Chamber Uses Virtual Astroturf, Food and Female Sexuality to Fight Health Care Reform [1]
Submitted by Anne Landman [2] on
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce [3] is sponsoring online pop-up ads [4] to try and generate the appearance of "grassroots [5]" opposition to health care reform. The ads tell readers that if they complete a survey and give their names and personal information, they will get a $150 American Express Gift Card for use at Hooters Restaurants, the chain whose name is a slang term for part of the female anatomy and which is known for its skimpily-dressed, female servers. One of the incentivized ads urges readers to sign up for "free emails" from the Chamber that explain "how to protect your family's future and bring common-sense solutions to health health care debate." The Chamber contracts with a public relations [6] firm which in turn subcontracts with an online marketing firm that coordinates the tasks of generating the ads and signing people up for the Chamber's campaign. Such "virtual astroturfing [7]" appears to be a growing new tactic of lobbying groups trying to generate the appearance of public support or opposition for an issue.