NONE: Re: Advertising and MLMs
Re: Advertising and MLMs
xerxes (xerxes_at_clark.net)
Mon, 8 Jul 1996 13:14:34 -0400 (EDT)
There are some MLMs that have been quite successful without the least hint
of any scam whatever.
I recall my B-school professors using an HBS case study of Mary Kay
cosmetics for example. It was a good example of business practice
innovation well adapted to a specialized niche.
I agree with Steve that MLM is in no way a guarantee of a scam.
There have been some MLM-like schemes that have been scams, of course, just
as virtually any other industry segment. The accusations have really been
flying lately. My own position has always been, "let a 1000 flowers
bloom". If an advertising method works, use it. If it does not work,
don't. I strongly object to accusations designed to suppress commercial
speech.
At 9:40 AM 7/8/96, Steve Harrison wrote:
snip
At least with
>the wording of what I was seeing in the digests, the idea seemed to be that
>*all* MLMs are based on a "can't work" myth. I am left to wonder if what
>I'm actually reading is nothing more than professional jealousy between
>advertising folks and the folks who don't spend a lot of money advertising
>their product (MLMers). Of course, some - maybe even many or most - MLMs
>have a pretty shaky product to market. But, aren't we traditional and
>online advertising pros perfectly willing to represent and try to enhance
>sales of a less-than-perfect product?
> There were even comments which tried to knit together pyramid schemes (a
>true fraud) with network marketing (MLM). That is patently false, both
>legally and honestly, and smacks of simple "hooray for our side" chauvinism.
snip
> MLMs may never spend the dough advertising with us, but to falsely accuse
>the marketing system of being a "can't possibly succeed" and borderline
>fraudulent scam is to subject our own profession to the charge of spiteful
>jingoism.
