When the food turned sour…
The other evening I was invited to attend an intimate dinner at an exclusive underground restaurant called Sotto Terra hosted by Food Network chef George Duran and Supermarket Guru Phillip Lempert. We were promised a delicious Italian 4-course meal and scintillating conversation on the latest food trends with other foodies. I was salivating at the thought of this meal and it was long due for a date night with my husband. He doesn’t often partake in my Blogger perks but he was definitely interested in this one.
Even more exciting was that I was allowed to offer this same amazing experience to one of my readers and their guest. My excitement was palpable. I was tweeting away, getting my friends to share and spread the news. When it was time to draw the winner, I was pleasantly surprised to see the entrant and winner (out of 119 entries) was none other than my children’s pediatrician and his wife (who is a loyal Mom Confessionals reader)!
When I congratulated my winner and gave her the details, I promised it was going to be an amazing night and they could acknowledge my husband and I or simply enjoy the meal between the two of them. I myself couldn’t wait for what promised to be a delicious meal. You see, life’s been a little rough these days for my family. My mother was recently diagnosed with cancer and I was desperately trying to study for my NCLEX, it was hard to find a balance between being supportive to the woman who gave me life and studying for an exam that would change the course of our future for my family. On Monday of this past week, I took my exam and the night before this dinner, I found out that I had passed — I was now and RN! My entire family had worked, supported me in my pursuit and it had finally paid off! A huge weight had lifted off my shoulders and finally allowed me to fully focus on my mother and her needs. I felt this dinner was going to be our brief moment to celebrate. My husband was excited. It’s not often that we take the time out sans children to just enjoy each other. I think we both really needed this.
The night of this exclusive dinner at Sotto Terra came. Despite the 4 hour chaos of trying to finding my sister at JFK after her plane landed but was not heard from, who flew home to be with our mother. I got home a half hour before I had to leave for dinner. I got dressed as quick as I could, let the kids reintroduce themselves to their Aunt who they hadn’t seen in months. I found my cleanest pressed pants and fancy top, put on a little make up even remembering to put on my earrings for a little sparkle. I was suppose to pick up my husband at 5:00pm but as I was running late, he graciously told me he would simply meet me downtown, allowing me not to have to detour through midtown and its traffic knowing being late is one of my biggest pet peeves. I got into the city and parked by 5:50pm. I couldn’t believe that I made it on time but couldn’t wait to get this dinner started.
I already knew this dinner was going to be hosted in a private brownstone and was thrilled to greet my guests right at the front door. We ooohed and aaaaahed at the decorations and set up. The wife was so excited to meet chef George Duran. I obviously hadn’t done my research on him, but knowing he was from the Food Network was all the validation I needed. I was sure we were in for a treat. I even drank a glass of sangria for the first time in years. I am typically not a drinker but this was a night of celebration. I sat and chatted with my guests and my husband. They told me how excited they were for this dinner. How they had gotten a sitter to watch their 4 children and he even left his practice early to make this dinner his wife was so eager for. She was a huge George Duran fan. She couldn’t believe that he was actually here with us!
We noshed on delicious endive salad bites. The mood in the air was light and cheerful. Moments later we descended down into the dining area. More oooohs and aaaaahs erupted. Lots of pictures were taken. For those who know me, I’m not an adventurous eater. I love my basics and usually will never veer off my favorites but this was an experience and I was going for it. I didn’t snub one dish. I drank up the Watermelon and Cucumber Gazpacho shots. Chowed down on the Strawberry Arugula Salad with Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette. Devoured the Herbed Cheesy Garlic Bread. I was a little disappointed that the main course was simply Lasagna but I was sure that we were in for a treat at the hands of chef George Duran. When it came out, it was nothing spectacular, it was good, I wasn’t wowed like I was with the other dishes but it was good. I cleansed my palate on a Mojito Granita shot, there seemed to be a lot of alcohol consumption on my part, well a lot for someone who never drinks. I obsessed over the Razzleberry Pie a la mode and then the bomb dropped.
Our entire meal was a SHAM! We were unwilling participants in a bait-and-switch for Marie Callender’s new frozen three cheese lasagna and there were cameras watching our reactions. I’ve got a sense of humor so I was okay with it and I had been enjoying myself up until that point, but I could tell that the rest of the participants were not. Everyone feigned weak shock and faked approval of the frozen meal. My guests were eager to leave all of a sudden and refused to sign the release. I felt awful! The conversation had fallen to an awkward silence as our hosts tried to fill in the empty air. When suggested we move the conversation back upstairs, everyone took themselves upstairs and out the door, include myself, my husband and our guests. I must have been still somewhat hopeful when my guest asked me so is Sotto Terra real or not? I said I thought it still might be a project that chef George and Phil were working on. I realize how stupid and gullible I must have sounded later.
