Cashing in on the Swine Flu (H1N1) – Smart or Just Plain Wrong?
#SwineFlu, and #H1N1 are among the top trending topics on Twitter. I’ve been scanning tweets several times a day – not just for the news but analyzing behavior and watching for ways people try to monetize this very hot subject.
Careful what you click! When you move out of your circle of friends and industry peeps and out into the wild world of Twitter ‘Trending topics’ watch out! Mixed in with all the jokes about the Hamdemic, Aporkalypse Now and Hamthrax you’ll find all types of dicey swine flu links. A link purportedly with ‘new’ swine flu resources sent me to a ‘bouquet’ of 100 penises. It was quite the image, let me tell you, but not exactly what I was expecting to run into! 
Some Twitter links were also being used to try to spread malware.
So let’s take a look at how people are marketing and trying to take advantage of the pandemic. Shortly after the flu broke a Swine Flu game was launched. As face masks flu (sic) off the shelves at local stores and inventory was depleted, smart affiliates were marketing masks via Twitter using affiliate links. Right now the top 3 sellers in the health and personal care category on Amazon are surgical and respirator face masks. Swine flu gag products and Tshirts are already for sale on eBay.
There is also a growing trend I’m seeing that is IMO dangerous and unethical. Some affiliates are trying to sell various herbal products saying they will ‘prevent’ the swine flu. That is untrue and could get you popped by the FTC or FDA for making false medical claims. “We have seen dietary supplements with prevention or treatment claims, various unapproved personal protection devices such as masks, and illegal sales of unapproved versions of antivirals, and antivirals sold without prescription,” the FDA reported in a statement to Reuters.
There is a lively discussion over at the Warrior forum about a guy that wrote a FREE guide about how to avoid the swine flu. It’s just basic advice like you can find at the various health resources – some say it’s well packaged information – with some affiliate links inside. He’s giving the info away at no charge. If people read it, take his advice and buy something, is that wrong. Is it taking advantage of an international epidemic or is it just smart marketing?
Read the following 3 page heated debate and let me know what you think???
Cashing in on Swine Flu
Smart Marketing or Just Plain Wrong???
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#1 Natural Doc wrote on Saturday, May 2nd, 2009:
Are you seriously asking if it is Smart or Plain Wrong? Obviously it is plain wrong. Is it ever OK to cash in on people’s fears? I suppose there are those out there that have no conscience and can sleep at night just fine … but I am not one of those people nor do I want to associate with those kind of people.
#2 Linda Buquet wrote on Saturday, May 2nd, 2009:
My intent in asking the question was simply to get people to stop and think and start a discussion and debate. Thanks for weighing in!
Some people over at my forum who I respect think it’s smart marketing and here are their thoughts.
Cashing in on the #swineflu, #H1N1 – Smart or Just Plain Wrong?
#3 Dillon wrote on Saturday, May 2nd, 2009:
Of course its smart marketing!
Its what the media do everyday, after all they are the ones who hyped up this so called epidemic which in reality is significantly less dangerous than the regular flu which kills tens of thousands every year.
Monetize away I say!