For Immediate Release:
Earth, September 26th, 2019 – ToolGuyd, an industry-leading online tool review and news publication is proud to announce that we have won a Best Tool Review Blog on the Planet award. The judges recognized the quality and integrity of our content and coverage, and we are deeply honored to win this award.
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Disclosure: We paid an entry fee (in chocolate). The judges cannot read yet, but we explained why we should win, and they agreed. No other companies paid to enter for an award in this category.
In All Seriousness…
Read More About Pay to Play Product Awards
Some companies and organizations host product awards, and that’s okay. To each their own. What really grinds my gears are the press releases that skew everything out of proportion.
“Breaking News: Brand X products win 4 industry awards!” Oh really?
Other emails read like this: “Our products won tool awards! Will you review or feature them on your website now that we have an award under our belt?”
Here at ToolGuyd we keep up to date with new tool developments and launches. And so when I receive press releases or emails boasting about tool awards, and I see awards for products that didn’t see new competition in the award year, it raises a skeptical eyebrow.
Did the brand pay for consideration?
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What was the criteria for winning?
How many competing products were in the running for each award?
Was the product even tested?
Earlier this week we received a press release from a power tool brand, boasting about the awards their products won for this year. I asked them this list of questions, and after some back and forth they said: “Some [of the tools we received awards for] just hit the market and have not been tested yet.”
I previously asked a different brand about one of their “tool award-winning” products. That particular hand tool was never produced and never reached the market. They told me: “To answer your question, no, this product has never existed.” So how did it win an award?
A journalist doesn’t win a Pulitzer on articles that cannot yet be read. Actors and actresses do not win Oscars for movies that have not yet been filmed.
In some cases, unreleased products can still be tested for award consideration. But if there’s no transparency, there’s no way to tell. A brand might slap a big award logo in a press release, their website, or Instagram, but what is the award actually for if not even prototypes were tested?
How many awards are given for one-runner races? And if the runner isn’t even ready to race, how do they still win first place?
Even one home improvement retailer started giving out their own “Innovation Awards.”
The winning products are recognized for delivering unique innovation, value and efficiency across multiple home improvement categories. [Redacted] is appreciative of and proud to celebrate the work that our vendor partners put in year over year. Along with the new Innovation Award comes the introduction of the Innovation Award Seal, designed to make it easy for customers to identify and shop our best-in-class products.
How does that work? Did all of the retailer’s partners and suppliers submit tools for consideration?
Transparency is important. As tool users, we should demand it.
Many industry product awards have registration fees, some of them considerably high. But, they also have juries of industry experts that adjudicate the awards. Unfortunately, there isn’t any sort of peer review process by which product design or innovation awards can be validated.
Did Brand X receive an award for best Thingamajig because there were no other new Thingamajigs this year, or no new Thingamajigs that paid to enter? Did Brand Y win an award for “Best Red Thingamajig” and Brand Z for “Best Green Thingamajig” so that they could each take home “honors?”
This is why transparency is so important.
Luckily, as tool and product users, we have the ability to ask questions, and it’s easier than ever. Brands love when their users engage with them via social media. So why not ask them for more information?
Did the brand pay for consideration?
What was the criteria for winning?
How many competing products were in the running for each award?
Was the product even tested?
I’ve started asking these questions whenever I receive a press release about industry awards.
The typical answers that I’ve received to the last two questions are the ones that frustrate and disappoint me most. How many competing products were in the running for the award? We don’t know. What does an award mean if it’s a one-player race?
Was the product even tested? Sometimes the answer is yes, other times no. So what’s being judged, a one-page sell sheet? An advertisement? What does an award mean if a production sample wasn’t even tested?
Maybe our questions could be simplified. When brands boast about the awards their products won, this is what we’re going to start asking: Are you the only brand to pay to enter a product in this category, and was the actual product tested?
jason gloekler
Just want to say how proud I am to be a member of this blog, and read the daily blog posts. I almost feel like, we the readers, helped win this award. So congratulations all of you!
In all seriousness, Ive learned to take everything with a grain of salt. working in the retail sector, businesses of all sizes twist and create whatever it takes to draw attention. Its just like product reviews, some are subjective, and others are paid to be created with a certain bias.
Jim Felt
Golly gee. Sounds just like the internet based entities that claim nearly anything that will garner high click rates. SEO.
And a particular thanks for the awards qualifier in the lead. “Chocolate”. That I think most of us could actually agree on.
BTW are most these “offenders” foreign or domestically based? Just curious.
