, “I love this lotion. It makes my hands so soft” do you believe that is their opinion? Or were they paid to say that? What about someone that used a sample of the lotion, who do you believe more? Once money is paid to a blogger, their believability from the general public goes down a notch below those who were not paid to say the same thing.
Yes, you deserve to be paid for your time, but when you are paid, it comes out of a marketing and/or advertising budget, not an editorial one.
Here is a quote from the PR Breakfast Club blog (written by and read by PR reps) “Here’s the thing – payment, any payment, tarnishes (even if only in appearance) any sense of impartiality one might have about the blog and blogger.”
Read more: Commentary: Blogger Compensation | PRBreakfastClub http://prbreakfastclub.com/2011/07/12/blogger-compensation/#ixzz1WIPqpBmQ
That is a wonderful article that goes very in depth about why payment with product to review means the review will not be as honest anymore and it bumps it to advertising and/or advetorial. Read the comments too, lots of people talking about why payment with product to review are not editorial nor journalistic content, but instead are fabulous marketing and advertising tools.
Thanks for the link I’ll check it out. I think it’s up to us to change that thought. Seems like product is not considered payment no matter how much it cost… In my eyes it is considered a form of payment but not a payoff for positive review
And you made some good points that I wanted to thank you for. Some reps/companies do indeed ask a lot of bloggers without offering compensation. If they want genuine, unpaid coverage for their brand, then they can send the product and that is IT. To require you do anything above opening the box goes into the realm of advertising/promotion. If they want a say in what you publish/how you broadcast then you have a right to demand money.
If they went to a good journalism school, they will know this. Sadly, some reps do not.
That is another thing bloggers do not understand: just because you get a product sample in the mail does not mean you have to facebook, tweet or get comments about it. If they want unpaid coverage, then you only have to do with it what you want how you want. If reps don’t get it, send them a link to this post LOL
This is a great post! You explained it very well, and treating it like an ambassadorship is a good idea.
Posted my thoughts in the group 🙂 Great article.