Samsung to bloggers: Promote our products at IFA or walk home
Memo to bloggers: If Samsung offers to fly you to an event, make sure you have your own return-trip ticket.
According to a detailed story in The Next Web, some time back Samsung reportedly reached out to some mobile-tech bloggers in India and offered to fly them to the IFA 2012 conference now underway in Berlin. One of the bloggers -- Clinton Jeff of New Delhi -- said he made clear that he would only attend the conference as a reporter, and that he would not be doing any promotional work for the company. Samsung reportedly had no issues with that.
In the weeks leading up to the conference, however, the bloggers encountered a number of warning signs -- such as Samsung's request for their clothing measurements. And sure enough, upon arrival in Berlin, the bloggers were presented with Samsung shirts, told to report for uniform fitting, and informed that they'd be manning a Samsung booth throughout the conference -- where they'd be "showing the products to members of the press."