David,

Nice post and great topic that is timely and speaks to credibility. As you know, I will not take freebies as a blogger (and never did when I worked as a journalist and later as an editor). I believe that bloggers who also are marketers need to ensure that our audiences sees us (and our profession) as ethical, trustworthy and unable to be bought.

One of our audiences is the media. In fact, I have a press release going out today for a client. Reporters and editors have to know that I can't be bought and that I believe the release is newsworthy and that I believe every word of it is true.

My business clients need to know that none of their competitors can buy me. They can pay me for my services, but they can't buy my services. Clients have to know that if I don't believe in their products or if they want me to communicate something that isn't 100% true, I won't do it and I won't take on their work.

My business is based on values that are published. I can't say one thing and then do anything that may be perceived as a violation of my principles. Brand is based on perception, and it is too valuable to risk doing harm.

We can assure people from now until we turn to dust that we cannot be bought. When we take freebies, the perception is otherwise.

Note: Review books from publishers arrive in the mail all the time, and my publisher will send them out, as well. Like CK, I may review them if I believe in them, and then I give them away, usually to the library.

Great post, David! The bloggers who are involved in marketing professionally have some degree of exposure to tricks of the trade, but many non-marketing bloggers can easily succumb to flattery and promises without realising where it may take them. But then, even experienced marketers can be swayed by a good sales pitch.

Does it matter? I think it depends on your audience and (as always) your positioning. And if you are lucky, your readers will actually TELL you when you have crossed the line. But that depends entirely on the efforts you have made to build a relationship with them.

David -- Blogging is still in the wild west phase and people are making up rules as they go, but I like your guidelines for transparency. In the end this is a personal decision each individual must make. It just comes down to honesty.

I personally like to use the "tell your mom" ethics test. I imagine telling my mom what I would do and think about what her reaction would be. If there is a doubt in my mind I know to rethink things.

"Hopefully, none of us will allow ourselves to descend to that level."

I suspect, as with all things, some of us will and some of us won't.

I appreciate bloggers who vehemently protect the integrity of the medium. If any of us are going to overcome the perception that bloggers have no credibility, we must constantly be on watch for breaches of trust. However, I reject out of hand the accusation, as some have made, that the practice you describe here is inherently unethical.

If there is complete transparency, the marketplace can decide who does and does not have credibility. Then, trust must still be earned, one blogger at a time.

This year's series of Survivor was a great lesson in Integrity.

"Integrity - The Courage to Meet the Demands of Reality" by Henry Cloud is a fabulous read. It looks at integrity from the perspective of wholeness or completeness of character.

Cam,

Ethics come from within, not from our readers. If one of us believes something is unethical it is (for that individual). That doesn't mean those ethics apply to anyoneelse. Each person decides for themselves their standards of ethics, For me, I can't accept a freebie because it defies my ehtical standards. I don't speak for anyone else. In my life experiences, I have seen much more bad than good come from accepting freebies, which some (me) may define as being bought. It's a slippery slope, my friend.

And I'll give an example of what I mean: Anyone who takes a freebie and then blogs about how it will get this reaction from me (and many like me): No transparency in the world will keep me from being skeptical of that review.

David -- I just want to thank you for the very nice bottle of Cristal you sent over, reminding me gently that I should run your debut post in the coveted top spot today.

You are so thoughtful!

; )

Seriously -- nice post. You hit on some themes that are some of my favorites... and which is why schemes like PayPerPost drive me so nuts.

Lewis - A little skepticism is a good thing. It's something that transparency actually feeds. And it allows readers to judge each instance on a case-by-case basis.

As you are an influential voice in the marketplace, your opinion about something that falls under this topic affects the overall perception of the credibility of that review. Hence, bloggers should review their freebies only with great caution, and with full appreciation for what doing so will do to the perception of their integrity.

I think our comments serve to complement one another rather than represent opposing views. Do you disagree?

Cam,

I could never disagree with you. Oh, and to Ann's point, thanks for promising to send me a case of the best beer in Texas. (Seriously, our comments do complement each other.)

David:

I agree with most of what you say, but bloggers,like journalists, need to be careful about becoming holier than thou. Strict rules, like the Times, go overboard and I doubt many reporters can be bought off for a cup of coffee or a drink.

