Got to admire the nerve...

GuyClapperton 0 263 Views

Following yesterday's interesting events - in which the story to which I referred changed three times and was then taken down within two hours of my linking to it - here's something a little lighter for the weekend. A family is auctioning its talents and above all its availability to endorse products on eBay. The story is .

Personally I think they've missed the boat and need to be a little more cutting edge. People can use the web and particularly social media in interesting ways. Have a look at www.fiestamovement.com and what Ford is doing - 50 brand advocates out there blogging and Myspace-ing like nobody's business, they'll clean up.

We have nothing like that in the UK yet but it'll come. And to be honest, since some idiot went into my car overnight earlier this week while it was parked, I'd be pleased to help 'develop' the plan (and take a free car for a while in the process)!

Dani AI

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Interesting thread. The eBay stunt described by is a neat example of guerrilla thinking, but it exposes the two big pitfalls of "selling" endorsements: relevance and trust. Brands pay for attention that converts; random availability on a marketplace tends to commoditize credibility rather than build it. As implies, if the item or the storyteller doesn't match the audience, the message lands flat.

A more practical, lower-risk route borrows the principle behind the Fiesta Movement but keeps control and authenticity: recruit a small group of advocates with real reach in a clearly defined niche, give them product access and a content brief, and measure outcomes. That avoids the weirdness of auctioning "availability" and turns goodwill into demonstrable value brands can evaluate.

Quick checklist to turn this into a working plan:

  • Define audience and goals: who should care, and what should they do (click, sign up, buy)?
  • Build samples: two short posts, one photo and one short video showing believable usage.
  • Offer a simple pilot: 2-4 weeks, defined deliverables, agreed metrics (reach, clicks, conversions).
  • Price and rights: set a flat fee or product-for-post terms and spell out content rights and duration.
  • Transparency: require clear disclosure of paid endorsements and keep claims honest.
  • Measure and iterate: track engagement, save creative that works, then scale.

Final note: small-scale honesty beats a flashy auction. If the family wants to be useful to brands, prove relevance first, then monetise credibility. 's light touch reminds us people respond to authenticity much more than to spectacle.

Member Avatar for Rashakil Fol
Rashakil Fol 978 Super Senior Demiposter

Nobody cares about your car.

Member Avatar for pgaik
pgaik 0 Newbie Poster

hehe i bet he does.

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