DISQUS

jpower A PC, an iPhone, a Blackberry, or an available laptop could all allow someone to ask Mr. Google if the blogger is legit. Not to mention, when I go into tasting room, or even a wine bar, I pay for whatever I am drinking. If the staff is friendly and has the time, or if I definitely plan to write about them, I give out a card. What they do next is up to them. They are under no obligation to treat me in any special way, although many do, and I appreciate it, and I certainly don't expect it. Frankly, credentialing is both kind of silly and useless. Who issues them? By whose standards will they be issued? Can they be revoked for not posting well or often enough?What if a blogger is spotted enjoying a bright pink glass of Franzia? Is poor design enough to exclude one, or must it be coupled with poor grammar as well? I rarely do negative reviews, the last blogger brouhaha like this suggested that bloggers who don't should be made into pariahs, will that be a consideration? Let the wineries set their policies, and the blogging community can deal with their policies, or they can deal with us.

WineWonkette Thanks for commenting Michael. I probably don't have to tell you that "PR professionals" can be just as easily manipulated in determining "who" and "what publications" are relevant. Having worked in PR, marketing and advertising for 15 years prior to law school, I know the kind of power that we PR folks, as gatekeepers can hold. I've seen government sole source justifications for a less relevant media outlet because the PR person got comp tickets to sporting events, exclusive dinners, and backstage passages totally unrelated to the client to whom they were recommending the media. As gatekeepers PR folks are benefited by a smaller pool of options. But my comments weren't really directed as to determining how the wineries should invest their marketing budgets. I agree with you -- that is certainly where some sort of metrics can help. I was looking more at in-person contact within the Tasting Rooms. And in that instance I would advise a winery to set a universal policy for initial tastings--and seek to establish a relationship with the bloggers who can bring them business. But there are always gray areas where you can include bloggers in events -- maybe even with a discount versus free tickets -- no matter what the metric says. In that instance its more of a loss leader--that can provide benefits in the long run. My chief concern was that much of the discussion seemed to be driven by established bloggers or established media seeking to determine who could join their "club." And in that respect, it tends to be the same across industries and organizations. There is the tendency for the group, as it gets larger, to seek to exclude others through "certification" and "credentialling." To me, that just leads to mediocrity and pretention which will neither benefit the consumers or the wineries.

jpower Hey Michael, thanks for stopping by! Glad you liked the post. Let us all know how it is received by the folks at your agency. Some people seem resistant to the idea that new media requires new techniques if you want to get noticed. Those people will be looking for jobs in the not so distant future, imo. ;)

WineWonkette Thanks Mike:
I WISH someone would have given me just 7 steps when I had started in PR. Most of what I learned early on was from my agency reps when I was "the client." One never can be reminded too often of tricks to getting things "out there" to the people who need the information! ~Amy