As part of its “Living in High Definition” push, Panasonic wanted to build buzz about its brand at the recent Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. But rather than relying on the usual tech journalists attending the show, Panasonic recruited five influential bloggers—including popular Internet figures Chris Brogan and Steve Garfield—to travel to the CES at its expense. It footed the bill for their travel and passes to the event while also loaning them digital video and still cameras. In return, the bloggers agreed to share their impressions of the show, including Panasonic product previews, with their own powerful distribution networks, in the form of blog posts, Twitter updates, and YouTube videos. The catch: Panasonic had no say on what their guests posted. To maintain credibility, Panasonic kept its distance, and the bloggers fully disclosed the brand’s sponsorship. Still, even though Panasonic didn’t dictate content—and didn’t want to—the “sponsored conversations” allowed the brand to tap into the grounds well of Internet buzz. “When you give [bloggers] equipment and they love it, just like any other consumer they’ll evangelize it, ”says a Panasonic spokesperson. “We’re not looking for them to hit message points and in effect shill.” Panasonic just wants to be a catalyst for conversations about its brand.