Matt Moran is in trouble. The celebrity chef and enthusiastic tweeter has a habit of releasing praise filled, exclamation mark riddled opinions to his 21,000 plus followers, but this time there’s a problem. ABC’s Media Watch released a leaked email that suggests Moran, among others, was paid ($750 plus GST) per ‘positive’ tweet promoting South Australia’s Kangaroo Island.
Of course, the backlash has been severe. Moran is furiously defending his right not to comment, food media are discussing the dangers of free-for-all opinion sharing and the twitterverse is re-examining seemingly genuine celebrity endorsements, now tainted by suspicions of commercial gain.
Selling out on social media: what’s the problem?
The most interesting element to emerge from this high-drama tale is the broader shadow cast over social media. Once hailed as the new frontier for unmediated, honest sharing of information, the development of social media platforms into complex commercial spaces has brought with it a new set of difficulties that both marketers and consumers must navigate.
The use of a chef’s celebrity to promote all manner of products is a well-accepted practice. Consumers have adjusted to recognisable faces smiling out at them from pans, knives and pre-packaged meals; whether that chef really has a kitchen overflowing with his own branded goods is of secondary importance. Product placement has been equally well accepted as the explosion in popularity enjoyed by cooking shows has brought with it a seemingly endless stream of lucrative branding opportunities. What then, is different about twitter? Why do we expect honesty from one medium when commercialism is integrated so entirely into others?
Transparency in tweets: why does it matter?
Daily Life’s Stephanie Wood asked this very question. She suggests that it is the apparent spontaneity of a tweet that makes being paid for it so shocking. While television chefs are unlikely to improvise a promotional spot for their preferred products, some, even most, of their tweets are expressions of genuine opinion. It is the personal nature of this now mammoth platform that has made it so successful, and that makes paid endorsements so attractive to marketers. In fact the damning email, apparently from a publicist to his/her celebrity client, drew attention to this very point “…they don’t want the tweet to appear endorsed rather an organic mention injecting your own personality into the tweet.” This personable approach has attracted the most criticism. The Australian’s John Lethlean commented on the debacle via Mumbrella, “It’s simple. The next time Matt Moran tweets his enthusiasm for something I’ll just assume it was neither spontaneous nor genuine, but rather a service for a fee.”
Social media are no longer simply platforms for irreverent, organic personal opinion. They are powerful networks through which hundreds of thousands of consumers are reached (both directly and indirectly) by influential individuals and the brands they represent. It is therefore necessary to operate within a framework of conventions that allow consumers to recognise the distinction between advertisement and personal acknowledgement. Television programmes no longer need to state that their choice of paper towel was the result of a commercial arrangement (beyond a mention in the depths of the credits) because viewers understand the long-established practice of product placement. Social Media, however, requires a greater level of transparency in order to maintain the balance between personal communication and professional promotion.
How to avoid a social media marketing scandal
There are some simple guidelines for social media influencers that could have saved Matt Moran, and Kangaroo Island, a lot of trouble:
- When targeting an influencer, marketers should not offer monetary compensation. Instead provide access to the product, service or issue so that the individual may develop a genuine opinion
- Influencers should be advised to disclose ‘material connections’ to brands. That is, any goods or services they have been provided with when endorsing them on blogs or social media.
- Disclosures should be clear, prominent and use unambiguous language.
- Marketers and Influencers can consult The Word of Mouth Marketing Association’s (WOMMA) Social Media Disclosure Handbook for helpful guidelines
If you need some guidance on navigating the complexities of social media marketing, or want to speak to us about your business’ online presence, send us an email at hello@thebamboogarden.com.au or give us a call on 1300 669 832.
