The New York Times reported Tuesday on a cosmetic surgery company that was faking reviews online. The cost? $300,000. And of course a New York Times article outing them as sleazebags.
I wonder if they used the “But everybody’s doing it!” defense.
The article was particularly surprising to me because I know that some PR and communication firms regularly engage in this practice. Lifestyle Lift, the company featured in the article, was engaging in the practice heavily, ordering employees to take time out of their day to post fake reviews.
But Lifestyle Lift is a fairly large company. The only reason they got caught is because they were really stupid about it, having multiple people to blow the whistle and also leaving an obvious online trail. Meanwhile thousands more fake reviews are posted every day by unscrupulous “reputation management” firms around the country. Will they stop now, knowing there’s a definite cost associated with it?
I’m sure the ones in New York will think about it for a second, then go back to business as usual. The firms in other states won’t miss a beat.
Another question is one of accountability. If a sleazebag company pays a sleazebag PR firm to post fake reviews, who picks up the tab when they get caught for being “cynical, manipulative and illegal” (As the New York attorney general so eloquently put it)?
Related posts:
- On shilling: Where the “everyone does it” sleaze mentality comes from
- Shills down my spine: 3 ways to kick off the fight against online marketing evil-doers
- Having a code of ethics, in and of itself, is meaningless
- On FTC’s blogging guidelines, ‘clearly and conspicuously’ is what everyone should be talking about
- Presence: the best place to start with your public relations
