So I attended the Tata Zest bloggers’ meet ‘Zest up your life’organised by Blogadda over the weekend, to test drive the car and live blog the experience.
That, once again brought the animositical tweets crawling out of the word-work.
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While the above tweet was merely a speculation
So I attended the Tata Zest bloggers’ meet ‘Zest up your life’organised by Blogadda over the weekend, to test drive the car and live blog the experience.
That, once again brought the animositical tweets crawling out of the word-work.
While the above tweet was merely a speculation, the one that follows, by a talented female photographer, was clearly judgmental on how foodbloggers can only cook or eat
And the one below shows that even so called friends don’t care about etiquette in the online world.
After all, this is India and you can freely go around asking people -“So what is your package?” and they are not even supposed to feel taken aback.
The first two tweets were featured in Karthik’s post reacting to the (over)reactions around the Tata Zest event hashtag that was merrily doing the rounds on the Twitter timeline over the weekend.
I even complimented him on his balanced analysis, despite him using me as an example in his post (not naming me, of course).
A tirade was launched against me when I did a contest for a brand, a couple of years ago. Quite a few people I loved and respected unfollowed me for good.
I’ve learnt to move on quickly, often ignoring such caustic comments and remarks, thinking these are the people who are either bitter by nature, or they are generally having a bad day and need to take it out somewhere.
But sometimes, I don’t want to ignore.
This is for those of you who were itching to ask or did ask one of the following questions:
“Why did she get invited to this event?”
“Why did a food-blogger go for a car event?”
“She should stick to cooking and eating. Driving? Bah!”
“How much did these guys pay her to get her to Goa?”
“Oh, she’s a sellout, a free trip to Goa and a free lunch at Zuri, how can she refuse?”
“How much were you paid per tweet on that hashtag?”
“Are these paid tweets?”
I’m in a generous frame of mind today (from the millions I earned over the weekend, of course) and hence I shall answer your questions
In the days before you started watching stuff downloaded off torrents, you might have watched television commercials.
Even today, if you listen to FM radio on your way to work, chances are you listen to more ads and less music. Ads are inevitable if you are not pirating content or buying a DVD / CD. Heck even those DVDs come with ads of other movies / series
If you thought social media was born as a philanthropic idea of the internet for the sole purpose of sharing photos with your extended family or for having philosophical conversations and pun making in 140 characters, I am sorry to break your bubble.
Social media platforms are built by companies whose primary monetizing strategy is advertising. Heard of Google and Facebook?
Having been around on Twitter for around 6 years now, like it or not, I am a part of this advertising ecosystem. We are in a changing world.
Apart from spending millions of $$ on celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan or Priyanka Chopra, brands are keen on focussing on micro-advertising, with small or no budgets, using what they call influencers in different fields.
You can surely question my knowledge on cars just as you can question Mr.Bachchan’s knowledge of jewelery or Basmati rice. The wide range of products he endorses may well mean he is the most knowledgable person on earth in every existing field. Unfortunately it doesn’t work that way.
People don’t want to buy a car after listening to an automobile engineer’s spiel on the kerb weight of the car or the maximum torque of the engine. They buy a product because they connect with the experiences and emotions of a common man.
I’m talking about lay people here, not people who start their day with Jalopnik.
You can well doubt the intelligence of the marketing team at Tata Motors for choosing dumb food bloggers or irritating mommy bloggers to talk about their car to their follower and fan base.
You can even diss us for taking up this assignment, whatever our reasons for taking it up may be.But then you have to be prepared to take the only answer that is apt for all your comments and questions – which in polite words would be “none of your business” or in slightly harsher terms “fuck off”
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I am an ethical person. I extend that to my blog. If I have eaten a meal sponsored by a restaurant, I label it as ‘By Invitation’. If you’re really curious to see how many free meals I’ve eaten in my 8 years of foodblogging, feel free to click on ‘By Invitation’ tag.
Even on external websites, a sponsored meal, is clearly labelled as just that. I don’t gush in any review even if it is a sponsored one. I will say it like it is, and I often make it clear to the person inviting me, that inviting me doesn’t guarantee a glowing review.
A lot of PR companies, do not want to invite me after that, which I am completely happy with. At least this way we have our stands clear and no one is in for any surprises. I do this all for myself, and my conscience.
I am most definitely not obliged to do any disclosures on Twitter that so-and-so brand has hired me for ‘x’ amount of money. It’s Twitter, not the Income Tax Department of India.
And you have no business expecting me to. Just the way, I don’t ask you, “Hey, how much is your take home salary?” or “What is your bra size?”. What I do with my social media is entirely my business.
I don’t charge you a fee for reading my tweets, so I’m sorry you don’t get to have a say in what I tweet. If I’m tweeting for a brand or doing an activity for them, I’m only giving my opinion and sharing my experiences. If you take that as holding you by your collar and forcing you to buy that product, I can only say “LOL”.
Dear Tata Motors, please tell me how many of my Twitter followers have already booked the car thanks to my tweeting your hashtag over the weekend! And don’t forget to give me my percentage in the sales. LOL!!
