5 Ways Al-Quaeda is Using Internet Marketing
 by: Val Halla

Internet Marketing is not dead. But it may have caused the death of a few people.

Let’s take a look at how terrorist organizations are using Internet Marketing to recruit and spread the word.

1. Case #1: Dirty Kuffar

Yeah boyeeee!

MC Osama is in da hizouse – and the roof … the roof … the roof is on fire (really).

In the old days, ask any young man what he wanted to be when he grew up and he might say ‘a fireman’ or ‘a policeman.’

Now little boys want to grow up to be gangstas. And why not? They get all the hos … You know they got the bling-bling …

‘How you gonna tell me my rims ain’t clean?’

Sign me up!

And what bigger gangstas are there than terrorists?

Well, a rap MC calling himself ‘Sheik Terrah’ (apparently spelling corruptions are just another way to ‘stick it to the man’ – you go boyee!) has released a new hip hop video called ‘Dirty Kuffar’ and it’s all over the web and the file sharing community.

It is a pretty simplistic hate diatribe that lists a lot of western personalities and calls them ‘Dirty Kuffar’ (Kuffar = Infidel).

‘Yeah, Ronald Reagan is a Dirty Kuffar

George Bush he a Dirty Kuffar

Michael Jackson is a Dirty Kuffar’

Yes, the creative genius is staggering.

Seriously though, the marketing effect was pretty pronounced.

For a while there, it was all over the place …

2. Case #2: F*ck’n USA

Do a search for the above phrase in Google (without the deleted letters) and you’ll find many links to a very interesting anti-American propaganda video created by the North Koreans.

It’s the animated music video for a catchy little ditty about ‘The Great Satan’ that is America.

‘Blah blah blah …

And you were the cause of our country’s division …

ba! ba! F*ck’n U S A!’

(The F*ck’n refrain is in English, the rest in Korean.)

Hmm, kind of sticks in your head.

The video was subsequently played on Japanese and South Korean television (probably intending to capture viewer-interest because of the controversy), but that wasn’t the end of the anti-America free publicity blitz.

The video with English translations popped up on websites all over the world and on file-sharing programs. So easily the message of hate is spread …

SIDE NOTE: A clever guy translated the video into English and is advertising himself along with the translated video. (More on this tactic below.)

3. So, How Do They Do It?

How are these terrorist groups getting all this free grass roots advertising and publicity?

Let’s break it down:

** Sub Viral Marketing **

This is a tactic where a piece of media (usually video) is created that on the surface is not appearing to advertise the target brand.

Coke, for example, is reported to have created funny videos where the Coke brand appears, but it doesn’t look like an ad. People passed these videos on in purely on the merits of their humor. Little did they know, they were inadvertently adverting Coca-Cola.

The two case studies above were definite tools to gain favor for their organizations (the North Korean dictatorship and Al-Quaeda), but people were passing them along for reasons other than that.

They were passing them along because they liked hip-hop music, or they thought they were funny, or they liked the anti-America/Ronald Reagan/Michael Jackson/whatever message.

An interesting mutation of the sub-viral gene! More on these mutative factors below …

** Pop Culture Predators **

If you can associate your cause with pop culture, it’s easy to gain favor for your marketing message. Corporations are dedicating time and research into discovering what kids think is ‘cool’ and getting their brands to fit. Of course, kids are extremely insecure and at their core, they have a desperate fear that they are *not* cool. So, if you can convince them that doing something will make them cool, the influence is quite profound.

** Current Event Free Rides **

If a particular topic is popular, people are going to scour the net to learn more about it. Hitch your wagon to one of these stars and you get some free publicity.

Can you think of a few ways the above two videos did that?

SIDE NOTE: Remember the Monica Cigar? Here’s a clever example of how a marketer hitched his wagon to current events to get free publicity. I remember The Monica even getting a little blurb on Fox News as a matter of fact.

** Enigmatic Content **

Who is that sexy Sheik Terrah?!

Since no one knows who he is, it adds to the controversy and gets more people talking. This spreads the virus even more …

Further, look at how easily Bin-Laden’s messages are spread. If Osama speaks, the whole world listens now. The media runs it as it’s top headline. You stop everything and listen. You tell your friends.

Skilful manipulation.

***

So, there you go. Now you too can use terrorist tactics for fun and profit.

Obviously, I’m not supporting terrorism in any way shape or form. I only wish to describe their Internet Marketing tactics as they may, indeed, be useful to marketers.

Copyright 2004 Val Halla

About The Author

Val Halla is a web marketing consultant specializing in traffic generation and conversion analysis. She may be reached at: webgoddessvalhalla@yahoo.com

I have just read, ‘The Michael Jackson Case,’ by Anet Star. The cover image is of a briefcase and once opened, ‘Top Secret’ file folders are the holders of chapter pages. I found the format and presentation to be novel and entertaining as the pages turn like a real hardcopy book. For me it was much easier on the eyes to read than the common pdf file, as with that format I often lose my place when attempting to scroll down to read each page.

In this remarkable book, Anet shares that she has been in telepathic communication with the deceased pop star, Michael Jackson. A New Zealand Telepath/Intuitive, Anet has the ability to communicate with those who reside “on the other side” in the spirit realm. The book introduces readers to telepathy, what it is, and how it can be utilised. I felt that through sharing this, Anet assists people to get a grasp on what this skill entails so the reader can understand the author and how she has been able to communicate with the soul of Michael.

