Article in Brandweek (subscription required) about the Sprint Ambassador program. It actually came about as I was talking to Brandweek reporter, Todd Wasserman about another story. When I told him about the Sprint Ambassador program, he actually wrote a dedicated article about it.
In the interview, I explained that I have no problem accepting this kind of "gift" (unlike traditional journalists), and have enjoyed giving them the visibility - where authentic, appropriate and relevant. That said, I stressed the importance of disclosure, transparency and integrity; not to mention respect for one's audience.
Here are a few snippets:
- ...Sprint launched the service last fall with no advertising.
- In all, about 400 people signed up for the program,
- The program netted the term "Sprint Ambasador Program" 389,000 hits on Google. Jaffe said that, in itself, was a sign of success. "You can’t buy 400,000 hits," he said.
- Such transparency represents a major risk for marketers looking to get their word out to the blogosphere, yet it remains a powerful, if untapped way to boost sales.
- In 2004, Procter & Gamble gave free Mr. Clean Auto Dry kits to bloggers and asked for their honest appraisals. Last year, Nokia launched the Nokia 7710 VIP Program, an effort similar to Sprint’s that gave free phones to 1,800 people around the world.
