Blogger independence

It’s not uncommon for businesses to send out samples of new products to magazine editors or even loyal customers, but usually these aren’t 16-year old video bloggers with a penchant for shoes and an army of teenage fans.

Last week, thanks to teenager Blair Flowers, one small e-commerce site struck lucky. Blair uploaded a video to YouTube explaining how the site, Shoes of Prey, allows women to design their own custom shoes online. By encouraging users to design their own creations for the chance to win free shoes, Blair received over 450,000 views and drove 200,000 hits to the site.

What she didn’t tell her viewers was that the video was a promo and that she had received a free pair of shoes from the site’s manager. But would it have made any difference to her response if she’d revealed her true intentions?

The increasing use of social media has encouraged more businesses to seek out imaginative ways to generate sales, but without boundaries does this mean anyone can claim to have an authoritative voice? And who should you trust?

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