Many individuals find it difficult to believe in this type of information and so they won’t be interested in the book; and that’s okay because its not for everyone. However, over the years there is a growing number of people who believe that these types of communications are genuine, especially since many more people are having their own direct experiences and can relate to others accounts.

Many of the well known publishing companies are publishing books with this type of content now. Over the past 15-20 years there has also been an increase in the number of televisions shows and a wide selection of films relating to psychic phenomena and the occult. Viewers can turn on their television sets to see shows about angels, ghosts, reincarnation, extraterrestials, and even psychic detectives who assist police agencies to solve crimes. The number of people exhibiting extraordinary psychic or healing abilities is growing and the wider public are certainly showing an interest.

Having introduced telepathy, Anet goes on to explore “conspiracy theory,” outlining how this phenomena has been utilized as a tool by those in positions of power. She gives examples how an authority figure as someone in a position of social influence, will fabricate a story about an event because they have their own agenda, an agenda which involves the concealing of facts, or specific truths surrounding circumstances. Some examples of movies based upon true “conspiracy” stories are: The Pelican Brief, Conspiracy of Fools, the Watergate Conspiracy, and The Amelia Earheart Conspiracy.

The “conspiracy theorist” label is often used (abused) to deter curious people like us, from questioning those in positions of power who may have been involved in wrong doing. The consequences of such questions can come at great cost as the conspiracy theorist label is regularly applied when ”the powers that be” do not want secret information or the facts about a real event made known publically.

I feel that Anet did a great job at providing a comprehensive definition of this concept and tool as a way of preparing people for the messages from Michael. The reader is assisted to understand how “conspiracy theory” has been utilized in Michael Jackson’s death. There is a section in the book where Michael provides the reader a glimpse into his death scene. Here Michael recounts what actually occurred when he received the fatal injection; however what he communicates is sure to shock many readers.

Michael, through this medium, then goes on to provide the reasons why he was murdered, and shares specific messages which he was not able to share when he was alive. Michael even shares personal messages with family and friends trusting that they will ultimately reach them.

In my view, after reading this book, what has been presented makes sense to me. I feel that there was a cover-up, a conspiracy of people involved in the intentional murder of Michael Jackson. I sense that much of what has been reported in the media has been manipulated in order to support a specific agenda. If we the public can be convinced to believe in the accidental death story, we will be inclined to accept the story and the experts accounts, because most would prefer to believe that Michael’s death was caused by an accident rather than his being intentionally murdered, especially the many fans who really admired their “King of Pop.”

When something just doesn’t add up as truth for us, (because we all have gut instinct, intelligence and a heart that can discern truth from fiction), we naturally desire to investigate the issue, to confirm for ourselves what we sense and to then share our findings in support of truth appearing in our community. Something deep within us desires to know the truth, to speak the truth, and yet ‘the truth’ can be a risky business when it involves confronting circumstances and individuals who have a secret to hide, and an agenda to fulfil.

At the house that day according to reports, were Michael’s physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, his long time friend and personal manager, Frank DeLeo, a security guard named Tippy, Michael’s personal chef Kai Chase, and his eldest son Prince Michael.

Kai Chase says in one interview that her first hint of something amiss on the day of Michael Jackson’s death, was when his doctor didn’t come downstairs to get the juices and granola he routinely brought Michael for breakfast each morning. According to Chase, on that day, the doctor was not seen until closer to mid day. Earlier that morning, Jackson was said to be packing his bags to fly to London to prepare for his tour. In one report, Michael’s eldest son Prince was said to have seen his father collapse on their livingroom floor. However it took over 30 minutes for the doctor to phone 911 emergency services for help, when clearly Murray could not revive Michael after what would only take the routine 10 minutes of emergency CPR? Later when family and friends gathered at the hospital and wanted to speak to the doctor about what had occurred, the doctor was nowhere to be seen.

After many months now, I saw just this week in the news, that Dr. Conrad Murray has been formally charged with involuntary manslaughter, and that his trial has finally been scheduled. This book comes at the ideal time for people to consider another version to the story, one worthy of consideration and real investigation. In my view, the conspiractors want us to believe that Michael Jackson’s death (cardiac arrest) was in part due to his abuse of drugs and his failing health, yet more particularly due to the incompetance of one man, a professional doctor who was trained as a cardiac specialist. We are to expected to believe that this physician (hired just a couple of weeks before Michael’s tour was to begin) had administered such a high dose of the anesthetic Propofol to Michael, that it killed him, yet it was an accident?

To me, the questionable points noted in the couple of paragraphs above speak volumes, and only confirm what I have read in ‘The Michael Jackson Case.’ If you are sincerely interested in getting to the truth surrounding Michael Jackson’s death, do your own investigation in support of putting the puzzle pieces together for yourself. I highly recommend that readers (especially fans) read this web book because the information feels much more truthful than the sanitised version the media continues to provide.

You can have a look at the book by visiting the following website:

http://www.sharewareebooks.com/eBooks/True_Crime/The_Michael_Jackson_Case


  
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