1.  How is the intention different from a company paying for an ad in certain media and claiming a poor product is very good?  Consider a company that has consumer reports, community feedback and perhaps even internal research which confirms to them that their product or service is poor.

2.  How is this different from an infomercial where a well know personality is paid to endorse a product or service?

3.  Is this different from a company paying a subject matter expert for a product review.  Consider different types of marketing arrangements.  Sometimes an expert is paid money for a review and sometimes there is a mutual co-marketing arrangement in place.

4.  Consider companies that pay people to send business their way on a referral basis.  Have you ever been to a place like Cancun Mexico and if you ask someone directions to a restaurant or bar, they give you a business card of a place with their initial on the back.  They are paid a referral.

5.  What about sites that just sell ads and link to ‘great services’.

I guess the key question here, is what actually makes advertising and promotion reputable?