I have friends who write wine blogs. "Some of my best friends...," as the saying goes. Some of them occasionally share with me the mad schemes of social media marketers who try to rent their credibility for a day to sell some product or another, many of them hilariously unrelated to wine (Broadway shows, anyone?). I can remember several occasions, some quite recent, where strictly orthodox journalists of my acquaintance turned down free trips, free bottles, and etc. from interested parties. I have sometimes derived unfair amusement from their dilemmas, but I have never seen the best of them cave.
Anyhow, sometimes the marketing and the solicitation are on the other foot, as those who follow these social media and these conflicts of interest or intent or disclosure might know. The quid pro quo/logrolling/etc. opportunities are quite large. It is sometimes the custom in the wine biz to send free samples to those who might spare kind words for them. I know people who've been sent such, I've even tried some of them. Usually, not always, in the sample game, IME, you get what you pay for. Too much of an open attitude, and there won't be enough reduction sauces in your future to deal with all the goods.
Anyhow, it's always interesting to see what an ambitious and ready mind can contrive in an evolving marketplace. I know someone who works for a winery who recently received a solicitation for samples from a wine writer previously unknown to me. My informant shared the deal with me, and without asking permission I do the same. I don't see any obligation of confidentiality at any point in the chain that began as this one did.
Apologies for the long prologue, I found this to be an interesting anthropological sample:
The google search stuff is an interesting wrinkle for the hapless social media marketing nitwits. I am no techie, but I suppose that snooth gets a high page rank for everything, and things posted to snooth therefore show up high on the list of a google search. I suppose that my views of the best beanbag chairs would rate similarly if I put them on snooth.
Anyhow, thought some of you might find this interesting. Maybe everyone but me is already doing this and I have no idea. If so, no need to tell me, I'll blunder along buying wine.
Anyhow, sometimes the marketing and the solicitation are on the other foot, as those who follow these social media and these conflicts of interest or intent or disclosure might know. The quid pro quo/logrolling/etc. opportunities are quite large. It is sometimes the custom in the wine biz to send free samples to those who might spare kind words for them. I know people who've been sent such, I've even tried some of them. Usually, not always, in the sample game, IME, you get what you pay for. Too much of an open attitude, and there won't be enough reduction sauces in your future to deal with all the goods.
Anyhow, it's always interesting to see what an ambitious and ready mind can contrive in an evolving marketplace. I know someone who works for a winery who recently received a solicitation for samples from a wine writer previously unknown to me. My informant shared the deal with me, and without asking permission I do the same. I don't see any obligation of confidentiality at any point in the chain that began as this one did.
Apologies for the long prologue, I found this to be an interesting anthropological sample:
The google search stuff is an interesting wrinkle for the hapless social media marketing nitwits. I am no techie, but I suppose that snooth gets a high page rank for everything, and things posted to snooth therefore show up high on the list of a google search. I suppose that my views of the best beanbag chairs would rate similarly if I put them on snooth.
Anyhow, thought some of you might find this interesting. Maybe everyone but me is already doing this and I have no idea. If so, no need to tell me, I'll blunder along buying wine.
