The Chicago Tribune follows a student at Northwestern University who's a member of Macy's brand ambassador program and tries to paint a scary, Blade Runner-like future:

"Lured by free goods and cash, everyday people are talking up products both in public and private, leading critics to envision a world in which every corner of American life is saturated with pitches and product placements."

The only "critic" the Trib points readers toward is a spokesman for Commercial Alert, which hasn't been known for keeping an even head when it comes to word of mouth.

The Macy's program is run by RepNation. Glad to see the Trib highlights the company's credo that reps must be upfront about their ambassadorships. It's unfortunate, though, that RepNation refers to itself on its website as "the consumer powered media network."

A "media network" makes it sound as if brand evangelists are just another media buy.

A true brand ambassador/evangelist program is focused on building customer loyalty. If it's viewed as a media buy and planned as an inexpensive form of advertising, it cheapens the brand by emphasizing promotion over emotion.