Google’s official Pixel review program for publications like The Verge requires no such stipulations. (And, to be clear, The Verge would never accept such terms, in accordance with our ethics policy.)
So then, what is Team Pixel, exactly? Officially, it’s a program handled by PR agency 1000heads that seeds early units to influencers and superfans to drum up interest as brand ambassadors. While Google partners with 1000heads, it doesn’t directly run the program, and there are distinct differences from the traditional reviews program. For example, journalists and influencers in the official reviews program often get briefed and given products under embargo before or during an event. Team Pixel participants get the devices shortly after launch but before the public — all in exchange for some coverage on social media. For smaller creators, this can be a big leg up in terms of access.
extremely critical context here, this is kind of a non story tbh
It’s a brand ambassador program. It’s not a review program. The entire point is to promote a product.
If you are hired specifically to promote a product, and you instead shit on the product, you don’t get hired in the future. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist for this one. The Verge, while including an actual explanation buried in the article, is massively editorializing the headline, to the point it’s not even really accurate anymore. They’re not threatening influencers, those are the stipulations to be part of a specific program to receive free product early with the express purpose of promoting it.
Yeah, it’s still sleazy but it sounds like the only threat is that influencers who don’t say since things about the free toys they got won’t get any more free toys.
extremely critical context here, this is kind of a non story tbh
100% this is a non-story.
It’s a brand ambassador program. It’s not a review program. The entire point is to promote a product.
If you are hired specifically to promote a product, and you instead shit on the product, you don’t get hired in the future. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist for this one. The Verge, while including an actual explanation buried in the article, is massively editorializing the headline, to the point it’s not even really accurate anymore. They’re not threatening influencers, those are the stipulations to be part of a specific program to receive free product early with the express purpose of promoting it.
Yeah that headline is frankly ridiculous
Yeah, it’s still sleazy but it sounds like the only threat is that influencers who don’t say since things about the free toys they got won’t get any more free toys.