Friend Friday: Product Placement

It's my first Friend Friday and I missed it! 'Friend Friday' is something I found out about through Franca's Oranges and Apples blog, and it's a series of questions that Katy at Modly Chic sets for a group of bloggy peeps, and then they answer them via a post on Friday. EASY. I tend to get distracted easily by photos in my blog, and often don't talk that much here, so I wanted to *talk* a bit more and share things with you, so it seemed Friend Friday is appropriate to get me started.

Here's my Friend Friday (on a Saturday) and hopefully it'll be ok:

1. As we watched the Chilean Miners being rescued last week, there were many things to take note of - the amazing faith of these people, the joy of life, love and family, and - interestingly enough - product placement. As you watched the rescue efforts did you notice the products? What were your thoughts?

I only watched a few miners being rescued via ABC News 24 and didn't notice any product placement because ABC is our government funded broadcaster here in Australia, and not commercial in any way. I tend to watch ABC above all other TV channels because they have no advertising and have way better content. I did not notice any product placement on the ground, were they drinking cokes or gatorades?

2. Product placement is all around us today, what do you think makes it such a marketing gold mine?

Personally, I don't really pay attention and prefer to ignore advertising (although I love watching Mad Men! That's different!) as I tend to make my own buying choices. As for product placement and tailored advertising (my gmail account shows me travel sites when I'm emailing about Bali at the moment, as another example), it does register, but I am in no way going to buy a brand of watch just because James Bond wears it. (Does he even wear watches? I've never even seen a James Bond film properly - I skipped through Goldfinger once for work!) I feel independent about my consumerism and am quite measured about what I buy. For example, I got a new camera last week on a friend's recommendation (her Husbie is a photographer) as to what would suit me, and had seen no advertising (that I can recall) about the brand.

As for 'marketing gold mine', I think it's done for peeps to make money. Other people don't behave like me... I've seen people click on all the google ads while searching, instead of the actual pages, so I bet they see peeps eating chocolate bars in a film and want to eat the same one. I don't know.

3. On your blog, either now or in the future, what is/will be your stance on highlighting specific products? 

At the moment, if I'm happy with something and it's blog related, I will tell you. Like my Melissa shoes this week, I love them (although I do have mini blisters today from wearing them in) and want to show you. I have never thought to take advertising or sponsors on my blog, but I don't really want to make it a money making thing, I blog because I love writing and taking photos and talking with peeps online and being part of a community. I have been offered to do reviews or blog posts (I actually can't recall what the product was, or who the companies were, but weren't really my scene) but I really like my independence from commercial products. It's more me, and what I think, than anything else. If in the future a shoe company was all like: We'll send you shoes to try on and can you write about them? I'd be like: I will be honest though, it may be free if it's totally shit I will say so.

Please remember that I actually don't buy any new clothes, and rarely buy makeup or other fash stuffs so that's perhaps also why I don't talk about products. I kinda don't tend to consume that much.

4. If the opportunity arose would you give a bad review of a product?

Yep, if it was shitful, of course.

5. Do you view your blog as a product? Where have you or do you hope to place it?

Nup, not a product. I view my blog as a conversation, and a community. I sometimes think I could sew full time, and make a living out of it, but it's more just thinking about the future and I love my day job and am confident in my career at the moment... so I'm not going to do that right away! Perhaps later on!


There it is! My first Friend Friday! The top photo is of flowers my friend gave me from her garden (cute!) and then another friend at work gave me this (real) flower and I wore it in my hair that day. THEN Husbie gave me some flowers today as well, so I'm totes in love with flowers at the moment!

xoxo