Not always.
As a business oriented site, you would like to have better conversion ration than have more traffic with poor conversion ration. Conversion ration means out of 100 visitors how many of them converted to your clients or members.

If you purchase traffic hits from the existing agencies, you'll get hits and traffic but its only going to be badwidth drain if they aren't the ones who convert.

You are correct in assuming blanket cover for site evenif people talk about it in bad terms. We now have a system where even bad publicity gets you traffic, but then traffic isn't the main thing you need. Its conversion ration which matters.

I have though noted your point in "FOR VIRAL MARKETING" category and would love to hear from other members as well about how they would approach such a situation.