Ok or not okay with you

[deacon]

Most of you know I build home brew motor bikes these days. My last two were with chainsaw motors. I got to wondering something today as I was trying to make a motor fit onto a custom bike I cobbled together.

Lets say Dog Town Kits (made up name) were to send me an email... (This did not happen) The the email tells me they are building a kit based on a different chainsaw motor. Since some misguided people read my misadventures, they want me to promote their engine and kit. But they don't want me to say I am doing it.

You know just work their name into the build and tell everyone how much better their chainsaw kit is than doing it yourself. Kind of a testimonial thing though not like on tv where the viewer would know that I was being paid. This would be just kinda of saying good things about Dog Town Motors not really doing a commercial.

Would it be ok with you or not okay to take their free kit in exchange for promoting them on this forum. I'm just curious nothing more.

 

[Bikeguy Joe]

As long as they were Paying you, and were HONEST (which I know you would be) about their kit, there would be no problem.

If they wanted you to say their kit was great, even if it wasn't, I wouldn't take the kit/engine.

 

[Jemma Hawtrey]

If the kit is good and the price is right (for the kit) then I dont see a problem really..

if they are willing to pay you for the endorsement then so much the better..

However...

you would need to know the company well and be sure they could deliver product in a timely manner to good quality standards - because you are putting your reputation on the line as well in that situation

Jemma xx

 

[Dave31]

Would it be ok with you or not okay to take their free kit in exchange for promoting them on this forum. I'm just curious nothing more.

Okay

 

[eDJ]

Deacon, the status you have worked to earn here and elsewhere has value to
such a group. Advertising is nothing more than hiring someone to speak well of a product. That's of course why so many celeberties, experts, and popular people are hired to do that. Generally they don't do it without assessing the risk involved.

Can and will they deliver what's promised if you endorce them ? Is what they offer and what they try to charge for it reasonable ? How much could your service increase their sales ? Will your endorcement be for a stated period of time ?

In larger operations Advertising agencies look at a company's budget and forecast how much they can increase the sales with
that budget allocation for a year, and then they get a percentage of the annual sales. (so the more they increase the sales, the the greater their earnings from that stated percentage)

From the way you state it, it seems like a small group but the prinicples would be similar. Is accepting the kit "in kind" worth what your service could do for them ?

 

[Dan]

Deacon, you are an inspiration and a good man. If you do some thing like "But they don't want me to say I am doing it." you would greatly regret it. If you were able to say this is a compensated endorsement or words to that effect, way cool brother 'o mine. But in the dark, it is viral marketing (Viral marketing - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ) in the internet age. As in infectious.

My friend,if I may be so bold, not in any way OK. I know you have a good hart and intentions. That would be a great let down.

 

[Jemma Hawtrey]

Deacon, you are an inspiration and a good man. If you do some thing like "But they don't want me to say I am doing it." you would greatly regret it. If you were able to say this is a compensated endorsement or words to that effect, way cool brother 'o mine. But in the dark, it is viral marketing (Viral marketing - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ) in the internet age. As in infectious.

My friend,if I may be so bold, not in any way OK. I know you have a good hart and intentions. That would be a great let down.

Im not sure I see it that way... after all I am most likely known as a GEBE-aholic on both the forums.. Im advertising them merely from my use of their product... they didnt ask me to do it.. so it amounts to the same thing.. sorta.

Im not sure I understand the 'but they dont want me to say' thing myself, but if the reviewer/advertiser has fitted/tested/rode and knows the kit and the kit is fit for purpose I cant see a problem with it..

Jemma xx

 

[Bikeguy Joe]

I think the bottom line is truth. If you endorse it and it sucks, that's bad. Regardless of whether they pay you or not.

If it's good and you say "I like this product- A LOT!" That's O.K.

 

[Bikeguy Joe]

There is always the tongue in cheek method of endorsing and not saying you are.....

 

[Bikeguy Joe]

Anyhow, if dogtowne motors came to me, and said "we want you to promote our product, on the sly." I would say "how much are you paying me?" They would have to come up with a figure that would be my sell-out price, and then I would have to agree to say "Dogtowne's kits are the best tasting **** I have ever eaten."

