Ask Dave Taylor
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Home
  • YouTube Videos
  • Top Categories
  • Subscribe via Email
  • Ask A Question
  • Meet Dave
  • Home
  • Wordpress Help
  • Can I publish reviews and have those companies as sponsors too?

Can I publish reviews and have those companies as sponsors too?

November 2, 2013 / Dave Taylor / Wordpress Help, Writing and Publishing / No Comments

If I’m reviewing wineries, can I get some of them as advertisers? If I’m reviewing books, can I get authors to participate and publishers to advertise or sponsor? If I’m doing photographs, is it conceivable that someone would want to pay me to go take photos of something for them? In other words, how does one establish commercial value if it exists?

This is such an interesting question because you present what is a clear ethical dilemma, then ask about commercial value.

Hmm…

Let’s start at the beginning: However you position it, it’s very difficult to be candid and honest when you review a product or service from a company that is also responsible for some of your company’s income, be they a sponsor, advertiser or otherwise. I mean, if Starbucks was paying me $1000/mo to endorse their line of coffee shops, it would be be really difficult to post an article saying that I actually hated something about Starbucks and was switching my allegiance to another coffee purveyor.

Maybe the deal would have included so-called editorial freedom, and certainly magazine publishers talk about “the wall” between advertising and editorial, but no company is going to be paying for ads in a publication that slams their product or service, just as an exposé on TV about a restaurant is unlikely to be sponsored by that same restaurant.

Those are the obvious cases. What I worry more about is that you have a secret sponsorship with a winery and as part of the deal you write about how delicious their wine is – for which you’re paid in wine! – without ever telling me, the reader, that you have an existing relationship. This holds true even if you find a wine you love and then approach the company. It’s ethics. It’s bias. It’s just darn tricky.

ethics / values / integrity circlesBooks aren’t quite the same thing because it’s quite reasonable to seek the participation of a book author (perhaps an exclusive interview) and publish a review of their book at the same time, but even then if you don’t disclose or if you actually don’t like the book but are going to talk it up simply so you can gain access to the author, well, that’s not entirely on the up-and-up either.

My rule of thumb for all of these situations is that if my reader learned about the relationship, they’d still trust me to have been honest and forthcoming about the weaknesses and strengths of the product or service. That’s integrity and it’s the kind of thing that’s easy to lose and hard to establish, especially in the barely regulated wild west of the Internet. Is that review legit? Is that product testimonial from an actual customer? Did that company pay for that award or win it honestly?

And in terms of photography, yeah, I can see that if you’re featuring some beautiful photographs you’ve taken that you could end up having companies contact you about working with them. I see that as far less of an ethically questionable activity.

Finally, the most important thing in my eyes is to disclose any relationships, sponsorships, advertising, samples, etc that you’ve received, even if it’s something like “I bought this product. I just wanted to share it with you” rather than telling your readers that the company gave you free product / paid you for an endorsement. Transparent disclosure goes a long way to alleviate ethical issues and keeps you in line with the Federal Trade Commission and other law enforcement bodies that police the online world.

Hope that’s helpful!

About the Author: Dave Taylor has been involved with the online world since the early days of the Internet. Author of over 20 technical books, he runs the popular AskDaveTaylor.com tech help site. You can also find his gadget reviews on YouTube and chat with him on Twitter as @DaveTaylor.

Let’s Stay In Touch!

Never miss a single article, review or tutorial here on AskDaveTaylor, sign up for my fun weekly newsletter!
Name: 
Your email address:*
Please enter all required fields
Correct invalid entries
No spam, ever. Promise. Powered by FeedBlitz
Please choose a color:
Starbucks coffee cup I do have a lot to say, and questions of my own for that matter, but first I'd like to say thank you, Dave, for all your helpful information by buying you a cup of coffee!
basic blogging, blogging 101, blogging ethics, disclosure laws, ethics, ftc guidelines, product reviews, review ethics

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Search

Recent Posts

  • Can I Fill Out & Sign PDFs on my Chromebook?
  • How Can I Get Pinch to Zoom Working on my MacBook Air?
  • How to Save Phone Battery Life with Adaptive Connectivity?
  • Join the Microsoft Edge Beta Program, Get AI-Powered Bing!
  • Guide to Keeping All Your Mac Software Up-To-Date

On Our YouTube Channel

1More Sonoflow Hi-Res Audio Headphones -- DEMO & REVIEW

EKSA E1000WT 2.4Ghz Wireless Gaming Headset -- DEMO & REVIEW

Categories

  • AdSense, AdWords, and PPC Help (106)
  • Amazon, eBay, and Online Shopping Help (164)
  • Android Help (230)
  • Apple iPad Help (149)
  • Apple Watch Help (53)
  • Articles, Tutorials, and Reviews (346)
  • Auto Tech Help (17)
  • Business Advice (200)
  • ChromeOS Help (35)
  • Computer & Internet Basics (783)
  • d) None of the Above (166)
  • Facebook Help (384)
  • Google, Chrome & Gmail Help (188)
  • HTML & Web Page Design (247)
  • Instagram Help (49)
  • iPhone & iOS Help (627)
  • iPod & MP3 Player Help (173)
  • Kindle & Nook Help (99)
  • LinkedIn Help (88)
  • Linux Help (174)
  • Linux Shell Script Programming (90)
  • Mac & MacOS Help (916)
  • Most Popular (16)
  • Outlook & Office 365 Help (34)
  • PayPal Help (68)
  • Pinterest Help (54)
  • Reddit Help (19)
  • SEO & Marketing (82)
  • Spam, Scams & Security (97)
  • Trade Show News & Updates (23)
  • Twitter Help (222)
  • Video Game Tips (66)
  • Web Site Traffic Tips (62)
  • Windows PC Help (953)
  • Wordpress Help (206)
  • Writing and Publishing (72)
  • YouTube Help (47)
  • YouTube Video Reviews (159)
  • Zoom, Skype & Video Chat Help (62)

Archives

Social Connections:

Ask Dave Taylor


Follow Me on Pinterest
Follow me on Twitter
Follow me on LinkedIn
Follow me on Instagram


AskDaveTaylor on Facebook



microsoft insider mvp


This web site is for the purpose of disseminating information for educational purposes, free of charge, for the benefit of all visitors. We take great care to provide quality information. However, we do not guarantee, and accept no legal liability whatsoever arising from or connected to, the accuracy, reliability, currency or completeness of any material contained on this site or on any linked site. Further, please note that by submitting a question or comment you're agreeing to our terms of service, which are: you relinquish any subsequent rights of ownership to your material by submitting it on this site. Our lawyer says "Thanks for your cooperation."
© 2023 by Dave Taylor. "Ask Dave Taylor®" is a registered trademark of Intuitive Systems, LLC.
Privacy Policy - Terms and Conditions - Accessibility Policy