While it does sound like the guy has a problem with big firms, and also seems to be promoting his own sites, it also seems like he told the truth about you.
IMO, the more cool car stuff the better.
<SNIP>
quote
guerrilla marketing bust: PowerTV working for Holley, Comp Cams, SEMA, GM, and others
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A massive guerrilla marketing forum spam campaign has been exposed. It looks like it spans more than 100 automotive forums, and involves some of the bigger names in the industry: Holley, Dynomax, Comp Cams, SEMA, GM, and others.
This will be covered on SpankMyMarketer.com (or a new designated site), but I wanted to break it here first.
It's being run by PowerTV. They're a new "internet TV" company, with much of the same advertiser-driven content we see in the mainstream hot rod TV shows. They're run by James Lawrence, an ex-Primedia guy. They operate the following hot rod and sport compact websites (among others): PowerTVonline.com, NMRATV.com, StreetLegalTV.com, LSXTV.com, PowerPerformanceTV.com, and SportCompact.tv .
They are using forums to push advertisements for Comp Cams, Holley, Dynomax, Turbonetics, SEMA, GM, and others. They film promotional videos for companies, and then advertise those videos by mass-spamming forums.
The main guerrilla marketer for PowerTV goes by the username of "Powermelissa" -- Melissa Lawrence, the host of many of the PowerTV promotional videos. By my understanding, she is the wife of James Lawrence, the CEO of PowerTV. I first noticed her on our forums, advertising for PowerTV. I asked her to stop (via PM and, later, a phone call). She agreed to not post again. Then, she posted more adverts on the forum. This happened at the same time that I got an email spam from someone else at PowerTV. Red flags. So, I investigated.
Melissa has been making the rounds of dozens (if not hundreds?) of automotive forums, copy-pasting promotional posts for her clients.
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First, Melissa introduces herself with a copy-pasted post that is nearly identical on all forums. Melissa identifies herself as a "big-time car girl", and indicates that she "really digs cars of all types, and especially drag racing". Once she plays the "girl" card, she's got her foot in the door. Here are direct links to a few (cough!) examples: 1320Drag.net, 1969Stang.com, 50Tech.com, AllFordMustangs.com, BStuff.com, CaliforniaFords.com, CaliforniaSpecial.com, CamaroV6.com, CarbdFord.com, DFWStangs.net, ElCaminoCentral.com, FordForum.com, GTOForum.com, GTPlanet.net, Hotrodders.com, KYFBodies.com, LincolnForums.com, LS1LT1.com, LVFbody.com, MCRParts.com, MFBA.com, MidSouthDragRacing.com, ModernEngineuity.com, ModularDepot.com, ModularFords.com, MonteCarloForum.com, Mustang.com, MustangEvolution.com, MustangForums.com, MustangHeaven.com, MustangMafia.com, MustangWorks.com, MyFord500.com, NewAgeGTO.com, PontiacPower.net, SCCoA.com, StangCrazy.com, STLMustangs.com, StreetCarChaos.net, StreetCarForums.com, SuperMotors.net, SVTSnake.com, TheChromePony.com, TheSamba.com, ThirdGen.org, ThunderBirdForum.com, TurboBuick.com, V8Buick.com, VintageThunderbirdClub.org, YarisWorld.com, YourCobalt.com, Z28.com.
After introducing herself, Melissa begins to subtly advertise the companies that have paid PowerTV, by copy-pasting PowerTV's video promotions onto numerous forums. For example, Dynomax pays PowerTV to do promotions for them. Melissa's Dynomax pitch starts out like this: "Did you guys hear about Dynomax's new event series?" Some examples of the Dynomax campaign: 50Tech.com, AllFordMustangs.com, ColoradoRacing.net, ForwardLook.net, GoDragRacing.com, GotStang.com, Mach1Mustang.com, MidSouthDragRacing.com, MODernENGINEuity.com, ModdedMustangs.com, ModularDepot.com, MoparChat.com, MoPowerStyle.com, MotownMuscle.com, Mustang-Forums.com, MustangEvolution.com, MustangForums.com, MustangHeaven.com, ProModifieds.com, RacingSouthwest.com, ShelbyForums.com, StangCrazy.com, StangSource.com, StreetCarForums.com, VADriven.com, VintageThunderbirdClub.org.
PowerTV also advertises SEMA, the Specialty Equipment Market Association, who figured prominently in the failed Spank My Monkey promotion. This time, the mass-spam starts out like this: "It's the 40th Anniversary of the SEMA Show, and in 2006 the show is bigger and better than ever." A few examples: 2005Stang.com, 50Tech.com, AllFordMustangs.com, BadAssMustangs.com, BradBarnett.com, CA-Mustangs.com, Carbdford.com, DFWStangs.com, GotStang.com, Mach1Mustang.com, ModdedMustangs.com, MODernENGINEuity.com, ModularDepot.com, ModularFords.com, Mustang.com, MustangForums.com, Mustang-Forums.com, MustangEvolution.com, MustangHeaven.com, MustangWorks.com, Stangnet.com, StangSource.com.
There are plenty more. I need some more time to do research, and I'm sure others will have fun poking around too.
