Blogs add a personal perspective to the editorially engineered world of media. They are critical, constructive, creative and sometimes even bizarre. Of course they have never been accorded the significance some might think they deserve. Yet they have become a permanent fixture and are constantly evolving. 

Even in the communications sector, barely anyone today can seriously deny just how significant bloggers really are. Companies and agencies value them as authors, trendsetters, well-connected multipliers and communication aids. Dedicated bloggers put their heart and soul into creating values that should also be financially rewarded. Because they are worth it. Because agencies and companies are increasingly recognising their responsibility towards diversity of media expression.

But how are bloggers paid? The advertising market has largely failed in this respect. Direct payments for individual articles are quickly suspected of being nothing more than advertising or surreptitious advertising. It continues to be a topic of discussion in Germany in new and different ways. Satisfactory solutions have not yet been established, however, despite constructive efforts such as the blogger code of travel bloggers or the agency achtung!.

So for once, let’s try and take a global perspective. We have invited agency and company representatives from Europe to talk about their experiences with blogs. 

In the spotlight:

• Marshall Manson, MD of Social@Ogilvy EMEA (UK)
• Olga Rasulova, Digital Marketing, Philips Russia (RU)
• Wolfgang Lünenbürger-Reidenbach, Head of Digital and Innovation, achtung (GER)
• Vanessa Carmicino, Hagakure (IT)
• tba