The ********** apologizes for altering Wikipedia entries to improve Google search results

[midian182]

What just happened? Because of the relative ease with which entries can be edited, not everyone trusts Wikipedia. Recently, The North Face and its advertising agency proved how the site can be altered to the benefit of others.

According to the Wikimedia Foundation - the non-profit that hosts Wikipedia - both the apparel company and its ad agency, Leo Burnett Tailor Made, confessed to having "unethically manipulated" Wikipedia.

The brand agency took photos of athletes in famous locations around the world, including Brazil's Guarita State Park and the Mampituba lighthouse, wearing North Face’s products. It then updated the Wikipedia entries for these locations with the photographs, meaning that when someone searched for any of these places on Google, usually as research before visiting, the top results would show people wearing North Face gear.

Adage published a video about the campaign, in which both companies boasted that they “hacked the results” and paid “absolutely nothing just by collaborating with Wikipedia” – a claim the Wikimedia Foundation denies. The pair go on to say that the “biggest obstacle” was in manipulating the site “without attracting attention [from] Wikipedia moderators.”

The Foundation said: "What they did was akin to defacing public property. Adding content that is solely for commercial promotion goes directly against the policies, purpose and mission of Wikipedia to provide neutral, fact-based knowledge to the world."

Yesterday, we were disappointed to learn that @thenorthface and @LeoBurnett unethically manipulated Wikipedia. They have risked your trust in our mission for a short-lived consumer stunt. 1/ https://t.co/aIl5XEkS3z

— Wikipedia (@Wikipedia) May 29, 2019

Volunteers have now removed the images or cropped out the North Face logos. The company has apologized for “engaging in activity inconsistent” with Wikipedia’s mission and principles. "Effective immediately, we have ended the campaign and moving forward, we'll commit to ensuring that our teams and vendors are better trained on the site policies," it tweeted.

Advertising agencies aren’t renowned for their scrupulous behavior, but this was shady even by their standards. To then boast about it in a video makes it all the worse.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/80341-north-face-apologizes-altering-wiki-entries-improve-google.html

 

[Kibaruk]

So... they did an amazing public stunt to promote something in a completely new and innovative way but... if the bragged all of it could've been in vain, yet, they have reached way more people this way literally for free.

My question, is this good or bad publicity?

 

[Digitalzone]

This also shows us how anybody can easily exploit wikipedia for propaganda, e.g. by altering interpretation of history there.

 

[Raytrace3D]

Anyone who uses Wiki...[insert whatever company name here] as a reliable source of information is foolish at best. N0rth Face however in doing this is pure genius. We're now talking about them... mission accomplished marketing department, mission accomplished.

 

[regiq]

Wikipedia concept works surprisingly well, incidents like this one are singular.

 

[wiyosaya]

Anyone who uses Wiki...[insert whatever company name here] as a reliable source of information is foolish at best. N0rth Face however in doing this is pure genius. We're now talking about them... mission accomplished marketing department, mission accomplished.

I am willing to bet that this will not be popular among all their customers. Talk does not always generate good will especially among companies that feature their environmental and charitable aspects on their main page.

As I see it, N0rth Face makes some good gear, however, IMO, they aim at trendy in their quest for profits. Yes, they have a right to make a profit, however, something like this stinks of deception and fraud. I'll be much less likely to consider their gear in the future because of this.

 

[wiyosaya]

@midian182 Something weird is going on with the article title in forum mode...

For me, it currently reads

The ********** apologizes for altering Wikipedia entries to improve Google search results

 

[Capaill]

The same. And throughout the article as well in forum mode. Has somebody added ********** to the list of banned phrases?