Ethical for Affiliates to Capitalize on the BP Oil Spill Disaster?
The BP Oil Spill is a disaster that is ruining the environment and people’s lives. To try to make a buck out of people’s misfortunes this way is just unthinkable! This story is ALMOST as bad as the one I blogged about when affiliates were trying to capitalize on the Swine Flu outbreak. I swear, some people will do anything to make a buck!
So below is more bad press that gives honest affiliates a bad name!
After reading the story below at the McAfee TrustedSource blog, I did some research and found an ad on Google Adwords and Yahoo that this affiliate put up. Links go to consumerinjuryalert.com/oil/index.php. (Won’t do them the favor of posting a spiderable link.) The link goes through a series of redirects and one I caught was lynxtrack.com, which appears to be a Hydra link.
Peering Into the Affiliate Marketing Window – McAfee TrustedSource
As usual, however, tragedy becomes opportunity: Our researchers have now uncovered an interesting affiliate marketing program that piqued my interest.
We’ve seen emails offering legal advice for those who have been affected by the spill, using subject lines such as: File your lost income claim against BP Oil, Oil Spill Lawsuit Information or Will the oil spill hurt your business?
These emails typically contain one or two short lines of text and a link to information on filing a lost-income claim against those responsible.
So do you think what this lead gen affiliate is doing is ethical?
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#1 Liane Luini wrote on June 11, 2010 :
You’re so right! Some people will do anything for a buck and their actions give all of us a bad name. I choose to take a higher road and promote products that will be a win-win for all parties involved. At least we know that the unethical types do get shut down more often now.
Thanks for all the great info you provide.
#2 Make My Own Website wrote on June 13, 2010 :
No, I do not believe what this particular affiliate is doing is ethical!
However, a niche is a group of people that have a problem! If an affiliate has a passion for helping these people, and they truly believe that what they are offering will help these people, then I don’t think they should be scrutinized anymore than any other affiliate that offers a solution to a problem, for a group of people!
Who are we to judge anyone that provides a solution to a problem, for a group of people, when we do the same thing?
Thank you, and good luck!
Matthew Zinda
#3 Make My Own Website wrote on June 13, 2010 :
I am from central Minnesota, and a fellow Minnesotan has developed a special kind of peat that will absorb the oil! Leaving just the peat, which contains the oil, and can be used for other applications!
So, because this intuitive Minnesotan is asking for a few bucks for his peat, does that make him unethical?
I don’t believe so!
Do you?
Matthew Zinda