From stealth marketing to paid advocacy (from: Ben McConnell)
http://customerevangelists.typepad.com/blog/2005/02/from_stealth_ma.html
The Wi-Fi Networking News blog calls a telecommunications research council a "sock puppet" organization for big phone companies. I’m sure some could think of a less-generous term.
Theexistence of sponsored research groups is nothing new (they’reeverywhere among big industires, especially politics), but bloggers are quickly changing the status quo.
They are unmasking industry organizations faster than any PR company could spin it, and the bloggers are generating fast-moving buzzabout monetary connections and intentions, real or perceived.
That’s a problem for industry organizations that relyon sponsored "research councils" to influence laws before Congress,legislatures or municipalities as well as the pundits and editorial writerswho write about big-picture issues.
Lobbying won’t change, but its transparency must. A citizensphere of blogger-researchers-reporters are standing by.