Podcasters see press releases and e-mails on a regular basis from Podcasting companies that try to ride on the coattails of their successful shows. Today I received an e-mail from a very distressed podcaster that is part of our Blubrry community on the inappropriate use of their show name in a mass mailing e-mail from a podcast companies PR firm.
It just so happens this individual is part of an advertising deal with us and while we would never claim to have exclusive rights to a show we would never be so forward as to use their name in a press release to help create the spin for a future service without their permission.
To go further the individual was pretty upset that this company was using their show name in e-mails to podcasters in claiming that they were part of their podcasting family. The forwarded e-mail made it sound like the show was owned by the company.
While it is up to the individual podcaster to protects their own brand. It is also about time that podcast companies start having full disclosure in their press releases especially when the quoted shows are simply listed on a site, or are just using a service they offer. It is one thing to be using a companies service but it is quite another to be used as part of a marketing campaign wrongfully.