What one mummy blogger admitted to.

No longer seen as a pass time for yummy mummies who want to spread the word of what’s hot and what’s not in the world of babies, the mummy blogger now turning mummy blogging into a lucrative business opportunity. Whilst many are great at what they do there are a few that are not quite what they seem.

Working with mummy bloggers daily for the consumer baby PR arm of the agency we send out expensive client products faithfully to both traditional journalists and bloggers. We have an agreement with clients to send out their products knowing that we will not only use sound judgement but also not waste their money.

We were quite dismayed then at recently reading Tots 100 ‘The Secret Blogger’ section where one mummy blogger admits to selling her review products. In the anonymous article she proudly states that she sells items on ebay referencing a three wheeler buggy she has been sent and ensuring the packaging has been kept intact.  Hopefully the PR that did send the buggy out has worked out who he/she is and doesn’t make the same mistake twice with this particular mummy blogger in question.

The mummy blogger openly claims that: “I may not use the products I review forever, I make my reviews good and fair through the research I do. Plus, it is a way of making a living – and I am sure anyone entrepreneurial would do the same.”

Well if you can do the so called ‘review’ from research why take the product in the first place? But be aware, this isn’t the only type of mummy blogger to watch out for!

One such ‘mummy blogger’ recently approached us requesting a very expensive product from one of our client’s. We reviewed the site and after consideration explained, delicately, that for such a high priced item the site would have to meet a certain criteria, which on this occasion it didn’t. This particular blogger would not take no for an answer. Very begrudgingly we sent her the product she demanded and two months later her ‘review’ is still to be written. Obviously we won’t name and shame her on this occasion…..

There has always been a clear understanding between journalists, PRs and their brands about press samples. What we are now seeing is an abuse of this power within mummy blogging with many bloggers demanding expensive items without sticking to their side of the agreement.

Don’t get us wrong there are some fantastic mummy bloggers out there who we work with regularly. It’s just a shame that the few are giving the rest of them a bad name.