Friends,
In my view, journalism and paid advertisements should forever stand as far apart as possible. Media companies that maintain the traditional firewall between these worlds are the ones I respect the most.
But MrMobile is a hybrid brand that’s become increasingly common in the media landscape over the past decade. In my role as a reviewer helping people make buying decisions, I maintain rigorous standards to preserve my impartiality. But as an influencer who posts paid content to help people discover (and, yes, buy) particular products, I’m of course the opposite of impartial.
For a brand like mine, this commingling of traditional journalism and paid advertisement is both unavoidable – and fraught with dangers. So I wanted to make a few things clear.
On a personal level (earmuffs, sponsors): I didn’t get into this business to make commercials. The reason I started MrMobile is because I love sharing my authentic opinions on mobile technology, unhindered by paid agreements or pressure from the manufacturers of those products.
Nevertheless, sponsored content makes up a large part of our revenue and without it, MrMobile would not be able to operate.
How do I square the two? By drawing bright lines between paid/“sponsored” and organic/“earned” content, and communicating every potential conflict of interest that might arise. I do this in the content itself, but there’s a broad set of conditions I apply to all of my content. I’ve outlined the critical ones below.
(Note: “MrMobile” is a brand owned and operated by Future plc, a global multi-platform media company.)
THE YOUTUBE CHANNEL
YouTube Videos
MrMobile does not currently produce full-length sponsored videos on the YouTube Channel. Every video is completely written by me, and I have full control over my editorial calendar. No company can pay for preferential scheduling, or pay to produce a video that I wouldn't otherwise create. I choose the products I cover based on newsworthiness and personal interest.
I do communicate with manufacturers of the products I produce. While I may ask them to explain product behaviors, or comment on product deficiencies so they can share their side of the story, no outside company or individual is given a preview of a video before publication.
Finally, I consider “sponsored reviews” and “sponsored comparisons” to be anathema to the very nature of product reviews. As long as I host the MrMobile channel, you will never see a review or comparison video that has been sponsored by the subject of those videos.
Video Integrations
The 45-second ad spots you see in my videos (for example, an ad for a phone case embedded within an iPhone video) are sponsored content. They are highlighted as such in the voiceover with a clear disclaimer such as “this video is sponsored by (x) company” and marked by an on-screen “Sponsor Message” callout. As pure advertisements, these packages are reviewed and subject to approval by the companies being advertised.
This is not to say that the content within these pieces doesn't reflect my true and honest opinions. In the U.S., lying in advertising copy is forbidden by the FTC (for more, see here). Nevertheless, viewers should take into account that this content is a paid endorsement, and make their buying decisions accordingly.
AdSense Advertisements
The pre-roll and post-roll advertisements placed on MrMobile YouTube videos are selected by Google's AdSense platform. Aside from occasionally disallowing certain content categories (such as political ads), MrMobile has no input into those advertisements or affiliation with the companies that produce them.
THE INSTAGRAM CHANNEL
All sponsored content on the MrMobile Instagram Channel is marked by the hashtags #ad or #sponsored, clearly displayed in the body of the caption or on the Story. If these hashtags are not present, the photo or video is organic content.
THE FACEBOOK PAGE
All of the above also applies to the Facebook page, with the exception that certain full-length sponsored videos are occasionally published there. Those sponsored videos are always marked with captions containing #ad or #sponsored, and they contain further explicit disclosures in the voiceover and/or onscreen graphics.
TRAVEL AND LODGING
MrMobile does accept travel and lodging assistance from companies whose products he must travel to cover. This includes airfare, train or taxi to manufacturer release events, industry trade shows, and other media opportunities. It also includes incidental events during those occasions (such as meals, photo opportunities, and other group events).
Whether or not a brand provides travel and lodging assistance has no bearing on the amount or extent of coverage MrMobile provides. That is an editorial decision based on newsworthiness and my own personal interest.
REVIEW DEVICES
All devices not purchased by MrMobile / Future are review samples owned by the companies that send them. While I don't consider this a "perk" (since long-term access to these devices is necessary to do my job), disclosure laws require me to state when a device is a review sample. While some companies do not request review samples be returned, all are considered the property of the manufacturer and are available for recall at any time.
Certain low-value exceptions exist, such as phone cases and other accessories. These are either distributed among the Future team or used in giveaways.
MIXING OF SPONSORED AND NON-SPONSORED CONTENT
Generally, I avoid “crossing the streams” when it comes to brands I work with as a sponsored partner vs. those I cover as a reporter. (Meaning: if I regularly review OnePlus phones, I don’t accept opportunities from OnePlus to post paid content.)
Sometimes, I will transition from covering a certain company organically to covering them in a sponsored capacity. When this happens, I generally refrain from organically covering their products in the future.
There are exceptions to this policy. For example, companies that produce the silicon used in many mobile devices have sponsored my content, as have wireless carriers. When these companies host newsworthy events that are not sponsored, I continue to attend and report on them (an example is the Qualcomm Snapdragon Summit, which I have covered in both paid and non-paid capacities). In such cases, I make prominent disclosures to reduce the likelihood of confusion.
LICENSING
Occasionally, a manufacturer will showcase an excerpt from one of my reviews or awards programs in its advertising. For these uses, those companies pay a fee to my parent company, which also handles the specific negotiations and uses of that content. I do not tailor my content or awards to solicit or encourage licensed usage.
SHARED SPONSORSHIP DEALS
Occasionally MrMobile will be included in package deals struck by my publishers at Future plc. All such details will be disclosed on a case-by-case basis and where conflicts of interest may exist, they will be avoided to the greatest amount practicable.
Additionally, the Brooklyn studio that serves as my New York headquarters is a shared space that I occupy with four other influencers/media brands. They occasionally strike deals that result in material benefits to the group; an example of this is an arrangement with Samsung Electronics that allows Samsung to send appliances to the studio on a loan basis. Where these items are featured in incidental media shot in the space, that arrangement will be disclosed to the degree practicable.
INVESTMENTS
I do not hold any investments or financial interest in the brands whose products I cover.
THE LAST WORD
That’s a lot of details and a lot of conditions and exceptions … and yes, I recognize that this is an imperfect policy. But in the media landscape of 2020, it’s the best compromise I’ve been able to reach between profitability and preserving my credibility.
I can promise you this: I have never and will never set out to deceive you about the difference between my sponsored and non-sponsored content. If I’m getting paid for something, you’re going to know it. And if a brand wants to water down those disclaimers, I’m going to stand my ground. MrMobile lives and dies based on your trust, and I will continue to put that first and foremost every day.
If you have questions about this policy, let’s talk. I’m an easy guy to reach:
Twitter: @theMrMobile
Instagram: @theMrMobile
Facebook: @theMrMobile
YouTube: @theMrMobile
Thanks for your attention, and Stay Mobile, My Friends!
Michael