3BlackDot has taken a little bit of heat as of late when it came to its decision to hire a number of popular YouTube stars for promotional purposes. It stated that even though it knows the concerns over objective coverage and paid promotion, it doesn’t believe that money has any sort of influence over those who signed up.

The deal brought in a number of groups, including YouTubers Syndicate and SeaNanners, in an effort to produce paid-for promotional work for the new site.

When asked about the dangers of walking that line, a company representative reached out to discuss the matter. “We do not believe authenticity and compensation are mutually exclusive,” they said. “Understanding that there is a fine line, we do not believe that authenticity is inherently jeopardized if people are compensated for their efforts. The promotion, marketing, and distribution we provide is for products we believe in. We would never put our audience at risk by working with products or services we cannot get behind. Authenticity is our absolute guiding principle.”

They were quick to note that YouTubers could still produce their own material, alongside the promotional work that they were doing for the site. “Our belief is that Influencers should have the freedom to work with any client that aligns with their brand,” says 3BlackDot. “Part of the value 3BD brings to the table is being able to help Influencers identify authentic integration opportunities and managing the relationships.”

They continued, “If and when necessary, paid promotions will be labeled as such,” the company statement maintains. “Transparency is key to maintaining an open and clear relationship between Influencers and their communities. We are currently working on how to best denote their relationship with 3BD.”

It’ll be interesting to see where it goes from here. What do you think Does 3BlackDot have a point…

Source: GamesIndustry International