Skip to main navigation menu Skip to main content Skip to site footer
##common.pageHeaderLogo.altText##

Articles

Vol. 5 No. 1 (2017): Special Edition on Thought Leadership for PR

Pay to Play: Are Blogger Relations Damaging a Fundamental Aspect of PR Practice?

  • Charlotte Fleckney
Submitted
February 7, 2017
Published
2017-02-07

Abstract

The days of the blogger ‘freebie’ are fading away in the fashion world, as PRs are needing to dip into their pockets if they are to work with these influential content creators. However, if content is becoming paid for, what differentiates us from advertisers? This article explores how bloggers are emerging into journalists, how PRs can effectively work alongside them to create beneficial symbiotic relationships, and what consequential affect this has on the industry as we traditionally know it.

References

  1. Alonzo, J.S., 2005. Restoring the Ideal Marketplace: How Recognizing Bloggers as Journalists Can Save the Press, Journal of Legislation and Public Policy [online].
  2. Forbes, 2014. The Future of Public Relations - Three Forks in the Road [online], USA: Forbes Media LLC. Available from: http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertwynne/2014/12/09/the-future-of-public-relations-three-forks-in-the-road/#5b7b2ee548e8 [Accessed 29 April 2016]
  3. Holmes Report, 2016. Working with Influencers to Extend the Reach of Your Brand [online], UK: The Holmes Report, Available from: http://www.holmesreport.com/sponsored/article/working-with-influencers-yo-extend-the-reach-of-your-brand [Accessed 29 April 2016]
  4. Huffington Post, 2016. Shift in Power: the Blogger and Vlogger Influence on the World of Fashion [online], UK: AOL (UK) Limited. Available from: http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/maz-deo/fashion-vloggers-bloggers_b_8302618.html [Accessed 29 April 2016]
  5. International Business Times, 2016, New York Fashion Week: Bloggers replacing celebs and models as they receive front row respect [online], USA: IBTimesCo, Ltd. Available from: http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/new-york-fashion-week-bloggers-replacing-celebs-models-they-receive-front-row-respect-1543047 [Accessed 29 April 2016]
  6. Ji, H., Sheehy, M., 2010. Growing Number of Bloggers See Their Work as Journalism, Newspaper Research Journal [online], 31 (4), 38- 47
  7. Kulmala, M., Mesiranta, N., Tuominen, P., 2013. Organic and amplified eWOM in consumer fashion blogs. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management: An International Journal [online], 17 (1), 20-37
  8. Larraufie, A., M., Sommer, F., 2015 Motivations Behind Becoming a Blogger and Their Business Implications: The Case of Fashion, in: Sumangla, R., 2015, Capturing, Analyzing and Managing Word-Of- Mouth in the Digital Market Place, USA: IGI Global
  9. Marwick, A., 2013. They’re really profound women, they’re entrepreneursâ€. Conceptions of authenticity in fashion blogging, 7th International AIII Conference on Weblogs and Social Media [online], In Press. Available from: http://www.tiara.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/amarwick_fashionblogs.pdf
  10. Mintel, 2015, Social Media: BPC- UK- June 2015 [online], London: Mintel Group
  11. Mintel, 2016, Beauty Online- UK- January 2016 [online], London: Mintel Group
  12. Mintel, 2016, Marketing to Young Adults-UK-March 2016 [online], London: Mintel Group
  13. PR Week, 2012. Should PR agencies pay bloggers for coverage promoting their clients? [online], UK: Haymarket Media Group, Available from: http://www.prweek.com/article/1277973/pr-agencies-pay-bloggers-coverage-promoting-clients#oVGlrPQHoUtIIjjV.99 [Accessed 28 April 2016]
  14. PR Week, 2012. When earned media becomes paid-for [online], UK: Haymarket Media Group, Available from: http://www.prweek.com/article/1278392/when-earned-media-becomes-paid-for [Accessed 28 April 2016]
  15. PR Week, 2014. From the editor-in-chief: The death of PR agencies - as we know them [online], UK: Haymarket Media Group, Available from: http://www.prweek.com/article/1302688/editor-in-chief-death-pr-agencies-know [Accessed 28 April 2016]
  16. PR Week, 2015. Brands failing to cash in on blogger influence research suggests [online], UK: Haymarket Media Group Ltd, Available from: http://www.prweek.com/article/1344231/brands-failing-cash-blogger-influence-research-suggests [Accessed 29 April 2016]
  17. Smith, B., 2011. Becoming “Quirky†Towards an Understanding of Practitioner and Blogger Relations in Public Relations, Public Relations Journal [online], 5 (4), 1-7
  18. Smith, B., G., 2010, The evolution of the blogger: Blogger considerations of public relations-sponsored content in the blogosphere, Public Relations Review [online], 36 (2), 175-177
  19. Solis, B., Breakenridge, D., 2009. Putting the Public Back in Public Relations: How Social Media is Reinventing the Ageing Business of PR, New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc.
  20. Tench, R., Yeomans, L., 2009. Exploring Public Relations, 2nd Edition, Essex: Pearson Education Limited
  21. The Debrief, 2015, INSTAGRAM'S IT-GIRLS GET PAID HOW MUCH FOR SPONSORED POSTS [online], UK: Bauer Consumer Media Ltd. Available from: http://www.thedebrief.co.uk/style/fashion/instagrams-it-girls-get-paid-how-much-for-sponsored-posts-20150645193 [Accessed 29 April 2016]
  22. The Telegraph, 2016. Amanda Wakeley signing up Deliciously Ella as its new face is genius [online], UK: Telegraph Media Group Limited, Available from: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/fashion/people/amanda-wakeley-taps-clean-eating-guru-deliciously-woodward-for-n/ [Accessed 29 April 2016]
  23. Theaker, A., 2012. The Public Relations Handbook, 4th Edition, Oxon: Routledge
  24. Troiano, M., A., 2006, The New Journalism? Why Traditional Defamation Laws Should Apply to Internet Blogs, American University Law Review, 55 (5), 1447-1483
  25. Waddington, S., 2012. The Business of Blogging, in: CIPR, 2012, Share This: The Social Media Handbook for PR Professionals, West Sussex: Wiley & Sons Ltd, 92-103
  26. Waddington, S., Earl, S., 2012. Brand Anarchy: Managing corporate reputation, London: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.
  27. Whittle, S., 2012. The smart PR’s guide to blogger outreach [online], Public Relations Whitepaper Series.
  28. Wordpress, 2016. A live look at activity across WordPress.com [online], USA: Word Press. Available from: https://wordpress.com/activity/ [Accessed 29 April 2016]
  29. Wright, D., Hinson, M., 2008. How Blogs and Social Media are Changing Public Relations and the Way it is Practiced, Public Relations Journal [online], 2 (2), 1-21
  30. Young, P., 2012. Media Relations in the Social Media Age, in: Theaker, A., 2012, The Public Relations Handbook, 4th Edition, Oxon: Routledge