I sold out to BlogHer about six months ago; I make enough to comfortably support my Mountain Dew habit, though the better (by far) benefit has been meeting people like Beth and Marianne and MereCat and Annie and Autumn (and others I just haven’t met yet).
But some people really sold out. I mean, really.
If you visit ChristmasWrapped.com, you might think you’ve stumbled on a helpful group blog by some of the biggest mommy bloggers out there — Dooce, PioneerWoman, MightyMaggie, etc.
Here, you might think, I can crack the code of what cool gifts and gadgets are on the wishlists at the big kids’ table.
But as you look around a little more, you might recognize the Target logo and the “Isaac Mizrahi for Target” brand, or that every outlink in every post is to a product page on Target’s website.
Hmmmm.
So you click on the About this Site page and you realize, not from the completely un-iformative and actually diversionary text, but from the FM logo, that these are all bloggers in the Federated Media stable, bloggers who earn their living by running FM ads on their personal sites, and that ChristmasWrapped.com is merely a platform for Target to advertise with Federated Media.
What are supposed to look like spontaneous reviews of (AWESOME! Jon loves this! MarlboroMan wants that!) products are actually barely modified regurgitations of the promotional material provided by Target’s marketing department.
It’s tacky product placement taken to the nth degree.
And it would damage the credibility of the bloggers involved (because nowhere is there a disclaimer that the endorsements are in any way recompensed, which they are — just a bit of business-speak rubbish that says precisely nothing), except they are apparently so embarrassed about their participation in the project that they don’t refer to it on their own sites.
Perhaps because each, in her own way, makes her living on her blog by providing “honest,” “candid,” and “uncensored,” views of the world.
You go girl! Tell it like it is! Keep it real, baby!
How much is too much?
Or have we established that we are all prostitutes and are now just dickering over price?*
Jane
*Google has FAILED me. There’s some anecdote about Coolidge or Truman or some other dead president guy talking to a woman and her saying she’d sleep with him for a million dollars, but when he offers her 10 bucks, she says, indignantly, “Sir, I am not a prostitute” and he says, “Madam, we have already established that you are; now we are just dickering over price.”
And my dad is not answering his phone, and I know he knows what I’m talking about. Dad?
*Updated to add
I’m not saying sponsorship/advertising is bad. It’s just like getting paid to work. (In fact, it’s exactly like getting paid to work).
But that doesn’t mean that all sponsorship/advertising is done well. It might be difficult for sponsorship to be acknowledged, transparent ,and (editorially) as-least-influential-as-possible, but when we trust journalists or bloggers or doctors to be honest, then we expect the journalist to disclose her biases and the blogger her sponsors and the doctor her drug trial involvement. Transparency, while a much-maligned buzzword, is a very worthy goal.
BlogHer tells me, for example, that I can’t swear profusely or use Adult content on this site as part of my contractual agreement. This is chafing at times, but honestly, it’s more the thought that my grandma reads that keeps me on the straight-and-narrow.
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Anecdotally, the quote has been attributed to Winston Churchill – http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Winston_Churchill
And I’m glad you haven’t sold out Jane.
Kirstys last blog post..And the waters came
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That’s so strange. My husband and I were just takling about that quote a couple days ago… now I can’t remember the context though.
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I was just clicking through to say, that sounds like something Winston Churchill would have said, but someone beat me to it. Truman was too busy shifting the rod up his ass to have said something like that.
jennys last blog post..Pssst..Look, over there! Shiny!
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Er…while I was waiting for the comment to post I happened to actually READ your guidelines which say something very specific about keep it clean…RIGHT. Sorry bout that. Ahem.
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I was going to say WC Fields, but Churchill sounds about right. And, yes, I do recall that story.
While I’m all for making money, there is something about selling oneself out and then not acknowledging that one has done so. I wish Target had legitimately used the blogging world to review their products or lines. That would have made them way cooler.
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See, this is where I am clueless because the whole marketing thing isn’t my bag, baby.
I mean, I might go down the road of adding more links/ads to my blog (because it would be nice to get some sort of revenue flowing) but I’d always disclose that. That’s a trust issue.
Mariannes last blog post..So and So
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Jenny — No problem. I’ll clean up your comment (when I get around to it).
I can’t take credit for those comment guidelines (much as I think they’re great); they just came with this theme. Was a surprise to me the first time someone referred to them.
And thanks to all for the Churchill reference. NO WONDER my Google searching was unfruitful. What can I say, it was late at night, and I’m an American-centric American.
(Though I do love the Churchill anecdotes — now it seems so obvious!)
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Get off your high horse, Jane. Throughout history, the only art that is consistently made was done through sponsorship.
Whether it was the Catholic Church, the Medicis, Lucky Strike Cigarettes, Pepsi or Target, ALL art is made through sponsorship.
Do you feel this upset when you look at the Sistine Chapel? What about when you hear Bing Crosby sing? When you watched Back To The Future?
My only complaint is that these big mommy bloggers aren’t living up to their heritage and that most of what they are producing is crap.
