• by Wendy Davis , Staff Writer @wendyndavis, September 10, 2007

This weekend, news stories appeared outlining how Matthew Sassone, a college student, drew the ire of Busch Gardens by posting video footage shot with a cellphone showing him stuck on the Griffon roller coast ride. Busch Gardens responded by accusing Sassone of tampering with the ride, and ordering him and his friend who took the footage to stay away from the amusement park.

Also this weekend, news broke that a judge in Canada ordered YouTube to remove a clip posted by Ontario resident Stan Hall, which showed him railing against his lawyer, Paul Ledroit.

Additionally, with the political season heating up, videos attacking candidates seem to be surfacing with increasing frequency on YouTube and other sites. Late last week, filmmaker Robert Greenwald unveiled a video short taking aim at former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani.

These are just three examples, but taken together, it's becoming increasingly clear that consumers and advocates are turning directly to YouTube and other video sites to get their own messages out. And, while marketers are trying to discern the best use of YouTube, consumers already know that nothing spreads online faster than complaints.

To some extent, this scenario played out in the past with blogs and message boards. Some marketers responded; others attempted to counter with their own publicity. But well-executed video spots often resonate with people in ways that text posts don't. Which probably is why Ledroit sought a court order and why Busch Gardens banned Sassone from the premises. But neither of those actions do much to counter whatever truth there is in the events depicted or described in the original clips.