In cases where the intent is obviously to woo a blogger and could, such as a junket, the blogger should be upfront. Fine if you say a book was sent to you, but I doubt if it would affect your review. It could even have the reverse affect that the blogger goes too far to show he/she received a freebie and looks for negatives to show their independence.

The blogshpere is wide open with bloggers of varying degrees of ethics. All each of us can do is to police ourselves and set our own crtiteria and hope reason prevails for all.

It's intersting that many of the bloggers who are adamant about NOT getting freebies have journalism backgrounds.

I, like many bloggers, write about the people, products and things I personally find interesting. And if it happens to include a product I have interacted with or mention of an individual whom I share interests with, I feel that my responsibility to my readers is to frame the reference without feeling like I'm paying any perceived debt to the source of my inspiration. I think a good governing rule is to check if your actions are in line with the benefits to your reader. Knowing that, each blog has to develop it's own rules of conduct, and in time the readers will dictate how relevant the blog is.

David this is a great post--and a great first one, to boot…or, to ‘booty’. I so look forward to the topics you'll cover here, and most especially, your take on them. Lewis said it best with: "It's a slippery slope, my friend."

The only 'freebie' I am comfortable accepting is marketing books. You see, we review several books in order to determine which ones we should feature in the book club each segment. As we can only feature 1 book every segment (every 2 months), we need to be fair in considering many for you great marketers--especially since we cover so many different topics (e.g. social media, branding, research). However, Ann and I have a policy of outright buying each book we feature and then we give away the review copy. We do this because we would never ask the members to do that which we won't do ourselves (buy the book).

But the booty stops there.

That’s a program that is shared with the ENTIRE community that participates. Net/net: everyone has an equal chance of receiving one of the 50 free books the authors give us for each segment (being it’s a random selection, it’s fair).

I personally can’t reconcile other freebies because, like Lewis said, “it's a slippery slope”. I view it as a line and how if one crosses over that line it becomes too easy to cross in the future. The trust my readers place in me is paramount...and I'll never be able to answer for myself whether I would--or would not--blog on something if a freebie wasn't thrown my way. So by not accepting freebies, I never have to answer that question.

It's not just an issue of 'transparency' for me. I'm always transparent with readers as we all are. It’s an issue of 'authenticity'. I preach that practice a ton over here and at my blog. If I’m never influenced by ‘booty’ than I know my communications are authentic. Heck, the reason I blog is to learn so I can become better at my craft. The way I see it? Because the community teaches me so much through the generous share of your smarts, professional experience and opinions, I get plenty of ‘booty’ everyday! (sorry, I couldn’t resist!)

Thanks all, for your great comments. Sorry I've been offline all morning, but I was at a client meeting. (Darn clients.)

I know taking freebies is a touchy area. As ck said, I have no problem taking a review copy of a book. After I've read it, I'll probably just pass it along to a friend to read, if I think it's worth reading.

What about freebies of greater value? I suppose, for me, it depends on what it is and what the value is. Above all, I wouldn't want people to think I'm selling out.

In the case of a high-ticket item, I could see accepting something as a loaner so I can see what it's like or how it handles. The digital camera program that Nikon is now doing with some bloggers is an example. It's a costly item for the average person to buy just to try it.

Car companies do this all the time. In fact, I used to do it when I did P.R. for Jaguar. They have a press loaner fleet so journalists can try a car for a few days or a week. Some wrote good things about the car; some didn't. It's a chance you take as a p.r. person. If you have a good product, the odds will be in your favor.

David, congratulations on a wonderful first post. Timely topic, too, as I've just posted a book review and hadn't thought to include a disclosure. I have fixed that as my authenticity, integrity and credibility are too valuable to lose!!! Thank you.

Now that I'm back in the office, I'm reading through your comments more closely.

Lewis, I understand what you say about clients realizing that you can only be hired, not bought. I agree, and along those lines, I doubt very much that I'd ever post about a product or service that competes with one of my clients. So I wouldn't accept a freebie or sample in a situation like that.

Being selective about what I choose to write about is my right as a blogger. As I said in the post, as bloggers we are not working for or representing a journalistic organization. We may try to be fair and honest, but we can have a point of view or even a bias. Over time, our readers will know that and, if they disagree, they'll read someone else instead.

Superb conversation, David & congratulations on your very first MP post! You ran into an excellent topic with gusto and smacked it head on, too. I feel its a question that will become more crucial as blogging grows in popularity - particularly in the marketing sphere. Of course, thats assuming it continues expanding.

Whether we're journalists or not (some bloggers disdain even the suggestion of the label) the networks/organizations must be finding some value in the "free" publicity for their goods or service. Is it in addition to traditional publicity? Is it the "new" publicity? Is it the "new" advertising? Or is it simply, I scratch your back, you scratch mine. Not sure I'll ever be in the position - nor did you ask - but much as I'd like to accept presents in exchange for posts ...I really want that Vespa :)...I gotta say "no, thank you". At least at this time. A simple response to a not so simple proposal.

Thanks for sharing on such thought provoking concepts.

I don’t think all reporters at major newspapers are as pure as you describe them, David. I think it depends on the industry they cover.

In addition, sending free books/review copies to the media and bookstores has always been done by book publicists, so why not to bloggers? Like sending a fabric or carpet sample, I don't see that this is the slightest bit questionable. When I was at Art & Antiques magazine, some publishers would send a bill for a book, and only give it free if a magazine showed proof, in a certain amount of time, that someone had reviewed it. I remember a major book on kilims [flat woven rugs from the Middle East] that I wanted to read and keep as a resource. The publisher had that rule and might have been better off had he not forced me to publish my review!

Per Bob G's comment of: "Not sure I'll ever be in the position - nor did you ask - but much as I'd like to accept presents in exchange for posts ...I really want that Vespa :)...I gotta say "no, thank you". At least at this time. A simple response to a not so simple proposal."

Phew...I can't lose you to the dark side Bob ;-).

Bob, you ask if the nets and studios are going after bloggers for exposure instead of mainstream reporters. I'd answer with a hearty no. They still value mainstream very much, but two things are happening:

1) The freebies don't work as much with most reporters at legitimate media, so they don't always get the glowing reviews they'd hope for.

2) Like marketers in many other industries, they are starting to recognize the reach and influence of social media. Look what happened several months back with the film "Snakes on a Plane."

And Jeanne, thanks for checking out Daily Fix. I think a publisher who sends a book for review and includes a bill for it has a lot of nerve. But, as a publicist, I've also seen a lot of nervy things done by reporters over the years -- asking for costly items to use as props in photos and then "losing" them after the shoot. I had that happen years ago with a senior editor at a major women's magazine. Months after she "lost" the expensive thing we'd loaned her, which never got used in the photo by the way, I was at the mag visiting another editor. When I passed the senior editor's office, there was the "lost" item adorning her desk. I swallowed hard and kept walking.

CK, good to hear you get lots of booty every day. I'm sure I speak for many readers when I say I'm jealous. :-)

As an Australian and blogger, I'd sell my soul for a free trip, infact any booty, giveaways, or my favourite...money.

Cheques payable to Mr Gordon Whitehead BSB: 045 861 Account Number: 23752 49008

Thanks!!

Tell you what, Gordon -- why don't you let us know how much you collect. Maybe it'll change some minds.

Disclose it, and then it is down to the readers to decide

Honestly on the income most bloggers have, there is no way they could afford to pay for travel & accommodation.

I have had travel and accommodation paid for in the past to attend an event which was for marketing purposes by a fortune 500 company in the tech sector.

I wouldn't have attended unless they had paid for t, as would have been the case of probably half the people in attendance, and there is a good chance that the press attending were on a similar deal, because they were staying in the same hotel.

In fact there is a fair probability that more than one hotel had a block reservation being paid for by the company with the product launch.

Currently Ask is in the middle of a $100M marketing campaign.

What should they really do? Why not fly 5,000 bloggers to London, San Jose or Vegas for a conference from all corners of the globe, pay for their hotels, and give them some real face time.

In marketing giving something for free to hook you is fairly standard practice, even if it is a one month free trial, so I hardly think it is wrong for a TV network to do the same.

