Samsung brought bloggers to Berlin and does not give return tickets without working out

    A major IFA exhibition is taking place in Berlin these days: a big celebration for everyone, but not for the pair of Indian bloggers who came to the event at the invitation of Samsung . These guys were literally taken hostage: the company refuses to provide them with return tickets, demanding that they work at the corporate stand in the company uniform.



    Distributing free tickets or even product samples to bloggers is a common thing for large companies. Thus, they hope that the authors mentioned the company in their notes. Samsung India also launched the Samsung Mob! Ler program in their country. There were a lot of people who wanted to, but two won the lucky tickets to Berlin, including Clinton Jeff, author of the Unleash the Phones blog. However, an unpleasant surprise awaited bloggers upon arrival in Berlin.

    Strange things began to happen on the first day, when a Samsung representative warned bloggers to come to the “orientation” the next day at 8:00 in the morning, sign the NDA and get the Samsung uniform. Bloggers were at a loss, because they came here for another job: they wanted to be the first to write about Note 2 and new products from other companies on their blogs. What is another NDA?

    But then it turned out worse. It turned out that T-shirts are not a gift, but a uniform for working at the Samsung stand. A company representative said that they are required to put on shirts and work all day at the exhibition stand, talking with reporters and talking about the company's mobile devices.

    That was already too much. Bloggers explained that they flew here to write news and not work at the company's booth. The guys were taken to one of the main PRs, who listened to them with a stern face and said that the company needs time to decide what to do in such a situation. Soon, a representative from Samsung India called them and said that they would either work at the stand or they would be canceled return flights from Berlin and driven out of the hotel. A few minutes later, the threats came to life: a company representative called again and said that the tickets for September 6 were canceled. Moreover, they will not receive new tickets if they tell someone about this conflict.

    The bloggers did not have money for return tickets, but they did not agree completely to the terms of the company: they took part in the Samsung Unpacked event, but refused to wear Samsung branded T-shirts and sneakers, for which they earned disapproving views from bloggers from other countries - also program participants Samsung's Mob! Ler - which worked in uniform.

    The next day, bloggers received a letter demanding to leave the hotel as soon as possible, while they were not given return tickets. Clinton Jeff transmitted this story to the press yesterday . He says that some other company agreed to help in this situation: they paid him a hotel before the end of the exhibition (September 5) and promised to buy tickets for his homeland.

    UPD Fastwith an explanation of some points and the difference between the status of reporters and promoters for the program Samsung Mob! ler. In short, the guys were first taken as reporters, but at the last moment they were re-qualified as promoters with their consent, without really explaining the essence of the work.

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