Sylwia Presley

‘Buy Yourself a Blogger, Price starts from 699 PLZ’

On March 4, the ‘Buy Yourself a Blogger’ campaign kicked off in Poland to raise funds for Paula (Paulina) Pruska [PL], who won the ‘Blog of the Year 2009′ prize – and who suffers from a rare type of a cancer and uses her on-line journal to fight for her own cause (read more about it in this earlier GV text).

Four leading marketing and advertising bloggers – Irena Mrozek [PL], Maciej Budzich [PL] , Jacek Gadzinowski [PL] and Natalia Hatalska [PL] – are auctioning away [PL] a 4-hour workshop on the new media and marketing, to be conducted by the four bloggers together. They are also advocating for Paulina by auctioning away a new laptop [PL].

Blogger Natalia Hatalska, who came up with the idea, explains [PL] the target audience of this fundraising campaign:

The ‘Buy Yourself a Blogger’ action is directed mainly at companies and agencies that care for deepening their understanding of the new media, blogs and unconventional means of communication. A laptop, on the other hand, is aimed at the readers of our blogs. Both actions, however, are equally targeted at those who want to and can help Paulina. We hope that this solution will help us to raise more money.

The campaign provoked mixed initial reactions. Mały MarketingOwiec responds to Natalia Hatalska’s announcement post, saying [PL]:

a really cool idea I hope that the auction will lead to the planned effect… I wonder, however, if it would not be better to organise a workshop/seminar of some kind for a larger audience. Naturally, every place would have to cost a predefined amount of money

I can only support this action by writing about it on my blog etc

A similar sentiment is expressed by Krzysiek on a discussion forum [PL]:

So what? Shall we collect some money? xD

Dominik Sipowicz mentions [PL] the taxing of the auctioned items:

March 5, Friday, 2 PM – the auction already has 1855 views. Nice results. I wonder what the case with the tax is

Krasus posts [PL] a comment on Maciej Budzich’s post, slightly criticising him for potential use of the auction to raise bloggers popularity:

It’s super that we have actions like this one. But you know, Maciek, someone might say that…. you are promoting yourself based on someone’s unhappiness! ;P Of course I added the widget on my site:)

Przemysław Żyła expresses his full support:

I’m signing it with my hands and legs – http://blogpr.pl and http://auditlog.pl support the action!!!

The links above lead to two blogs with embedded widgets of the campaign.

‘charitable auction, check it out!’

In one of those posts, Przemysław Żyła strongly criticises [PL] people who perceive this campaign as an attempt to increase popularity of the four bloggers, who already have an established on-line presence:

I am convinced that all of those people who spend their time and knowledge have no need to build their image on-line through actions like this one. The criticism should be addressed towards those who criticize it or simply pretend they do not notice initiatives of this type.

We keep our fingers crossed for the project and […] encourage everyone to join and support the cause in any possible form:)!

Mały MarketingOwiec appears vocal on this blog as well, supporting [PL] the above opinion:

I believe that all the media and marketing specialists mentioned above already have quite a strong position and have built up their image (not only on the Internet).

Paulina Pruska adds her take [PL] on the auction:

I do not know how many similar forms of compassion I am about to experience, but I know that what you are giving me is priceless… You people are wonderful. The most wonderful. In the entire world. I have no idea how I can thank you and Natalia H. Maybe with heart beat lasting for many years? I simply have no words…

‘Buy Yourself a Blogger’ has raised 1,259 PLZ (445 USD) from the workshop auction and 1,500 PLZ (528 USD) from the laptop auction so far. Bloggers will continue both auctions until March 18.

This post has been originally written for and posted at Global Voices Online.