Great first post David, and you stole my thunder as I was meant to post about that same article already, oh well, snooze ya lose !

I did find it interesting that the many blogger they quoted in the piece, has posted on her blog (http://www.joyunexpected.com/archives/002190.php) that the reporter on more than one occasion either misquoted her, or attributed quotes to her, that someone else said.

Still, I think that Andy's idea is best, disclose it, and let the readers decide. That's why I have tried to be painfully open about my disclosure with Nikon's 'Picture This' campaign.

Good discussion, and plenty to think about!

Andy, you're right that offering freebies is a standard practice between marketers and journalists. A reporter at a confereence may eat lunch that's sponsored by a company. So it's difficult to be 100% "pure."

I don't say there's anything wrong with accepting freebies, whether it's a product sample, a book for review, lunch at a conference or a cup of coffee down the block from your office. As long as it's understood - by marketer and journalist, and now bloggers - that there's no promise of coverage or of positive coverage. And if the freebie is something of significant value, I myself would tell my readers that. But that's a personal decision each of us has to make. And readers will also eventually make a judgement as to your credibility. If you take a freebie but honestly maintain your objectivity, I think most people will respect that.

David:

What a debut, congratulations. As a curator of Fast Company reader's network, I received books to review for years -- the intent was to invite the author, usually a FC-published professional, to do a speaking event in our city. That's how I met Ben McConnell, and Dan Pink, and Bill Jensen, etc.

I believe in helping people get their message and content across -- after all, I am the conversation agent. There was never any pressure and the introduction was made through a trusted source, FC. That model really worked. I just got a message today from Becky Carroll from Customers Rock! asking if I have questions for an author she is covering. My point is it's the relationship that works, not the blanket pitch.

Yes, I still get books. Some I read, some I skim. Some I write about, some I don't. There is no amount of pressure and gift that will make me do something.

Adding my congrats! to your growing fan base David. I know of a large SEO/M firm that is using blogger relations as an SEO tactic for its entertainment clients. Don't know if they give "presents" but would not be surprised if that was a consideration.

Like so many others here, I frequently am offered business books and my response is similar to David's. I have a stack to be reviewed (I really want to read them!) and must admit to twinges of guilt. Would I have taken that cell phone, or camera or computer? You betcha. Would I have disclosed. Of course. Do I feel a bit jealous that friends have cashed in on a "better goodies" than books .. in bloggy transparency .. a bit. I'm waiting for the bloggers who have not been part of the "Chosen" to begin a counter revolt .. recommending products not given out to the Chosen Few. Could be the start of a new "z list" (smile .. that's a joke).

Toby: That's a downright inspiring idea... how about we start a blog meme: "The one bit o' booty I'd love to be offered, but haven't been, and probably never will."

I'll start: Levi's ECO jeans. Awesome jeans... a benchmark of the green clothing movement, in my mind.

How about a pony, Ann?

Valeria and Toby, thanks for your comments. I think it all coimes down to honesty and integrity.

And I also like the idea of a meme about booty I'd like to be offered. That could be fun... and telling.

"And I also like the idea of a meme about booty I'd like to be offered. That could be fun... and telling."

I get knowledge, new colleagues, new biz dev opps, a new expertise and great friends from blogging. I also get to help create programs that are near and dear to me. So I don't need any other stuff. I'm just so grateful for the stuff I mentioned above; truly.

I work to get stuff. I blog for other reasons. I guess to each their own; that's fair. Thanks for generating the great discussion, David.

CK, it's true. I don't think any of us blog to get free stuff, but the situation is going to come up for us more frequently. We each have a personal judgement call to make when it does, and that decision may vary depending on the specific situation.

Thanks to all for making my first DailyFix post a lively one.

Fab post! Looking forward to reading more!
Being authentic and free is what is cool about blogging for me. Free stuff...mmm..kinda like selling your soul and you ain't free no more!

Thanks for checking in, Candice. I'm not so sure raking a freebie is selling out. If it colors what you say to the point where you're saying what you think the "giver" wants you to say, that's a sellout for sure. If you're saying what you honestly believe and you're open about having accepted a sample, that's not a sellout to me.

I suppose it's also a matter of degree. As someone said in an earlier comment, it's a slippery slope.