The Federal Trade Commission handed the Word of Mouth Marketing community a big win Monday, rejecting the request of anti-advertising group Commercial Alert to regulate companies engaged in
buzz-marketing practices. WOMMA asked the FTC to make a distinction between buzz marketing, which is a legitimate marketing tactic and strategy, and stealth marketing--a practice the association
condemns and opposes. "The FTC statement is a major victory for WOMMA and WOM marketers everywhere," said outgoing WOMMA CEO Andy Sernovitz. The government agency determined that serious offenses
should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis; it encourages the public to continue to submit information regarding instances of abuse. -- Tom Siebert