Laura Moncurs last blog post..Twitter Log: 2008-12-04
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Marianne — yes, it’s a trust issue, and it comes down to that dreaded word “transparency.” If you’re writing about a product because you found it and love it, great. If you’re writing about a product because someone is paying you to? Disclose that. Everybody’s happy.
Laura — High horse? I think it was a pretty short horse, as I acknowledged my own sponsorship. I think the Christmaswrapped site is super tacky, and that it is something that the bloggers involved in are not proud of themselves. Sponsorship itself is not a bad thing, but if it is unacknowledged or influences too much the art produced, then it’s in poor taste.
If you read any of the posts, you can almost here the voice of the Dooce or PW. But it’s very diluted and almost drowned out by marketing-speak. Most emphatically NOT art. And I guess my other beef there is that I don’t think Dooce or PW needs the money enough to produce such crappy art.
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Jane, check out Groucho Marx as the source for the quote. It seems much more in sync with his rather randy character than Winston Churchill.
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Ack — Especially when. Okay, here’s my thing. Dooce runs her site in a permanent flipping-off the world mode. I once heard her say (on AccessUtah or RadioWest?) that she was once contemplating a masthead design with a naughty phrase in it, and then she worried that it might make sponsors pull out of her site, and she said that as soon as she thought that, she KNEW she had to use the naughty phrase because she couldn’t let anyone else dictate what she says. And I thought that was cool. So I guess I should just say I’m disappointed.
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Ok folks, please just raise your hand this very moment if you love Jane!!! Raise ‘em high so I can see you. Oh goodie, me too!
Anybody tell me how to get my thing to say “kiki’s last blog post…?”
kikibibis last blog post..
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i thought it was Bertrand Russell.
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Great post, Jane! I gave up on Dooce and PW a long time ago. I was tired of the complaining, poor me Dooce. I wouldn’t want her for a friend, so why should I read her blog???! And PW…other than her Black Heels story and an occasional great recipe, it’s the same thing day after day along with 20 photos that are pretty much the same. I am a fairly new reader here and a handful of other blogs I found during the last Bloggy Giveaway Carnival. The ones I’ve chosen to stick with seem honest in their writings and reviews. Thanks for pointing out what’s going on at some blogs, I thought as much!
Cindy B. in Montanas last blog post..Grandma Cindy Went Pajama Shopping…
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George Bernard Shaw is who I saw listed as the author of that quote…who knows?!
Cristans last blog post..For your musical enjoyment
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I spent ten years working in advertising and I am well aware of how these deals go (inside and out). Dooce has created a brand – she is no longer “Dooce, humble mom and blogger” she is “The Brand of Dooce” and it represents certain things — much like the Oprah brand. I’m not opposed to her doing this but it changes her blogging status. She is no longer one mom talking to another, but a paid professional who is being compensated to talk about products, movies, etc. I don’t doubt for one second that she works very hard at promoting, branding and selling herself. Dooce is a business not a blog. After years of watching Oprah I find myself no longer identifying with her or interested in the things she presents. Unfortunately I’m finding the same thing with Dooce. At one time I identified with her struggles, complaints and life and now, not so much.
Blogging – and especially mommy-blogging -is evolving. Overall this is good for us. Just recently my husband (who works in advertising) asked me to come up with a list of blogs he could approach to help promote a client campaign they were getting ready to launch. We will continue to grow in influence — we should be proud of this, but we should also be aware of the tight-rope we walk when discussing sponsors and product reviews.
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lol me too, the only reason i don’t swear (much) on my blog is because my mom reads it. and lisa, from “are we there yet?” i think i’d be more ashamed of lisa catching me using a naughty word than my mom.
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Ohhhh. THAT is what you were referring to. Yikes. I don’t know… I find it disheartening too and I’m not sure why. And I’m wondering if I’d do the same thing? No, I definitely know that I wouldn’t ever plug products I didn’t love, for money. But I would do it if I also loved it.
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Hi! Thanks for the shout out, by the way. I for one wish someone wanted me to prostitute myself as a blogger. LOL
Seriously, I do get what you’re saying and, as always, like the way you said it.
Annies last blog post..When will I learn?
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Cindy B. in Montana — I still read Dooce and PW, though I confess the endless photos of cattle/horses sometimes get a tad stale.
What is interesting to me about Dooce is the valid complaints about all her whining. I LOVE her whining about motherhood. It always seems spot-on and REAL and well-written to me. I only wish I could whine so eloquently about the pitfalls of motherhood.
But her whining about mean commenters and hateful emailers, on the other hand? Totally crap.
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I found Churchill because I left the “dickering” bit out of your quote.
Probably because I don’t even know what dickering is.
Kirstys last blog post..And the waters came
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What??? Are you supposed to make money from your blog??? I haven’t figured out that secret yet. I must be WAY behind!
Kathys last blog post..SO! STINKIN’! MAD!
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Hi Jane. Thanks for visiting ChristmasWrapped. In spite of your initial response, I’m hoping you’ll take a second look with the following in mind.
