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Original poster

to think the 'Mumsnet Swears By' email I just recieved....

8 replies

AtYourCervix · 15/06/2011 19:42

is a little bit of shite and just yet more crap unsolicited advertising cluttering up my inbox.

Sorry.

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MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 16/06/2011 12:06

Hello all
No there's no advertising revenue involved now or for the foreseeable future (though we wouldn't want to rule it out forever if it seemed to fit).

The idea behind it (like everything!) is to create something useful to folks. Once it's got going a bit we'd like try to negotiate a discount on the recommended products for mnetters and take an affiliate fee on any sales (like the discount partners) which doesn't make us loadsamoney tbh but which feels like a win, win. Obviously it's not for everyone - some folks are just not interested in buying stuff Shock. Hence the unsubscribe option.

Thanks so much for the feedback re look/title etc - we are certainly looking to tweak and improve over the coming weeks.

MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 16/06/2011 12:21

@Threadworm8

But the foremost motivation is a business one, yes? It is developed as a potential source of profit that is also a servce to users? Rather than as a service to users which is incidentally potentially slightly profitable?

I'm not being negative about it at all -- it is set up in a civilized way that spares the most spam-averse among us from getting it. I just kind of cringe a little bit at the thought of the revenue raising being presented as kind of a serendipitous afterthought to the provision of a service we never knew we needed.

Well in so far as wanting users to find MN useful/likeable is a business one, then yes. Eg the Talk round up was not done for revenue reasons but we think it's worth doing because it's a jolly old thing. Which if you think about it, is probably good for business but it doesn't create a lot of revenue. More so now but not for a long time and we didn't start it to make a buck.

You see it's all so complicated this business thing. Broadly speaking, do we want to make money? Answer yes - we want to pay our staff, pay our bills and even make a profit Shock. Are there lots of things we wouldn't do for cash? Yes. Do other things matter like being useful, liked, admired? Yes. Are the two connected? Yes. Is that why we wouldn't do those things we wouldn't do for cash? Not always - sometimes we just think they're naff.

Clear as mud see.

MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 16/06/2011 12:27

@PaperView

It wouldn't be a 'MN swears by' though would it? It would be Mumsnet is paid to get people to buy from us.

Except that the stuff we swear by is what you swear by on the boards - nothing to do with being paid. And you don't have to receive it - just unsubscribe if you don't likey!

MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 16/06/2011 12:29

@StealthPolarBear

MN corruptly recommends...

Why is it corrupt? I can see if we recommended stuff because we'd been approached by companies, that would be corrupt. But we would NEVER do that. We are merely packaging MNetter recommendations/consensus into a mail in the hope that it's useful
(Sorry for shouting but I'm getting all hot and bovvered)

MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 16/06/2011 12:39

@PaperView

I did Justine :) and also [sorry]

Just because a few people 'swear by' a dress/highchair/babygro doesn't MN does though. It's like that bloody Bear all over again Wink

Well that's one reason why we have Aitch involved to make sure the advice stands up [no pressure, Aitch!]. Basically it will only be as useful as the advice/recommendations. So time will tell. But I think there's a hell of a lot of good buying advice to be got from Mn - in our census out of interest 8/10 respondents said that they routinely consulted mnet before making a major purchase - I know i would too.

MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 16/06/2011 12:46

@StealthPolarBear

Sorry, Justine, that should have had a wink after it. TBH I don't think it's corrupt, but a business decision, which you are justified in making. It was a flippant comment and bears no resemblence to the contents of my brain.

Smile You got me on the wrong day SPB, apologies for being Mrs Sourpuss - got all soggy on the way to work.

MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 16/06/2011 12:47

@exhausted2011

well I think if you like S & B, you will like the email Personally, I come out in hives if I ever stray that way into Style and Beauty!!

I echo NormantheForeman

It will definitely not be confined to S&B - but they do an awful lot of recommendations over there so guess there will be quite a bit of it.

MNHQ

JustineMumsnet · 16/06/2011 12:56

@ChaoticAngelofLitha

"i have never used the partnerships discount scheme thing"

What's the partnerships discount scheme thingy? Confused

partnerships discount thingy

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