"Companies struggle with unauthorized Web sites"

Companies struggle with unauthorized Web sites
Loss of control an issue for some firms

By Erika D. Smith
Gannett News Service

Shahram Ahari swears he had no idea he was going to be videotaped when he sat down in December to discuss -- some might say criticize -- his former employer, Eli Lilly and Co.

But when the reporter came in and his camera came out, Ahari started talking anyway. And the video ended up on YouTube.com for all the world to see.

"We were instructed to downplay (the drug's) side effects," explained the ex-sales rep, who used to hawk Lilly's antipsychotic drug Zyprexa.

With only 20,000 views on YouTube, the unauthorized video isn't exactly a public relations nightmare for Lilly. After all, the Web site's most popular video -- "Evolution of Dance" -- has been viewed more than 50 million times.

Still, Lilly and an increasing number of companies are having to decide how to deal with Web-based criticism.

"Companies used to have much more control over the information they put out," said Sarah Robbins, director of emerging technologies at the Carmel, Ind., new media marketing company MediaSauce. "Now, the informal media have much more direct contact with the public."

Read the rest of the article here.

And this is the YouTube video: