I'll take a slightly contrarian view here – but before I do – i'll agree with you – WOM doesn't get manufactured although it may get hosted, paying people is wrong, product is always the name of the game and goosing is wrong in nearly every arena of life – as a word of mouth marketer – you can wear a white hat, play by the ethical rulebook and still make your clients come out better.

The bad examples tend to get the media attention, where the good ones can get short shrift by traditional media (nobody likes to hear about saving cats out of trees either).

Here's the counter argument – great products can be ignored, average products don't appear different – why?

They lack a compelling idea/story, the experience they provide at all touchpoints not just the product is hamstrung, they fail to reach the right influential audience, they don't incubate an experience with the brand, they don't create dialogue or interaction that builds value to the brand, and they don't learn from what's being said in the grapevine about their product/brand.

Would it be better to support brash advertising that speaks over top their audience and brags “look at me, look at me”, or pushy PR that peddles manufactured stories at vulnerable journalists or overpriced, lazy sponsorship that brandishes a corporate swath on huge chunks of culture without really believing or living it – no, good friends don't allow friends to spend in a one-way world when people/customers are craving connection, collaboration, communication and community. That's the bigger sin.

There are good guys plying their trade out here in WOM land that are uncomfortable being lumped in with the MLMers, Roach baiters, shill marketers and fake bloggers…it does the entire industry a disservice when you don't make the distinction.

I'll take a slightly contrarian view here – but before I do – i'll agree with you – WOM doesn't get manufactured although it may get hosted, paying people is wrong, product is always the name of the game and goosing is wrong in nearly every arena of life – as a word of mouth marketer – you can wear a white hat, play by the ethical rulebook and still make your clients come out better.

The bad examples tend to get the media attention, where the good ones can get short shrift by traditional media (nobody likes to hear about saving cats out of trees either).

Here's the counter argument – great products can be ignored, average products don't appear different – why?

They lack a compelling idea/story, the experience they provide at all touchpoints not just the product is hamstrung, they fail to reach the right influential audience, they don't incubate an experience with the brand, they don't create dialogue or interaction that builds value to the brand, and they don't learn from what's being said in the grapevine about their product/brand.

Would it be better to support brash advertising that speaks over top their audience and brags “look at me, look at me”, or pushy PR that peddles manufactured stories at vulnerable journalists or overpriced, lazy sponsorship that brandishes a corporate swath on huge chunks of culture without really believing or living it – no, good friends don't allow friends to spend in a one-way world when people/customers are craving connection, collaboration, communication and community. That's the bigger sin.

There are good guys plying their trade out here in WOM land that are uncomfortable being lumped in with the MLMers, Roach baiters, shill marketers and fake bloggers…it does the entire industry a disservice when you don't make the distinction.