GabbyJohnson
Show me a truly independent organization that pays retail for the tools it reviews (like Consumer Reports) and maybe I’ll grant some credence to “award winner” marketing claims.
Altan
Amazon has blocked me from writing reviews and my friend as well 🙂 They said in an email that they will not explain the reason(s) I had left lots of reviews with 4-5 starts but some detailed 1 star reviews for BIG BRANDS which brings me to a conclusion about being blocked
Frank D
I only occasionally have felt I needed to give the lowest score; but I vaguely recall that one detailed 1-star review, polite but pointed, was removed with a letter from amazon within a matter of 24 hrs with some generic review standards letter. I had pointed fingers at the over-promised yet poor-average quality of the product, lack of quality control, lack of support and resolution from the seller / importer, responsible for the warranty …
I wondered how it got found or triggered so quickly. Perhaps due to the inclusion of a dollar amount, better product … or maybe the sellers can file objections.
RKA
That’s interesting. I’m in the process of editing an Amazon review as I stumble through the (non-responsive) manufacturer’s warranty process. It’s close to a $1k item that has failed inside 4 months of purchase. If this doesn’t end to my satisfaction, I wonder how Amazon will handle this?
Madcapp
Congratulations, you deserve it.
Altan
Congratulations Stuart,
You deserved it really, your blog is like opium (I mean in a good way), I have become addicted to it and reading here is kind of relaxing. I would like to know how many people are reading/writing in your blog and from which countries mostly? I know there are a lot from English speaking countries and seen one from Finland, but I wonder if there are some Japanese, German, Italian, French, Russian, Brazilian, Chinese or Spanish being active here.
Brad
I am not sure if you are trying to be funny or serious. Not to take away from what you wrote but did you read the disclaimer?
Altan
What are you trying to say?
I am not making fun of anything as much as I know.
Brad
Didn’t say you were making fun of anything. In fact, your response was wonderful and I feel the same way
but again …
Did you read the Disclaimer/Disclosure of this to understand “how” and “where” this award came from and how ToolGuyD won?
And honestly, believe this is the point Stuart is trying to make.
Altan
I have mentioned a story before here and I have to repeat it once again, One day a rich man was passing by a river and he saw an old homeless looking man sitting next to the river taking old dry bread from his bag and soaking it with the water in the river and trying to eat it with a few teeth have been left for him, with every piece of bread he was putting in his mouth was holding his hands up and saying “Thanks God” then the rich man asked him why he thanks god, he/she has not given you anything, he said. The old man answered: These thanks are thousand times worse than swearing if he/she understands! I hope I am clear now.
John F
Honestly when I see these pro tool innovation awards I immediately will not purchase that product. I see what you are taking about. Some of the winners that exist are terrible tools. The pro tool review guys are just a marketing company. I don’t see any of them as being real contractors. Everything is sales like and suspicious. No one comment on their posts. I don’t understand how they have such high follower rates when zero people comment. I think we live in an age where you can buy anything. Awards, likes followers.
It is really sad. As soon as I see a an award I am tuned away. Like you Stuart I just don’t get it. Are these companies involved in this? Or do they not know? Because if they know I’m done with them. How about build a good product and let the reader decide if it’s good? Not some website who has many fake followers. I don’t not buy EGO anymore because of these awards. They seem fishy. But yet they win all these pro tool awards it’s a marketing scam. Someone needs to call it out and I am glad you have. Long time reader here and I respect your honest approach to all this.
Stuart
Just because a product wins an award, that doesn’t mean you should boycott that product or the brand in general. If you do, you might miss out, because some products are deserving of design or innovation awards.
I might disagree with how brands advertise the awards they receive in paid-entry contests, but I like the PTR folks. Different websites have different styles of writing.
David
PTR and this site are daily visits for me and when I buy something I always check if you guys have a link for it so you can get a small amount of credit. Sites like yours that have an honest discussion about products, no matter what type, are vital in today’s market. Most of the review sites for any product are procedurally generated nonsense leading to a purchase link. Sites like this, and others such as Consumer Reports and The Wirecutter (they know nothing about tools, but excellent otherwise) are so important.
David
Lol, might have wanted to put a PTR disclaimer there in your post, they’re getting a lot of undeserving hate here…
Stuart
I can like the folks behind PTR without condoning their awards or the objectionable marketing spam that follows in their wake. There are other awards programs as well. I try to focus on “product awards” rather than tool awards specifically, and also don’t want to single out any one organization or use specific examples.
