Corporate blogs, also known as business blogs, have opened the line of communication between businesses and customers. Businesses are able to speak frequently to customers that can build a meaning channel of trust and loyalty. Unfortunately, not all corporate blogging efforts are an honest dialogue between company and customer. A marketing firm hired by Sony to promote the PlayStation Portable (PSP) created a fake fan blog run by "Charlie" who was supposedly helping his friend to get a PSP for Christmas. The blog included Internet lingo and excessive grammatical errors to appear real, but the public soon discovered it was a fake viral marketing campaign.

Answer the following questions:

1) What could have been an appropriate corporate blogging strategy for Sony's launch of the PSP?

2) Do businesses have a moral obligation to be honest in their corporate blogs beyond what is required by law?

3) Is deception necessary to influence consumers to buy a product when competing in a crowded online environment?

4) Is it easier for businesses to lie to customers online?

Answer rating: 100% (QA)

1 A more appropriate blogging strategy for Sony would have been to have actual employees share real ... View the full answer