I think this was an excellent show and I enjoyed listening to your considered analysis of the issues.

Your thoughts have been guiding my thinking on the topic of late – deeply interesting stuff.

I’ve just come across an excellent post on the difference between grassroots mobilization and astroturfing.

It’s from Christie Goldman, APR, at the San Antonio Byline blog. It’s probably one of the clearest and best articulated explanations I’ve come across.

Here’s an excerpt:
Real grass is unpredictable. It doesn’t grow evenly. Sometimes, weeds pop up. Grass needs the right amount of water and sunlight. Often, it needs to be nourished by a little fertilizer. Working with it is messy business. It takes time to grow. But once it gets going, it is strong and long-lasting. Watered grass smells really good.

Astroturfing clearly is not an ethical practice.”

I truly appreciated the conversation on astroturfing, especially the case study/example. I work for The Salvation Army in Wisconsin as the Marketing/PR Director. This is an important issue and we have to tread lightly in how we tell our story. I’m very concerned about remaining authentic and transparent in how we involve donors and volunteers in sharing, spreading and experiencing the work of The Salvation Army.We thrive on grassroots efforts and need to make sure they’re authentic to maintain our credibility.

I’ll be listening from now on. Thank you guys.

First time listening to the cast and lovin’ it.

The topic is of specific interest for me because I have been approached in the past to plan and manage a campaign based solely on astroturfing.

Happily, I turned down the request, but not after doing some diggin on the strategy behind the marketing tactics. When you gave the real-world example, and a great one it was, you were looking for elements in the situation that together would combine and define an astroturfing example. I think that the instance you described is not traditional astroturfing because although it had many elements that are required for the definition, it lacked one essential element.

This cherry on top of the astroturfing sundae is always a planned, structured and collaborative effort. As an individual this would not, in my opinion, be defined as astroturfing.

Keep the great casts coming. Between you, Jaffe and Mitch Joel and getting inspired to start the new marketing podcast from smack in the middle of the prairies here in Winnipeg!