When Should Brands Pay Bloggers?

Should brands and their PR reps pay bloggers?

That’s the central question in a post by Stephanie Schwab and the spirited debate in the comments. And not just whether brands should compensate bloggers, but when, how, and in what scenarios.

I see three possible answers to the “Should we” question: Absolutely yes, absolutely not, and “It depends.”

What do you think? Below are 10 scenarios. Did the PR reps and brands behave ethically? Did the bloggers? Were all parties — brands, bloggers, readers — treated fairly?

Scenario #1

A mop company (yawn…) sends its new mop to 100 parent bloggers nationwide. The bloggers are welcome to keep the mops (oh, joy…). The brand hopes bloggers will review the mop, but does not require a review. The company advises bloggers to disclose the sample, as required by the FTC. The brand offers bloggers no cash compensation.

Scenario #2

A hugely popular chocolate company (let’s say Godiva) has been getting TONS of buzz about its new dark chocolate, coming soon. EVERYBODY wants some, and Godiva knows it. Godiva picks 100 bloggers and sends a free sample. It asks bloggers to write reviews. The brand offers no compensation beyond the highly-coveted chocolate.

Scenario #3

A record label invites 100 bloggers to review their new CD. The bloggers get to keep their CD. The record company also sends a $25 iTunes gift card with the CD “to thank you for taking time to write a review.”

Scenario #4

Apple sends a pre-release of the next generation iPad to 20 prominent tech bloggers. The bloggers have a two-week exclusive window to experiment with the iPad. After two weeks, they must return the device (shipping paid by Apple). There is no additional compensation.

Scenario #5

Same as above, only this time Apple offers each blogger $500 to write their review. The blogger must send Apple a link to the review, after which they’ll receive a check in the mail.

Scenario #6

A fashion designer invites 25 fashion bloggers on a 2-day trip to the Golden Globes. All travel expenses are covered. There’s a VIP reception with A-List celebrities wearing the designer’s new fall line. The bloggers get direct access to the designer. The fashion designer’s goal is favorable coverage, photos, and video. Bloggers are not compensated other than travel expenses, the reception, etc.

Scenario #7

Same as above, only this time the fashion designer compensates each blogger with $500/day for their time and trouble.

Scenario #8

A restaurant reaches to 15 local food bloggers for a new restaurant opening. The launch campaign tells the bloggers it would like each of them to share the following: One (1) post on their blog, one (1) review on Yelp, five (5) Twitter mentions of the “Win a Dinner at Chez Louis” contest, a mention on Facebook and a free appetizer coupon shared with friends. The bloggers are invited to try a few dishes during a meeting when this pitch is made, but aren’t compensated any other way.

Scenario #9

Pick any scenario above. Now imagine the blogger isn’t just a blogger, but a professional journalist, too. She gets her paycheck from a magazine, so the blog is just a side project. Still, the magazine has suffered financially and she fears she might lose income soon. Her blog has a large following…due in part to the public profile she’s enjoyed as a magazine writer. Still, the blog is her own and doesn’t reflect the views of the magazine.

Scenario #10

A blogger writes reviews of products sent to him by various brands. He requires no cash compensation, but does expect to keep the products (full product, not sample kits). If he loves the product, he says so. If he doesn’t like it for any reason, he simply doesn’t write a review (“If you don’t have something nice to say,…”)

What Say You?

Weigh in via the comments.