Law Commons^™

Regulating Online Buzz Marketing: Untangling A Web Of Deceit, Robert Sprague, Mary Ellen Wells

Robert Sprague

During the past fifteen years, the Internet has swelled into its own virtual world of commentary, opinion, criticism, news, music, videos, gaming, role playing, shopping, banking, finance, and digital commerce. Coupled with the growth of blogs and social networking sites, millions of Americans appear willing to share online their own thoughts and experiences regarding products, services and companies. In response to the public’s interest, companies have begun to rely more heavily in recent years on word of mouth marketing, often referred to as “buzz marketing,” a technique that attempts to generate conversations among and with current and potential customers. Marketers …