Buzz Marketing

Paper Summary:

The latest promotion is called "buzz marketing," when consumers and even actors are hired by a company or ad agency to endorse a product. The idea is to find the most liked and respected individuals in a community and have them use a product in order to create a buzz around it. Buzz, sometimes called "street marketing," can make a company more desirable. How is this different from any advertisement or commercial? In the majority of cases, the individuals hearing the message do not know that they are being duped. Consumers actually think the person feels this way about the product. So far, the Federal Trade Commission has not put restrictions on buzz marketing. However, this does not mean that it is acceptable or ethical. It still remains a controversial issue.

From the Paper:

"The Federal Trade Commission, which regulates the legal use of advertisements, has not yet ruled on buzz marketing. Regardless, some people say that buzz marketing raises serious ethical issues. That is because buzz marketing often uses regular citizens who get products for talking up products. Or, the companies sometimes fall into that stealth area and hire professional actors to pose as typical consumers. Some individuals say they would not be upset to find out someone had tricked them by praising a product in return for a gift or two. Others say that buzz marketing makes the negatives of advertising--motivating people to buy something they do not even need or want -even worse. It will eventually lead to a situation where nothing or no one can ever be believed."

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