Apple iPhone Received $400m In Free Publicity
According to Harvard Business School professor David Yoffie the Apple iPhone has already received $400m in free publicity, thanks to so many sites talking non-stop about it for about a month after the iPhones launch:
“No other company has ever received that kind of attention for a product launch,” Yoffie says. “It’s unprecedented.”
Amazing numbers, particularly when I don’t think the iPhone offered anything new to the mobile arena, other than it worked with iTunes and it was from Apple. I think it’s time to crown Apple the kings of tech PR.
Numbers like this are why I don’t feel guilty charging companies who want me to talk about their products the price of my ReviewMe fee. I’m more than happy to talk about the things I want to do for free, but if I’m approached by a company asking me to specifically look at their products I don’t think it is fair that they get valuable promotion for free, whereas other advertisers are paying to promote their products via adsense, feedburner FAN, TLA etc.
Where do you stand on the whole getting paid to post debate? If you’re against it, how do you justify promoting and integrating other types of advertisements? What types of advertising are you willing to accept, and what kind of adverts will never see the light of day on your site?
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Comment by Mark from Bloglyne.com on 10 March 2007:
Well, in the end, those of us who are in the affiliate space are getting paid to post no matter what we are posting about, right?
One of the biggest motivations to our posts and articles is that we build a readership and they click on the stuff we are promoting, right?
So, I do not have a problem with being paid to post - although, I think we should disclose if we are reviewing something that we were directly paid to review so the readership realizes the motivation of the posting.
Comment by Everton on 11 March 2007:
Totally agree, that’s why I’m fully supportive of ReviewMe’s approach
Comment by Christian on 12 March 2007:
When iPhone launches a lot of people are going to be switching to Cingular. I have already switched mainly because Verizon did not provide service where we moved. I found a great deal at Wireless MarketPlus. It was easy to sing up and the phones where delivered right to my door. No more waiting in lines to talk to high pressure sales people.
Comment by gadget girl on 7 June 2007:
kudos, kudos to this article. i’ve found so many fan-created ads for the iPhone. Apple obviously started a strong culture that people want to be part of. Whether they owe anything to those who freely “advertise” for them or not, they started off on the right foot when it comes to creating a spectacle through their loyal advocates.