I have defended industry friends on forums before, and will certainly do the same here, although the discussion topic certainly complicates things.
CarlsonCarpentry
Instagram has really really muddied the waters for me. I used to follow a fair amount of tool/construction accounts. But eventually seeing all of them flooded with the same products, from the same brands had me suspicious. Plus I would notice an individual post about said tool and all it’s qualities. Only in comments or in passing would they speak negatively about the products.
I have fallen victim before. After seeing a tool or product used by multiple people I become convinced I need it. Only to have it collecting dust a few months later after the media blitz is over.
Some companies have really milked the social media influencer types, I thought the tough tool industry was above hype, but clearly not.
I have seen one too many garage/weekender type receive free tools and promoting products that have never been used in the real world.
Stuart
I think that a lot of people are eventually going to see things the same way.
Kyle
Well done Stuart! These innovation awards are such garbage. Like participation awards. The one who pays the most wins. Protool reviews is a bunch of fakes who think they know tools. We can see right through it but the consumer is the one losing. So sad what this industry has become. Its bad for the companies that are honest and dont pay! They have good products and are losing out.
Richard
Congratulations Stu!
Flotsam
Congrats to a really fine blog
Johann
I really feel like there are a bunch of folks that only read the headline….
Jim Felt
The American Marketing Association would agree with you wholeheartedly.
Though here I believe it’s all in good fun.
fred
I’m “a-fear-ed” that even if Stuart had put his tongue even further out in his cheek some might have still have glossed over the joke.
I for one, am hoping to receive an award for the best remarks by a “fred” with a small f put forth on a Thursday afternoon on or about 14:51 hours edt on a tool blog named Toolguyd.
I’m glad we can laugh at all this and hopefully appreciate Stuart’s good work without needing the affirmation of questionable awards.
Brad
You do get the award for “best remark”!
Congratulations!!!!
But that same award shall be presented to all who have at least one of the following letters in there name also. (Lower/Capital was not a determining factor)
a, b, c,d, e, g, h, i, j, k, l, m, n, o, p, q, r, s, t, u, v, w, x, y, and z (in no particular order)
Altan
I never read just the headlines, I really think ToolGuyd deserves such an award, it gets an award or not, does not matter. From my point of view it deserves, this topic brought something to my mind and I asked it, I think I have discussed some issues with Stuart before, but it is interesting to know how internationally ToolGuyd has been read or participated. I would like to know some Japanese who has good information about tools. That was the reason I asked those questions. I like the tone Stuart has in the language he uses (softer version of mine).
John
There are some dumb-headline-only-reading people here. Wow.
Evadman
Thank you for making me laugh today, I needed it 🙂
William
Who was the evaluates and what were the other considerations?
There are other sites that blog tool review and news?
Stuart
My small children were on the judging committee, and as mentioned in the disclosure “No other companies paid to enter for an award in this category.”
Frank D
As a daily reader, I am absolutely elated, that an esteemed panel of qualified and respectable judges, has given ToolGuyd such a prestigious award *. It really was time that ToolGuyd won this category. I really don’t think there was a more deserving tool news & reviews site in the running. ToolGuyd blew this one out of the park!
Honesty, Integrity and Transparency FTW!
The only thing this ToolGuyd reader could wish for is more news and reviews, insights, … and I love us all being allowed to comment and throw our 2c in.
Here’s to many more awards & honors: cheers!
* Yes, I read beyond the headline.
Stacey
@Stuart, This is overwhelmingly good news, now in order for me to get the word out on my blog, I’m going to need a small fee of say $500?. Lol, just kidding.
This racket is rife in IT, where “research” firms publish papers on IT products and services where the vendors paid to compete and readers paid for the papers. To add insult to injury, some are purely opinion based, while more reputable ones also publish their evaluation criteria. The services are still valuable as long as you keep this in mind!
Flowbridge
I just saw that Skil won an award! I think that pretty much explains it all LMAO. If they buy awards what else are they buying? reviews? This seems very very fishy to me. There needs to be a law against this. Consumer reports need to report these people. Keep up the good work Stuart you are for sure the number one authority on this. Anyone with the word “pro” or “tools” in their name is bought and I don’t trust them.
You deserve the chocolate
Chris
First off, I’d like to thank my friends and family for supporting my excessive internet browsing habits, and for….. wait….