The first thing out of my husband’s mouth was waste of time and I was reduced to tears. Not only had I been duped but now my husband was mad at me and my guests/pediatrician must of thought of me terribly. Its even crossed my mind that I may need to find a new pediatrician, I was that embarrassed. My only comfort was as we left, his wife said to me, Thank God he at least cooked the rest of the meal. But that also hinted at the major disappointment.
Always trying to think positive, I still felt I learned a lot that night. I learned about Community Supported Agriculture – CSA’s and how to be an informed consumer of seafood through an iPhone app called Seafood Watch. But I was gently reminded this morning that this was an example of PR agencies undervaluing bloggers and their lack of care for my online reputation. I was set up to promote this event to my readers and as such, when I’m excited I love to share. I put my name out there based on the information I received from them and got burned in a big way. If only I had took the time to check my twitter feed while taking my mom to Sloan Kettering and picking my sister up from the airport, I might have caught the warnings but I had to be offline to put my family first.
I want to deeply apologize to my winner and her husband, my children’s beloved pediatrician. They were expecting an amazing meal and a true experience at the hands of famous Food Network chef they were fans of and were left with a really foul taste in their mouths. I too was completely surprised and I promise you, had I known, I would not have encouraged you to sacrifice your valuable time and money only to be tricked. I am profoundly embarrassed and hope that you will accept my sincerest apologies.
I cancelled when I heard this info from other folks about your fraud of an evening. And remember your undervalue was also from the mom blogger group that sponsored this.
Mitch, I’m assuming you mean Food Network chef George Duran’s Fraud of an evening
This is awful and sugar it’s not your fault and I’m so sorry this happened to you. I’m truly disappointed by Food Network chef George Duran. Can I bash them on twitter? I will happily share your experience, cause this, this has ticked me off big time.
And again, it’s not your fault. It’s not like it was something you could evaluate before promoting. You trusted in a well known brand and this just stinks. I’m so sorry. And I’m so mad.
Wow! That was very underhanded and you have every right to be upset!!
Wow. I can’t believe what happened. Not cool, but it’s not YOUR fault, you were mislead also. I am sure that your guests do not blame you.
I am so sorry this happened to you. I can’t believe someone actually thought this whole idea was actually something people would want to be a part of. Obviously this is not your fault and I’m sure your guests will not hold it against you. {hugs}
I’m so sorry this happened to you. I was invited as well and it was a really difficult thing for me to turn down. When I think of the lengths I almost went to to attend I get even madder.
I think bloggers are often thought of as simply members of the general public, eager to get whatever free scraps are thrown at us. No thought is given to the years we work to build up our reputations and followings, or the time and money we spend attending events.
If they don’t already know where the blame lies for their ruined evening, I’m sure that after reading this your guests will understand that you were duped.
I guess the lesson for all of us is that we need to ask more questions and know what we are promoting. We are not simply lucky random people getting a free night out, we are business people who should have the choice to promote a certain product or not.
I am of the firm opinion that blogger outreach should never be done by someone who hasn’t first had a blog. A blogger is not a news outlet, a focus group coordinator, or an unwitting participant in a promotional stunt. S/he is a person who has built a community based on trust, mutual interest, and mutual respect.
A blogger only has one reputation to sacrifice. A young PR person can always move on to a different brand, account, or agency. Not so for the blogger s/he tanked in something like this.
Fortunately, most people can see finding themselves in this situation and sympathizing with the blogger… not the folks who perpetrated this ‘sham dinner.’
Wow that is really rotten. You did nothing wrong at all and should not feel bad. I would be very unhappy if this happened to me
Thanks for a great and honest post. I think the bait and switch is quite distasteful and plain dishonest.
I am so glad It worked out that I did not end up going. I hope the PR folks as well as chef whats his name and Marie callendar, I remember you talking about date night, what a disappointment. What gets me is that they aske you to invite guests and then screw them as well
Wow! They had nerve! Cannot believe they thought anyone would sign those releases after that stunt. Marie Callendar should be embarassed, as should the companies and chefs who leant their names to the stunt. I can see running a focus group and letting people try a new food, set it up like a restaurant, and asking for people’s opinions but this–this is over the top! As others have said, it’s not your fault, and though I know I’d feel bad too, really there’s no real reason to.
How dare someone be asked to give an honest review of food even if it doesn’t match your “fancy” foods. Sounds like someone is more of a “label” critic than an actual food critic.
Yeah, I’m a ‘label’ critic, I actually have to eat this stuff (the actual Marie Callender frozen lasagna).