Something I would not be willing to do.

 

[deacon]

Would it still be okay if you realized you were paying ten to twenty bucks more for YOUR kit so I could get one free???

Think about it in larger terms. All that seemingly harmless influence peddling.

 

[Dan]

Profit threw omission is theft. But I'm not a doctor, though I played one as a child.

Hehe Decon, I knew you were just testing. (*&&^% cylindrical shaped expulsion devise)

 

[ebmvegan]

If you liked a product, you will always speak well of it. Of course, it is your opinion and nothing more and others will disagree. If they paid you for it, they are sponsoring you and require you to talk about their products. You're reputation is on the stand and it's up to you if you, or anyone getting the same offer, would take such a stand. It's one thing to say you like Coke and you are paid to wear their logo. But if you start saying you like Coke but really drink Pepsi because Coke paid you and doesn't want you to tell anyone; imagine if someone caught you drinking Pepsi after you just said your statement.
You would be ostracized.

If I trusted someone and they were secretly endorcing a product, I would take their word for it without hesitation because I wouldn't know. If it didn't work for me, then I would say I got a lemon. If I find out that they were selling me something and didn't tell me, then I will be the first to get on the air and call foul.

 

[deacon]

Well I just asked the question and gave my opinion but to be honest, a new person to this hobby, one who looks around will see a lot of posts by me. They would have to read them all to know how dumb I really am. So they might assume since I'm here a lot that I have some kind of special knowledge.

So if Deacon says dog town motors has a mounting kit that is better than a DIY build and that they have great service after the sale, then that is the place I want to buy my kit. I sure don't want to build my own mount but those cheaper engines look good to me.

Now if he knew I was being gifted by Dog Town Motors, he might rightfully think well he is being a little overly generous in his feelings about the company. It is human nature to think kindly of someone bearing gifts. At least if it isn't a big wooden bike.

The idea was to carry this on to the bigger world. A lot of people who are in the know are always saying things like. If I were going to do this again, I would get my mortgage from Lehman brothers. How much attention you pay to the statement depends on who is making it and how big a dog they have in the contest I would think.

On a personal note I try to never give a blanket approval of any dealer or product. I might say I bought my kit from xyz because it was the cheapest one I could find at the time and it worked fine for me. I will almost always add that your results may differ.

I am not that mechanical or knowledgeable that I feel my opinion is valid on any subject at all. I don't want some new person to listen to me instead of doing his homework.

 

[Spikedfox]

I say test them, dont promise them a honorable mention unless you yourself stand behind it, tell them that in exchange for there kit you will post a full review of there product, call there help service with a few common newbie questions.

I say if your to give your good name to something. make it something to stand behind.

Besides if they expect to have your endorsement they should expect no less.1

 

[Bikeguy Joe]

I hear you loud and clear deacon....you've got nothing to worry about.

 

[mralaska]

If they ask you not to disclose the fact you got compensated, it would raise flags for me. If people trust your opinion and ehics, they will trust you whether you got compensated or not. Suppose the company was giving you a balanced and blue printed kit and telling you it was a normal kit? You would put it on, tell everyone how great it was, then everyone else would get the normal kit. If the company is asking you to withhold information, how much are they withholding from you?

 

[Merlin]

I think this UF arc says it all:
[starts 8 September]

 

[Saddletramp1200]

Deacon my dear friend, something is not right. Check them from every resource you have. I have a mb company myself but choose not to advertise here. But when MY names on the line it's first class or nothing. I will NOT compete with my friends here, they are way to valueable to me.

 

[TwoWalks]

There are many sites and places around the country that test products and write reviews. What you are basically saying is, this company is willing to furnish you with a free engine to test and write a review about the engine. They are not truly compensating you unless they, deliver cash beyond the test engine, give some other form of compensation. They are buying more than advertising via review if they want to influence in any way what you write about the engine.

My opinion or anyone else's is not the point. How you see yourself is what is important.