Jacob K. Lehman

I’ve occasionally mentioned specific products in my writing, and I’ve put some thought into how to do that in a way that feels responsible. No one’s paying me for product placement (or even providing free samples), so I don’t have any contractual obligations, but I know that if I were a business owner, I would hope that anyone with critical feedback would share it with me first before putting me “on blast” to their audience. Conversely, endorsements would be welcomed! As a result, I’ve mostly tried to stick with an approach of “If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all,” recommending things that I like/enjoy, and not mentioning anything that feels on balance like a disappointment. While I don’t aspire to be an influencer, I’m also not running a consumer reports clone, so if someone DID offer me a sponsorship, I can’t say I’d definitively turn it down, but I would adhere to three simple rules:

1. Disclosure of the sponsorship. Not the detailed terms per se, but whatever the terms were (free product, cash component, other incentives?) should be laid out up front. This is what bothers me most about influencer-marketing; people who are (ostensibly) not actors or pitch-people are playing off of the ambiguity between their real lives and their performed lives. That feels problematic to me. When I watch an ad, I want to know it’s an ad.
2. Critical assessment. No product is absolutely perfect. I want an honest assessment of the flaws/tradeoffs of an item (as best the user can perceive them). Would you have paid for it (if you didn’t)? How does it compare to others you’ve used/know? That needn’t even be inferiority (e.g., is it a lighter or darker chocolate than you usually gravitate towards?), and probably oughtn’t specifically call out other brands, but should give the viewer some basis for rejection. As I tell the job-seekers I advise, if you don’t know why you SHOULDN’T take this job, you don’t know that you SHOULD take it.
3. Outcome transparency. If it is going to become part of your regular rotation/life, say so, and update in the future with how it has continued to perform. If it isn’t, why not? That may not be as much a reflection on the product itself (we all have finite space in our homes), but will at least allow the audience to calibrate accordingly. It’s fair to say “I already have a hair-dryer I adore, so I’m going to give this one to a friend.” It’s not so helpful for the viewer if every kids’ car seat is “a great option.”