You can't speak with a marketing consultant today for more than 3 minutes without hearing the word "authenticity". Your products need to project authenticity. Your marketing needs to be honest and authentic.
Of course, it's a buzzword because your marketing and products should have always been authentic - what's the alternative? But now even the biggest brands are trying to fake authenticity by "buying" fans. Michael Jackson is a brand, and according to Tech Crunch his team purchased 25,000 Twitter followers from the sketchy service uSocial.
First of all, even before he died I doubt MJ had to buy fans or followers. Second, they had to know that something like this would eventually get out and dent up the brand by making MJ look desperate and unpopular.
And all those celebs who have hired Twitter Ghost Writers, your brand dress-down is coming too once your fans find out.
Authenticity - sure it's today's marketing buzzword but it's something you earn, not something you buy.