What was amusing was, one gentleman was diligently following the hashtag we used at the event over the weekend, and then he was cribbing “Oh my God, these guys are spamming so much.” How different is this from watching a saas-bahu megaserial and then cribbing “Oh damn, this is so terribly regressive and boring.”
And now, to those traumatised by contests and hashtag deluge on your timeline, I have four suggestions to save yourself from the wrath of advertising on social media
Coming back to the question that’s been eating your insides- what did I get for attending the event?
I got the thrill of driving the first all-Indian Diesel AMT car on the streets of Goa
I got the pleasure of networking with some amazing people and making a few friends
I got 15 precious minutes on the beach
Oh, I forgot about the 2 tee-shirts, which I’m willing to ship to anyone to asks for it (only within India, please)
I would like to keep the customised Blogadda badge though
Yes, ALL THIS, at the cost of losing a weekend with my family, but they welcomed me with a warm meal and lots of hugs, that nearly made up for it
Feel free to follow/unfollow me @saffrontrail 🙂
(c) Nandita Iyer 2006-2015
Maybe people are reacting because this is all new in india. In US, bloggers that I follow are invited for these type of weekend events a lot.
Well said!
Wow post, Nandita! Agree with you completely! Glad that you gave them the much needed piece of advice (mind). People specialize in being judgmental without knowing and I think this is a simple case of sour grapes! 😉
Nandita, well said! I expect all of us non-auto/tech bloggers will have some readers or ‘observors’ making similar comments, and your mail tells it like it is! Thank you.
Well said!! Go, conquer the world,lady!!!
Well said. Because u food blog some idiots think u can’t do anything else, have any other interests or god forbid express a non food opinion!
They need an Idiot’s guide to Economics…. It is alright Nandita, you can’t really make misinformed pseudo intellectuals understand the world of business and its workings.If they really think that you being a Food Blogger are not supposed to be participating in an auto-event, then they themselves aren’t actually Overdrive or Autocar editors/reporters. I hope that comment was made by a uninformed but curious mind. I hope it was not sheer envy and insecurity…because that will be pathetic. It is sad that those who seem well informed are the ones making such silly comments
BOOO to all those who cried “SOS”. The Indian Brands are finally waking up to other forms of advt and if that does not sit well since its new to them, time to say “F*&% off” at the top of your voice and move on.
Well written, recently I have seen this resistance and back biting among people about food bloggers, they have this assumption that food bloggers are the most jobless kind of gold digging people, sometimes people in my social circle made such hurting remarks about my invited reviews, event invitations and I have either ignored quietly or took it in humor. But now I think it’s high time to tell these people how much passion, pain, research, hard work and self motivation is required to manage a blog even when such thankless people note down recipes from there without leaving a single word of appreciation. I am glad this time you decided to say it loud and clear even I am doing the same next time, I have lot piled up within 😛
Brilliant blog. The reason for few people to crib is because they don’t get invited to such awesome events:-) Completely agree with the comments of HIna and Vidya.
How much did you get paid for writing this? Bet it was funded by other bloggers! 😉
Aunty, can you tell us the meaning of torque?
Superb and Straight forward article keep blogging and keep smiling
This totally changed my view on blogging, intense and to the point and btw why is no one asking for the t-shirt?! 😀
Nandita, I’m not being confrontational, just trying to understand. This relates to your para on Twitter disclosures. What is the credibility of a paid Tweet? You may say that you’re being paid for your time, that it’s your opinion and experience of the brand, but what guarantee it’s genuine? And what’s the value of a Twitter leader such as you being hired by a brand and tweeting about it when you cannot be perceived as being independent?
better to speak out always, silence is often misconstrued as weakness.
Thank you, Shubha, for your comment.
Sure, you ask a valid question, which i have already kind of answered in my post. In no tweet (even if it is paid) will I say “go buy this” or “you have to use this” – i only share my experiences. Being a blogger for 8 years and on twitter for around 5+ years, i’d like to think i have earned credibility. Despite that, it is totally upto the reader / follower to decide if he / she wants to trust my tweet. If they think I am a conjob, i am not forcing them to believe what I say. It is completely upto them, whether they want to read my tweet, or try any particular product I am tweeting about. So where is the question of not being genuine?
thank you! I guess they understand that the t shirt was a joke
hahaha good question – i’m getting paid in virtual bouquets
thank you, Karthik.
well awesome or not, only the people who experience it know- if people want to crib, despite asking them to mute hashtags, i’m afraid they themselves are to blame 🙂
than you,@shenoyn
it’s not quite new in India – happens a lot, guess people will always react unfavourably to anyone who gets paid for something, in cash or kind.
thank you, Vidya – <3
#TIL : I can mute #hashtag (s). Use Adlock plus if ads are not making sense to me. Okay, thank you.
@Peculiarblend then this was indeed life changing for you. Here’s to an annoying hashtag-free twitter experience.
I think Tata Motors did pick the right person and the right avenue! 🙂
Valid points.
I came here via Vidya and I’m glad I did. Your blog, your life, ain’t it? Honestly, people ought to get a life and let every one else lead theirs! Glad you all had a great experience.
