ETHICS STATEMENT

We understand throughout the vast YouTube Network, we aren’t the biggest channel. We do not tailor our content just to get shares or free products, so we’re bound to make some people unhappy with where their favorite product falls in our rating. Over the past 4 years, we have reviewed over 150 different products which set precedent on how we rate things in the future.

Sponsored reviewed is extremely rare on our channel. If we choose to work with a brand and provide our review, it is because we either find value in providing an unbiased review of the product or we feel that the brand has been wildly under appreciated in relation to the other products we have reviewed. Every review we complete is always because we actually want to review the product. More importantly, We will always make it abundantly clear that such content is sponsored. If we don’t explicitly say that a video is sponsored, then it is not sponsored. Simple as that!

We think it’s important to question the purpose behind a sponsorship. For us, a sponsor should support and enable what I do. Ideally it’s a win-win-win situation for the viewer, the brand, and ourselves. Our channel has never been and never will be an extension of any brand’s marketing department.

Most of the reviews we conduct are purchased by us, or provided to us by Addy’s. Our relationship with Addy’s does not effect or impact our reviews at all as we have stated from the start that we will not review products just to move inventory. The products provided to us from Addy’s are either distilleries who have a relationship with Addy’s and are fully aware of our transparency and ethics as it relates to providing honest reviews. When we started this channel, we wanted to create a trustworthy unbiased review of products free of external factors so when you listen you know you’re getting the truth. Offering free products never guarantees a positive review.

All that being said, there are a few additional non-negotiable points I’d like to share for the sake of clarity. I’ve made all of this info publicly available to viewers and brands alike so that we’re all on the same page:

  • Our content is ours. We create and produce each video based on what we’re either excited about tasting or are curious about reviewing based on hype and sales. We review products not only that we drink on a regular basis, but what we feel like is relevant/helpful for our audience to make an informed decision prior to purchase.
  • Our reviews are always as objective as possible and our opinions are always our own.
  • We do not submit previews of videos to anyone for approval or revisions. No exceptions.
  • We have full control over our content calendar. While we’re happy to work collaboratively when possible for scheduling, no outside party can pay or otherwise influence us in return for scheduling priority.
  • Just because a product is provided to us at no cost does not mean we will provide a positive review.
  • It’s appreciated when companies offer information and specifics about their product we are reviewing, but we will only include what we think is relevant and necessary.
  • On that same note, we will work to seek answers for anything about a product/service that we don’t fully understand to make my videos as accurate and helpful as possible.
  • While it usually makes sense to include certain links in video descriptions or social media posts, we retain full control over what is shared on our accounts across all platforms.
  • We never include additional social media promotion in sponsorship agreements (Instagram, Twitter, MySpace, Etc).
  • We’re more than happy to let others share my videos, as long as the post links directly to the original video uploaded to our YouTube channel. Videos may not be re-uploaded elsewhere.
  • We do not guarantee any number of views or any amount of audience engagement on any videos or content. As much as we want everything we create to “perform” well, there are too many variables beyond our control for us to make any claims regarding potential viewership. But we do watch all our videos before publishing, so we can guarantee at least two views.

Thank you for taking the time to read and understand our Ethics Statement. This probably doesn’t cover every scenario under the sun, but it should give you a pretty solid idea of how highly we value the integrity behind what we do and the relationship with anyone who takes the time to check out something we’ve made.

Ultimately, we just want to keep having fun making videos, and that sustainable fun disappears without these guidelines. If you’re a creator yourself, please feel free to take this Ethics Statement and make it your own. This ethics statement was taken from Tom Buck at at himynameistom.com with alterations tailored to our specific business model.

As always, if you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me via [email protected]

– Derek & Mike