Many bloggers provided feedback on the code by posting comments directly to Ogilvy’s post. One blogger, MC Milker, of TheNotQuiteCrunchyParent (and teaches PR at the university level), has her own code of ethics:

“Toss some money my way. If I’m willing to let you buy a simple brand ad on my site, I’m probably going to give you good review.”

There are a few noticeable opinions on this topic from different angles. The agency perspective, from a comment by Jason Linde of Ogilvy, is that his team encourages clients to advertise on certain blogs because it reaches the target audience, not because a good review is assured.

From a blogger perspective, LADaddy’s Tim Clark, puts an interesting spin on this debate saying that he identifies bloggers not just as people but as entertainers. Good reviews, according to LADaddy, are product placements which he views no different than a celebrity drinking a Coca-Cola in a TV commercial.

So my question is, if an agency approaches an influential blogger for a paid review, is that unethical? I would have to answer yes.

I find it unethical based on the fact that paying bloggers may give the appearance of a conflict of interest, which reflects a lack of credibility. I have a feeling that any blogger who knows they are being paid to write a review might be more susceptible to post something positive so that they’re asked to write again for the client. If all reviews are similar to one another, you might start to wonder why there is no originality or variety in the posts, again questioning the credibility.

What are your thoughts on a solution, or is there one?