Mzinga Blog

This was the case for me on the last day of competition for the Winter Olympics when the culmination of the ice hockey tournament would be played -- USA vs. Canada for the gold medal.  The US team was not expected to be a medal contender and here they were head to head in gold medal game with Canada.  The two teams had met only days ago in the first round of the competition where Team USA had emerged as the victor.  The stage was set for a monumental show down, but there was one small problem,  I was not going to be home for the beginning of the game.  I set my DVR and when I got home I began to watch the game from the beginning.

Almost as a matter of instinct, I pulled out my phone to check in on Facebook.  Then it hit me...read more

When Does Discussion Become Promotion?
 
Recently, there have been complaints that companies have been using online communities to market products in a deceptive manner by using company staff or compensated reviewers to post positive messages that are purported to come from consumers.  In response, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a ruling late last year in which companies are expected to disclose any relationships that exists between them and those who mention their products in interactive areas, especially when they are compensated for doing so.  A copy of the document may be read at http://www.ftc.gov/os/2009/10/09100...read more