I have a blog in an obscure but expensive sport. I suddenly seem to have been placed on a PR contact list for companies who either sell equipment in the sport or are trying to get me to advertise events. I’m happy to advertise events, I can always talk about the competitors without being just a copy/paster. But recently, I got a PR note about some equipment.
How do I tactfully ask for a sample of the equipment for evaluation or testing?
I mean, I can talk about the equipment and get a decent blog post about it by comparing it with equipment I already have, without being a shill, but I’d like to get ‘stuff’ to actually use, and then blog about it.
Any suggestions?
Just a note, some of this equipment is about $300-$500. I would have to order it in a special size, so I would actually use it. I woulnd’t eBay it.
You’d be doing them a service and so it’s not rude or forward to simply ask if they have a system for providing demo equipment. Some vendors would be experienced in providing demo equipment and may have agreements written up already to ensure that they get the equipment back after a trial period.
You didn’t say what they asked, just that you got a “PR note about some equipment”. If they’re asking you to write about their equipment, it would be fair to send them a short email back saying “I’d be more than happy to write a review about it if you could send it to me so I can try it”. You mentioned having it be a certain size, in which case, add that in so they don’t just give you whatever size they grab first.
If they refuse, I’d either just drop the subject (that is, not reply) or send them a reply stating “Thanks, but I’m going to take a pass, I can do a review without actually reviewing the equipment” and then leaving it at that. Don’t let them pressure you into buying it on your own dime (even if they offer to repay you) just so that you can give them some publicity.
How popular is your blog? If you have a lot of followers, it should be fairly simple, and not rude, just to ask for a review sample, even for a moderately expensive item. If they say no, or want to sell it to you instead, yyou can refuse and you’ve lost nothing.
I had a bunch of chinese gift/electronics companies lijing up to get me to review their stuff on my youtube channel. I got a couple of cool items out of it, and a mountain of tat, but in the end, I decided it was too much trouble and I don’t do it anymore. I dont have enough subscribers to tempt them to give me the really cool stuff like electric unicycles.
Getting on those PR lists is a sign of success! Congrats! You can definitely ask for product samples. Make sure that, regardless of how you rate the item, you always thank the generous folks at blahblahblah for providing you with the means to review their product.
This is just nonsense. All the manufacturer cares about is if you use the gear to wrote a review, and I would guess that if you’re always panning their stuff they’ll eventually stop sending it. They could care less what you do with it other than that – how would they even know in most cases. And you’re not borrowing it from them, so why would they expect it would be returned?
Yeah, this. They sought you out, not the other way around, so they clearly perceive there to be some benefit to them if you review their product. Asking for a sample tests just how much they value such a review. You’re under no obligation to benefit them without getting some benefit yourself.
Well I asked, and they’re sending me the equipment. They only asked that I review it on its own merits and not in a head to head comparison with equipment from another company. It’s fair since the company is sending me equipment for the recreational participant and they’re just asking that it not be compared to equipment at the competitive level.
Cool. Be careful that your gratitude doesn’t cloud your objectivity. The manufacturer will be hoping for an overwhelmingly positive review, of course, but your audience is probably more interested in a truthful and balanced review.