My beef with the whole affair would be that I found out I was eating _Marie Callender_ and not an frozen food item from a ‘supposed’ George Duran private label brand. (Such private labels do exist.)
Within the frozen food section, Marie Callender’s quality is average and _not_ top of the line, it baffles me why they even thought that the ‘bait-and-switch’ would even work.
I made Lon (husband) cancel other plans of his to come to this dinner with me. We rarely go out with the new baby and this was such a waste of our night. Thanks for writing up this piece. People need to know!
First of all, congratulations on becoming a RN! You are balancing so much and you did it! As for the bait and switch, I am shocked and saddened. I would feel the same way – as a blogger for putting your name out there to vouch for them and they ended up being a sham, and as a busy mother for going out of your way to have a special meal with friends and then they did this. I’m glad you wrote this post. Bloggers beware!
Thanks Maria! Yes, definitely a major lesson learned.
While I will be sharing my experience on my blog without holding back, as a food blogger, whose reputation is built entirely on my taste in food, reporting that taste honestly, and sharing my opinion regardless of it being a freebie or something I paid for with my own money, I have a slightly different view of the night. Have you ever seen those Pizza Hut commercials, where they talk about “We took over an Italian restaurant and served these people Pizza Hut pasta, and they loved it” – this is the same concept. Is it right? I think there’s a fine line there; the people who willingly comment in the commercials clearly signed those releases and wanted to be on TV or wanted to just share an opinion. That’s fine. I’ve never recognized anyone food-related in those TV spots.
However, speaking personally, I don’t feel as annoyed as most people around me seem to be. Maybe it’s because I don’t feel like I misrepresented myself – I ate only half the lasagna and my companions were all a little suspicious of the dish for our own reasons (the sausage bits were too uniform; the noodles were a little soft; it was a little too salty but in that subtle prepared-food way), and I firmly believe that my reaction when George said “This was frozen!” spoke for itself. “Oh, yeah? Okay.” The lasagna was sufficient. This type of event, however, would have been best opened to your average eater, someone who doesn’t write about food for a living, someone who doesn’t analyze what she is tasting in great detail and try to pick out what’s in there. (Seriously, if you’re talking about sustainability and CSAs – speaking of which, check the site justfood.org, and NOT all CSAs are from upstate OR organic, but always local, so make sure they are organic if that is something you care about – why is there no fresh basil on the plate? Why is there dried parsley scattered on top? Why… it just didn’t add up.)
This may also be because I had the opportunity to talk to George later and I didn’t get the feeling he really knew how scummy everyone felt the event was. I think this was just a poorly thought out campaign to promote something – and not well, because I don’t think anyone left with a positive opinion of the experience.
What it boils down to, for me, then, is that the camera (which we noticed towards the beginning of the meal) was pointed directly at my part of the table. None of us signed the release forms, and they can’t use any of the footage they got of me doing the ‘big reveal’ – and even if they tried, I was honest to him that the lasagna was fine. Nothing more, nothing less. I just don’t feel as tricked as everyone else, I guess, so while I understand where you’re coming from, I don’t necessarily feel the same way.
In any case, I hope when next we meet – I will be sure to say hi and introduce myself properly this time – it is under better circumstances and we both leave very happy
Thanks for this perspective. I wasn’t there, but was thinking the same thing. You were right on about the audience being completely wrong — but maybe they wanted foodies to see what educated food lovers thought.
It’s always the way things are handled and not what happened that makes a campaign a total flop or not. I would like to hear how they respond to all of this negative chatter.
I’m reading this from Australia where we are still quite behind with blogging for commercial purposes, but we are getting there. I am sad to hear you guys were treated this way. I wonder if the PR agents understand how upsetting and disrespectful this was? I’m guessing it was a hope to take off the pizza hut ads as your reader above suggested. Using real people who don’t know they are really on camera must appeal more? Underhanded though.
Thanks for sharing as it makes me more aware and want to ask more questions.
I’m hope your husband chilled out and said sorry? Nothing worse then having someone mad at you when you already feel silly. I also hope your guests undertsand too that you were taken advantage of but that you learnt some really valuable lessons from the experience.
Good luck also with becoming a RN too!!
Take care xx
That is awful. I would never work with that PR firm again. I’m sure they are scouting a new batch of bloggers as I type this message. That’s what happens when you burn bridges.
I am stunned at how disrespectful they were of you and your guests, not even considering for one moment how important it is for bloggers to maintain a positive relationship with our audience. Shame on them.
Hi. Sounds like this will definitely become a case study for what not to do. As a PR person (who is disappointed you had this experience), I’m curious, how do you know a PR agency was behind this? Also, if the lasagna would have been absolutely delicious, would you feel different about what happened?
