Product Promotion, Transparency, And You: All Members Please Read.

[Gruder]

**Winner announced! See post 53**

Product Promotion, Transparency, And You

Meet Bubba.

Bubba goes online, spends his hard-earned money on a shaving soap, receives the soap, tries the soap, enjoys the soap, and posts the following on B&B:

I love this soap. It's the happiest, mostest wonderful soap of the three I've bought so far. I swear, when I was lathering with it I saw a smurf run by. I'm not certain, but I also think it cured my halitosis! You should all buy this soap!

Now, meet Cletus.

Cletus goes online, strikes up a conversation with a shaving soap vendor, receives a free puck of soap from the vendor, tries the soap, enjoys the soap, and posts the following on B&B:

I love this soap. It's the happiest, mostest wonderful soap ever! I swear, when I was lathering with it I saw a unicorn run by. I'm not certain, but I also think it cured my athlete's foot! You should all buy this soap!

Bubba's post was, if not a bit prone to hyperbole , very helpful to B&B. Way to go, Bubba!

Cletus, on the other hand, has done our members a grave disservice. Cletus did two things wrong. So wrong, in fact, that they diminish the ability of our new and old members alike to fully enjoy wetshaving and see B&B as a trustworthy resource.

First, and most importantly, Cletus failed to disclose that he received the soap for free. You see, whether or not Cletus believed that the "freeness" of the soap affected his review, he denied our members the opportunity to make that call for themselves. For the record, we define this activity as "shilling", and do see it as a ban-able offense here.

Second, Cletus failed to contextualize his review by indicating his experience with shaving soaps in general. Such contextualization greatly improves a review, thus helping all of our members make decisions about products they'd like to try. Post counts can help with this, but we have uber-experienced members with 6 posts, and neophytes with 1000. One must be careful relying on post counts alone -- context is our best bet.

Why this exercise? Recently, with everything from razors to brushes to shaving creams, we've encountered instances of purposeful deception in promotion. Some less than scrupulous non-B&B-subscribed vendors (who'd never make it past our application process) have created fake accounts to hype their products or duped our own members into promoting their products through free samples. These actions reduce the integrity of our content, and as such are not tolerated on B&B.

We implore you, be like Bubba. Strive to be transparent, objective, and properly contextual in your statements about products here. Let's increase our mutual trust as we grow, and eschew vendors who seek to line their pockets at the expense of our integrity.

So, let's have some fun. What should Cletus have said? The most amusing (yet ethically sound) response entitles the winner to a custom title, plus a Gillette Fatboy (non-cased) generously donated by luvmysuper.

[Austin]

Thanks Chad. Wisdom to live by.

[SpyvSpy]

Originally Posted by Cletus
I love this soap. It's the happiest, mostest wonderful soap ever! I swear, when I was lathering with it I saw a unicorn run by. I'm not certain, but I also think it cured my athlete's foot! You should all buy this soap!

What I would have said say he's using Tabac.

I love this soap. The nice tobacco smell fits perfect for fall/winter months. I have noticed with lathering it's superb and the scent lasts. If you're looking for a not hard to lather good smelling soap give this a try.

Yeah...

[DeusVult]

Cletus should have said

Ya know, I happened to strike up a conversation with my soap-peddling buddy, Jim Bob. By golly, he said he'd send me a free sample of some of his special soap. He promised it would be the happiest, mostest wonderful soap ever! He swore, that when I was lathering with it, I would see a unicorn run by. He even promised that it might cure my athlete's foot!

Guess what fellars? I saw two unicorns run by, both ridden by naked fairies!! Not only that, my athlete's foot has disappeared and I've grown an inch taller! I can't keep the women off me!!! You should all buy this soap!!!

[jgriffith]

After reading Bubbas review of redneck shave soap, I had the opportunity to talk with Joe Bob over at Redneck. I told him I was interested in gettin me some of that soap (to shave with) and he sent me a free puck of it right then and there.

So... I dun tried it, and I thought it was a whopper as well. It lathered like cool-whip, I didn't see no smurfs, but I did see a unicorn. Smelled like my red-tick after a swim in the pond. I dipped my brush, swirled about 12 times and face lathered. It whipped up like a champ, and was very slick, but not greasy and seemed to provide good cushion. If you have ever used I absolutely love this stuff, you should try it fer yerself. If you have ever tried swamp oil shave cream, this stuff is similar. I can't say nuttin about value or price as I got it for free, but a buck a puck, I'd buy this in the future.

[Rivguy]

Thank you for this sound advice. This is such a great community it is a shame when people try to take unfair advantage of our enthusiasm for trying new products.

Doug

[BrianL]

After reading Bubba's post and since I have not found anything that would help with my chronic halitosis short of brushing my tooth, I wanted to try this soap. I called the soaps maker and they were very happy to send me a sample as long as I wrote a review of the soap for all of my friends at B&B to read. I am still not sure what a Smurf is, but if I saw one running by I would grab my double barrel and send some buckshot it's way. All I can say that is I love this soap. It's the happiest, mostest wonderful soap I have ever tried and since it is the onlyist soap I have ever tried it wins by far. I swear it cured my athlete's foot and only after one shave it is my all time favorite! As soon as my sample runs out I will ask Ma to call for me and see if she can get me another sample. You should all run out and by this soap.
Cletus.

[arghblech]

Both users should have just posted "OMG! Ponies!"

[DeusVult]

Double rainbows!

[Slivovitz]

All I know is that, if I see smurfs and/or unicorns running by during one of my shaves, I'm never sniffing that soap again.

Yes, original point taken of course.

