stealth marketing

ほしのあきが"PR"（関係？）していたことで話題になっている詐欺サイト「ペニーオークション」はドイツではじまった手法だそうです。こういう射幸心をあおるような形野マーケットを総称してstealth marketingと呼ぶそうです（日本語では「ステマ」と略）。stealthは例のレーダーにひっかからない戦闘機に由来し、ここでは法の網をかいくぐるところところからこのように呼ばれているとのこと。「ペニーオークション」に関しては、昨年の2月中旬付けで以下の記事がありました。ここにもほしのさんの名前もあります。（EnDough）

Penny auctions: more anger at foreign web services
By William AndrewsPublished: February 14, 2011

After the Groupon fiasco over New Year that saw the reputation of the foreign daily discounts site plummet (a feat that the U.S. service managed almost to repeat domestically with its recent Super Bowl ads too), another imported money-saving style of retail is in crisis too.

Penny auction websites started in Germany in 2005 and came to Japan fairly recently via sites such as YasuOku.jp, often provided by Hong Kong, American or Singaporean companies. Over the last few months, though, increasing consumer anger has been mounting against what could almost be perceived as a fraudulent system.

It all sounds great at first. The auctions generally offer expensive electronics items like TVs and computers offered at discounted prices. An iPad for 855 yen (about $10) is tempting, right? However, people who places bids have to pay non-refundable fees, usually between 50 and 100 yen. Still not a lot of money, of course, but when you consider that bidders can number in the thousands, you can see how the auctioneer makes profit.

Though the press exposure over the last few weeks has changed matters, originally participants were not aware of the fees and if you’ve been bidding for lots of items then your account is going to give you a nasty surprise.

Consumer complaints to the government about the services increased steadily throughout 2010, peaking last month at nearly two hundred. That may not seem like a vast number but in a culture that values customer service as highly as Japan, it’s a serious trend.

What makes the situation more emotive is that many celebrities have endorsed the auction system and even taken part themselves, announcing this on their popular Ameba blogs. Numbers of participants in the auction sites increased following the example set last autumn by models and celebrities like Aki Hoshino.

http://www.shifteast.com/penny-auctions-more-anger-at-foreign-web-services/