Don’t ever let it be said that bad reviews have no value in marketing your business or nonprofit. It’s a given, when things go wrong businesses can use the momentum from the disaster to motivate employees and speed up critical development. If your on top of this critical thinking you can jump start the motivation even before an analysis of the problem has commenced.

But using disaster to create a marketing campaign might seem like an idea that better resides in outer space. Think what your peers would say if you suddenly showed up on TV or the Web telling your customers you’d dropped the ball and your products are not what they should be. You can just imagine the scene outside your headquarters when the shareholders show up waving torches and brandishing pitchforks yelling for blood. Maybe the best way is to create the campaign around the missteps at the same time you introduce the solution.

Domino’s has done just that, they have created a campaign entitled Pizza Turnaround creating a website and producing a video that celebrates their new pizza while openly showing people who hated the old product. It’s not a new idea Domino’s is using to market themselves, but they do it brilliantly.

Did I call and try one of their new pizzas? You bet I did, and while the real test is will the pizza taste good when I order it 6 months down the road, the one I got the other night was very good and a huge improvement over the last few experiences with this brand. When I think of ordering a pizza for delivery Domino’s is back in the mix because of the taste of their product but without the marketing campaign I would never have called them. Bravo!

Sidewiki is Google’s new addition to their browser toolbar and it has so far caused a firestorm of Fear and Loathing within the blogging community. Some are up in arms over how this tool might hi-jack company or personal brands and others (myself included) see a huge potential for abuse by individuals and groups but also a huge opportunity to increase transparency within the web. Where Sidewiki will end up is anyone’s guess. Copyright and privacy issues will no doubt be slammed about in the coming months. check out Google’s Sidewiki home page and also Sean Carton’s take on the whole thing.

Frimtropolis is the word that comes to mind as I read results from the Helsinki Institute’s recent release mobile microbloggers struggle to make their postings interesting I would in reviewing the new study from the group of the Helsinki Institute for Information Technology HIIT, Google and Elisa caution readers that they looked only at one microblog and one that seems out of everyday reach for most people “Jaiku.”

Micro Blogging encompasses dozens and dozens of online services such at Twitter, Posterous, Tumblr and the many online groups making up Ning and Mixx. Micro Blogging is huge for all those people who wish to express social and commercial views but don’t have the time to spend hours each day researching and writing about a niche.

As I write the full version has yet to be released to the public, still questions already arise about the study and the conclusions they have made public so far. 1. Why study a micro blog not available to the general public?  2. do people really use micro blogging in hopes of getting comments or are there other reasons, like driving people to websites and connecting with people through direct messaging. 3. do people really need to invest a significant amount of time to have a successful presence?

The NYT has an interesting article today about one blogger who reviews baby products as part of her blog. The article is titled “When a Blogger Voices Approval, a Sponsor May Be Lurking,” Yes that is a mouthful and the article gives bloggers a lot to chew on.

The fine line between reviews for free and reviews for money can be almost invisible, there are companies looking to entice you into giving them a positive post for which they will pay you. Note I said positive post, I didn’t say unbiased or even handed. Sometimes getting paid is contingent on saying things you either don’t believe or only half believe. What’s a blogger to do if they want to keep their integrity intact?

The answer may not come as a surprise but it bears repeating, Practice transparency with your readers, give them all the information about your testing criteria, and radically lay out any and all  (even casual) relationships you have with business and organizations involved with products or services in your reviews. Practicing radical transparency allows you to off-load any worries about your impartial integrity or questions about your motives.

I’m sure many people wish organizations such as Commercial Alert would go away. With The Internet, groups watching your business will only continue to spring up, practicing radical transparency will inoculate you and your business from scrutiny.

I’m always amazed by two traits many Affiliate Marketers poses, first is their brilliance in creating new ways to make money and second is their audacity. Lots of people would say that for the most part Affiliate Marketers are nothing more then 21st century carnival barkers or snake oil shills, I won’t argue with either of those views, yet I will say not all Affiliate Marketers are offering dishonest or deceptive products and services.

Affiliate Marketing Schemes are legion, with many clearly designed to confuse. So you ask, which products and services offer value for the money I’m investing, and which programs actually work without requiring me, (the small business owner) carrying out deceptive or unethical practices?

You the small business owner can ask people in your network what their experiences have been or you can spend a day searching the Internet for reviews or even anti-affiliate web sites. Either of the these takes you down an uncertain path.

Starting July 1st a new web site named Internet Marketing Report Card comes out of beta and wants your views on Internet Marketing. The site allows everyone to sign up and either choose from a list of Internet Marketing products and services or suggest one of your own for review. They have a list numbering hundreds, with more added all the time that you can rate or comment on. This site has the potential of clearing the fog from in front our eyes, in this crazy field of Internet Marketing. Oh and if you make lots of comments and give lots of ratings you can make a few dollars for your trouble. IMRC also goes to some length telling us they have taken steps to stop unethical comments and ratings from overwhelming their system. Give them a try.

NOTE: this is a new site and as of yet does not have a tack record of their own, so I advise you to keep your eyes open while you interact with this new review site. And if you have any experience with Internet Marketing Report Card leave a comment here.