[damooshki]

After reading Bubba's review for Hillbilly Moonshine Soap Co. 200 proof Whiskey Shave Soap, I thought I would contact the manufacturer and inquire about about what made this product so great. I couldn't make much sense of old Jimbo but he said he would send me a puck to try for myself free of charge. I have been traditional wet shaving for nearly 15 years and have used many soaps and creams but never one made of pure alcohol until now. I love this soap. It's the happiest, mostest wonderful soap ever! I swear, when I was lathering with it I saw a unicorn run by. I'm not certain, but I also think it cured my athlete's foot! And now da chix be all up onz mai nutz! You should all buy this soap!

[AlanL]

What Cletus should have said?

I love this soap company. It's the happiest, mostest wonderful generous soap company ever! I swear, when I was lathering with it I saw a unicorn dollar signs run by. I'm not certain, but I also think it cured my athlete's foot home equity debt! You should all buy try to get a free sample of this soap!

[bbarton713]

Well, it is pretty clear what Cletus should have said...

Me and the missus was talking the other day and I said, "Missus" (and I really do call her that because if I said SWMBO I'd be in a world of hurt because she has a mean streak), I'd like to try me some of those fancy, new-fangled soaps that everyone goes on about in the B&B forums.

Me and the Missus then had a frank conversation about B&B and how it has nothin' to do with things her momma (I have another name for her but that ain't polite to say) said she shouldn't do.

Anyway, I want to try a soap because it will make me a betterer shaver and I might smell prettier than the preacher's wife when I go to church this Sunday. But the only way I could try it is if I got some for free and you know what? I did!!

This free stuff is ok and it does a good job like everyone else said and the preacher wife is going to order herself some but it was free and I reckon that deserves a free bump or whatever it is that you all do on here...because you can't beat free is what the Missus says.

[DeusVult]

Would it be fair for the rest of the community to try Cletus's product that he falsely promoted? Would it be allowed to be given reviews and discussions? Not that I have been dreaming about seeing a unicorn but the tarnished review might spark my curiosity. Hell, I had a chia pet and clapper! but no sham wow;)

Off topic, but my dear wife bought a sham wow, and it really sucked hind teat. I returned it.

[cswann1]

So, let's have some fun. What should Cletus have said?

"So, whilst I was a drankin at the bar t'udder night, I was abduckted by aleeunz. Wouldn'tchnoit!! They was wet-shavurz too. And thay gimme some o thar soap tuh try out.

Man this soap is gee-gawly sumpn!! Kumpared to the Williums soap I git fer my birfday every other year from mah fambly, it's like latherun with fresh pasture puddin from Gawds own cows! Cept not as good smellun. You guys should hang out at my bar and see ifin u can't get abducked by them aleeuns too! But don't go rushin out tuh spend yur nickels on it, cuz Williums still beats it nickel-fur-nickel."

~Cletus~

[Dewaine]

Double rainbows!

All the way across!

[LouieGrandie]

I think I know Cletus pretty well and I can imagine his post as something like this:

Let me just contextualize my review of the Thunderbolt GreaseSlapper Shaving Soap by indicating my experience with products that one must normally pay for in general. I was nursing my wounds after a particular violent fight with the husband of the woman cooking me breakfast when I happened up the review of Bubba of this soap. Being the crafty and corpulent sort who would rather flimflam someone out a something rather then pay for it I called up said vendor and laid it on thick. Said vendor was about to find out that commerce in life is rarely so simple and never so just. After promising a review for his soap, heck I told him he could even write it for me, he sent me a sample. Since my last little exploit in domestic bliss left me without all my toiletries I went ahead and tried this soap. Much to my pleasure I found the Thunderbolt GreaseSlapper Shaving Soap to lather up pretty well, go on nicely and produce a rather nice BBF shave. And it was FREE! What more could a man ask for. So I give this soap a . I wish I could tell everyone how much it cost but I really don't know and I really don't aim to find out. Yours in Shaving - Cletus

[GDCarrington]

We have to remind Bubba that this is soap, not a breath mint.
Everyone is always tried to be a Finch Tundgren imitator.

The original post is straight on the money !


Finch's product promotion!
[YOUTUBE]LMpoQSq6poA[/YOUTUBE]

[Stubblejumper]

What Cletus should have said...


Awhile back, I mentioned that I'd never tried me any of those fancy-smelling, store bought shaving soaps that the city slickers use, and then, out a the blue, this nice feller named Billy Bob sent me a PM, told me that he works for a big soap company - Proctologist & Gambler I think it was, and offered to send me some free soap! All I had ta do was tell you nice fellers how much I liked it. I said, fer sure I'd like me some o dat free soap. Anyway, the next time I got to town, there it was waiting for me down at the post office... a big ol' slab of Shaved Pork Hog Fat Soap! It smelled so purty, just like honey cured bacon frying on a open fire! When I got back to the cabin, I hauled up a bucket of water from the well, and set to shavin'. Hoo wee, that soap lathered up better than my granny's homemade lye soap! And while I was slatherin' it on my face with my possum brush, I swear I saw a uneecorn playing "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" on the banjo! Not only did I git the best shave of my intire life, but I swear on my dear sainted mother's grave, that after I used that soap, my hemorrhoids up and disappeared!

I'm not just tellin' you this cause I got it for free, cause that would make me lower than a snake's belly in a wagon rut! This soap is so darned good, that I'd buy me some even if I had to pay cash money for it!

[bbarton713]

Not only did I git the best shave of my intire life, but I swear on my dear sainted mother's grave, that after I used that soap, my hemorrhoids up and disappeared!

Now I don't care who you are or where you're from, that's funny!