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FTC To Investigate 'Viral Marketing' Practices

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the take-what-ya-can-give-nuthin-back dept.

mcflaherty writes "The Federal Trade Commission has stated that it is going to investigate the use of 'Viral Marketing' by corporations. This is the type of advertising that seeks to start a word of mouth campaign for the product via consumers themselves. Previously, consumers themselves set the buzz. But lately advertisement firms are stepping up to the plate themselves, seeding the market with buzz that looks independent of the company, but is in fact funded by them. The crew at Penny Arcade contend that corporate generated buzz is not Viral Marketing, and perhaps Guerrilla Marketing would be a more apt term. Either way, it appears to be a profitable advertising model."

4 of 299 comments (clear)

  1. second post. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    second post.

  2. Re:How low can they go? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Damnit why isn't there an Undo Moderation button!

  3. Fourth poste! by cjcollier · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    That sure is purdy brown chrome. Reminiscint of a certain release of Ubuntu, IIRC.

    Thank you teh feds for taking care of this problem. spam is not so good.

    --
    moo.
  4. Re:How low can they go? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Damnit why isn't there an Undo Moderation button!

    There is. It's called posting in a thread in which you've previously moderated with your login cookie active.

    Except that you don't get your spent mod points back.