It's possible that I made up a new term today- "stunt blogging". If the term already exists, then I apologize and am not as clever as I thought I was.
I participated in a discussion about blogger ethics and whether or not it is acceptable for a company to use a blog to promote business and heighten brand awareness. My classmates had mixed opinions and to be honest, I don't think either side is wrong.
Companys like Nike and Sunsilk post stunt videos (a form of viral marketing) on YouTube. These videos are designed to create conversation about the brands, thus heightening awareness. However, the brand name itself is nowhere to be found in or associated with the video- the stunt aspect. People start talking about the video and then somehow information is leaked out about the source and a conversation begins about the brand. This conversation is a great way for the organization to advertise and increase brand awareness without actually advertising (or spending money).
Click this link to see the Sunsilk stunt video: "bride has massive WIG OUT" (Thanks to Jessica McLaughlin for this). The video was made by Sunsilk but the company is not identified once in the video.
Can the same methods be used by bloggers? I know that the blogosphere is supposed to be a transparent social media forum. The use of a blog for this purpose my not be very 'blogosphere-ish".
Some may say it would be unethical for a company to "stunt blog" or post blog entries to create a conversation about a brand. But wouldn't blogging in such a way promote conversation? And, isn't the point of blogging just that- promoting a social conversation???
I think if this whole "stunt blogging" is done to excess it could lead to a reduction in the public's trust of the organization that started the blog. People need to trust. An organization needs to have a trustworthy face or they'll lose that critical personal connection with consumers, viewers, readers, whatever.
ReplyDeleteAlso, lying is unethical.
Just my two cents Jill! Or is this really Jill? How can I be sure... ;) Good post.
If I could hire an intern to 'ghost blog' for me, then maybe this would not actually be me. In the meantime, I will be doing my own blogging and I will remain quite transparent in my social media ignorance- but hey, at least I'm learning.
ReplyDeleteNOTE: taking applicants for a ghost blogging internship. It's unpaid, but it should look good on your resume ;)