Facebook paid PR firm to pitch journalists negative Google stories

[Liberal_in_LA]

Facebook paid PR firm to pitch journalists negative Google stories

Facebook admitted hiring a PR firm to pitch news outlets and bloggers stories criticizing a Google feature called Social Circle.

Social Circle collects and tracks data on the social media activity of Google users and their friends.

Facebook came clean about hiring Burson-Marsteller, one of the nation's leading public relations firms, to push the negative campaign about Google Social Circle after USA Today reported on Wednesday that an unnamed client was paying the firm to solicit journalists on the stories.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2011/05/facebook-admits-to-hiring-pr-firm-burson-marsteller-to-pitch-journalists-bloggers-to-write-negative-.html

[DontTreadOnMe]

1. So "marketing companies" are now paid to create negative spin?

Is this legal?

[Wounded Bear]

3. Well,d'uh!

:rofl:

[Spike89]

5. Legal? Of course, ethical and effective? Not so clear

The ethics are actually somewhat vague...if you believe a product from a competitor is actually harming people, would it be wrong to wage such a stealth campaign knowing that if you said it yourself, it would be discounted? I'm not saying this is what is happening in the Facebook/Google example, just framing the sticky ethics.

What I find most perplexing about this story is that someone at Facebook thought it was a good idea at all. It's a pretty wide-spread and simple truism in advertising that flinging poo (FUD: fear, uncertainty, and doubt), especially in new, volatile markets is as likely to damage both you and your target. Many people (and advertisers, the real clients of Facebook) are a bit leery of social networking. Making the entire environment seem dangerous isn't likely to send them into Facebook's arms, it'll most likely just ensure the advertisers stay on the sidelines altogether.

[jberryhill]

6. Potential unlawful

Google may pick over this for an unfair competition claim.

[CrossChris]

7. It's pretty much what the country runs on. Especially the internet.

Lots of money in that industry. Especially political marketing.

[Blue Owl]

2. Wonder if anyone makes a full-time living

making paid calls to right-wing radio shows and writing biased reviews for mass M$M consumption?

Because there aren't very many REAL people doing it.

[madfloridian]

4. That's the firm of Dem strategist Mark Penn.