I’m interested in these details to use this scenario as a teaching moment for my young team and to educate other PR people who might not be experienced dealing with bloggers. Thanks… and I hope you’ll set aside another night to celebrate your hard-earned accomplishment, even if it is just over take-out at your own kitchen table.
Hi Dana – I can’t speak for the blogger, but as someone who was invited to the same event (and didn’t attend), we were contacted by the PR agency, and invited by the PR agency directly – not the brand, not the Chef’s representatives. The invitation and all communication presented this as an exclusive dining experience at an underground (temporary) restaurant.
I have worked with Con Agra food PR reps in the past, as a matter of fact, the spokesperson for Con Agra was a co-host for the event (which honestly was what was suspicious to me). The invite came from the PR firm that represents this company in all their social media efforts.
As a former PR professional myself, and current blogger (in travel and food), I can pretty much guarantee that the PR firm was very involved in the development of this campaign. I mean, we know that we don’t just function off of blind directives from a brand right? We all know that as PR professionals it is OUR job to guide the brand through successful media campaigns, not the other way around, right?
Now, would I say that the firm, the chef, and all those involved approached this with maliciousness? No. I’m sure they approached this clearly from a marketing and PR perspective. The Pizza Hut and Domino’s commercials/campaigns were in fact very successful and helped these brands to steer consumer thought away from the denting generalizations of unhealthiness and distastefulness of their products. When, looking at the statistics and marketing responsiveness to these campaigns, one sees success and it would make sense that from that perspective one would want to try to replicate it.
However, once thing I have always told PR and marketing professionals is that when wanting to work in the Social Media realm, you have to abandon the traditional approaches of the business, because you are dealing with a different beast (let the response to this campaign serve as exhibit A).
As a normal consumer I have been a part of focus groups, where a lot is kept confidential even from me, release forms are signed and yes, some unexpected surprises come up, and feedback is gathered. I have also been PAID for this. Yes…I was PAID for my time to participate in these focus groups and provide my feedback, and give permission to use that feedback for marketing purposes.
This campaign was nothing more than a focus group promoted instead as an event. No compensation was provided, and though we bloggers are also consumers, we were targeted not as such, but as MEDIA REPRESENTATIVES. We were invited to promote the event through a giveaway to our audience (more consumers) and we were led to believe this was an opportunity to taste dishes prepared by a celebrity chef.
To attend these “exclusive events” we often do not get paid, and they can be costly because we invest in babysitting, transportation, not to mention the logistical management needed to coordinate it all. We then go home and, if we choose to, blog (market, promote, spread the message) of what we experienced, learned, gathered from the event and the brand(s) involved.
I didn’t go, but to answer your question, if the lasagna was good would it have made a difference? NO.
Because this was not an event. This was a lure to an unpaid, focus group session promoted as an exclusive dinner party. If they wanted to get people’s reactions, host a paid focus group session….get creative with it (that’s the job of the PR/event rep after all) to try to maintain as much anonymity as possible, but don’t waste the time of PROFESSIONAL BLOGGERS/WRITERS and that of their AUDIENCE with a lie.
Was it malicious intent? Absolutely not. Lack of thought? Yes. Lack of insight? Yes. Failure to understand and know your targeted market? Absolutely.
Someone needs to revisited how social media works and best practices to successfully work with bloggers.
That is all.
AMEN NYCITY MAMA…AFREAKINMEN!
ditto
Thanks for the details, Carol. I’m fascinated by the entire situation. I agree with your comments on the difference between a focus group and an exclusive event. No one — regardless of if you are a blogger or not — likes to have her time wasted. What a shame that this happened.
I’ll be sharing your assessment, along with all of the other comments, with my team tomorrow. Thank you again for the extra details so that I can better educate my PR staff and clients.
Hi Carol! Just to clarify, I actually wasn’t invited by ConAgra or a PR company. I was invited by the Motherhood. So those clues you spoke of, I didn’t get. I believe this invitation was sent through several different outlets. All in all lesson learned.
Yeah, what Carol said. A to the MEN!
The other critical piece that the PR firm was missing was knowledge about their consumer and target audience. Food bloggers and foodies would not purchase frozen processed food for the most part. Wrong audience, wrong tactic, wrong execution.
+1.
I keep getting back to this post & comments today. It’s pretty much the definitive example of why this event was a bad idea.
What I don’t understand is why a PR agency (any PR agency) doesn’t reach out to someone (like, say, you…) who understands both the PR world and the blogger world when it comes to doing blogger outreach to a community like this one. If they had flown this pitch by someone who is a foodie blogger and said “what would you think if…?” The likelihood is that they would get a response not unlike yours. “Not the best idea. You are asking these people to attend an event where they have to pay the expenses of getting there, you are inviting a reader under false pretenses, and you are essentially being bait-and-switched. Maybe reconfigure it as a night of ‘fresh baked or frozen?’ where the attendees are doing a blind taste-test but know what they’re in for?”
