Coca Cola's 'Rent your blog" strategy: an opportunity or a risk?

[Dr. Taly Weiss]

Coca-Cola Brazil launched the new i9 - Hidrotonico through few chosen bloggers, who were asked to test and review the new product. In order to do so, the bloggers received a customized homepage and a USB mini-fridge, compliments of Coca-Cola.
This resulted in bringing plenty of attention to the new drink, but even more of a buzz surrounded coca cola's 'rent-a-blog' initiatives and involvement in social media. Not to mention blogger reactions to this new marketing method.

TrendsSpotting has covered this issue by following the i9 buzz and discussing the social media "Rent a Blog" strategy.

What do you think of this media strategy?
Do you think "Rented Blogs" is a trend brands should follow?
What are the risks you see in doing so? Do brands have anything to lose?

[Mark Sng]

I'd say this strategy has much more in common with traditional PR than marketing communications - it's only really 'renting a blog' if the brand has control over the content, which I don't believe they do in this instance.

Sending stuff to bloggers as a bit of a sweetener is how brands have been dealing with journalists for years - if those journalists are perceived to have 'sold out' their integrity, then their publications would become worthless... Therefore as long as brand follow the rules of PR - using exclusivity and relevant goodies to the product/story to incentivise bloggers, I think this it's a valid and even vital reaction to the fragmentation and democratisation of media =)

[Daniel Sollero]

Ok, This "rent a blog" strategy is wrong and doesn`t seem to work well BUT the i9 campaign was not one of these.
I think that they did exactly what PR Firms do with journalists. Give them some different content so they have something to talk about your brand. Coke did not pay for posts or asked the bloggers to write good reviews.
This strategy did not backlashed on Coca Cola or its agency. But the "rent a blog" term was used by one of Brazi`s biggest ad related news site and the controversy began amplifying the i9 buzz.

Now the brazillian blogosphere is debating about "pay for post", etc.

[Rafael Paes]

Here in Brazil brands and agencies are giving so much attention to blogs. Unfortunatelly, in some cases, they are going in the wrong way, paying for content "control".

In most cases, the "online guerrilla" or "blog marketing companies" have a strong relationship with some blogs and you see all their clients campaign circulating on theses few blogs only. It's a "friends" business.

We have very good inciatives here in Brazil. One recent case is the batman movie campaign that used a PR Strategie with bloggers and have huge success with the "why so serious" website that puts a joker smile on your photo. In every Twitter or MSN you can see a Joker face.

But I tottally agree with Mark comment. If you want your brand in blogs, treat bloggers like journalists, using a PR strategie.