Flogging

Flogging, short for fake blog, is a term describing a practice in which an organization or an individual adopts a fake persona on a blog or online discussion board. A common type of flogging occurs when a public relations practitioner pretends to be a customer in order to post positive reviews of products on shopping websites or specially created blogs.

The term gained prominence in the United States in 2006 following three high-profile controversies involving corporations and public relations firms. The first controversy involved Sony and a viral promotions firm called Zipatoni. To promote the Play-Station video game system, the companies created a blog titled “http://AllIwantforxmsisapsp.com.” The blog was designed to look like it was created by teenage video game enthusiasts and did not contain any disclaimer that it was produced by Sony or Zipatoni. Several readers, suspicious of the blog's promotional tone, examined it carefully and discovered that Zipatoni created it. After an outcry from consumer advocates, the blog was deactivated.

A second controversy involved McDonald's and the public relations firm JSH&A. To promote a contest, the companies created two blogs, one by a past contest winner and another by a person called Stanley Smith who described himself on the blog as an ordinary guy, a security guard in suburban Chicago. On the blog, Smith posted videos showing the significant effort he was taking to win the contest. Observant readers questioned the truthfulness of the blog; it was pulled down following an admission from JSH&A that Smith was a fake person.

A third controversy involved Walmart and the public relations firm Edelman. It began with the launch of a blog titled “Wal-Marting Across America” that featured a vacationing couple driving a recreational vehicle (RV) across the United [Page 348]States. On the blog, the couple showcased employees who said positive things about Walmart. Journalists investigated the blog and found that the couple were not ordinary people but paid professionals. After these revelations, the blog was deactivated and Edelman apologized.

These three cases as well as other widely popularized cases prompted the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to crack down on flogging and other online misconduct. In 2009, the agency announced strengthened rules that require those posting on blogs or review sites to refrain from fake content, to disclose compensation being received, and to reveal conflicts of interests. Fines for those caught flogging can be up to $11,000.