After keeping an open mind and reading all of the comments about the post (see it here), I still don’t think people should be PAID to tweet or blog about brands…and now the FTC agrees.

An article in yesterday’s Wall Street Journal described the Internet as “becoming so rife with paid blogging that the Federal Trade Commission, which guards against false advertisements, is examining whether it should police bloggers. As it updates nearly 30-year-old advertising guidelines, the FTC is proposing that bloggers, and online marketers and companies that compensate them, be held liable for misleading claims.”

The article is fair and balanced – talking to bloggers both who are paid and those who are not, but also to those that are paid who do and don’t disclose they’re paid.

What bothers me is those that disclose they are paid, but then don’t write anything negative or critical about the products they do review: “In a disclosure at the bottom of her Web page, Ms. Smith notifies readers that she accepts compensation for blog posts, but says, “We always give our honest opinions.” Still, in an interview, Ms. Smith said she never writes anything negative about products she is asked to review because, “I choose not to be critical.”

This is akin to the beginning of my career when a magazine would give you an advertorial if you bought ad space. The advertorial was great for companies because it was viewed as editorial written by the staff at the publication. But very quickly you began seeing PAID ADVERTORIAL at the top of the pieces because the FTC didn’t want the public confused.

Same idea, different decade.  Things are changing rapidly and we have to know what is ethical, what is not ethical, and what dips over the line.  Let’s not spin; rather be ethical about what it is that we’re doing. It only helps in the longrun.

 I could go on and on with other headlines but to me, the most important news of the day is that it is Earth Day. PULLLEEEZZZ don’t roll your eyes! It’s here to stay (thank goodness!) and in this economy, it’s important to our customers.

My past life was in horticulture and several years ago, at our publishing company, we saw the need to be a leader when it came to educating and informing our readers about sustainability.  It was amazing how many in our industry confused sustainability with organic and got all up in arms thinking we were trying to tell them they had to “go all the way” to getting organic certification in order to run their businesses in a more sustainable manner.  It’s much more simple than that and I make that point just to hold the interest of those naysayers who are tired of all the “green” talk and think to be sustainable you have to be a full-time tree-hugging/composting/seldom-showering hippie.

Anyone and everyone can participate in Earth Day in their own small way but I digress…My main point of discussion for this post is a term called greenwashing. I thought. by now, it was common knowledge but just recently I used the term with someone and they asked me to explain. In very brief terms, this is when a company deceptively makes a claim of being green or environmentally friendly to benefit financially. In the beginning of the “green” movement, too many marketers jumped on the bandwagon touting their “greenness” without being able to back it up with real, quantifiable facts.  The key in your marketing message, if you are touting anything about being environmentally friendly or responsible, is to do your research.  Make sure you understand every step of the process when it comes to your sourcing, manufacturing, distribution, employee practices, certification and so on.  Use third party verification sources whenever possible. Be as transparent as possible. Know the terminology; know the hot buttons of your customer.

Lastly, and let’s hope not, but if your research wasn’t enough and something out of your control occurs,  make sure you have a good communications plan in place to handle any crisis that might arise.   

The article starts out with this…

Sleazy. Disingenuous. These are words used in U.K. newspaper coverage of the public relations industry. PR, oddly enough, doesn’t have great PR. People tend to think that PR involves being manipulative and saying whatever is in the employer’s best interests.

Gee. Allow me to keep reading.

(The authors) call PR an amoral industry, a tool for good or evil purposes. There was, alas, Hitler, Goebbels, and the Nazi propaganda machine.

More? Why make my face more red that it is right now? Stop reading!  I can’t…it’s like a traffic accident. Must…keep…reading.

I’ve not read this book, but the reviewer goes on to say that in the book the authors debate whether or not it is the role of a PR professional to tell the truth.

I am here to tell you that every journalist (both traditional and new) I’ve ever worked with would tell me where to stick it if I ever lied to them.  If a client asked us to lie (and it has happened), we immediately resign the business.

I’m also here to tell you that PR professionals live by a Code of Ethics and I’ve seen people kicked out of industry organizations for displaying anything but professionalism. So there are good and bad in every profession. Until you walk a day (or five) in our shoes, let’s leave the negativeness and bashing alone.

On Sept. 11, 2008, Crain’s Chicago Business reported that Lannon Communications was “closing its office and laying off staff while it restructures from the economy’s thumping of the retail industry.”  This made me very sad…and a little nervous when I read it last fall.

Yesterday the Chicago Sun-Times reported Lannon “shuttered her firm to become vice president of strategic partnerships for Merchandise Mart Properties.”

