Awesome thread with many great comments!
Sometimes I think many of us are too "thin-skinned" when it comes to a writer or speaker "pitching" their product. IMHO, I feel that if the contributor works hard to share useful information with us, and they have a product/solution that they are passionate about and they believe can help us, then they have earned the right to "pitch" us.
Alright now, don't get all uptight on me now. I believe there is a "best practice" way to do that. In a written piece on a forum like DealerRefresh, I believe the proper place to "pitch" is in the Author Description box at the end of each article. This provides an area for the author to share what solution/product they offer, and often a link for more information.
In a presentation at a conference, workshop, etc, I think it is fine for the speaker to have the last few minutes of the presentation to share if they have a product/solution that might benefit the audience.
On the other hand, a presentation that is nothing more than a pitch from front to back, or just a glorified "bait and switch" tactic to give you a little info only in order to tease you to buy more, well - I think you get the point.
Bottom line: It takes work and effort for folks to put together great content - and in return I am fine with them earning the right to my time.