Brand Evangelists: Same Old Sales Pitch

Allen Adamson spends a lot of time lauding consumers’ use of the web to review, complain, and create buzz about brands. In some sections, he encourages companies to find natural brand enthusiasts to speak about the brand and offer up free samples to anyone who wants to review it. In other sections, he acknowledges that some consumers may give negative reviews and that’s okay, too.

I agree that it’s okay to review a product negatively. These negative reviews flourish in spaces such as Amazon or Yelp. Unfortunately, I’ve seen countless blog reviews where the blogger only speaks highly of the product or brand. I strongly believe that blog reviewers and brand evangelists aren’t 100% honest. They’re savvy enough to know how to write a sales pitch; many even work in the marketing industry themselves. From product reviews on Gap to wine to Nintendo to cherries to Tempur-Pedic to vibrators … the blogosphere is oversaturated with brand enthusiasts who keep getting free stuff. It can be a bit obnoxious, to say the least. Perhaps because a blogger received the product for free they feel obligated to promote it positively. I'm guilty of it, too. (Thankfully, the FTC now requires full disclosure when a blogger reviews a gifted product, as explained in the video.)


In fact, the first negative review I’ve read in a long time in my blogging circle was this list of products the blogger loves and loathes. However, with no FTC disclosure, it’s safe to say Brandy was not given these products to review. And, because of this, I do trust her opinion on these products. Instead of a company bribing her to promote their mascara, her post feels more like a sister showing me the best of the best and what to avoid at the makeup counter (or even the drugstore).

The bottom line is that I no longer trust brand evangelists because it seems quite contrived.