I think this blog by SEOBOOK about the AdAge article “IS BUZZ MARKETING ILLEGAL” may be stretching things a bit to suggest this could include affiliate marketing. If it does, then since I’m such a big “Affiliate Buzzer” I could be in real trouble! ;-)

As marketers more frequently look to recruit consumers brand agents to spread goodwill for brands, industry attorneys view buzz marketing as a likely area of regulatory involvement, especially around the issue of compensating people to participate in buzz programs when they fail to disclose their connections to marketers and agencies. While there is no legal precedent specific to word-of-mouth marketing, there are Federal Trade Commission guidelines for ads that are likely to apply…

How far can they stretch this line of thinking? Is affiliate marketing a paid endorsement? Does every affiliate link need to be identified? How the hell would they enforce that?

Read the rest over at the SEObook blog, What Percent of Affiliate or Buzz Marketing is Legal?
Then come discuss it at the 5 Star Forums. Forum Reply