The Federal Trade Commission rejected a complaint filed by Commercial Alert urging the government organization to regulate companies engaged in buzz marketing.

The FTC rejected the complaint because, it said, serious offenses should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, according to MediaPost (via MediaBuyerPlanner). The rejection is a win for the Word of Mouth Marketing Association, which had urged the FTC to make a distinction between buzz marketing and stealth marketing; WOMMA condemns the latter and has issued various word-of-mouth ethics guidelines for marketers.

Andy Sernovitz, WOMMA CEO, said the rejection is a major victory for the association. "It says our ethical program is doing the job." Sernovitz also announced that he will be stepping down as CEO at the end of March.