Meh. Love you more than I did before this comment, which is to say, a lot. And hooked on Suzanne’s blog now.
Wow, I can understand your disappointment. I would be livid to unknowingly be served a dinner filled with preservatives and chemicals (frozen food). That was just wrong! Shame on the hosts. Talk about a bait and switch.
You were mislead which as your guests know – was not your fault. So sorry to hear this happened. Your integrity is intact.
so sorry to your guest and you i would have been mortified as well… PR thinks we are idiots at times. they wish to pay us with peanuts.
Wow I am really sad that this happened to you! I think that much of your anger (and mine too!) comes from the fact that they misrepresented the meal to you and then in turn invited you to misrepresent it to your readers! Somehow things didn’t add up and I think it was really a deceitful thing to do. There were other ways they could have run a similar campaign that didn’t include duping you and your readers!
For me the worst part is that they had you promote it to your readers and pick a winner. Not nice at all.
As far as the comment about the commercials where restaurants are taken over, I’m pretty sure if it is a national commercial all the people in it are making big bucks. People do not do commercials for free. You get paid big money to be part of a national commercial.
OH suzanne- I am SPEECHLESS!! SHAME on the company who invited you and orchestrated all this- KNOWING what the real deal was — I was ALMOST about to go on my birthday– THANK goodness I didn’t or else I would’ve been SO pissed off!What BLATANT misrepresentation- to the point of NASEUM!
I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to comment on this and you had to experience it for yourself.
I was one of the first to attend this unfortunate evening and thought by Tweeting about it, I was warning others. I decided not to blog about it bc I’m pressed for time this week, read that another blogger actually enjoyed the event, and quite frankly, don’t want to give Marie Callender/ConAgra any more press.
I knew as soon as I arrived at Sotto Terra that something was amiss. When I introduced myself to the PR reps, I immediately asked what the format for the evening was, what they hoped the take away for guests would be, what the hashtag for the event was etc, and they were oddly evasive and didn’t answer other than to say we were going have dinner downstairs. I should have left at that point but I didn’t want to be impolite.
The dining room was uncomfortably warm and we spent an HOUR AND A HALF discussing food fears, sustainability and CSAs. One of my fellow diners confided that after years of struggling with her weight and eating diet frozen meals, she worries about the long-term consequences of a high sodium diet. Another, spoke about losing her family’s Korean food traditions by buying frozen and pre-mixed ingredients for holiday dinners. One by one, we went around the table and discussed our fears and our concerns for our children.
My cousin, who I invited to be my guest, doesn’t eat meat and there was no alternative other than the sausage and pepperoni lasagna. We had no opportunity to even speak to one another as there were no breaks in the formal discussion led by the two chefs. At one point, I turned to her and asked if she wanted to leave. She joked that maybe Pizza Hut was going to jump out like in the commercial.
I am still very angry about this huge waste of time. I paid for a babysitter, a taxi both ways, turned down another (legitimate) invitation for that night, invited my cousin who didn’t even get a proper meal, and was asked to do a giveaway on blog which could have alienated the reader base I have worked so hard to build. I have thought about this from every angle and I just can’t understand what ConAgra hoped to gain with feeding us frozen, processed food while engaging us in an hour+ long convo about healthy eating. For the record, I have nothing against frozen food or even fast food for that matter. Had they been upfront about who the sponsor was and what they hoped to accomplish, there is a good chance I may still have attended.
Luckily, this is the most disappointing experience I’ve had as a blogger. I’d like to think that I learned a valuable lesson about attending events without a clear understanding, upfront, of what the takeaway is for my readers but the PR team and hosts were purposely misleading us.
if they had simply invited guests and fed them a meal, i would say that the deception was not purposeful. but if, from what i’m reading from different sources, they walked guests through a discussion about CSAs, GMOs and processed foods and then FED THEM THAT FOOD, it was purposefully deceptive. they clearly wanted to video foodies saying that they would never eat these frozen meals and then show them “enjoying” frozen meals. it’s mean. it’s deceptive and just plain wrong.
i am not, however, surprised to hear that ConAgra and Food TV would be involved in this type of trickery. they wanted people to look and feel dumb. i hope that all of the attendees let them know that they were the stupid ones.
I have to say that my heart aches for you. It’s not about the food, it’s about the experience involved with the event. I’m so very sorry this happened to ANYONE and I also would have been very irate at the event. Again, the food could have been the most wonderful thing imaginable, but when the sourness overbears the sweet of the evening I also would have been disgusted.
Suzanne,
I am sorry that you had to experience this. Not only is a huge task to arrange to make it to events (babysitters, transportation, parking) it takes time away from our time away from writing. You have had such a week of success and stress in your own life. By the way, congratulations on becoming an RN and I wish your mother a very speedy recovery. Here, you made it a priority to attend an event that you felt was a good use of your time.
Please know that this was not your fault and is not a typical situaiton. Howver, when things like this do happen, it makes us more aware of the next event we decide to promote and attend.
As you know, I cover a lot of Jewish events. I have to tell you that one of the worst PR experiences I had was at a Jewish event. I schlepped my kids in the car as soon as they got home from school and drove to my husband’s office in Brooklyn. I jumped out of the car, he jumped in and drove back home. I got on the train and went all the way (over an hour via the train) to the event. I arrived (and was allowed to invite a friend who was on her way from downtown). So, I arrive and went to get my nametag and nothing. The people at the sign-in desk said that I had to speak to the PR guy. I approached him and he took me aside and said that there was a mistake. A mistake??? Are you kidding me? He asked my my blog name and how many followers I had. Excuse me? Did you think about that when you sent me an email that I could attend and bring a friend?? He said that they had given out too many tickets to the concert (part of the event) and he would see what he could do. Really?
I had to stand outside the cocktail event like an outcast, waiting for him to let me know what was happening. This has never happened to me before…ever. I was ashamed that it was a Jewish event that had the worst PR people ever. I was waiting for him for longer than I wanted and I finally let him her me out. I was not a happy camper. After a few minutes, I literally started to get tears in my eyes (exhaustion and frustation)and he finally realized that he was wrong. He came back with my tickets. At that point, it wasn’t about the event anymore, it was about being treated with respect.
I will never work with this person again. Not event if they paid me!!
Here is to learning from our mistakes and never treating other bloggers so badly!
Oh Esti! I am so sorry that happened to you. You’re such a sweetheart too! I can’t imagine what that PR person was thinking. Shame on them for not valuing your time more.
It is a shame that your politeness and overall pleasant manner were manipulated by the Corporate Slob Chef George Duran and his Sidekick Mr. Arrogance Himself: Lempert. I went to this meal as a winner of a contest and I am disgusted by what they did. It is the true definition of trash when kindness is taken advantage of for the benefit of making money and trying to put a glimmer on a sub-par product. There must be a way a complaint can be filed against this P.R. Campaign. I am disgusted by what they put me through. Is it legal to videotape a person without them knowing?
Suzanne, I am so sorry that you have to go through this experience. I too, was invited to this event, but could not make it as I was out of the country. But geez…. now I am glad that I could not attend. This is so disheartening, especially since your readers were involved in this experience.
Oh wow! What a horror story! I’m so glad that you shared your experience with us!!
Your embarrassment is palpable in the post, and I’m so sorry you had to have this pressure added to an already difficult time. Just know that it shows your goodness and genuine humanity – which I hope you won’t guard because of this.
And kudos to you for at least giving credit to the “tasty” parts of the meal. I’ve read some other angry responses (I think the embarrassment is shaded in anger and “I kind of knew it all along”), and few even mention the endive or gazpacho or mojito. To me, that gives your response an even more authentic credence.
A big virtual hug to you for dealing with this with integrity!
This just made me sick when I read the newspaper article, which provided a link to your blog. I’m so sorry that they used you. Really just goes to show you how not only for health reasons we shouldn’t support big agri biz.
I would’ve been in your shoes, totally. I would’ve done everything you did and been so excited and eager for the evening.
And, I would’ve been upset at the revelation. Good job on keeping your anger in check when writing of your experience. I’m not sure I’d have had that much self-control.
I hope ConAgra has learned a valuable lesson and other food marketers will take note.
It’s one thing to open up a mock restaurant and serve Pizza Hut or Dominoes as “average restaurant fare,” but it’s another altogether to serve frozen processed lasagna and call it Food Network chef quality.
Boo on ConAgra! (I don’t buy their products, but if I did, I would boycott!)
I am SHOCKED!
You have made me laugh. Your mock outrage over something so trivial. I think you are more upset that you fell for this and want everyone to blame the company. You wanted to get something for free and so fell hook line and sinker. I would have laughed if I had been there. Get over it. My only regret is I was exposed to your banal website.
But you got to make a smug comment and feel superior! That’s a push I think.
You would have laughed about being asked to do someone else’s work for free? That’s what it was- an casting call to be a focus group and maybe be filmed for a marketing campaign. People usualy get paid for that. You value your time enough to post a comment (taking up yet more of your time) when the material you read isn’t up to your standards, I’d imagine you’d value a couple hours even more than that.
How dreadful! You poor people! I cannot believe what HELL you have been through! I am HORRIFIED and OUTRAGED! I had to take my anxety medcations after reading this!
Hopefully you can sue for emotional distress and Post Tramatic Stress Disorder…. god knows you will all need it after this horrendous act on all the innocent people.
I can’t believe anyone is actually a fan of George Duran. First off, he hosts a bunch of Food Network Rip-off shows on TLC now, he does ads for Hunts canned tomatoes (blech!), and he’s a total tool on any program I have ever seen him in.
AWWWWWWW POOOOOOOR Butthurt blogger! So sick of random blogger A–holes who claim that they are food experts and get all fake outraged because they liked some frozen food.
Get over yourself princess butthurt. Nobody over at the Consumerist is buying your bullcrap.
Do you have to be so immature and crass about it? If you want to point out that you think she is over reacting, could you do so with a logical, rational, and well thought out argument? Instead, you are trolling and making all Consumerist readers look like trash.
Agreed! Putting up a web page does not a food critic make. These “experts” are just embarrassed they were duped. How does comeuppance taste bloggers?
Never have I seen a bunch of more pretentious whiners who clearly can’t take a joke. Your sense of entitlement is truly amazing. We shall try to be worthy of your sense of grandeur.
I think its wrong on the PRs part because some bloggers exist because they are not only eaters but they are eaters that are organic or clean. Im sure that if they had strict diets they would inquire… but the entire thing leaves me feeling mixed. I mean, i would be embarassed to put my name on something to find out it was a joke. And then again I would laugh it off that they tried to trick a foodie.
I know this had to be embarrassing for you, but this really is a first world problem. There are people starving in other countries while you are so upset at being fed frozen lasagna. Give that to someone in Somolia, and they will bow at your feet. My guess is that most people were angry b/c they kind of liked it and felt humiliated that they liked something that isn’t terribly sophisticated or gourmet.
I really think that it is sad how people are making this out to be some horrible tragedy. This weekend, I saw a man jump to his death off a bridge and my child saw it and the messy after math as well. That was a horrifying tragedy. His family finding out what he did was a tragedy. All of the people who died in car accidents over Labor Day experienced horrific tragedies. Getting fed frozen lasagna instead of something made by a “real” chef is so tiny in the grand scheme of things.
I’m really not trying to be mean here. I am just asking you to put this into perspective and stop being so dramatic about it. It was one meal. It was one more meal than many people in America got that day. You could have easily have chosen to laugh it off; you still can.
You’re wrong. Try looking up the logical fallacy called ‘relative privation’ – oh here, I’m feeling nice. http://www.ozarkia.net/bill/anarchism/Fallacies.html#Relative%20Privation You see, saying “your experience wasn’t bad, someone else, somewhere has things much worse!” doesn’t negate the experience she had. It may be true that there are people who would consider frozen lasagna the height of luxury – but that doesn’t mean that having a negative experience where someone deceived you and also used your credibility to deceive someone else, thereby embarrassing you. Just as someone else getting divorced somewhere doesn’t invalidate your feelings of hurt when your partner has a fight with you? The fact that there are starving people elsewhere doesn’t negate Suzanne’s experience.
Learning why this is a fallacy will help keep you from having to say “I’m not trying to be mean” when you actually are trying to tell someone that their feelings are invalid. :\
i think it’s entirely fair to feel like someone is overreacting though. i don’t think the OP is necessarily that badly, but some of the comments where people say their heart aches for her are kind of over the line
George Duran is NOT with the Food Network, and what an awful scam.
while i totally get how annoying this must’ve been for you, your guests and your husband reacted really poorly. in no way, shape, or form should they have taken out their frustrations on you. i mean, it stinks that you had a lousy main course and dessert, but you did get what sounds like higher quality apps and drinks free. do you think you would have been so extremely upset by this had you not had so much else going on in your life?
kimberly, awesome points all around.
I’ve been reading about this since a few foodie friends of mine posted links to main articles, and then clicking through to food blogs.
I have to say, I don’t think the bloggers are upset because they were maybe tricked into liking frozen food. They were brought there under the pretense of having a gourmet meal (which MC’s frozen lasagna apparently is nothing near, and yes, the entree does constitute the majority of a meal IMHO) and an open and engaging discussion regarding food – CSAs, processed versus natural, food concerns and issues (such as “to be organic or not to be”). Instead, they got meals that many of them would have preferred not to have (filled with sodium, chemicals, etc.), engaged in a very guided and focused pseudo-discussion, and (as one upside) apparently got to network in person with other food bloggers.
