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10/10/2011 by
6230 views

Social PR2.0: Call The Blogger A Fucking Bitch?!

Before the social media hype there was the blogospere. Digital and social marketing agencies have understood the DNA of the internet for over a decade. But some PR agencies, in 2011, still do not seem to understand the rules of engagement very well…

Visual: Go Viral’s Media Youcracy

So calling the identified bloggers that you reach out to “a fucking bitch”, might be new social PR tactics I missed out on?

Maybe I am a very traditional CSO that should upgrade his social marketing skills?


Maybe social marketing agencies should stop being compliant to the WOMMA code of ethics and start to bribe bloggers, buying their attention and next throw them away angry, if they do not offer sufficient guaranteed reach. Like some media and pr agencies sometimes so…

Or let’s call bloggers fucking bitches when do not want to write about another lousy and lame piece of content we throw at them? When will we ever be in control enough to let go?!!

If you are curious what I’m talking about, I suggest you read this article in Adweek or maybe better, the full story at the blog it was about The Bloggess

I can give you one simple example, of what agencies should be telling you, even risking that the brand kicks them out.

In 2009 one of my agencies, SocialMedia8, won the global social pitch for fashion brand Diesel. Wow, awesome, because Diesel is really cool.

In our social strategy – that was very difficult to execute since Diesel tends to be brave, bold, stupid – we explained to Diesel: “Yes, we can get the best 10 fashion bloggers to be front row at your Diesel show during the New York Fashion Week 2010”.

But NO, it does not mean that you can igonore those bloggers until you have your show at the Milan Fashion Week. Diesel, please do believe us, that’s why you hired specialists. This is not the way how to treat bloggers, you will need to open up to them during the fashion shows as well. So make sure to be there for them, in case they have questions during the year.

And don’t ask us how, but eventually Diesel understood that there are 150 fashion brands around, that all think that they are uber cool. But that all these 150 brands try to win the love of the global top 200 fashion bloggers.

So brands should understand that it’s about building mutual beneficial relationships with bloggers, and that brands have to add value to that relationship as well.

Brands tend to control. Brands tend to dominate. Brands tend to buy. Brands tend to use. Brands tend to bribe. Brands tend to think only they are uber cool. Brands tend to push.

Even in the race to become the president of the United States, candidate John McCain messed up and tried to bribe some bloggers in his race against Barack Obama.

Well we have a 125 slides PowerPoint about that here. It has been watched over 65,000 times. Look it up, and see how stupid it is to bribe bloggers.

Well my dear brand managers and CMO’s: think again. So here’s my tip to CMO’s that want to tap into social: Companies like Nestle and Kenneth Cole have already damaged their brand reputation in a very bad way using Twitter and Blogs fully wrong.

PR and Media agencies have already shown several time that do they not uderstand the uncontrolled nature of social media spaces. Bloggers are people that started their blog out of passion. So they can refuse to talk about your products or can refuse to write about lousy campaigns. We call it: power to the people or the right of refusal.

So think behink you link. Think before you act or react. Get a very experienced social marketing agency and listen to them. And do not, I repeat DO NOT let interns mess up your most valuable asset called: your brand.

Stay out social media and blogs. Or step in, but do it with the best experienced social marketing pro’s available.

Think about above examples or look-up how Nestle or Kenneth Cole messed up in the social space. Do you want that to happen to your most valuable asset? Guess not…

 

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