I came across something interesting today. An RJ (in 92.7 BIG FM) from Chennai – Ophelia – popularly called ‘Imsai Arasi’ (Queen of annoyance, for those who want to what it means!) after her program had posted this on her Facebook page.
Err, ok!
That got me to check her timeline on Facebook for a deeper check. More Microsoft stuff emerged. Like…
I am extending my efficiency outside the office too! With Microsoft Office 365?s HD video conferencing I could attend important meetings when going to my friend’s wedding, keeping my boss and my friend happy 🙂
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Hi, Now that 92.7 BIG FM has started to use Microsoft Office 365 I?m so happy and relaxed that I have the option to work from home and yet be on top of my work 😉
Hmmmm.
Now, read this.
‘Paid-for spots – FM crossing the line?‘ – this is a post by me from February 2011.
On television and print media, we have come to the understanding that anything and everything can be purchased by brands. Even The Times of India Group’s Medianet is a legitimate model now, with Hindustan Times joining the game. There is lesser debate on how and where the disclosure should be published, however. Countries like US have evolved in this space with detailed guidelines on disclosures, but India is still grappling with how to deal with this paid-news phenomenon.
Personal social media accounts present an even more grey area. The general consensus seems to be that anything is kosher (acceptable) as long as the person’s followers/fans don’t complain (and derail the promotion and the brand’s reputation). So, more than a debate on whether it is ok to promote (for a fee/gratification) on personal social media accounts, it may now be prudent to discuss how best to plug brands in a way that it doesn’t stand out as an explicit advertisement.
And of course, a note on how best to add a disclosure so that your followers don’t feel like a complete fool later.
I hear that there is a lot of Microsoft promos on 92.7 BIG FM in Chennai recently. If this is a promo deal between Microsoft and Big FM, I wonder if Ophelia’s Facebook page was also part of the deal as one of the tools (besides the FM radio station itself). This isn’t a problem – not at all; after all, for promotions, any media vehicle with good reach is the first criteria.
But, in personal social networking profiles, there is an opportunity to distinguish promotional posts from personal posts. On Twitter, you could always disclose it in a tweet and then continue with your plugs. Or, add a note in your bio that you’re open to doing such promos. On Facebook, the platform itself has set a trend in distinguishing paid spots with personal updates – to whatever extent possible, I mean. There is a distinction that I can notice – that sure helps. But, if a brand were to reach out to a user, pay him/her to add a promotional update about their product in a personal update, that seems grey.
Should it, at all?
Another point worth pondering is the kind of gratification offered. For instance, if the gratification is money, the relationship is more like that of a brand and an actor who plays the role of the brand’s ambassador. But what if a product is offered by the brand, instead of money? What if the expectation is to use the product and write about it?
I have been offered brands (not money, yet 🙂 )… many times. To blog about them and to tweet about them. In almost every case, I have agreed to only those brands/products that fit within the kind of personality I think I have and the kind of online communication I undertake, across social media properties. And, the first rule I put forward is that I will retain the discretion to write about the product… or not. And to write whatever I thought is right and not be guided by anything the brand or agency asks me to. Quite a few brands have withdrawn the offer after hearing about this rule of mine, but a few have agreed too. Like Sennheiser, for instance. I might be a lot more blunt with the disclosure when the offer is money and not a product that I’m supposed to experience. In the latter, I see myself as a consumer of the product first and then as someone who has free access to the product because of assorted reasons – so, my opinion would also be as a consumer, first.
Also, I have been involved with brands (in agencies) in the past that have made similar efforts. For instance, when a client signed up an actress for a product launch, we included scripted tweets for the actress since she had a sizeable Twitter follower base. And, for another product launch where another actress was making an appearance, we had scripted her entire speech.
The interesting difference here is that they were both actresses… actresses who act for a fee. And who model for a fee, on behalf of brands. Is RJ Ophelia someone who has a past history of modelling for a product/brand? Does that matter at all?
I cannot answer this. I’m stumped, actually – for once. All I can do is merely watch how all this is evolving and how everything seems to be converging, personal or professional social media usage.
At the very least, I may simply advice the agency handling Microsoft’s engagement via BIG FM to work harder on the communication they are asking the RJs to share. Right now, it looks entirely unconvincing, in the face of Ophelia’s other updates and even in general.
This is not an isolated incident, however. Business Insider reports about the story of a comedian from US promoting a beer brand on his Twitter feed and how people asked him why that tweet so out-of-character from his regular tweets.
(Hat tip to @blogeswari’s tweet)