Royal Caribbean was recently called out by The Consumerist and other sites for rewarding the “Royal Caribbean Champions,” a group of fifty bloggers/posters, “special access and free cruises in exchange for their frequent and positive commentary.”
But giving perks to these folks isn’t the worst part. What’s worse is that Royal Caribbean didn’t bother to reveal the group’s affiliation. That’s a big no-no for many public relations professionals, particularly those who practice with integrity.
In reading this story, I was reminded of a little scandal Wal-Mart had a few years back that involved a pro-Wal-Mart blog seemingly written by a couple chronicling their cross-country trip in an RV and staying overnight in Wal-Mart parking lots.
As it turned out, the blog was actually a promotional tactic launched by Working Families for Wal-Mart (WFWM), an organization established by Wal-Mart’s PR firm. Wal-Mart covered all costs involved in this project but never revealed that it paid for the RV as well as for gas, food and other expenses. People obviously felt deceived when they found out, and the project was shut down.
These two instances just confirm more than ever that full disclosure in PR and marketing is so important. And let’s face it, companies that practice deception eventually get found out and their dishonesty gets exposed to the world. It doesn’t seem worth it to me.
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