frug

v.

To solicit donations and attempt other forms of fundraising while pretending to conduct market research.

Example Citation:

Other protests come from the advertising research industry, which is furious about a venerable direct mail gimmick: cloaking a pitch as a survey, pretending that the purpose of a letter is to seek opinions rather than sell a product or raise funds. ... 'What drives me crazy is sometimes these are organizations I'm a member of and believe in,' he added, referring to the fundraisers that sell under the guise of research. The foundation even has a name for such trickery, 'frugging.'

— Stuart Elliott, "You've Got Mail, Indeed," The New York Times, October 25, 1999

Earliest Citation:

Although survey participation among the American public was at a record high of 42 percent last year, refusal rates were also at a record high of 36 percent, up from 15 percent in 1982. 'Sugging' and 'frugging,' selling and fund-raising under the guise of legitimate marketing research, are among the culprits, according to NFO Research.

— "Death of a Database Hints at Growing Privacy Concerns," The Numbers News, March, 1991

Notes:

Frug is an acronym that comes from the phrase "fundraising under the guise of" market research. I managed to date this word to 1991, and the earliest citation suggests that it's based on an existing verb, sug, "selling under the guise of market research" (which I traced back to the mid-80s).

Related Words:

cramming

helper's high

slamming

telefelony

virtual volunteering

Categories:

Marketing

Crime