First, yes this is a program that Federated Media helped put together. We’re quite proud of it. This is a site that brings mom bloggers together, sponsored by Target. We love to bring together great independent authors (like Dooce and Pioneer Woman) with brands that would like to join the conversation.
Second, the posts on ChristmasWrapped are entirely spontaneous and any product reviews/highlights that are included are done so with no editorial control whatsoever. Authenticity and transparency are driving principles behind everything we do together. Trust me, Dooce wouldn’t stand for anything less.
The program was announced in several places including here and here, and Mighty Girl did a post on her site that mentioned her participation here.
In light of your comments we are taking a second look at the About page to make sure the facts of the matter are as clear as they can be. If you’re interested to learn more about the types of program we put together, please see the FM website for campaign examples.
I really hope you’ll take another look at the site and please get involved if you’d like. Thanks!!
Matthew DiPietro, Federated Media
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I see Federated Media dropped in to state their position.
Yeah! Score one for Jane!
And Jane – you’re right. Trust and transparency go hand in hand. Some of us are more willing to let the light shine all the way through than others. So absolutely, if you made your name as being as clear and unclouded as a pane of glass, you have to disclose, disclose, disclose.
Good on you, Jane.
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Are you saying Kraft didn’t pay you for posting that yummy mac and cheese photo? And it looked so appetizing spread over your couch, too.
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The Christmas Wrapped site an interesting idea, but with all links pointing to Target products, it feels creepy. Something just isn’t right. You’ve taken posts and mixed them with advertising (postvertising?).
When you have paragraphs such as, “Coasters can be an incredibly useful and unexpected gift, and you can even break them out and use them at the party right when you give them! Here are some you can keep on hand that will suit a variety of hostess personalities and styles.” And follow this with a link to Target’s coasters, and do the same sort of thing throughout the blog post, then it’s no longer a blog post. It’s a blogger writing an advertisement for Target products. It takes away from the honest, independent blogger voice. I agree that it does seem a bit like prostitution, but I’ve always disliked marketing speak.
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Matthew:
Thanks for responding. The more I look at it, though, esp the parts Tom quotes in his comment, the more I think it’s a poor, poor form of advertising. And I stand by my original critique “It’s tacky product placement taken to the nth degree.”
It’s like an infomercial on late night TV, only without the disclosures that it IS an infomercial.
Also, I think when you say the posts on there “entirely spontaneous,” I wonder if you ate paint as a child, or was that just at business school?
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Just curious, did you ask Dooce or PW about their take on it?
Karis last blog post..How to Be A Shopper That I Won’t Want to Stab with a Fork
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Holy crap, I love you. That is all.
The Diaper Diariess last blog post..Frugal Friday- Priority Club Rewards
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“Just curious, did you ask Dooce or PW about their take on it?”
Not to make fun, but raise your hand if you’ve ever gotten an email back from Dooce or PW. Anyone? Anyone?
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oops forgot to put mi link in. voici!
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Kari –
You’re right — it would be only fair to email them and ask for their “side” of it. I didn’t bother though, because I’ve never received a response to the few comments I’ve left on either of those sites. I did think two things were significant. 1) Their “voices” in the posts on Christmas Wrapped are much diluted from their distinctive styles on their own sites, and 2) Neither of them mention the site on their own sites (as far as I could tell, and I read them both pretty religiously).
The Federated Media guy pointed out that Mighty Maggie (Mighty Gal?) did announce it on her own site, but I don’t read her, so I was mistaken about that.
I still read (and plan to enjoy) Dooce and PW — I just think this site was a major misstep on everyone’s part.
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I was just wondering, not trying to be mean or anything.
I think it’s hilarious that the FM guy sent you a note about it though. I don’t think “spontaneous” is a word to be used when you’re obviously paying someone to review things.
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I had a girl crush on dooce when I first started reading it a couple of years ago. I thought Heather and I would be bestest girl friends if we ever met IRL. That was during my “nobody understands me in this provincial town” phase. Then I went through a phase where I was super jealous of her for raking in $40,000/month by writing a blog. Now I just find her annoying (but still jealous of the moolah). I don’t read it much anymore and I really don’t want to read it now that she is pregnant. I can only read so much about people throwing up their food. Maybe it’s because I’m done having children (not by choice) and the thought of reading about someone else’s pregnancy is about as appealing as having my eyes poked out. Have they sold out? Probably. Would I sell out if I could make a butt load of money while writing about my dull life? Yes.
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Did any notice the huge target logo at the top of the site? Seems pretty obvious to me.
Maybe just sour grapes?
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Not sour, FERMENTED.
But, really, I think the site could have been a lot better done, and, again, one of my main points is that it doesn’t seem that even Dooce or PW is proud of their involvement. It’s a really tacky site, and I think they’re better than that.
A lot of advertising has been irritating me lately — have you seen the new Lexus commercials? And I don’t think I can build a better car, lol.
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great post. it’s so strange how things have worked out…blogging at times seems like the least transparent media of all.
One thing I still can’t take away from Dooce. The girl can write. And decorate.
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