• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer
  • About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
  • Advertise
methodshop

methodshop

tech news, reviews & how to's

  • Trending
  • Latest Stories
  • Fun
  • Culture
  • Learn
  • Tech

Home : News : Bill Gates Meets With Bloggers In A Effort To Promote Microsoft’s Zune Media Player

William Henry Gates III, CEO of Microsoft Corporation at WEF (2009)
Sebastian Derungs

Bill Gates Meets With Bloggers In A Effort To Promote Microsoft’s Zune Media Player

Want some positive blogger buzz about your new product or service? Maybe you should just buy it as Bill Gates did for Microsoft's Zune media player.

December 14, 2006 by Joe Michaels
FacebookTweetPinLinkedIn
Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
  • Microsoft Engages Bloggers In An Effort To Help Promote The Zune
  • Was Buying Blogger Buzz For The Zune Worth It?
  • Is It Ethical To Buy Positive Press From Bloggers?

Want some positive blogger buzz about your new product or service? Maybe you should just open your wallet and buy it as Bill Gates just did for Microsoft‘s Zune media player.

Microsoft Engages Bloggers In An Effort To Help Promote The Zune

Zune Sales &Amp; Microsoft Stock Price
clker

The Zune is off to a very rough start. Sales are low and the buzz is very quiet. Apple has a home run with the iPod and Microsoft will have a hard time trying to persuade people to switch their MP3 players.

So to help promote the Zune and get some positive Microsoft buzz, Gates coughed up a dozen round trip plane tickets to Redmond, hotel rooms, and Zunes (of course) for a group of gadget and tech bloggers. He then hung out with the bloggers for an hour and answered one question from each of them. Once you factor in the total cost of this stunt, I wonder how much Gates paid per word for a handful of blog posts?

Was Buying Blogger Buzz For The Zune Worth It?

So what did Microsoft get in return for this PR stunt? Were the bloggers wooed by Bill’s big wallet? Yes, they were. But was the coverage worth it?

  • Check out the tech-news search engine Techmeme. Today their homepage was practically a mural to anything related to Bill Gates, the Zune, or Microsoft.
  • While most reviewers are panning the Zune, blogs like TechCrunch (see post), Micro Persuasion (see post), and GigaOm (see post), are restricting their Zune coverage to DRM issues or posting “feel good” pieces about Microsoft.

Honestly, our criticalness against these other blogs is probably part jealously. Why wasn’t MethodShop invited out to Redmond? Oh well, we’re iPod people anyway and we’re too small of a blog to make much of a dent for M$. But we do give some of these bloggers credit. Most of them (not Ryan) were upfront and disclosed that Gates gave them free Zunes and paid for their flights out to Microsoft headquarters.

Is It Ethical To Buy Positive Press From Bloggers?

Ethics: Right &Amp; Wrong
tumisu

But on the other hand, should corporate blogs like Micro Persuasion and GigaOm, who have venture-capital financing and/or big-name PR firms, really be accepting free stuff and sacrificing their objectivity? How cheap are their corporate and personal ethics?

Related Articles:

  • Zune Destroyed With A Baseball Bat On CNBC Mad Money
  • Bill Gates Gets A BSOD Error During His CES Keynote Speech
  • R.I.P Microsoft Zune (2006-2011)
  • How To Remove Double Line Spacing From Your Microsoft Outlook Email Signature

Related Posts:

  • Steve Jobs vs Bill Gates: How The iPod Created A Microsoft vs Apple Rematch
    Steve Jobs vs Bill Gates: How The iPod Created A Microsoft…
  • Microsoft Zune Destroyed With A Baseball Bat on CNBC Mad Money
    Microsoft Zune Destroyed With A Baseball Bat on CNBC Mad…
  • R.I.P Microsoft Zune (2006-2011)
    R.I.P Microsoft Zune (2006-2011)



FacebookTweetPinLinkedIn
Category: News, Gadgets, Internet Tag: Bill Gates, blogging, iPod, Microsoft, Microsoft Zune
Previous Post: « On ‘Today,’ giving like no tomorrow
Next Post: Comedy Central turns on radio »

Sidebar

Trending Now

  • 18 Weird Facts About Sea-Monkeys You Won't Believe Are True, Including Their Connection To The Ku Klux Klan18 Weird Facts About Sea-Monkeys You Won’t Believe Are True, Including Their…
  • 20 Famous People Who Are Members Of The Sleepless Elite20 Famous People Who Are Members Of The Sleepless Elite
  • 7 Pictures Of Naked People Captured By Google's Cameras7 Pictures Of Naked People Captured By Google’s Cameras
  • Controversial Nimbus 2000 Vibrating Harry Potter Broomstick Has Parents In An UproarControversial Nimbus 2000 Vibrating Harry Potter Broomstick Has Parents In An Uproar
  • 12 Famous Casablanca Quotes That We'll Never Forget12 Famous Casablanca Quotes That We’ll Never Forget
  • 25 Colorful Quint Jaws Quotes From The 1975 Blockbuster Film25 Colorful Quint Jaws Quotes From The 1975 Blockbuster Film
  • 15 Dirty Irish Pick Up Lines That Will Probably Get You Slapped15 Dirty Irish Pick Up Lines That Will Probably Get You Slapped
  • 5 Easy Elevator Hacks That Will Help Give You An Express Ride5 Easy Elevator Hacks That Will Help Give You An Express Ride
  • 10 Funny Irish Toasts That Are Easy To Memorize10 Funny Irish Toasts That Are Easy To Memorize
  • Sleepless Elite Test: Are You A Short Sleeper Or Just Sleep-Deprived?Sleepless Elite Test: Are You A Short Sleeper Or Just Sleep-Deprived?

Categories

Woman With A Dead iPhone Battery

10 Easy iPhone Battery Saving Tips That Will Help You Get Through The Day Without Recharging

Good Morning Vietnam Quotes

The 11 Best Quotes From Good Morning Vietnam

The 1987 film about a military radio station was Robin Williams’ breakout hit. Here are the best quotes from Good Morning Vietnam.

About

MethodShop’s mission is to entertain, inform, and sometimes gross you out. MethodShop has affiliate relationships, so we may get a small share of the revenue from your purchases. Items are sold by the retailer, not by us. All prices are subject to change.

Latest

Good Morning Vietnam Quotes

The 11 Best Quotes From Good Morning Vietnam

Air New Zealand Bunk Beds

Air New Zealand Bunk Beds Coming Soon To Economy Class Passengers

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • Pinterest
MethodShop Animated Zoom Icon
  • About
  • Submit
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
  • Store

Copyright © 2022 MethodShop · All Rights Reserved · Powered by BizBudding Inc.

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT