Ethics Statement

SPONSORED PRODUCTS

When I choose to work with a company via sponsorship, it is because I actually use (or would use) the product or service. I genuinely believe the company provides a great product with excellent customer service and support. I will do my best to make it clear that such content is sponsored by that company. I will also make it clear, when I have not been sponsored. I use a lot of great products from various companies, whatever the item is, it’s such a great thing, that I want to share that information with you.

Most of the equipment and products I test and review have been purchased by me, but: sometimes I may rent or borrow equipment to review. Occasionally companies will send a product to me for free, and I will always clearly state that it was provided to me. When a company does this, I do not guarantee a positive review (or a review at all). As with sponsorships, I’m extremely selective about accepting anything for free.

CONTENT BASICS

• My content is my own. I create content based on things I’m interested or excited about, what could be funny, and what I think will be helpful to my audience.
• My reviews are always objective and my opinions are always my own.
• I do not submit previews of my content to anyone for approval or revisions. (When I am hired for acting/voiceover/videography/photography work, I partner collaboratively to produce the best quality final project according to the client’s specifications and requirements.)
• I maintain full control over my content calendar. No person or company has any say in deciding when I post content. I’m happy to work collaboratively when possible for scheduling.
• If a product is provided to me at no cost, that does not mean I will review it or discuss it in my content.
• I appreciate when companies offer information about their products/services, but I may only include what I think is relevant and necessary.
• I actively seek out answers about a product/service that I don’t fully understand.
• While it usually makes sense to include certain links in video descriptions or social media posts, I retain full control over what is shared on my accounts across all platforms.
• I’m more than happy to let others share my content, as long as the post attributes credit to me, and links directly to the original content on my YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or Podcast pages. My videos may not be re-uploaded.
• I do not guarantee views or audience engagement. While I hope every video does well, there are too many variables beyond my control for me to make any claims regarding potential viewership.

THE YOUTUBE CHANNEL

• The any advertisements placed on my YouTube videos are selected by Google’s AdSense platform. Aside from occasionally disallowing certain content categories (such as political ads), I have no input into those advertisements or affiliation with the companies that produce them. (They are usually chosen based on your personal browsing history.)

• YouTube’s “includes paid promotion” option will be checked any time a video features a product or service that was provided at no cost, even if it’s not a ‘“traditional” sponsorship.

THE SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES

• All sponsored content on my Instagram Channel, Twitter, TikTok, Facebook, etc. apps/page(s) is marked by the hashtags #ad or #sponsored, clearly displayed in the body of the caption or on the Story. If these hashtags are not present, the photo or video is organic content.

“THOSE ARE MY PRINCIPLES, AND IF YOU DON’T LIKE THEM, WELL, I HAVE OTHERS.”

– GROUCHO MARX

Thank you for taking the time to read and understand my Ethics Statement. It has been edited and adjusted for my site from the original, which comes courtesy (and encouragingly) from Tom Buck. You should follow his enthusiasm on all the things: @sodarntom.

This probably doesn’t cover every possible scenario, but it should give you a pretty good idea of how highly I value the integrity behind what I do and the relationship I am building with my audience.

As always, if you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me here.

-Brian