Product Endorsement

This post is a product/company endorsement which is posted as if it is solely personal in nature. Because social media is so heavily trafficked, companies that once relied on home parties or door to door sales, now utilize Facebook through the posts of its “team members.” Not only is this an effective way to create brand recognition, it also builds on the ethos of the company as everyone who sees the ad has a personal connection with the team member posting it. Notably, some Facebook users see this kind of post as a violation of purpose, a misrepresentation of the personal with the underlying purpose to peddle. Regardless of this opinion, these company representatives work hard to keep their product in the Facebook feed, sometimes posting multiple times a week with varying endorsements.

Facebook events also act as product endorsements. The traditional host party has been replaced by a digital version complete with party games, product features, and a gathering of friends. Unlike the traditional gathering, these events happen over longer periods of time. Throughout the window, the host acts as a page monitor suggesting games, encouraging purchases, and promoting products. Some view this digital event as more convenient because it allows friends across geographic ranges to gather in a virtual common place without demanding schedules be rearranged. Others view these events as shallow replacements holding the pushing of products over the authentic social engagement of real life parties.