*hands microphone over*
RKA
Congrats Stuart (and friends)! 🙂
I think (hope?) as time marches on, these marketing fads will be seen for what they are, particularly as people like you shine a light on the shenanigans. I hope the shill reviews on YouTube also collapse upon themselves as manufacturers learn that strategy can quickly backfire.
It’s great that you are learning which standard questions need to be asked every time this marketing fluff is spewed. Even answers lacking specificity says everything.
DC
Awesome, congratulations.
MichaelHammer
Distortion of fact through awards, peer reviews or scientific study goes back decades. More critical than tool awards are fake scientific studies. When new studies hit the news cycle that directly effect your health or well being it is imperative to ask who conducted the study, what were the parameters of the study and the big one: who paid for the study. We all have to pay attention, be vigilant and ask the right questions. Thank you Stuart, poignant as ever. BTW I will happily donate chocolate for the next round of awards.
Alpha Kale
#1 ToolGuyd…Stuart you are the BEST! Long-time reader here for several years, we are all proud of you and keep it going strong.
Adam
I suppose later today (Friday), I will enjoy reading the Award Winning ToolGuyd, while enjoying bbq with some award winning bbq sauce.
Wait a sec, only every bleepin’ bottle on the shelf has an award. I think most of those awards are handed out in neighborhood gatherings.
Mosh
First you got me scared with the headline, .
This is one of the many reasons why I read toolguyd daily.
Thanks keep up the great work you might win so more reviews………
Corey R
Wait a minute, the award doesn’t specify *which* planet! The press release is sent from Earth, but then the “Planet” the award refers to isn’t named.
This is all some propaganda so that we think Neptune is culturally significant, isn’t it? I demand to see this award’s birth certificate!
Corey Moore
I always appreciate you efforts regarding awareness of these kinds of tactics, as there’s far too many fake awards, and even fake reviews populating the web these days. Just yesterday I was unable to stop reading a holesaw kit ranking on ptr that was citing cons with certain hole saws such as, “paint wears off quickly” and, “can’t use hole saws to enlarge holes from previous hole saws.” One decently ranked one even cited, “can’t drill through most metals or hard woods” and diablos wood only set was above one or two bimetal sets, if I recall. Oh, and despite all but one set being bimetal, I’m pretty sure only the winner* was attributed a pro for being bimetal, which was just a giant Lennox kit.
Koko The Talking Ape
Congratulations! Well deserved.
Koko The Talking Ape
Well deserved that is, even if the award is imaginary and the post is satirical.
Thom
Best darned tool blog within 10 miles of I-80 and I-287! We always though it was the best anyway.. Kind of bummed I didn’t get any chocolate though
Farid
Well done, Stuart, and a great article. Along with the awards, I love these 5 star reviews you see online where the reviewer claims “Great product…I have not received it yet but it is great!”
Coworker of mine is a professional musician and plays gigs for events. One regular gig is the Consumer Choice Awards event. You might have seen these advertised as “business x, winner of the 2019 Consumer Choice Award”. He explained what goes behind the scenes. Basically it’s a paid entry and everyone gets some award. Leadership rotates among the local businesses and they take turns awarding each other.
Similarly, there are these BIA parade of homes every year. The local BIA leaders are elected from a handful of local builders and they rotate every couple of years or so, and they take turns awarding each other. It’s not unusual to see awards placed at some of the homes on the very first day, such as “Visitor Favorite” Really? visitors voted before the show opened? It’s all a scam.
Adam
It *will be* a visitor favorite after they advertise it.
Peter
Congratulations!
Jon
Congratulations Stuart! Well earned, totally deserved.
Kudos, too, to all the readers who participate and share their experience and perspective with the rest of us. Fantastic group of people assembled here. This is one of the few sites / blogs / communities that I routinely recommend to friends and associates who are serious about tools.
This is also one of the few routine emails (outside work and friends) that I really look forward to. I’ve learned a lot here, and truly enjoy the tests, reviews, discussions and commentary.
Thanks for continuing to write and manage this community! Here’s to several more years of this to come!
– Jon
Steve
Hell, my daughter was the only girl in her age group for a Tae Kwon Do event…she still did her thing and I was mighty proud.
This blog is great, else I would have unsubscribed over the past 5+ years….appreciate the content!
Adam
Congrats! Keep up the good work.
Szymon
Although you awarded the prize to yourself ,much like all these other “professional” review sites or companies do by paying their way through; it is much deserved had it been real. And if there was such an award in existence in reality and handed out truthfully I am sure you would have received it without a problem .
Anyways. Congrats from the north of the border.