Lewis PR using Second Life brand to advertise on TechCrunch

The Lewis PR firm is using Second Life branding to advertise their services on the popular tech blog TechCrunch, see screenshot:

This is Linden Lab’s chosen PR firm which means they likely have permission to do this so readers should not take the headline out of context. Of interest is that TechCrunch editorial on Second Life has been more negative than positive with six mentions of Second Life in May 2007 alone. The Techcrunch site search doesn’t show any mentions of Second Life prior to May which can’t be right, can it? Not according to Google which shows an estimation of 1,440 results.

When questioned in the comments area regarding positive SL coverage by a TC commenter named Jeff, Duncan refuted that there was any advertiser influence on TC editorial:

“… until you pointed it out I didn’t even see the ad, and from what I can make of it it’s for a PR firm that works for SL or something like that, 110% promise you that there is no editorial interference, I have zero involvement in that side of things and I’ve never been asked to positively review a sponsors product.”

While some of TC coverage has been misguided, the overall flavor that Second Life has issues at TC is factual and well supported by coverage here at VTOR and other publications. Curious why a PR firm would want to advertise Second Life on TechCrunch? Is this their best client example in the so called web 2.0 space?

VP of Lewis PR Morgan McLintic wrote back in October 2006:

My team just won the PR campaign for Linden Lab, creator of Second Life. It was announced last week while I was in the hospital for Jake’s delivery. Thrilled by this too since it’s such an exciting, game-changing company and we really get on well the team at SL.

Interesting use of the word “won” regarding the PR campaign. The PR work for Linden Lab to date has been impressive, so if Lewis PR is behind the media coverage they’ve done an admirable job. Somehow Linden Lab mainstream press coverage has focused more on the major corporations establishing a presence and explosive growth over the last year rather than the dodgy running service that has gotten more worse than better since this SL resident joined in December 2005.

Based on the TechCrunch advertise page it’s not clear if Lewis PR is a paid ad (they aren’t listed as one of the companies who have supported TechCrunch to date), but if they are, this might be how much they paid:

Pricing for each sponsorship unit is currently $10,000 per month … There is a minimum term of two months, followed by a month-to-month plan where either party may terminate the relationship on 30 days notice.

$20,000 minimum for two months or if you’d rather see it in Linden Dollars at current exchange rate that would be, oh, about L$5,312,523.