Advertisement/Companies Creating Fake FB accounts

[kitki83]

I am working on a research paper about agencies or companiesthat created fake facebook profiles to increase followers or build buzz around that specific profile. My topic is on abuses of social media by corporations or advertising agencies. I recalled an agency in Los Angeles got busted by the users over this and ruined their business but I cannot recall the name. I thought it was Deutsch but nothing on them.

If anyone, maybe in the industry, knows of such cases please let me know cause I cannot find anything other than company's being a$$$#((#@ on their profiles.

Thank you

 

[avro707]

I can't remember the exact campaign - and I'm sure it wasn't facebook, but if I remember right, Sony was embroiled in a "false" campaign involving someone wanting a Playstation gaming console of some description or another.

It was trying to use peer promotion/viral marketing - but some savvy web users discovered that the whole thing was a setup by Sony, and the image of the company suffered. According to one pundit:

The campaign was torn apart viciously and exposed over at Somethingawful.com, and managed to create near unheard of hatred amongst Sony’s target audience.

What we've always generally believed is that the social media space, you've got to be genuine, otherwise users will figure out - and you'll have little control over the damage to your image.

 

[AustinZ]

Here's an article with some more information on the PSP scandal mentioned by avro. The web site was called 'alliwantforxmasisapsp.com'.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/gamesblog/2006/dec/11/newsonyviral

 

[avro707]

Yes, that's the one - I couldn't find the exact articles. Well done for tracking it down!

There were a few others kicking around as well, but my memory is a bit hazy so can't tell you the specific details.

In some respects, it is similar to "astroturfing", which is explained in this article:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environme...23/need-to-protect-internet-from-astroturfing

It can be done in things like news articles on websites, particularly those of a political nature, where you wonder how many of the replies are actual real opinions, or those of people paid to reply in a particular fashion.

Astroturfing is extremely damaging to websites - particularly high profile ones. In forums, it increases moderation workloads for staff and administrators, and it upsets many users to the point where they will simply leave permanently.

A site I was involved in had that problem a long while ago, where one user would do "flooding" of the forum with particular views and lots of prepackaged thoughts on a particular subject - and would fight aggressively with those who disagreed on the subject. If left alone, would post more and more replies and new topics, and if moderated, would become extremely aggressive and agitated - until finally the user was banned permanently, forever.