To pay or not to pay?

What would you do in order to ensure that your newly launched product received positive reviews from the public? Despite the fact that positive consumer reviews are adamant for higher sales and profits, but would you pay consumers to post positive reviews of your product? Well, that is just what Michael Bayard of Belkin did.

In 2009, Michael Bayard, a "business development employee" for Belkin, posted an ad on Amazon's Mechanical Turk website that promised payment to anyone who posted a 100% positive review on products such as Belkin's USB wireless hub.

Although Belkin denied any involvement in the development of these postings, this undoubtedly did more damage than good on consumer views of their products, trust, as well as their overall brand image. Real reviews of the product on Amazon.com reveal this product as a dud, with all scores having a value of 1/5 except for two of perfect or near-perfect. The reviews here certainly speak for themselves.

What a horrible idea. If you put something like this on the internet, and are no less advertising such unethical practices on a popular website, you have to realize that the truth will come out at some point - its 2010 for crying out loud.

So, this posting leaves us with an important lesson: don't pay consumers to write fictitious positive reviews about a less than competent product. Even more important.... Keep better tabs on your employees!