**FINAL UPDATE** AEG and NVIDIA's "Viral"'outreach programme' Targets Forums

[apoppin]

05.25.06 . . . Someone else posted so . . .

?We are impressed with the strategic thinking, creativity and passion that High Road brings to our business,? said Chris Evenden, Director, Public Relations, ATI Technologies Inc. ?High Road?s communications process enables us to choose the best method of reaching key audiences, from traditional media relations and blogs to viral marketing and events. High Road will help us take our PR programs to the next level and positively impact our business.?

look at todays post for the links.

UPDATED 2-22-06

It's been awhile and now the Administration has answered:

Typically, we do not get involved in kiddie fights over video cards, but this issue went much further, and was far more reaching than the usual fanboyism. From this point, until further notice, Rollo is no longer a member of these forums. We observed, and at the end of the day, we decided, that in the best interests of the forums, this member had gone too far. The action has been taken, and any further threads on this topic will be immediately locked. The issue is not resolved in it's entirety, as we will still be watching, as well as conducting our own investigations. Consider this thread closed, with further action to follow.

AnandTech Moderator

===================================

UPDATED 2/7/06 :it has been confirmed and the pro-nVidia trolls on our forum are coming out . . . as well as at B3D . . . i guess nVidia is exercising major damage control right now

Nvidia viral marketing with AEG exposed
=======================


This has turned to a HUGE discussion in Video but extends WAY beyond there.

Cliffs Notes:
Some forum members are privately approached by nVidia/AEG and offered FREE HW in exchange for [an NDA and] promoting their product on OUR forums . . . of course this is done in "secret" and tends to DISRUPT the forums.
----------------

AEG and NVIDIA's "Viral"'outreach programme' targets Forums

But it extends well beyond nVidia to M$ and other companies. . . .
Well worth a look:

From EliteBastards
[quoted in small part]:

Who are AEG?

As we've already mentioned, AEG are otherwise known as the Arbuthnot Entertainment Group and, to put it simply, are a marketing organisation. To get a more official idea of the company's activities, let's take a look at a quote from their own web site's front page.

Quote:
Arbuthnot Entertainment Group is a leading public relations agency servicing the technology and entertainment industries. Combining expert media relations and integrated online community development, AEG will Amplify positive buzz, Elevate consumer mindshare and Generate extensive coverage of your company and its products. . . .

Quote:
COMMUNITY RELATIONS
- Fan site development and monitoring
- FSK (Fan Site Kit)
- Community management
- Message board monitoring and response
- Strategic seeding viral assets to ensure they are spread far and wide
- Optimization and re-purposing of existing content, creative and assets

. . . What does the 'outreach programme' involve?

Moving on to the clients page of AEG's web site, we see their own definition of the programme they have put in place in conjunction with NVIDIA.

Quote:
AEG has developed a unique campaign of community outreach and involvement to build strong enthusiast support for NVIDIA products and software.


What is so unique about this campaign? Our next clue comes from NVIDIA themselves, courtesy of their very own Derek Perez:

Quote:
AEG serves a pivotal role in helping us to build and manage online buzz for NVIDIA products. AEG?s online community outreach programs have been extraordinarily successful in improving public perception of our company and its products. So much so that we've recently expanded AEG's role into some of our other product lines. AEG plays an essential role in our marketing and public relations programs. In our opinion, they?re the best-of-breed experts in the field of online PR and community management.

. . . AEG, on behalf of NVIDIA, monitors a number of public hardware enthusiast communities and forums, seeking out some of the more well-respected members of these communities, those that they feel will hold sway among their peers when it comes to discussing product purchase decisions and the like.

These individuals are then approached regarding their interest in joining NVIDIA's community outreach programme. Those that register said interest are then provided with a free NVIDIA product (graphics cards generally speaking, although as NVIDIA has noted this campaign has been diversified into other product areas) in return for these users providing feedback to NVIDIA for the product they have been given, as well as hopefully evangelising the product to other members of their community. Thus, good word of mouth about the product is spread by a highly valued member of a community among his peers, who then take his sentiments on-board, spread them on to other communities, users, friends etc, and so on - The 'good news' spreads quickly, acting as a perfect form of viral marketing. . . .

i'm pretty sure ATI, AMD, Intel and others do it too . . . just remember that some forum members may have a "special interest" [free boards] in promoting "their" company.

Conclusion: get LOTS of input before deciding what to buy.

 

[ribbon13]

I've never been approached with offers of free sh!t for my advice. The bastards! :frown:

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: ribbon13
I've never been approached with offers of free sh!t for my advice. The bastards! :frown:

AEG, on behalf of NVIDIA, monitors a number of public hardware enthusiast communities and forums, seeking out some of the more well-respected members of these communities

guess you don't meet their criteria of "respected". :Q

[those OT posts]
:shocked:





but this is REALLY serious news . . . and i think it says a lot about the current state in "Video".

 

[ribbon13]

I never venture into the video forum. I got it grouped with P&N... not exactly the places I want to visit.

 

[EagleEye]

Originally posted by: ribbon13
I've never been approached with offers of free sh!t for my advice. The bastards! :frown:

I would have thought that Seasonic would have made you a millionare by now

 

[Hacp]

Hell if Nvidia or ATI or Intel offered me free stuff for pimping their stuff, you bet I would do it. Thats why you have to watch out!

