What's your PR policy? » YugaTech | Philippines Tech News & Reviews

What’s your PR policy?

For sometime now, local PR agencies have been trying to court bloggers by inviting them to press events, parties, treating them to lunches, sending them gifts and tokens. Jayvee’s Blog and Soul project is a testament to the growing interest of these public relations agencies to either enhance, protect, repair and/or preserve the brands of their client companies. Marc aptly refers to it as online reputation management.

Likewise, there’s also the paradigm shift where bloggers are slowly being considered as members of the press or media. Eric recounts his experiences being a grassroots blogger getting invites to press events and explains that his initial hesitation was primarily due to the fact that he’s just a blogger and not really part of the press. Does acceptance of an invite also requires you to report about it (by blogging of course) and does it also entail you following journalistic standards?

Anyhow, I’ll go back to the main topic and ask the question – what’s your PR policy? Here are the possible answers and scenarios:

a.) Completely avoid PR involvement as much as possible. Do not attend press events, party invites, accept gifts or tokens and paying for your own meal (if it involves you writing a blog review of it later on). A friend and fellow blogger always tell me it’s hard to write a negative review of a restaurant if the owner let you in on a free buffet. If you pay for your own meal, you’re free to say whatever it is you really thought of it.

b.) Accept invitations without commitments. You attend but express that you will not blog or review anything about it. That way, there no expectations from both parties. That goes without saying “you got something and they didn’t get any“. However, that actually defeats the purpose why you were invited in the first place (at least 90% of the time).

c.) Get involved and disclose. Accepting invitations, gifts/tokens and free services and blogging about it as a matter of full disclosure to your blog readers is another option. A disclosure will at least serve as a warning to your readers if later on you make a positive review of their products/services, it was influenced in some manner.

Anton says he invented and follows another school of thought in handling PR events. I could not quite catch it but I think it’s more like option C.

I’ve had my own fair share of invites, gifts and free services. I thanked them for these and always disclose any involvement with such companies or agencies. I guess I’m more inclined on the principle of transparency. And oh, sometimes I do pick up the tab too.

So, what’s yours?

Abe Olandres

Abe is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of YugaTech with over 20 years of experience in the technology industry. He is one of the pioneers of blogging in the country and considered by many as the Father of Tech Blogging in the Philippines. He is also a technology consultant, a tech columnist with several national publications, resource speaker and mentor/advisor to several start-up companies.

https://www.yugatech.com

9 Comments

Simpsons Tapped Out says:

11 years ago

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Connie says:

17 years ago

Re #5. “PR agencies do not require you to post press releases or write about their events.”

Yeah, they just EXPECT. And they EXPECT positive write-ups. Otherwise, you don’t get invited again. That’s why I don’t read negative reviews of PR events in blogs. Everything is a praise to the high heavens.
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JC John SESE Cuneta says:

17 years ago

It depends on the agreement. I ask them about it, and if its to be “press-like” (if you will), then I will publicly disclose about it or simply post their Press Release, and nothing more.

Then maybe I will write another blog post for my personal comments sometime later.
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jayvee f. says:

17 years ago

“Does acceptance of an invite also requires you to report about it (by blogging of course) and does it also entail you following journalistic standards?”

Nope. PR agencies do not require you to post press releases or write about their events.
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Miguel says:

17 years ago

If you’re a fulltime blogger or self-employed, then no problem which one you choose. I blogged before: this is a problem if you’re employed and there’s a conflict with your day job.
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Gail says:

17 years ago

b.) Accept invitations without commitments. You attend but express that you will not blog or review anything about it. That way, there no expectations from both parties. That goes without saying â€œyou got something and they didnâ€™t get anyâ€œ. However, that actually defeats the purpose why you were invited in the first place (at least 90% of the time).

Yeah. It does defeat the purpose why you were invited. You don’t necessarily have to write a really long (positive) review about them, I think they’re counting more on the online exposure or link you’ll give them (well, most of them actually). If you aren’t planning to have at least a disclosure on the event you went to, it might be better that you don’t attend.

I’m not sure that there aren’t any expectations from the end of the advertiser. IMHO, there always is. My dad is a photojournalist for the Inquirer, and he always tells me that if I attend these events, it’s only courtesy to the “advertiser” and my readers to disclose the fact that I went to a PR event.

I’m actually ok with two of the “schools of thought” you mentioned: A and C. B is the one that’s slightly problematic for me. I don’t know how to explain it exactly, but this analogy might work :D

It’s just like in courtship :D If you keep on making suitors believe you’re going to say yes to them but in reality, you aren’t even considering the possibility, guys would eventually get turned off with you if you keep leading them on :P It might be better if you say it outright that you only want to be “friends,” instead of making the other hope for something that you aren’t willing to give. There will always be those who just don’t get it even if you’ve already said it outright, but well, at least you tried :D

It’s a silly analogy, but you get the idea ;)
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noemi says:

17 years ago

I enjoy going to PR events because I like meeting people and experiencing new things. I choose option 3. Disclose and then blog about it.
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Marcvill says:

17 years ago

A.) seems like closing the door to windows of opportunities for the blogger; B.) and C.) are what most bloggers are doing right now I think.

Buti na lang I’m just a ‘blog for myself’ blogger. Not too influential to get invited to PR events. Hehe. It seems bloggers do not follow any standard rule when it comes to PR events. The principles you live by becomes your policy.
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