Also, in flashback to a conversation had with KC & Buzz.

Wouldn’t it be mighty convenient if the government made viagra available for free?  Just the reduction in spam alone would make it worth it and heaven knows, that’s one way to tell the terrorists that we’re lovers, not fighters.
Buzz’s comment on the matter:  “Well… that would present a hard problem.”

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BUAHHHHHAHAHHAHHAHHAHHAHAH !

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B.L. Ochman’s 12 Tenets of Social Media Marketing

Go clickforth and readeth.

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The FTC’s recent staff opinion might cast the legality of paid blogging programs in the U.S. in a questionable light. Underscore Marketing’s president discusses what this opinion means for marketers.

Over the past few months, several companies have entered into the business of making it easy for marketers to incentivize bloggers to write about their products and services. The most popular of these companies is PayPerPost, but others have also entered the space, including LoudLaunch (which hasn’t yet formally launched) and ReviewMe.

Back in October, a watchdog group known as Commercial Alert filed a petition with the Federal Trade Commission, requesting an investigation of companies involved in “buzz marketing,” defining the term as “a technique by which corporations seek to influence buying decisions, often by stealth.” Earlier this month, the FTC responded with a formal staff opinion, and while it declined to issue guidelines concerning the practice at the time, it did indicate it will “determine on a case-by-case basis whether law enforcement is appropriate.” So, while there won’t likely be a sweeping investigation of numerous companies at this time, the staff opinion left the door open for individual cases to be investigated.

If you’re a marketer paying people to write favorable blog posts about your company or its products, now might be the time to start sweating bullets.

Hat tip & Full article @ Imedia Connection

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1] Good advertising doesn’t rely on tricking, lying to or deceiving your target audience.

2] The consumer is smarter than you think, alternative marketing tactics must be genuine, authentic and in today’s world, transparent.

3] Today’s interest in brand politics means that everything you do will come under scrutiny from someone. See number 2.

4] Involve your consumer in the brand conversation, give them the tools to do so and they will repay you four-fold.

Hat tip: Adage

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This piece articulates a lot of what I’ve had in my gut for a while and some of the ideas discussed at last months Web 2.2 event that Chris & Kristi put together.

Well done.

Though being within the community and *being* an influencer to a certain degree, I have some nuance differences with the “worst case scenario” marketer that is shown here.

Still at its core: Marketing, when done well, is about metrics & measurability, product, execution, messaging, and strategy.

Not a business of “well I’m cool and people listen to me so you should give me money so I can travel to France and tell other people why they should listen to me because i know what’s real and marketers don’t.”

I’m just saying.

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