Whisper campaigns exposed: pay per lie on YouTube – BizTech – Technology.
This seems to be happening more and more often. As this story outlines a blobger was paid to promote a TV show. Last month a blogger was paid to promote a menswear line. But where’s the story? that bloggers are being paid to be the voice of marketeers or that people are finding out.
As I’ve mention many times now it’s only the first 10 or so pages of the news paper that’s news, the rest is courtesy of public and media relations. And it’s the stuff you don’t get to read about that should worry you most, thanx to the craft of spinning – professionals or manage to kill stories before they get to the paper editor. I’m using newspapers here but the same is true for all news media.
From a PR point of view this is all upside, or as Leo Laporte would say, ‘They failed up’. This article has got a big mention for the producers, a big mention of the show (with pic and star’s name). One can wonder who outed the blogger; his 3rd party associate perhaps. Or can wonder about important things in life.
Marketing makes the world go round. Convincing you to buy product ‘New and improved’ over ‘Old and trusted’ or believe in candidate ‘It’s time for a change’ instead of ‘stick to who you know’ is one of the biggest industries on the planet.
The days of simple press ads with a TV offer just don’t work anymore. We’re in a fascinating time where consumers are becoming wiser and far more technologically than those producing ads.
There’s a great line in the 2nd ep of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip when the new president of NBS states; ‘ I don’t believe that the people who watch television are dumber than the people who make television.’ It’s a thought that marketeers and advertisers should take on board.