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Royal Caribbean goes all big brother
Royal Caribbean wanted some viral press, so they did something that goes a little past the line where ethical marketing meets shameless bribery.They started by doing a little research into who was already saying good things about them on websites like Cruise Critic. They found 50 individuals and invited them to be "Royal Champions," or, as MSNBC calls them, "paid cheerleaders." These individuals need not have ever set foot on a cruise ship; they just had to be big fans of the Royal Caribbean line. They were monitored for frequency of posting and brand positivity.
"Royal Champions were rewarded with all-expense paid pre-inaugural sailings along with invites to events and cocktail parties hosted by Royal Caribbean executives." - MSNBC
Um, how do I get on that list? Wait! Wait! No, that would be unethical!
Or would it? I mean, as an online writer, don't I review products I get for free? Doesn't a company have every right to read what I've posted online and decide whether or not it would be worth it for them to send me a product to review? And if they notice that I totally give great reviews of Nancy Gonzalez purses all the time and decide to send me a free Nancy Gonzalez purse, knowing that I'll totally write about it ... well, is that wrong? That's how the media industry has worked for years. The line between advertising and genuine product reviews has always been blurry.
I guess the whole monitoring thing is a little creepy. Just be careful; when you hear a friend on a message board plugging a certain company or product -- they may not be on the payroll, but they could well be on the perk-roll.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Stuart Falk Mar 18th 2009 10:06PM
IS RCCL Manipulating CruiseCritic.com (owned by Trip Advisor)?
From Jaunted (Conde Nast):
http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/3/16/12635/4598/travel/Royal+Caribbean+Cruises+Has+Web+2.0+Viral+Infection
No surprise here: Royal Caribbean Cruise Line has a viral infection. For once, however, it's not the Norovirus but that new-fangled byproduct of Web 2.0, the viral marketing infiltration. According to Consumerist, a group of fifty "Royal Champions" was outed by their own creator, the Customer Insight Group, as being a successful project whereby frequent positive cruise commenting on sites such as CruiseCritic was rewarded with free cruises and other perks.
So what's the big deal? Well, it seems that the "Royal Champions" weren't always up front about their status as compensated reviewers, effectively misleading readers of CruiseCritic forums with their positive comments. Add to this the fact that CruiseCritic admins assisted Royal Caribbean in choosing the fifty, with one of the stipulations being quantity of posts, "with many having over 10,000 message board posts on various Royal Caribbean topics." From here, the hole just gets deeper.
Now that many RC fans feel slighted at not having made the ranks and most everyone else is disgusted at the covert trade of cruising for happy juicing, the trustworthiness of such forums is under fire.
Due to CruiseCritic's ownership by TripAdvisor, which is in turn under the Expedia blanket of travel sites, a viral marketing stunt gone awry could possibly continue to negatively ripple. Does news like this affect your ability to trust good reviews on travel sites, or do you already consider yourself an excellent shill-spotter enough to weed out the solicited from the unsolicited? While this whole ordeal is mired in serious muckety-muck, let's hope it serves as a lesson for future viral marketers and as an argument for transparency.
Lee Mar 19th 2009 7:23AM
Wow, what a surprise!! Actually, anyone with even a little experience can tell the 'paid reviews' from the real and/or honest ones. Whether it be a restaurant, eatery, (they're the biggest violators), a retail store, or an online outlet, the 'paid reviews' are the ones dripping with superlatives, glowing adjectives, etc. Those paid shills will come up with anything to praise their patrons and win their favor. They're easy to spot, and they should be ashamed of themselves.
Cindie Mar 19th 2009 7:40AM
I am NOT a paid critic just to clear that up!. I will say that I have been on several cruises and Royal Caribbean is the absolute best for quality in every area!
No one has to pay me to say what I enjoy and what I don't.
Been on 3 from RC and wouldn't use any other cruise line for the 4th, 5th ect! Royal Caribbean is at the top of my favorite vacations list! If I happened to get a free one, I would jump on it!
My only complaint is that 7 days is just NOT LONG enough! The rest, Simply Fabulous for people of ALL AGES!
I love this line so much that I would do a commercial for FREE!
cc Mar 19th 2009 7:55AM
i guess they are ok if you don't get sick, or mugged and tossed overboard
PJ Mar 19th 2009 8:24AM
I JUST RECENTLY CAME OFF A RC CRUISE IT WAS MAGNIFICENT. IT WAS ALSO MY FIRST CRUISE. THE CRAFT WAS THE NAVIGATOR OF THE SEA. PERSONEL THERE WERE THE BEST. TALK ABOUT LUXURY "WOW".
Jeff Mar 19th 2009 8:09AM
I agree totally w/ Cindi.... Royal Carribean is heads above thier fun (tacky) competitor line. I've been on both lines several times.