 

[ribbon13]

Seasonic just happens to have the best PSUs in the $100-$140 dollar range.
I still recommend the Xclio 450w for the $50 range
I still recommend the Fortron FSP400-60GLN for the $70 range.
I still recommend the PC Power & Cooling for the $200+ range.
I still recommend the Fortron FSP FX700-GLN for the $170 range.

Looks like Seasonic has a narrow window to me. But it just happens to be where most people go.

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: ribbon13
I never venture into the video forum. I got it grouped with P&N... not exactly the places I want to visit.

i was kidding about the 'respected' part.


and that's why i posted it here also . . . this underhanded crap goes way beyond nVidia

Probably should post in OT also

 

[EagleEye]

Originally posted by: ribbon13
Seasonic just happens to have the best PSUs in the $100-$140 dollar range.
I still recommend the Xclio 450w for the $50 range
I still recommend the Fortron FSP400-60GLN for the $70 range.
I still recommend the PC Power & Cooling for the $200+ range.
I still recommend the Fortron FSP FX700-GLN for the $170 range.

Looks like Seasonic has a narrow window to me. But it just happens to be where most people go.

lol i was just joking

plus I bought a seasonic based on your recomendation after reading reviews.

 

[jiffylube1024]

Going into Video is like playing a game of Risk or Monopoly with someone who takes it a little too seriously. Prepare for war, because it's going to be a battle no matter how innocent your intentions .

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: jiffylube1024
Going into Video is like playing a game of Risk or Monopoly with someone who takes it a little too seriously. Prepare for war, because it's going to be a battle no matter how innocent your intentions .

and now we find some of them are "paid" just to attack you

!

but then we [vidiots] love a challenge . . .
[not the abuse]
:roll:

 

[linkgoron]

I think that we should all love nVidia and their great products. They're a great company, best of the business, and provide solid and good equiment. They have no rivals in their chipsets and video cards. They have great customer support, and they're always willing to help. We should all buy nVidia products, ATi sucks!


*waits for pm*

 

[ViRGE]

Humm, this is quite concerning, thanks for bringing it out of the video forums, Apoppin.

 

[Paktu]

Originally posted by: linkgoron
I think that we should all love nVidia and their great products. They're a great company, best of the business, and provide solid and good equiment. They have no rivals in their chipsets and video cards. They have great customer support, and they're always willing to help. We should all buy nVidia products, ATi sucks!


*waits for pm*

You're absolutely right, linkgoron. nVidia is a world-class corporation that makes top quality products. Especially the 5800 Ultra.

 

[linkgoron]

Originally posted by: Paktu

Originally posted by: linkgoron
I think that we should all love nVidia and their great products. They're a great company, best of the business, and provide solid and good equiment. They have no rivals in their chipsets and video cards. They have great customer support, and they're always willing to help. We should all buy nVidia products, ATi sucks!


*waits for pm*

You're absolutely right, linkgoron. nVidia is a world-class corporation that makes top quality products. Especially the 5800 Ultra.

Yeah, I love them. The 5800U was like a 3 in 1 item.


Oh wait, there's someone at the door!
*takes two 7800GTX 512 from delivery guy*

 

[Paktu]

Originally posted by: linkgoron

Originally posted by: Paktu

Originally posted by: linkgoron
I think that we should all love nVidia and their great products. They're a great company, best of the business, and provide solid and good equiment. They have no rivals in their chipsets and video cards. They have great customer support, and they're always willing to help. We should all buy nVidia products, ATi sucks!


*waits for pm*

You're absolutely right, linkgoron. nVidia is a world-class corporation that makes top quality products. Especially the 5800 Ultra.

Yeah, I love them. The 5800U was like a 3 in 1 item.


Oh wait, there's someone at the door!
*takes two 7800GTX 512 from delivery guy*

Video card, vacuum cleaner, and space heater, all in one!

And it makes a great paperweight too.

 

[Pr0d1gy]

Wow, did I call this one or what? I made mention of things like this going on months ago in the Video forum because of how fanatical people were acting in there.

 

[apoppin]

Up for the morning shift

 

[apoppin]

i cannot believe this is getting so little attention here . . . does this crap not bother anyone in GH?

 

[Gamer X]

wow,this thread is cloning itself,there is already one in the video forum.

 

[RichUK]

Originally posted by: Gamer X
wow,this thread is cloning itself,there is already one in the video forum.

its viral

 

[Malladine]

Unsurprising. Who really takes the opinions of people in video without a bucket of salt anyway?

 

[Cheezeit]

who is well known enough to actually be approached? the guys on that one thread in video who are supporting ati have about 200 posts or something.

 

[apoppin]

Originally posted by: Malladine
Unsurprising. Who really takes the opinions of people in video without a bucket of salt anyway?

You think it's "just video"?
:Q
================

Originally posted by: RichUK

Originally posted by: Gamer X
wow,this thread is cloning itself,there is already one in the video forum.

its viral

"Viral advertising" is here in GH too . . . these Paid Advertisers for nVidia also have MBs to hawk.

and do you think it's "only nVidia"?
:roll:

READ the article . . . this "tool" is a favourite of Micro$oft . . . . and how do you think they sell so many crappy games and junk SW . . . and you thought it was "satisfied customers"
:shocked:

 

[ViRGE]

Originally posted by: apoppin
i cannot believe this is getting so little attention here . . . does this crap not bother anyone in GH?

I'm sure plenty of people are bothered, but I would imagine the general feeling is that people are unsurprised, and unsure they can do anything about it.