LL advertising private businesses in their blog?

[Phil Deakins]

@Xiola Linden

Xiola Linden just posted a blog which is nothing other than an advertisement for what I assume to be a couple of private SL businesses. One is Uber, and the other is Blueberry main store. Are they private businesses? I hope not because I hope that Linden Lab is not going start using their blog for blatant advertising like that.

Edited September 1, 2018 by Phil Deakins

[Love Zhaoying]

I believe yesterday, she posted a “Second Life Look of the Day” with her own picture and outfit details.

[Phil Deakins]

Yes, I realised that it was there when I got up today, so it wasn't just posted. But it's a plain advertisement. It's none of my business but I don't like the idea of LL using their blog for advertisements like that - unless they charge for them and reduce land costs further because of them, of course

[Phil Deakins]

I just received this URL - https://thewhisperer.wordpress.com/2018/08/08/why-is-linden-labs-sponsoring-blueberrys-latest-attempt-at-staying-relevant/

According to that, LL is giving 10 free 1-year premium memberships to Blueberry customers. I had no idea that LL got into bed with users in that sort of way. And now Xiola Linden is promoting Blueberry in LL's blog.

It doesn't say where or not Blueberry is paying LL the cost of the memberships, but it doesn't sound like they are. If they aren't, then I'm both astonished and saddened. I've always believed that Prokofy's alleged Feted Inner Core (FIC) was just a figment of her imagination, but now I'm not so sure.

[Love Zhaoying]

Uber is a Corporation, I believe. (Ride service.) CEO was ousted last year. So technically a public entity, not private.

[Love Zhaoying]

1 minute ago, Phil Deakins said:

I just received this URL - https://thewhisperer.wordpress.com/2018/08/08/why-is-linden-labs-sponsoring-blueberrys-latest-attempt-at-staying-relevant/

According to that, LL is giving 10 free 1-year premium memberships to Blueberry customers. I had no idea that LL got into bed with users in that sort of way. And now Xiola Linden is promoting Blueberry in LL's blog.

It doesn't say where or not Blueberry is paying LL the cost of the memberships, but it doesn't sound like they are. If they aren't, then I'm both astonished and saddened. I've always believed that Prokofy's alleged Feted Inner Core (FIC) was just a figment of her imagination, but now I'm not so sure.

What is Blueberry?

[Phil Deakins]

Apparently, it's an SL clothes business.

[Theresa Tennyson]

7 minutes ago, Phil Deakins said:

I just received this URL - https://thewhisperer.wordpress.com/2018/08/08/why-is-linden-labs-sponsoring-blueberrys-latest-attempt-at-staying-relevant/

According to that, LL is giving 10 free 1-year premium memberships to Blueberry customers. I had no idea that LL got into bed with users in that sort of way. And now Xiola Linden is promoting Blueberry in LL's blog.

It doesn't say where or not Blueberry is paying LL the cost of the memberships, but it doesn't sound like they are. If they aren't, then I'm both astonished and saddened. I've always believed that Prokofy's alleged Feted Inner Core (FIC) was just a figment of her imagination, but now I'm not so sure.

Why not? What are you basing this on? Even the scandal sheet says nothing of the kind. It would be of no benefit to Linden Lab to give away Premium memberships, but it would be of benefit to them to allow them to be subsidized by a third party.

 

[Akasha Sternberg]

Uber is a monthly fashion event and Blueberry is one of the most popular clothing stores

[Callum Meriman]

Seems like there is an FIC after all. Shame LL, Shame.

[Phil Deakins]

3 minutes ago, Theresa Tennyson said:

Why not? What are you basing this on? Even the scandal sheet says nothing of the kind. It would be of no benefit to Linden Lab to give away Premium memberships, but it would be of benefit to them to allow them to be subsidized by a third party.

 

Even subsidising them (making them available at a cheaper rate) would be astonishing and saddening. If LL openly offered such things, alright. Excellent. But it does sound like a back door sort of deal - to me, anyway - especially as Xiola Linden is now promoting those businesses on the LL blog.

Edited September 1, 2018 by Phil Deakins

[Callum Meriman]

I would hope Xiola will promote *ALL* businesses now with such advertising!

[Phil Deakins]

That would be an enormous task, but yes.

[Love Zhaoying]

6 minutes ago, Akasha Sternberg said:

Uber is a monthly fashion event and Blueberry is one of the most popular clothing stores

Ok, so both are businesses in SL.

[Callum Meriman]

Just now, Phil Deakins said:

That would be an enormous task, but yes.

Sure, but why should Uber and Blueberry get special treatment when there are so many more businesses who do it better then them?

[Theresa Tennyson]

Just now, Phil Deakins said:

Even subsidising them (making them available at a cheaper rate) would be astonishing and saddening. If LL openly offered such things, alright. Excellent. But it does sound like a back door sort of deal - to me, anyway - especially as Xiola Linden is now promoting those businesses on the LL blog.

Theresa Tennyson sighs.

Party A (Linden Lab) offers a commodity (Premium Membership)

Party B (Blueberry) subsidizes Party C (recipient of the commodity) by paying for the memberships.

 

[Love Zhaoying]

Makes sense: pick businesses that drive the SL economy and work with them in cross promotion. More sales = more transaction fees = more $ for LL.

[Phil Deakins]

5 minutes ago, Theresa Tennyson said:

Theresa Tennyson sighs.

Party A (Linden Lab) offers a commodity (Premium Membership)

Party B (Blueberry) subsidizes Party C (recipient of the commodity) by paying for the memberships.

 

Do you know that Party B is paying for the premium accounts? If they are, it's fine.

Edited September 1, 2018 by Phil Deakins

[Callum Meriman]

5 minutes ago, Theresa Tennyson said:

Theresa Tennyson sighs.

Party A (Linden Lab) offers a commodity (Premium Membership)

Party B (Blueberry) subsidizes Party C (recipient of the commodity) by paying for the memberships.

 

So, any business that pays for a premium membership can have free advertising on the LL blog?

[Phil Deakins]

4 minutes ago, Love Zhaoying said:

Makes sense: pick businesses that drive the SL economy and work with them in cross promotion. More sales = more transaction fees = more $ for LL.

I definitely don't agree with that. I don't really think it's necessary for me to explain why.

[Theresa Tennyson]

1 minute ago, Phil Deakins said:

Do you know that Party B is paying for the premium accounts? If they are, it's fine.

No, but you also don't know that they aren't, which is what I was replying to.

[Love Zhaoying]

1 minute ago, Phil Deakins said:

I definitely don't agree with that. I don't really think it's necessary for me to explain why.

I’m not saying it’s right or fair.

[Phil Deakins]

3 minutes ago, Theresa Tennyson said:

No, but you also don't know that they aren't, which is what I was replying to.

Fair enough. The Blueberry group message does thank LL for making the 10 premium account giveaway possible. It may be that LL agreed to accept to fee from Blueberry instead of the new premium member, but the impression it gives is not that.

[Love Zhaoying]

Maybe SSP is “Blueberry Land”.

[Jules Catlyn]

My point won't be popular but for years i have seen people complaining that Linden staff needs to show more involvement with the community. I am not a Blueberry fan but i applaud the creativeness of their marketing when they do a cross promotion like this and for the fact that Xiola Linden blogged an outfit which she apparently enjoyed, i don't see much of an issue with that. I don't think it will lead to a massive influx of sales for Blueberry. We will see how things play out in the future. 

*puts on her helmet and bulletproof vest*