BP Using Google To Manipulate Public Opinion (they have purchased search terms from teh Google)

[Are_grits_groceries]

Even more important, BP is using paid search to influence public opinion as people look for information about the oil spill and its consequences. Just Google any of the common search terms related to the disaster and what pops up first? BP. Since this catastrophe is one of the hot search topics of the year, you can imagine what BP is paying for the privilege of elbowing out other news and opinion sites that would normally buy at least one of these terms. But money talks--and oil money, as slippery as it may be, talks louder than most.

According to Scott Slatin, who runs a New York-based search marketing company, "While we have seen corporations use search-engine marketing to sway opinions, most recently in the health-care debate, it is always under the cover of a non-profit or lobbying organization. This is the first time I have seen a company use this tactic on such a wide scale. And it is very effective, because BP gets its message, 'Learn more about how BP is helping' atop almost every Google search permutation related to the spill, and effectively blocks non-profits (with much smaller pockets) from getting their message across."

The strategy appears to be working, as BP's ads show up on neutral searches like "spill," "gulf oil," "offshore oil," "oil spill," "Louisiana coast spill" and "oil cleanup," but not "oil disaster." And the costs? Slatin says, "I'd estimate that BP is spending at least $7,500 a day to own the top position on searches related to the oil spill on Google, and another $3,000 a day to cover both Yahoo and MSN's Bing." In April, says Slatin, the number of searches on Google for "oil spill" was 2,240,000, versus a 12-month average of 301,000.

In a phone interview with The Fiscal Times on Thursday afternoon, a company spokesperson acknowledged purchasing the search terms but declined to discuss costs. "Yes, you're right, we have been buying up search terms," said BP spokesman Robert Wine. "We've tried to pick terms which will help the people who are most directly affected in the Gulf coast states with information about how to get in touch with us and make claims for loss of earnings."****Pffffffftttttttttttttt! sure, they're just helping***********

When pressed for examples of the terms they've bought, Wine said, "Some examples would be 'oil spill' and 'claims.' The main aim is a marketing tool, to help the people who are most directly affected -- fishermen, local businesses, volunteers in the cleanup. We want people to be able to find us, so we can work out how to minimize the impact on their lives and businesses." Wine said it is the BP web teams in Houston and London, together with the company's marketing executives, who are engaged in buying search terms.
<snip>
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jacqueline-leo/bp-using-google-to-manipu_b_598677.html


I own the words FU by my own proclamation. Purchase that BP.

[eleny]

1. They need to purchase "BP asshole"

The hits don't make them look very pretty.

[DJ13]

2. bp asshole

About 5,340,000 results

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&source=hp&q=bp+asshole&btnG=Google+Search&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=

:rofl:

[Mari333]

7. hah!!!

[izzybeans]

8. Searches related to bp asshole:

Tony hayward bp
bp oil spill
bp gulf of mexico

[eleny]

9. And the third one when I just checked was a DU thread

:silly:

[global1]

3. Every Way Possible Corporations Are Manipulating The American People......

this is unconscionable.

[blindpig]

12. Yes, but that's Capitalism for ya.

Nothing is more sacred than the bottom line.

Kill Capitalism

[aquart]

4. Why shouldn't you get a BP ad on the word "spill"?

It's the one most likely to be used. Twitter trends #oilspill not #oildisaster. "Disaster" is frankly the more general word.

I'm sure they are being as manipulative as they can but this is a fuss over nothing.

Wait, do you REALLY believe that someone doing a search on "spill" is going to get all warm and fuzzy toward BP because their ad appears with the search? Are you serious?

[Are_grits_groceries]

5. This is one way:

<"This is the first time I have seen a company use this tactic on such a wide scale. And it is very effective, because BP gets its message, 'Learn more about how BP is helping' atop almost every Google search permutation related to the spill, and effectively blocks non-profits (with much smaller pockets) from getting their message across.">

Not everyone using Google will ignore the BP message. In addition, they are buying up a lot of related terms. People can be influenced in many ways unconsciously. There is a lot of research in that area.

Do I believe it will influence everybody? No.
Doing that to influence anybody is just one more way to get over on people if they can.

[dixiegrrrrl]

6. Well, it's not working out for BP.

google "oil spill".

What comes up in the first section is :
"James Cameron call s BP morons"
and
"BP stock tumbles".

And this comes up on the side:

BP's oil rig safety violations were
ignored prior to Gulf disaster
www.PublicIntegrity.org

BP's Oil Spill Estimates
Are Ten Times Less Than Experts'.
How Much Oil Is Really Spilling?
RepowerAmerica.org
Oil Spill Clean Up

Volunteer with an organization
and do your part to help out.
www.VolunteerMatch.org

Alaskan Oil Spill
See photos and get the latest news
from the Alaska Oceans Program.
AlaskaOceans.org


I am swayed, all right. Right into protesting BP.

[Dragonbreathp9d]

10. use Bing

[Trillo]

11. So what is the information age all about,

if corporate doesn't already know the names and addresses of everyone living in coastal areas, never mind all other areas in the U.S. Just program the computer to spit out monthly checks to every address in the affected communities.

Corporations seen to have NO TROUBLE finding people to send advertising to, it even often comes with the correct names mated to the addresses. But they claim they don't know who they've affected until a "claim" is filed. The two differing narratives do not agree with each other.