Let’s say she did have the job in the works with Merchandise Mart (who was a Lannon client) and that yesterday’s news is true.  That makes the news in September from Crain’s seem like someone, somewhere, wasn’t being very strategic in releasing that information.  But perception is reality and this is perceived by me as spin.

What do you think?

He recently wrote a blog post called, “Get ‘spin’ out of your lexicon.” He goes on to say it’s bad for your business health because “reporters know when you’re spinning and they use it as motivation to really dig in their heels and come after you.”  Check out the post – it has a great case study via video about Jet Blue.

But this isn’t just for clients.  Yes, it’s our job to teach our clients how to work with the media, but it is not our job to teach them how to spin, lie, or evade the media.  Our job is not to spin.  Our job is to help our clients communicate with their customers via the media by being honest, open, and transparent.

Let’s do our jobs.

My good friend Martin Waxman last week blogged about this very topic, but in terms of sweepstakes.  You know that letter you receive that says, “The fact that you are now in possession of enclosed documents that are proof of your chance of becoming a prize winner is all but confirmed.”

There are many instances of this in our lives and some advertisers have been sued over extraneous words that can’t be proven (most know my favorite is “The Funnest iPod Ever”, mostly because “funnest” isn’t a word).  But this is spin in it’s finest flair.

Martin is right; the excellent PR professionals will stop this practice through social media and honest and transparent communication and it will eventually trickle to the rest of our lives.  Well, one can hope!

This incident, captured by other reporters live, was only minutes away from blowing up with endless amounts of spin — Bush’s dog is taking out his master’s frustration on reporters for all the harsh remarks; the dog is not friendly anymore because he is leaving the White House soon; or should they allow Obama to bring his golden doodle into the White House?
 
However, I don’t think these spin issues are even the biggest of them all. In national news, there lays a story about the President’s dog portrayed as newsworthy news. I mean it’s not that our country isn’t going through an economic crisis; Americans aren’t losing their jobs; the stock market didn’t just take its usual dive after a new presidential election, and we definitely didn’t just elect a new president who is a rather historical figure. Rather President Bush’s dog is now a YouTube sensation. MSNBC’s video on YouTube already reached more than 4,000 views. Barney, “the first Scottish terrier,” only added to his celebrity status due to an unworthy news placement.
 
Now if Barney would have taken a bite out of Obama to greet him into the White House – that’s
some news. Can you hear the stories? Bush trained Barney to attack Obama…stop the spin!

Truth, is you don’t. 

Some types of spin can be easy to uncover and can be seen in forms close to a lie.  But evil spin can catch you off guard. 

See, evil spin has despiteful creators behind it.  This is the kind of spin that takes the statistics, findings, or quotes and manipulates them to work in their advantage.

It’s up to us to stay smart on topics and continue to question.  Fifty-four percent of Americans say they do not trust what the read in the media, according to market research firm, Harris Interactive, so it is on us to get smarter.

We want to know more.  Share your spin stories us, large and small.

However, there is one major characteristic no other candidate can touch on Obama. Obama might be the most down to earth and regular guy a presidential race has encountered, and Obama can thank his right hand man for that. Former Duke basketball and football star, Reggie Love is Obama’s body man, he knows what “the boss,” as he calls Obama, likes to eat, drink, and even his sleep schedule. But most importantly, Love assists Obama in the social world, whether it’s playing basketball with locals in the state they are in, or up loading his iPod with pop music younger crowds are listening to these days.

“So I’ve gotten pretty fond of Jay-Z,” says Obama. “He’s broadened my horizons in the hip-hop world.”

When it come to politics, I know very little and I find it very hard to stayed entertained, but now that media outlets are printing headlines like “Will Paris Hilton’s Energy Plan Work,” how can I not be entertained or keep from laughing? McCain’s attempt to spin the media into thinking Obama is just another celebrity and unready to lead our nation totally backfired on him and in many cases due to the aid of mystery cue cards, Hilton sounds smarter than both presidential candidates by coming up with her own plan, which she calls a hybrid of both their plans to end our oil-energy crisis.

“We can do limited offshore drilling with strict environmental oversight, while creating tax incentives to get Detroit making hybrid and electric cars. That way, the offshore drilling carries us until the new technologies kick in, which will then create new jobs and energy independence. Energy crisis solved,” says Hilton.

Are there three presidential candidates now? Guys, put your tongues back in your mouth, I’m willing to say it’s impossible the first women president to be Paris Hilton. The only character missing from this breaking news video was Hilton’s dog hanging out of her purse, but her outfit was priceless.