A Dallas Morning News story describes Dr. Pepper's efforts to market Raging Cow, a milk-based soft drink to Generation Y through the use of bloggers. In other words, free advertising to Dr. Pepper from "casual" references by bloggers. A strange idea, at best.MSN also reported the story and carried this explanation: Next comes a blog-related twist on viral marketing— recruiting "key influence bloggers" to promote Raging Cow by sharing their enthusiasm, linking to the site and distributing special screensavers, banners and skins. Beginning with an initial group of six people in their late teens and early 20s—flown to Dallas with their parents for an induction session—Dr Pepper hopes to develop a "blogging network" to hype Raging Cow and "be part of the 'in the know' crowd," says its brand-marketing honcho Andrew Springate. Those spreading the news via their blogs won't disclose their flackitude, says Springate, because officially they're not paid Dr Pepper employees; they only get promo items like hats and T shirts. "We’re independent and can advertise Raging Cow the way we want," says Nicole, 18, a Louisiana high-school senior with a popular blog. The irony in that comment apparently escapes Nicole.This disturbing quote from the Morning News story explains how she can justify the contradiction: Any commercial references from the bloggers probably will appear completely natural to their fans, said Alissa Quart, author of a new book called Branded: The Buying and Selling of Teenagers."They're reading magazines that are catalogs, and catalogs that are magazines," she said. "The idea that a message is commercially generated doesn't bother kids that much. It's been made natural to them." And note the way Dr. Pepper is manipulating both sides of the process. The bloggers won't be disclosing their association with the company because they aren't paid employees. Taking advantage of the bloggers' disingenuity means the company doesn't even have to pay for the advertising beyond a few trinkets and promo items.To those free-market-uber-alles proponents who proclaim, "What's the harm with advertising? We're capitalists!", here is one of the results of big business increasingly blurring the distinctions between advertising and content.
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