GARY Mar 19th 2009 8:22AM
What a problem, at 81 years old I would LOVE to go on a cruise, however the "FLU LIKE BUGS" I am worried about seem to crop up, I've gone on Holland America to ALASKA a couple of years ago, but N O W ??
Dr. E Mar 19th 2009 8:40AM
I just came back off my first cruise on this past Monday and it was great. Yes, It was with Royal Caribbean and it was AWESOME. I am not a paid cheerleader and I seldom leave responses, but this ship was amazing. The staff was excellent and food to die for. You are truly treated like ROYALTY. I have already started planning for my next cruise on 2010.
Mrs. D Mar 19th 2009 8:51AM
My husband and I went on a Disney cruise - Magic.
Being a huge Disney fan - that was my our first cruise choice. We had the best time and fun. Everyone on the cruise bent over backward for you to make sure you were taken care of. We are planning on another Disney cruise.
Stuart Mar 19th 2009 9:07AM
Cruises...The best value for the buck. Been on 43 of them and still under 50 yrs old. Prices right, food is for the masses ( not gourmet but not bad) I do enjoy RCCL. It is a step above the norm. It you enjoy a step up then there are better but to tell you the truth..... You pay for what you receive. If you are looking for a great time, fair prices and fun, Royal does the job well. Can't wait for 44. I am a true cruise lover and not paid to say that.
Sunday Mar 19th 2009 9:08AM
My hubby and I went on a Royal cruise 14 yrs. ago for our honeymoon. No one would ever have to pay us, or our way for another cruise in order for us to brag about what a fabulous time we had. This cruise line is top-of-the-line when it comes to cruises. Their staff cannot do enough for you and I can't tell you how many times they have bent over backwards to see to it that we were happy and comfortable in our cabins. With the economy the way it is right now, we have no idea when or if we will be able to return for another cruise - it doesn't really matter because as soon as things are looking up again financially, we would book another cruise in a heartbeat. Well worth the years it takes to save up for one!
Kathy Mar 19th 2009 9:20AM
I've been on 14 RCCL cruises...just got back from one in Feb. that I won playing bingo on a cruise I was on in Sept. 2008 on RCCL. We have traveled on Princess and Norwegian and we will never choose anyone but RCCL.
They are the best without a doubt and the only pay I get for saying this, is the excitement of planning my next cruise with RCCL. Their staffs are the best at pampering you while sailing. I can't imagine having to pay anyone to get positive feedback.
Lynn Mar 19th 2009 9:29AM
My husband and I take 2 or 3 cruises every year. The cruise lines give us perks for being "frequent" cruise guests. We have been on them all, Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, etc, and I must admit that Royal Caribbean is our favorite. The staff, service and ammenities are great. We're looking forward to our next one!
Mary Mar 19th 2009 9:44AM
How can anyone fault Royal Caribbean - they are definately the BEST! If I could do it, I would take a cruise every month and, believe me, they would all be on RCCL. My favorite vacations have been with them and, like the name implies, they sure do treat their passengers like royalty.
"If you want to be treated well, take a cruise on RCCL."
Editha Sander Mar 19th 2009 9:43AM
My husband and I love the Royal Cruise Line and have made many many trips with them. Always had sooooo much fun. We shall be back, as soon as we have time again.
We are from Germany, living in Florida now. It's great to drive to Fort Lauderdale, jump on the Ship,unpack ones and
enjoy everything the line has to offer.
"Forget your work and dance away your problems!!!!
Editha Sander
Sue Mar 19th 2009 9:54AM
I went on RCCL and it was one of the best vacations I have been on. The staff was exceptional. The food was very tasty (and we all know the #1 thing we love to do on cruises? eat!!) Cant wait for my next cruise with RCCL!
Sheila Mar 19th 2009 9:58AM
I have traveled on 5 different cruise lines and Royal is by far the best. Their passengers are treated as thought they were royalty. Not one bad thing that I can say about that cruise line
Kelley Edwards Mar 19th 2009 11:58AM
I've been on nearly 60 cruises on nearly every line and to be honest, RCI is not all that. I just returned from a cruise on RCI, and I'm a Diamond Plus member, and it was quite disappointing when compared to my other cruises on that line. The food and service have definitely declined in the past three years and RCI, IMHO, is not worth the price. You can get better food and service on Princess or Celebrity. And don't even get me started on Chops. The onions in my French Onion Soup were burned to a crisp and made it inedible, the filet was ordered medium and was served charred. The service in there was OK, but not worth the money paid
Bert Mar 19th 2009 3:07PM
I am shocked, shocked that there seems to be hanky-panky going on in the (cruise) review business... Taking a leaf out of the Hollywood book, are we? As I recall, a couple of years ago a major studio created a bogus critic to write favorable movie reviews. Rewarding 50 shills out there with free trips & perks, hmmm - pitifully small difference there.