{"id":45035,"date":"2022-11-25T19:44:23","date_gmt":"2022-11-25T19:44:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.arimetrics.com\/glosario-digital\/flog"},"modified":"2026-10-01T06:31:19","modified_gmt":"2026-10-01T06:31:19","slug":"flog","status":"publish","type":"encyclopedia","link":"https:\/\/www.arimetrics.com\/en\/digital-glossary\/flog","title":{"rendered":"Flog"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"boxpad alignright wp-image-45081 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.arimetrics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/flog.jpg\" alt=\"Flog\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.arimetrics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/flog.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.arimetrics.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/flog-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/> <strong>Definition:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>A <strong>flog<\/strong> is a fake blog that appears to have been created by an independent person or community but is actually controlled by a company, organisation, or promoter whose identity or purpose is not adequately disclosed. The term derives from <em>fake blog<\/em> and is mainly associated with covert promotional practices.<\/p>\n<p>The deception does not arise merely because the content favours a brand. It comes from <strong>simulated independence<\/strong>. An identified corporate blog, a disclosed advertising collaboration, or a transparent sponsored review is not a flog, even when it has commercial objectives.<\/p>\n\n<h2>How a flog is constructed<\/h2>\n<p>A flog adopts the structure and tone of a personal <a href=\"https:\/\/www.arimetrics.com\/en\/digital-glossary\/blog\">blog<\/a> to present an apparently spontaneous experience. It may attribute posts to a nonexistent person, conceal the author&#8217;s connection with a brand, or simulate consumer comments.<\/p>\n<p>The operation commonly combines several elements:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Fictitious author:<\/strong> The profile does not correspond to a real person or uses an identity created for the campaign.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Hidden control:<\/strong> A company, agency, or interested party determines the content without disclosing the relationship.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Simulated testimonial:<\/strong> Opinions are presented as personal experiences even though they originate with the advertiser.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Promotional purpose:<\/strong> Posts lead readers towards a product, service, cause, or commercial decision.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Editorial appearance:<\/strong> The design and publication frequency imitate the behaviour of an independent publication.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Some flogs are created as complete websites, while others form part of a broader campaign. Profiles, comments, or articles may also direct users to the blog to reinforce <strong>manufactured popularity<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2>Warning signs of a flog<\/h2>\n<p>No single clue proves that a site is fake, but a combination of signals warrants further checking. Analysis should focus on authorship, commercial relationships, and whether published claims can be verified.<\/p>\n<p>Common warning signs include the following:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Unclear authorship:<\/strong> There is no verifiable information about who writes or manages the site.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Constant promotion:<\/strong> Most posts favour the same brand without criticism, context, or alternatives.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Generic experiences:<\/strong> Testimonials use claims that are difficult to verify and omit specific details.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Undisclosed relationship:<\/strong> Links, codes, products, or commercial messages appear without identifying sponsorship or control.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Artificial activity:<\/strong> Comments, dates, or profiles show repeated patterns that do not resemble a natural conversation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>A recent domain, a small number of posts, or a simple design is not enough to classify a blog as a flog. The conclusion requires <strong>evidence of control<\/strong> or of an identity presented deceptively.<\/p>\n<h2>Connection with covert advertising<\/h2>\n<p>A flog may operate as a piece of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.arimetrics.com\/en\/digital-glossary\/online-advertising\">online advertising<\/a> that conceals its commercial nature. Readers interpret the message as an independent recommendation when it is actually part of a campaign or has been produced by an interested party.<\/p>\n<p>The practice may overlap with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.arimetrics.com\/en\/digital-glossary\/astroturfing\">astroturfing<\/a>, which simulates popular support or organised public opinion. Astroturfing is broader: it may use accounts, reviews, petitions, or fake communities without creating a blog.<\/p>\n<p>A flog is not the same as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.arimetrics.com\/en\/digital-glossary\/fake-news\">fake news<\/a>. It may contain accurate product information and still be deceptive if it hides who publishes it or presents a campaign as an independent testimonial. Fake news is defined by false or manipulated informational content, not by the use of a blog format.<\/p>\n<h2>Risks for consumers and brands<\/h2>\n<p>For consumers, the main risk is making a decision based on a <strong>non-independent recommendation<\/strong>. Missing information about sponsorship, authorship, or commercial interests makes it difficult to assess the message and compare it with other sources.<\/p>\n<p>For the organisation behind the content, a flog may damage its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.arimetrics.com\/en\/digital-glossary\/online-reputation\">online reputation<\/a>, reduce trust, and conflict with advertising or consumer-protection rules. Responsibility does not disappear when an agency or intermediary carries out the campaign.<\/p>\n<p>Publishers and platforms also face a credibility problem. If they host simulated testimonials or unidentified advertising, they need processes to investigate provenance, remove misleading content, and maintain clear commercial disclosure rules.<\/p>\n<h2>Checking suspicious content<\/h2>\n<p>Before accepting or sharing a recommendation, readers should examine the site&#8217;s context. Verification does not require immediately identifying the party behind it; the aim is to gather enough information to assess reliability.<\/p>\n<p>A basic process may include these actions:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Review authorship:<\/strong> Look for verifiable information about the publisher and any commercial relationships.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Check the domain:<\/strong> Examine its age, available public data, and other connected websites.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Verify claims:<\/strong> Compare testimonials and product features with independent sources and product documentation.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Inspect links:<\/strong> Identify redirects, affiliate parameters, or repeated destinations leading to the same entity.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Find disclosures:<\/strong> Check whether the site declares sponsorship, free samples, payments, or editorial control.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>A commercial relationship does not automatically invalidate the content. The decisive difference is whether readers can recognise that relationship and assess the message with <strong>sufficient transparency<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Definition: A flog is a fake blog that appears to have been created by an independent person or community but is actually controlled by a company, organisation, or promoter whose identity or purpose is not adequately disclosed. The term derives from fake blog and is mainly associated with covert promotional practices. The deception does not [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"template":"","encyclopedia-tag":[1407,1338],"class_list":["post-45035","encyclopedia","type-encyclopedia","status-publish","hentry","encyclopedia-tag-blog-networks","encyclopedia-tag-blog-publishing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.arimetrics.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/encyclopedia\/45035","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.arimetrics.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/encyclopedia"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.arimetrics.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/encyclopedia"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.arimetrics.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.arimetrics.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45035"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"encyclopedia-tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.arimetrics.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/encyclopedia-tag?post=45035"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}