is there a western verison of the so-called chinese 50-cents?

[Craftylass]

Most marketing, advertising and public relations firms recognize the power of "word of mouth." Modern times include more than someone merely telling someone else about a product . . . modern times want to harness the power of the internet.

Some of the most powerful marketing tools on the internet are not the paid ads, the pop-up ads or the "selective" product offerings by the likes of Google, etc. It comes from social networks and blogs. Just imagine . . . 60 years ago, if you found a product you liked, you told your neighbor about it. Now, if you find something you like (or don't like), you tell all your friends and even anonymous readers about it via Facebook, Twitter, blogs, etc.

The New York Times references this phenomenon in the following article:

"A technology convention may not be the natural venue to introduce a household cleaning product. But to harness the viral marketing of social media, Procter & Gamble sponsored an event last week before the BlogHer 2009 conference in Chicago to present its updated Swiffer Wet Jet cleaning mop, which will be shipped to stores around Aug. 1.

"The company was the title sponsor of the Swiffer SocialLuxe Lounge, billed as a pampering party. More than 500 BlogHer participants stopped by on Thursday afternoon, which offered makeovers, a blogging awards presentation and stations to recharge phones and hand-held devices.

"One of the main stations at the event had a campy theme that allowed bloggers to test the new Swiffer and dress up as their favorite housewife character, like Lucille Ball or Marge Simpson.

“These bloggers are influential,” said Beth Feldman, founder of RoleMommy.com, who was one of the six bloggers who organized the event.

"Even if bloggers did not write about the product, many sent messages through Twitter, posted updates on Facebook or reached out to their readers in other ways. More than 1,000 photos were uploaded from the event, thanks to another sponsor, Eye-Fi, Ms. Feldman said.

“It’s not just about blogs anymore. It’s about the numerous ways you can get the word out to people that can make an impact,” she said.

"Companies are increasingly sponsoring blogging events, underwriting the travel costs for bloggers to attend tech conventions and even paying bloggers hundreds of dollars for postings or viral marketing campaigns.

"But Procter & Gamble strictly underwrote part of the cost of the event itself rather than paying for any positive press, the company said. Bloggers who attended could request samples of the products for their trials or giveaways and provide their honest opinions, said Mark Mercurio, assistant brand manager for Swiffer.

“Word of mouth is a very powerful tool,” said Mr. Mercurio, who added that the company monitored other feedback, like Amazon.com customer reviews and opinions from focus groups. “Consumers are increasingly investigating products online.”

"Andy Sernovitz, a blogger who monitors ethics, praised the guidelines set up by the BlogHer organizers.

"That does not mean, however, that paid content was a rarity at the Chicago conference. The BlogHer convention site offered plenty of giveaways and gift certificates worth hundreds of dollars that were underwritten by corporations."

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Companies are quite public about their desire to sway public opinion. This is also true in the government sector as well. The internet has increased its influence in politics over the last ten years and will continue to do so. Most fully developed societies have an open internet forum that allows the average citizen to post whatever they want, where they want, without needing to be paid for it.

There are millions of Americans who love their country as much as millions of Chinese love theirs. The difference between them and those who "blindly" praise China without recognizing faults, is that most Americans will freely admit problems. The rabid "50-center" won't admit to any problems, but tries to divert attention from current issues by pointing fingers at others.

Here's an illustration: If you are five feet tall and weigh 300 pounds then you are extremely overweight. Now, stand next to someone who is five feet tall, but weighs 600 pounds. Pointing fingers at the other person, the first one can feel "thin" in comparison, but it doesn't change the fact that the original problem hasn't changed. So goes the attitude of the "50-center." They don't acknowledge that there is a problem . . . they just try to point out a "bigger" problem elsewhere else.