This was a very poorly thought out marketing scheme, aimed more at using the names of those who went to promote at best a mediocre product (I’ve yet to hear one complimentary thing regarding the lasagna) rather than recognizing the wisdom and insight the group gathered could offer. Those who put this down as “poor bumhurt bloggers” and people obsessed with “first world problems” do not understand.
These bloggers make it a part of their routine to try and impart food news and information to their readers, typically looking for healthy and nutritionally sound options, rather than reverting to “meh, frozen food is okay” as a constant refrain. There is a level of trust built between bloggers and their readers, and to draw in the readers with a giveaway based on inaccurate information not only damages the PR and main company’s image, it also damages the bond between blogger and reader.
It’s disappointing that those who have built a reputation as a reliable source have been duped into shilling for a company they don’t really support (via the reader contests). It’s even more disappointing that so many don’t understand the deeper trust issues that will develop out of this.
Sorry to reply so much in your comments – it seems as though the NYT article has stirred up this conversation again. A little surprised to see trolls showing up. Didn’t know they read parenting or food blogs… or the NYT for that matter.
Just a reminder that your readers (and your pediatrician!) are aware that you were not a part of the deception. You trusted that things were on the up & up. So did your husband and your pediatrician.
There is nothing worse than having a “surprise” turn out not to be a good surprise. For either the recipient or the one who arranges it. But it’s clear that this situation didn’t end up the way anyone would really have liked it to – from the participants, to the brand, to the agency. Hopefully it will serve as a cautionary tale in the future.
As a side note? I’m so hooked on your blog now.
Hi Everyone! and especially Lucretia! Your support has been overwhelming. Thank you for all your kind words and thoughts. No one could have been more surprised by today’s NY Times piece and I actually just laid eyes on the printed piece now. I had already long moved on from this but I can see this topic is very important to many. I hope that I didn’t come off as someone trying to shame the PR company. This attention has been overwhelming. I didn’t write this for attention, my audience has always been considerably small, but for lesson that everybody’s time is valuable and to respect a person as you would want them to for you. Even if you share the view that bloggers aren’t real media, respect our time. I try very hard to respect everyone for who they are and what they say. I am not bothered by some of the negative comments. They have a right to their opinion and I appreciate them as much as my supporters and loyal readers. I hope to continue to provide content worthy of your time.
All the Best,
Suzanne
Just wanted to chime in and say that I think the majority of the trolls are from The Consumerist. It’s a decent blog but largely full of sub-par and largely ignorant commentators. Very YouTube comments section.
I worked in the PR agency business for 10+ years and, I’m baffled by what this company was thinking. I try to envision the meetings where this was thought up, presented and approved by lots and lots of people. Then I wonder about their selection of bloggers, particularly those who stay away from processed food. Maybe they think that bloggers who say that they are PR/Media friendly are fair game for anything? Something to consider…
At any rate, sorry you had a disappointing night. Your embarrassment is palpable. I cannot believe your husband and pediatrician would fault you for the situation.
Oh as if you could tell the difference by taste.
Something makes me think you actually enjoyed it and couldnt tell the difference. Id bet good money that you are more upset that you were “duped” than the fact you actually lied and probably enjoyed but then said you didnt just to spite ConAgra. Of course you are going to say otherwise and that you “always suspected something” but lets be honest. you enjoyed it and had they not told you the difference you would have raved on how delicious it was. get real foodies. what a waste of internet space. for the matter actually, who makes a career out of eating food and critisizing it? no wonder america is fat.
American corporations – integrity and honesty. They do not go together.
I’m so sorry. This is awful. I can’t believe they did that. The worst PR stunt. I’m sure your pediatrician will be understanding. There’s no way you would have known. Don’t beat yourself up about it. ConAgra is awful!
people need to stop blaming ConAgra. it was a legitimate thing…you got caught in a lie stop trying to spin it.
You’ve highlighted exactly what is wrong with this kind of fraud. ConAgra deserves all the criticism it’s getting. Meanwhile, I think you should just delete all these trolls, because it looks like they’re copy-pasting the exact same thing onto every blog post criticizing this event. Not legitimate feedback, to say the least.
It actually is legitimate feedback to all of the supposed “expert bloggers”. I think the big lie is in all of the foodie bloggers who make outrageous claims and then get caught not being able to either distinguish homemade from packaged or not being willing to actually criticize in public. “I didn’t want to say anything bad”; you’re supposedly a critic, if the food was bad you were supposed to say so. Claiming to have known at the time but being too polite to point it out is code talk for ” I had no clue it was packaged food and now I’m embarrased”.
you “el cheap “Os”really need to get a life !
You only went because it was a “FREE MEAL” and thats what you got.
You should be happy your not eating slop out of dumptser like 10% of unemployed Americans today.