An agency instructed by Slater and Gordon has been emailing bloggers asking them to promote the firm for fifty pounds a time. But, in an interesting strategic move, the firm has now reported the matter to Google, just in case the campaign has breached the search engine's guidelines on paying people to link to websites.
In correspondence seen by RollOnFriday, an online marketing agency working for Slater and Gordon contacted a fitness guru informing her that she was a "perfect fit" for the personal injury firm.
The agency asked if the lifestyle blogger would like to join its marketing campaign, although it confessed that the mission "isn't entirely about fitness" (hint: it's the opposite).
The tone of the emails gives the sense that the agency expected bloggers to write about Slater and Gordon as if it was the fourth emergency service. Just one which, uniquely amongst emergency services, would quite like the accident to happen.
The agency suggested ways in which bloggers could crowbar in an advert for Slater and Gordon. It advised the lifestyle blogger to describe ways in which her readers could maim or kill themselves by renovating their deathtrap homes.
The agency also offered an infographic displaying tips, presumably stuff like 'Phone Slater and Gordon if you drill your knees off'. Its inclusion in an article was identified as "optional". But the link to Slater and Gordon was not.
And there was a payment for helping the ambulance chasers, which was described in terms that accurately reflected the whole campaign: budget.
A Slater and Gordon spokesman said, “We seek to inform the public on a range of important subjects, such as health and safety issues and accident prevention. We do this through a number of means – including working with an external agency to produce and distribute relevant content for bloggers to highlight to their audience". He told RollOnFriday, "we expect this outreach to be done in line with best practice and Google’s guidelines", and confirmed, "we have raised the matter with Google and, if any breach is found, we will take all appropriate action”.
Tip Off ROF
In correspondence seen by RollOnFriday, an online marketing agency working for Slater and Gordon contacted a fitness guru informing her that she was a "perfect fit" for the personal injury firm.
The agency asked if the lifestyle blogger would like to join its marketing campaign, although it confessed that the mission "isn't entirely about fitness" (hint: it's the opposite).
The tone of the emails gives the sense that the agency expected bloggers to write about Slater and Gordon as if it was the fourth emergency service. Just one which, uniquely amongst emergency services, would quite like the accident to happen.
The agency suggested ways in which bloggers could crowbar in an advert for Slater and Gordon. It advised the lifestyle blogger to describe ways in which her readers could maim or kill themselves by renovating their deathtrap homes.
Domestic bliss, a loving couple and an accident waiting to happen. Blog it for £50. |
The agency also offered an infographic displaying tips, presumably stuff like 'Phone Slater and Gordon if you drill your knees off'. Its inclusion in an article was identified as "optional". But the link to Slater and Gordon was not.
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And there was a payment for helping the ambulance chasers, which was described in terms that accurately reflected the whole campaign: budget.
A Slater and Gordon spokesman said, “We seek to inform the public on a range of important subjects, such as health and safety issues and accident prevention. We do this through a number of means – including working with an external agency to produce and distribute relevant content for bloggers to highlight to their audience". He told RollOnFriday, "we expect this outreach to be done in line with best practice and Google’s guidelines", and confirmed, "we have raised the matter with Google and, if any breach is found, we will take all appropriate action”.
It is not the first time Slater and Gordon has launched a desperate marketing campaign.
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4th emergency service is surely hardly accurate? Have they read the misleading ads regulations?
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Bless, it's really sweet that you have to ask. Options are:
1: Yourself (known as "The American Option"). Generally considered a bit bonkers, unlikely to work.
2: Your spouse (also part of "The American Option"). Probably best not to do this.
3: You pretend that the injury was incurred outside your home. Usually, say, tripping over a slightly proud paving slab. That normally works. This is called "Doing An Irwins" or "Doing A Slaters". Make sure you go to your GP as soon as possible to say that you tripped, so you have corroborating medical evidence! If no proud paving slabs nearby, simply crowbar one up a bit and say it was that one (this does actually happen). Just make sure not to say that the paving slab was in an area where the pavements are entirely tarmaced. I had a claimant try that once...
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I logged in to post that comment. Did it not work? Gutted.
That was me. Right there. Me.
kthnxbye
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