Kmart Reaches Out to Bloggers to Lift Exposure
Posted on December 17, 2008
Filed Under Blogging and Bloggers, Social Media Marketing | 4 Comments
Companies are doing all kinds of stuff to increase exposure this year. Here is one from Kmart:
Kmart Enlists Bloggers To Get The Good Word Out
A sponsored social networking campaign enlisting the help of six well-known bloggers is yielding big buzz for Kmart and encouraging consumers to give the retailer another look during the critical holiday season.
Kmart gave each of six influential bloggers a $500 gift certificate to go on a shopping spree in the store and then blog about their shopping experiences in any way they saw fit (no censorship). The bloggers clearly disclosed this sponsored arrangement in their respective postings.
Interesting. There is a lot of buzz in the blogosphere, with opponents charging “sellout”. I on the other hand am a business person. I don’t blog for nothing. I believe in authenticity and transparency (and Chris Brogan was both in his post) – but I certainly support the idea. Those who know me also know that I am a recent convert to this idea. I used to think of blogging as a community service type endeavor. No longer. When it comes to blogging I’m more likely to say “show me the money” than anything else!
What do you think? Should bloggers accept money to write posts? Share your thoughts in the comments section.
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4 Responses to “Kmart Reaches Out to Bloggers to Lift Exposure”
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Great musings. I would like to think that as the average person gains more power to gather and give away interesting, entertaining or useful information and the power that it can bring, that there comes an acceptance of a blurring of those lines (being paid to endorse something you genuinely like). Like you mention, transparency is crucial (Social Media will flame you above all else for dishonesty). With that being said, I think it is becoming more and more acceptable to be paid as an individual with a talent for gathering and giving the most important information, even if it is having a great experience at KMart that KMart paid for. One of the reasons I am a fan of Chris Brogan is that he would tell us if his experience sucked even though he was compensated for it.
This is very interesting, I’d heard some bloggers were shopping and blogging about Kmart, but didn’t know the details. I have to admit, I rely on the opinion of people I care about much more than “professional” reviews or slick advertisements. I read Chris Brogan’s blog and feel pretty confident that he would speak his mind. I also spend a lot more time reading blogs and tweets then ever before so I’m way more influenced by what these friend say vs watching or reading something in typical media advertisements. That being said, I would hope and expect that the bloggers who get the bucks to blog, tell the truth.
I can see a lot of room for abuse here. However, bloggers who only do it for the money will lose some serious credibility – so I think there is very little wiggle room there for any serious blogger. If I was asked to write a good review, I’d only do it for products/services I’ve used an see a clear benefit from.
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