astroturfing

Definition

Creating fake grassroots marketing campaigns or reviews that appear organic but are actually manufactured by the company or paid operatives. The synthetic grass of the marketing world.

Example Usage

The FTC fined them for astroturfing when they discovered employees were posting five-star reviews under fake names.

Origin

Coined in 1985 by U.S. Senator Lloyd Bentsen, referencing AstroTurf fake grass

Fun Fact

The term originated when Senator Bentsen received fake constituent letters and quipped they represented 'astroturf' rather than grassroots support.

Source: Digital marketing and PR industry terminology

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