This blog has been
a labor of love since I launched it on October 9, 2005. But even love needs a helping hand in paying
the bills, so I am accepting advertising from now on.
You must have
noticed the VinoClic logo over the
past couple of weeks. This is an
advertising syndicate started by Filippo
Ronco, a young Genoa-based entrepreneur and wine blogger. From October 2, there will be ads in them thar banners.
So Mondosapore will accept ads, other ads too – but with
some guidelines that I have borrowed from my friend in Verona, Giampiero Nadali, alias Aristide.
* Mondosapore will
not, for now, accept ads from wine producers or firms that own wineries. This is something that we – Filippo,
Giampiero and I – have discussed at length. What's left? Plenty -- regional wine consortia, tour operators, glass manufacturers, restaurants, lodgings, etc., etc.
* Mondosapore will
do everything possible to avoid conflicts of interest. Which means that freedom of expression, of
opinion, will continue to be valued above all things. What good is a blog that the reader suspects
is tainted by such conflicts?
* This blog will
accept ads from those who do not have a financial interest in any
wineries. Same and obvious reasons.
My Italian fellow
bloggers and I hope to maximize our
efforts through a true collaboration and a single focus: stay true to ourselves
(and our readers) while giving our advertisers a congenial editorial
environment for their messages.
well, what else are you supposed to do? I've kept http://www.koeppelonwine.com going for almost two years with a handful of subscribers and lots of outlay on my part on wine, design and design changes and so on. Every time I post a page I lose money. AND I'm launching a blog (food, wine, restaurant criticism and commentary and industry issues) in a few weeks. Yes, the blog will have advertising. And eventually, the website will have to also. I like your guidelines and will follow them. The point is, these things cost money and they can't remain hobbies.
Posted by: Fredric Koeppel | September 28, 2006 at 05:44 PM
me too!!! ;-)
ciao carissimo!!Manca 1 mese al ns arrivo.. ,-)
Posted by: Gourmet | September 28, 2006 at 05:45 PM
Thanks, FK, and the best of luck on your new blog (and revised site). I'm sure you'll attract some terrific advertisers.
Cara, non vedo l'ora! NYC vi aspetta. E ho visto che ci hai il logo di VinoClic, brava!
Posted by: Terry Hughes | September 28, 2006 at 06:04 PM
By the way, you can thank Giampiero (Aristide) Nadali for the original formulation of the guidelines. I did soften them a bit, I admit, "for now" and so on. As I told him, "I don't want to die with a piece of chalk in my hand."
Posted by: Terry Hughes | September 28, 2006 at 06:08 PM
"From October 2, there will be ads in them thar banners."
Them thar - I reckon you must be spending too much time in Virgina, or with Virginians!!
Posted by: Richard | September 29, 2006 at 10:09 AM
Hey, Yankee, them's mah kinfolk yer dumpin' on!
Actually, wasn't "them thar hills" something that the pioneers of the old west used to say? At least in the movies.
Posted by: Terry Hughes | September 29, 2006 at 04:26 PM