Jason Calacanis Bitches About Buzzagents

Hi, my name is Mike and I'm a Buzzagent.

Now that I've got that out of the way, I can speak freely on this blog about products I'm being "paid" to promote, right? Not according to Jason Calanis, founder of WeblogsInc.com. Jason has been ranting about how people are being paid to sell out their friends and act dishonestly to promote products.

I've been a Buzzagent for a long time. The way it works it interesting -- I am supposed to talk to friends, neighbors, family and strangers about products that Buzzagent.com is paid to promote through their army of evangelists. They give me a sample or discount on the product, and I can earn points by doing different things to help them get the word out. Those points can be traded in for stuff, but it's not like I'm making a lot of money doing it. I've gotten some cool stuff, but it's not the rewards that motivate me, it's the chance to try new products and learn about a new marketing method.

The problem is Jason believes you should say that you're being paid to promote a product. I don't think you have to if you're honest about how you feel about the product. They tell us to be truthful about the product, even if it sucks.

I will probably talk about products that are part of a Buzzagent campaign on this blog, and I haven't decided if I will tell you every time that I'm being "paid" (and I use that term loosely) to promote it. I think the Buzzagent concept is an exciting new way of promoting or launching products -- a heck of lot better than sending out SPAM, eh?

Jason believes that blogs are supposed to be "pure" and "honest." I try and live my life honestly, but I'm sure there are a bunch of liars that blog. It happens. They don't tell us to lie or mislead people, but I'm sure a Buzzagent or two has crossed the line. The majority of us are true to the spirit of it.

This was taken from the front page of Buzzagent.com:

Join the Hive and you will be given the opportunity to participate in Word-of-Mouth programs for some of the best products and services in the market today. As if that's not enough, expressing your honest opinion will give you access to rewards that will make honey seem dull. What are you waiting for? Start Bzzing today!

The problem with Jason's argument is that he sells ads. He also wants this to be a perfect world, and it's not. Buzzagents are a competing marketing tool, and while I dislike being misled, if a Buzzagent is honest about how they feel about a product I don't care if they are being paid to tell me their opinion.

Jason, get over it and get back to making awesome blogs. :-)

Comments

[Jason]

>> I dislike being misled

So, you dislike being misled, but you want to mislead your friends?

>> if a Buzzagent is honest about how they feel about
>> a product I don't care if they are being paid to
>> tell me their opinion.

So which is it? You seem torn. Clearly someone getting a free product, and rewards for teling their friends about products, is misleading folks--even if they are telling the truth about their opinions.

Being honest about the product doesn't make you honest about the fact you're getting paid to promote it.

>> They give me a sample or discount on the product,
>> and I can earn points by doing different things
>> to help them get the word out. Those points can
>> be traded in for stuff, but it's not like I'm making
>> a lot of money doing it.

So... it's ok to lie and mislead if you're not getting paid too much for doing it? If you were to get paid more--say $500 in cash--that in your mind would be wrong?

>> it's not the rewards that motivate me, it's the
>> chance to try new products and learn about a new
>> marketing method.

If that's the case just make a blog about the products you love and put up google adsense--of wait, you're doing that already! isn't it enough to make money from Google Adsense?

Instead of deceiving your friends about your motivations why noy be 100% honest and just build up the traffic to your blog?

>> Jason, get over it and get back
>> to making awesome blogs. :-)

Engadget.com is awesome... however, how would you feel if we were getting free products, or earning "points" every time we mention a product?

Part of the reason people love Engadget is because it has the highest ethical standards... we never keep products we get for review, the bloggers not involved in the advertising, church and state, etc.

You seem like you're sort of figuring out this whole thing, and I commend you for talking outloud about it on your blog... from what I hear in your voice you like being involved in cutting edge things. I'm into that too, but when it comes to some things--like ethics--it's better to go old school.

best jason

[Rob]

If you get something specifically for saying something you're being told to say (even if it's "say what you think, as long as it's about this product"), you're obligated to disclose it. There's a reason the "truth in advertising" doctrine was adopted.

Marketing doesn't care about truth or disclosure; it just wants to shift units. Without something to reign it in, the consumer has no way to evaluate the veracity of any product claims at all.

"BuzzAgents" specifically try to sidestep this doctrine. If you don't know it's an ad, you're not going to weigh it like one, right? It's your friend telling you about this widget, right? Except your friend's not motivated by friendship anymore. He's motivated by points.

I find it likely that "buzz marketing" will, ironically, be done in by negative public opinion. I mean, now that I know you're a whisper marketer I'm never going to trust what you say about any product again, and I don't even know you. Imagine how your friends will feel when they hear. Your advice may be increasingly less valuable, I think.

[Rick Siegel]

Jason Calicanis has been an asswipe for so many years now it is ridiculous. Did you read the Tony Sandt thesis about him? He has been a "buzzagent" since before the term. When he sold his soul to the devil at Thinking Pictures and for that rag of his. He sold his friends for a dollar and a dream; he got the dream, but has no real friends. His friends are money. He worked with the great Robber Barons son and is now part of the bandits. He is now working for the illuminati bankers. He is rich, but he is poor and he works for them.

Jason lives on lies and backstabbing. His whole being is based on how bad he can make others look. If he can’t make you look bad, he can never look good. Jason never had an original idea himself and stole every idea anyone thinks he had. Jason has one thing that means love to him, dollars. He will step on anyone to get him or her.

In the Silicon Alley days he sold his articles, sold investment and if you did not kick back you got gotz. If you did not buy an ad in his mag, you got no play. I have some interesting audiotapes of things he left on my phone I may some day make public that will show him for what he is. One time he wanted to do an article about how I stole software from one of his friends Thinking Pictures. He was promoting them to the Wall Street Money Boys. But after his interview and research, he had to kill the article so it did not make him, his boys at Thinking Pictures look like the thieves they were. He is a total YELLOW JOURNALIST and what he is doing blogging and calling others names is mind-boggling. He made the mafia look friendly and for him to rag on anyone that is not being honest about who is getting what from whom to say what is about the height of his extreme arrogant deluded life.