The blogging circle in Manila is just very small and am kinda amused at how someone has been portrayed the Big Bad Blogger (like he’s really baaad!) I’ve heard about this BBB issue as early as two years ago, when fellow bloggers would tell me stories about talking to so and so resort/resto owner that Big Blogger approached. I didn’t easily dismiss it as a result of envy and professional jealousy, but until I talked to affected restaurant owners themselves, I wasn’t ready to believe all the reports either.
I thought to myself then: what is this blogger and his band thinking? Weren’t they afraid that the word will eventually go around and their reputation will be tarnished?
Until the Sunday Inquirer article by Ms. Margaux Salcedo exploded and put certain persons under suspicion.
From the looks of it, looks like the Inquirer article is just the tip of the iceberg as Philippine Star food columnist Stephanie Zubiri promised (in her Twitter) gather the complaints of other restaurateurs and do a follow up story on the subject.
But if I were to base my reaction on the Inquirer article, it is not so much BBB who should be condemned but the pernicious tactics of this PR firm which solicits clients, Mafia-style. Right now, I can only think of very few PR firms who specialize in online buzz marketing and even hires bloggers as consultants or on a per project basis. Hmm. Ito kaya? 😀
Here are my notes from this incident:
1. It is sad that legitimate bloggers have been given the bad rep again, but this shouldn’t dissuade anyone from blogging, if your intentions are clean. We blog about food because we love to eat, explore food territories, take beautiful photos, and see it all as part of our culinary experience. So go ahead and do it without fear or expectations of a reward. We are here to simply enjoy.
2. It’s funny how some people are so territorial about the word “FOOD BLOGGER” (as if they own the patent!) I see this among the “high and mighty” food bloggers who are so snobbish and holier-than-thou, and the irrepressible bunch who are not content with eating in presscons, me take-out pa. Tama bang magpatayan kayo nang dahil sa pagkain lamang? Pathetic!
3. Disclosures are crap. Don’t ever demand it, much less ask for somebody to truthfully declare it, then believe it, hook, line and sinker. Otherwise you’re asking for the moon.
4. But anyway, here’s an honest-to-goodness disclosure from me: I never pretend to be anything, especially anything am not. I accept sponsored posts and will appropriately disclose them, no problem. I attend events when I can because I love ’em and they contribute content to this blog. Whenever publicists email me press releases, I sometimes come out with them mostly out of goodwill and with no remuneration. What are friends ARE for? 😀 And finally, years of being in traditional media makes me love presscons where there’s free-flowing buffet food, but of course this doesn’t mean I can’t afford my food. I’ve eaten in 85% of restaurants in Manila and beyond, 65% of which we’ve paid for.
As for the freebies and schwags I receive in presscons, am beginning to raffle them off in contests in this blog, if you haven’t noticed. And that’s the fun part! That’s all, folks.
ang laki naman kase ng hinihingi ng PR group, hahaha. Pero saang product launch may namigay ng lomo? Next time pag may nag-invite sakin sa PR events pupunta na ko. hahaha
Good thing na di din ako ganun ka-die hard sa blogging. LOL. ROFL.
I’ve eaten in a lot of point-point (turo-turo), lugawan and gotohan too. And if I ever go hungry, there’s a kamote patch beside my humble bahay kubo, enough to provide mo kamote tops and roots. Hahhaha.
Super laki ng issue talaga nung kay BBB. 😛
I don’t know which event namigay ng lomo, or if this is true at all! 😀
I agree with you Silver. Porke food blogger puro sosyal na restawran at pagkain na lang? the most delicious food are the most basic…let’s start with paksiw na isda, camote tops salad & banana cue!!
I Totally Agree with your post! I was about to post something myself but I guess there is already one too many comments and opinions going around! You are correct! We are here to enjoy! 🙂 It was nice meeting you last week! 🙂
Dencio! Thanks for dropping by:)
Hi Ajay,
Some people who profess to practising public relations do not know that creating real buzz is as natural as word-of-mouth advertising. It cannot grow if it is not real. 🙂
Edwin
Sa tingin ko ang pinakapalpak dito ay si Margaux. Irresponsible journalism iyon dahil ginawa niyang showbiz chuva ang news. Nagblind item pa ang lola. Pangalanan niya yung PR firm na yun nang magsara na. Pangalanan na rin yung bbb para magpakatino na siya.
Nakakalungkot naman dahil nakilala ko si Margaux sa isang event dati. Napakabait tsaka maayos kausap. Pero ngayon may nalalaman pa siyang “don’t give bloggers a bad name”. Eh kung sabihin kong “don’t give journalists a bad name”?
I think I have an idea who is that BBB.
I just hope that these kind of bloggers won’t put a bad image on those who are really working hard to make their blogs credible.
Edwin,
I do know that some PR companies create social media campaigns that turn off people in the long run because they mislead and can be invaded by “fakes.” For instance, I joined this Facebook “like” contest and was aghast to learn there’s this group of professional “likers” on facebook. All they do is “like” a page, kaya if u don’t have access to this group, talo ka na 😀
yes I agree, Margaux and Georgia should have been brave enough to name names, if they were gutsy enough to come out with an article like that. If I were the BBB being alluded to, I’d slap Margaux and Inquirer with a libel suit too!
Yun nga ang problema, may idea ka, pero hula mo lang yun. lahat naman tayo may idea. pero hula lang nga dahil yung pa-cute na article ni Margaux, nag-imbento pa ng descriptive pseudonym.
now the burden of proof is on bloggers who are “big”. that’s so unfair sa mga bloggers na mataba, pasensiya na sa blunt adjective. yung “the firm”, puwedeng kahit aling pr firm, masyadong broad ang term. pero “big bad blogger” points to only a few bloggers who fit the description.
the article is NOT gutsy at all, because there were no real names revealed. puwede rin naman tayong mag-imbento ng kuwento tapos puro fake names lang. ang blind items ay para lang sa mga duwag na gustong magpapansin.
LOL. I don’t think the Inquirer writer referred to a blogger na “mataba” when she wrote “big bad blogger”. She’s referring to a blogger who’s considered “big” in the industry.
@Lawrence, I thought your pertaining to me when you used the word “mataba”. LOL.
Kidding aside, just like Ajay mentioned in her post, napakaliit lang ng mundo nating mga bloggers dito sa Pinas and if you will attend blogger’s conferences plus if you’re active in the community, i think magkakaroon ka rin ng idea who might be that BBB.
Added to that, there’s only few PR firm who are into internet marketing.+++ since the author described it as someone who is “big” in the industry, pwede mo ng mabilang sa mga daliri mo kung sino sila.
Nice one! Love your views about this topic especially number 2.. I had an experience with one blogger who really asked for take out food…may gc na nga, gusto pang mag take out ng food from the buffet table. Talk about panic buying.:)