Category: Uncategorized

Word-of-mouth is one of the most important promotional tools that any product can have.

Generate a good buzz, and people will buy.  But if people don’t like what you’re selling, it’s very likely they’ll tell others to stay away.

Nowadays, people don’t just talk to their friends about things they may be looking to buy.  They also go online.  I’ve let reviews on Amazon or random blogs influence my buying decisions, and I’m sure that’ll continue in the future.

A few years ago, I actually got an offer to review a product that I mentioned on the Kingdom.  The PR rep for the item offered to send me a free sample to do a complete review.  While I was flattered, I turned him down (more out of the fact that I don’t cook turkey than any other reason).  I’m sure others who run more reputable and/or popular blogs get similar offers every day and are often rolling in free products.

In many cases, it’s assumed that someone reviewing a product for a media outlet has received a free sample.  In some other cases, reviewers mention they’ve received freebies from the manufacturer.

But now, bloggers are being told that they have to disclose any freebies or else.

Monday, the Federal Trade Commission announced new rules about disclosing items mentioned in blog reviews:

The revised Guides also add new examples to illustrate the long standing principle that “material connections” (sometimes payments or free products) between advertisers and endorsers – connections that consumers would not expect – must be disclosed. These examples address what constitutes an endorsement when the message is conveyed by bloggers or other “word-of-mouth” marketers. The revised Guides specify that while decisions will be reached on a case-by-case basis, the post of a blogger who receives cash or in-kind payment to review a product is considered an endorsement. Thus, bloggers who make an endorsement must disclose the material connections they share with the seller of the product or service.

True, it’s a good practice to mention any links between a reviewer and a product, but not every case is that simple.  Or, as Wired puts it more simply:

If a well-known dog blogger reviews dog food they bought, no disclosure is necessary. If they review free dog food acquired through a coupon spit out by the supermarket’s computer, no disclosure is necessary. But if the dog food company sends the blogger a free sample based on their review, both the company and the blogger are on the hook if any subsequent review doesn’t include that info.

It’s an interesting idea, but as Wired mentions, it raises a lot of questions.

Here’s mine:  how’s the FTC going to enforce this?  I’m guessing this is aimed at U.S.-only blogs.  Okay, suppose I get a free copy of the next Weezer album (BTW-Geffen/Universal Music- I am planning on reviewing Raditude and it would be real helpful if you could send me an advance copy, okay?) and I give it a glowing review, but don’t disclose that they’ve given me a copy…What are they going to do? Fine my ISP? Reply to a post with a stern comment telling me to knock it off?  Send over a couple of government agents to unplug my connection?

Disclosing freebies is probably something that bloggers should do.  But I’m sure the FTC has better things to do than to make sure bloggers are doing so.

And Geffen, I’m serious about that review.

So tonight I was watching Star Wars (nevermind that I’ve seen it countless times already), Luke’s flying down the trench, about to blow up the Death Star.

Luke turns off his targeting computer, when all of a sudden, there’s a knock on the door.

So I pause the movie to answer the door, politely blowing off some guy selling something or other. I sit back down and try to watch the rest of the movie, but I can’t.

The interruption just ruined the momentum. If it had happened at any other moment, I would have been fine. But even with Luke just seconds from saving the rebellion, I just couldn’t get into it.

I never thought Star Wars could be ruined, but there you go. Perfect timing, Mr. door-to-door salesman. The dark side is strong with you.

So today while walking home, I was quite alarmed upon seeing the following:

My first reaction was thinking we were on the precipice of the armageddon.  But after coming to my senses, I realized they’re trying to move some digital TV boxes to the remaining 2 percent of the American populace who aren’t ready for the transition.

Back in 1994, Michael Moore’s Michael Moore’s TV Nation (back when he was entertaining) had an episode where he featured crackpot groups that believed the end days were near.  One group predicted the world would end on September 15 (my birthday) of that year.  I was quite relieved that morning to wake up in my bed, rather than a flaming inferno.  Of course, later that morning, I read that Major League Baseball cancelled the World Series was cancelled, so maybe in a way, the crackpots were right.

Anyway, it’s a relief that CVS sign isn’t advertising the apocalypse. I’m not ready for the end of the world yet.

From Fox News:

Philadelphia’s primary mass transit agency is embarrassed about a discount pass it sold that features a picture of New York City.

The pass is marked with the logo for Philly Beer Week, a festival celebrating local breweries and taverns. The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority is selling the pass to discourage people from driving from one event to another during the festival.

A spokeswoman for the agency, Jerri Williams, says transit officials liked the look of the pass but didn’t realize the stock photo was of the wrong city.

I haven’t been to Philly in years, but I never thought it’s skyline resembled New York’s at all.  Guess it’s a good thing most of the people who would be using those passes won’t have full control of their faculties.

Winter, slumbering in the open air, wears on its smiling face a dream… of spring. Ciao. 

–Phil Connors, 2/2/1993

We’ve had a hellacious winter here in central Ohio.

It seems like there was no fall–back in October, the weather felt like it went from summer to freezing temperatures instantaneously.  And in the last few weeks, while it hasn’t piled up, it has felt like it’s snowed every day.

Well, yesterday, we were told, we’d get this huge storm- and for once, the weather people were right.  Had a few inches Tuesday morning, then a brief respite during the day.  But right around 5:00, it started snowing again, which turned to sleet, to freezing rain, and back to huge chunks of white death falling from the sky, which is where we are now.

When The Civee and I first woke up this morning, we figured we’d clean off our car and see how things were. Well, there was a slight problem- our front door wouldn’t open.  The door was frozen shut at the bottom.  After leaving through the other door, we started clearing the ice off our car, which went well until our scraper broke.  After that, we figured someone was trying to tell us something and here we are, looking out the window, watching these huge snowflakes keep falling.