Comments on: What’s your PR policy?

By: Breakfast at Portico 1771 » Touched by an Angel - A Filipina Mom's Recovery Notes

Wed, 11 Jul 2007 00:34:49 +0000

[...] who invited us. New media as a path to expand their online presence , perhaps? For many months now, PR agencies have been inviting bloggers to press events, parties, treating them to lunches, and sending them [...]

By: Connie

Connie — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 12:36:53 +0000

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.

By: JC John SESE Cuneta

JC John SESE Cuneta — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 05:19:39 +0000

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.

By: jayvee f.

jayvee f. — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 10:20:04 +0000

“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.

By: Miguel

Miguel — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 07:34:38 +0000

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.

By: Gail

Gail — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 23:26:04 +0000

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).

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

It’s just like in courtship 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 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

It’s a silly analogy, but you get the idea

By: noemi

noemi — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 21:57:40 +0000

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.

By: Marcvill

Marcvill — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 21:45:17 +0000

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.