Nicely written. I can probably comment from a variety of perspective – client & agency side; invited and attending side for different aspects. Fact of the matter, it depends on you. I personally do not like to tweet hashtags and unless the brand is relevant to me, avoid (not that anybody invites me 🙂 I have documented this elsewhere also). As I keep saying, different age group, businesses have different priorities. I may like to be invited free to Ananda Spa (not invited as yet ) you may like a trip to goa. And yes, my wife said, what is wrong with Goa, you should have gone. You decide, will it help, network, meet people, brands that may be useful, relevant to me later, then go, attend, make merry.Transparency works mostly, but if one does not want to be so, and is willing to accept brick bats that’s someone’s prerogative. In the end, it is your life, and trust me when I say this – Nobody comes to help or run your house, if you do not have money. Friends on Twitter are free to mute (I did and I do when I am uncomfortable with flurry of tweets/hashtags; and expect people do it to me also) Baaki toh like our North brethren say ‘Gaand Maraye Duniya, Hum bajaye Harmonia’
How much are you getting paid for this post?! (PS – Kidding)
I’m with you. Everyone has an agenda, including your detractors. If their agenda is driven by jealousy, it’s distasteful. If it’s driven by calling out a heads up, it’s fair. Just my opinion.If their point is that you can’t be trusted for an honest opinion because you’re paid (and therefore will hesitate to mention the negative side), then they have every right to air their opinion AND unfollow you AND warn others if they think you’re wrong. I do that with certain life insurance products, which they could argue that if I dislike it, I should just not buy (and I don’t). But it definitely bothers me that they don’t disclose details properly, so I do it. Back to those that aren’t that happy: I appreciate their bringing this up, because once you get it out in the open, it’s useful as a disclosure, and a google search then adds the appropriate bias to what your opinion was. Trust is a difficult thing to earn, and very easy to lose.However, having said that, you have every right to tell them to go jump. No one can tell you what to do. If this, in the process, loses you followers, and thus a potential income stream, then so be it – if it matters to you, you’ll change course appropriately.
some people just hate bloggers..they are pretty insecure people..I don’t remember how many friends/acquaintances have asked me, “so you got paid to say that no?’ “you bloggers are living the life.” And other such shit. I always tell them (very nicely and sincerely), “why don’t you start blogging too man, you will get all these free luxuries, it’s toh very easy.”
Funny that this is the article that brought me to this blog..despite all years of avid food-googling!
Too good, somehow i feel in India we take it for granted to talk anything about anybody.
Just as newspapers mark certain articles as ‘advertorials’ … perhaps bloggers and tweeters should do offer their readers the same courtesy.If someone wants to know if something is paid for … it is just that. It is not the same as asking your take home salary. It is a question that helps readers digest the contents better … So I don’t think it is an affront or a very personal matter to the blogger.Also asking if it is a paid post or not is very very different from asking HOW MUCH are you getting paid. E.G: “Are you a volunteer here?” vs. “Are you a staff member here?” … a valid question for a lay person and not an IT deparment question and certainly not an offensive question
My middle fingers says standing ovation to the ones who sent in such ‘sly’ tweets…clearly, jealously rules. I’m glad that you wrote this….missed talking to you at Goa, will connect twitter! 🙂
LOL!
I totally love you for writing this piece and you have just penned down most of us blogger’s thoughts! Much respect. I must have bumped into you at #zestupyourlife. But maybe didnt get to interact , after all its was a long weekend like others saw it 😛 Hope to meet you next time!!!
Rightly said! I saw you at #ZESTUPYOURLIFE , wish we had more time to interact with everyone. but never mind,next time 🙂
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Fantastic post Nandita…I read about the tweets only yesterday and was wondering if I should write something in response. Now I can simply share this post :)Btw, I regret not spending enough time chatting up with you in Goa. After reading your brilliant writing, I am sure we would have connected very well :)Cheers to you!
Well said! It is madness to see, people who claim to know the world can stoop to such stereotypical judgments! Brilliant Saffrontrail! :)New here! 🙂
approved*Dr.Nandita Iyer *Nutrition advisor | Columnist | Food Blogger | Culinary trainerHave you subscribed to my YouTube channel yet? http://www.youtube.com/saffrontrail*My food blog – *saffrontrail.com *I’m on Twitter as* @saffrontrail*Follow my Facebook page* facebook.com/saffrontrail
There are too many people out there who are really sad and unhappy. Maybe that’s what makes them say such mean things. Forgive them 🙂 I am an ardent follower of you on social media and you are so amazing 🙂 Sharanya
Uh Nandita – no need to explain. If there are folks in this era who don’t get this, then shame on them. Don’t see why you should waste a blog post on educating them.
This totally changed my view on blogging, intense and to the point and btw why is no one asking for the t-shirt?check this mine please… http://www.ibollywoodtadka.blogspot.inThanks.. 🙂
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Hi – I just dropped into ur blog by chance today and read this. I guess we are an insensitive lot plus I guess people are J of you coz u get paid for doing what you love whereas most people get paid for slogging their ass over what they hate… Ur awesome.
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