Document Type

Article

Publication Date

Spring 2015

Publication Title

Journal of Public Policy & Marketing

ISSN/ISBN

0743-9156

Volume

34

Issue

1

First Page

84

Last Page

102

DOI

10.1509/jppm.13.086

Embargo Period

3-9-2016

Keywords

multilevel marketing, pyramid scheme, Bass diffusion model, public policy

Abstract

While statisticians have simulated the expected rate of growth in pyramid schemes, this research examines actual data on the spread of an alleged pyramid scheme in Montana. Fortune Hi-Tech Marketing (FHTM) was a multilevel marketing firm, sued by six states and the Federal Trade Commission and permanently shut down in 2014. Data from a settlement with the State of Montana provide a population of participants in a geographic region with definable markets and offer unique insights into local contagion. The authors analyze the pattern of FHTM adoption within a diffusion-of-innovation framework. The findings confirm that nearly all adoption results from interpersonal influence (i.e., imitation) and indicate that participation is higher in counties with larger economic contractions. The authors add to existing guidance about early indicators of fraudulent activity and discuss intervention and prevention strategies that reflect the imitative nature of this diffusion process.

Rights

This is the author's submitted copy before peer reviewed edits. The final, definitive version of this document can be found online at Journal of Public Policy & Marketing published by the American Marketing Association. Copyright restrictions apply. doi: 10.1509/jppm.13.086

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