It’s not the first time we’ve seen events geared for bloggers exclusively but this one in Boston for Edelman client Air One, a new Italian airline looks and smells like any other media event. Do you suppose there’s another similar event for “traditional” media? Which one happens first?
In my media buying days I certainly took up the free Mets tickets and invites to a meal (because a first year media planner’s salary was below the poverty level in 1989) and I can’t say it didn’t influence my purchase decisions — not a surprise to anyone in advertising.
Much like the M.O. of large media buying outfits that mostly see the Internet as a big impressions bucket, I think outreach to bloggers as a media tactic can and should go father than putting “blogger” in the event name and developing a media list of only bloggers to invite. Bloggers are probably networked as good or better than traditional media folks, but I think they might like being considered as simply “media” for events like this so why not just include them in a larger event. If you are going to target bloggers then go ahead and offer them new and interesting ways you can support their biggest desire — creating compelling content — hopefully with your client highly relevant.
Or, I’m just bitter I didn’t get an invite because I love those bacon-wrapped coconut-encrusted shrimp on a toothpick they usually have. Actually, anything wrapped in bacon is great.
June 4, 2008 at 4:40 pm
I don’t want to say if you’re bitter or not due to bacon related jealousy, but you have a good point either way. Having one larger event makes sense for a few reasons, having two separate events makes it seem like they want bloggers to feel special. Which is surely a potential route to receiving accusations of bribery a la Microsfot and AMD laptop giveaway 2006.
June 13, 2008 at 7:49 am
The problem only arises, I think, when you start worrying to which event you should invite the blogger from the NY Times. It’s a spectrum problem (at one end of the spectrum you have professional journalists - at the other you have LOLbloggers)
But the way Edelman is doing this looks like it’s self-selecting, rather than invited. So that may solve the prob.