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Trang chính  News & Articles What We Should Learn From Sony's Fake Blog Fiasco
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What We Should Learn From Sony's Fake Blog Fiasco |
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Written by Webmaster
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Sunday, 24 December 2006 |
 Sony and agency Zipatoni have come under fire for one of their
marketing tactics for the Sony PSP. Sony has added its name to a
growing list of flogs [fake blogs] including McDonald's, WalMart and Lonely Girl 15, that are being called out by consumers.
This isn't the first time Sony has been caught and questioned about the ethics of its marketing practices.
Back in December of 2005, the brand came under fire for a graffiti tactic
that was used as a disguise for its marketing efforts.
Neighborhoods spoke out against the company for using what some
consider vandalism to sell a product and graffiti artists cried foul
for "duping" people passing by.
This time the wrath comes from a blog titled alliwantforxmasisapsp.com
(which has apparently been taken down by Sony) that featured two guys
trying to spread the word about convincing family members to get one of
them a PSP for Christmas. Except the whole thing wasn't really a blog
-- a fact revealed by cyber sleuths who looked up the domain's
registration
Sony's
fake PSP blog effort appears to have backfired on the marketer -- and
provided an important lesson for other marketers and their ad agencies.
file. It was all just an advertising ploy. Once this news broke,
it only took a matter of hours for the word to spread and the rapid
fire comments and responses began.
I'm sure the one thing Sony did NOT expect was the amount of
active bashing of the brand [and the site] that has virally spread over
every gaming site and marketing blog out there. Top gaming site Penny
Arcade had this to say,
"Unwilling to let an increasingly savvy portfolio of titles speak to
gamers directly, they chose instead to bring aboard guerilla marketing
gurus Zipatoni to do irreparable damage to their brand."
The article goes on:
"The reality is that no agency can create viral marketing, this
is the sole domain of the consumer. Viral marketing is what happens
when a campaign works -- when we allow their message to travel via our
own super efficient conduits. Perhaps it is entertaining on its own
terms, divorced from the message. Perhaps it is a game or a story, like
I Love Bees or other ARGs, where we take ownership in it. What
distinguishes this from Guerilla Marketing is that we are aware of the
message. When we are not aware of the message, or when the agents of
the message misrepresent themselves, we call this "deception."
The increasing debate over false and dishonorable marketing
practices was further heightened last week when the FTC in Washington
weighed in for the first time on the ethical practices of word-of-mouth
tactics in marketing and moved to suggest that companies or endorsers
clearly disclose when they're working together. The move was an
important symbol of just what consumers will [or will not] accept in
terms of being marketed to.
The lesson learned in this debacle for small agencies like us
is not so much about covering your tracks when creating alternative
marketing but something much bigger;
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.
Today's audience might forgive you once, but make the same mistake
twice and many will hold the brand and company accountable for the
mistakes other's make.
Posted
by
Noelle Weaver
on
12.18.06
@ 06:54 AM
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 10 January 2007 )
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