CK's Blog

In a summer of superheroes how's about we make the hero LESS super?

So far this summer we've had Iron Man, BatMan, the Incredible Hulk and, I think, Hellboy is coming back. And I've likely missed one or two. (Does Indiana Jones qualify as a superhero...or just a super character?)

Granted, these superheroes are not only super, they're also grappling with the responsibilities of being, well, super. After all, being super is a lot on a person--even if you're made of iron, have a smokin' batmobile, came from hell or give new meaning (and green muscles) to the definition of "getting angry".

And now that I've lumped all of those superheroes together, I'm going to turn my attention to the one movie that stands apart.

It's titled Hancock, a not-so-super-of-a-hero movie. (see trailer below, RSS readers click through to the blog to view). Sure, the character can fly and beat people up. But he apparently causes more collateral damage than goodwill. It's not that his character is hung-up on brooding about his lot in life... he's just hung over.

His flaws, which make him more real and less hero, are not his true problem. Apathy is. It makes for sloppy work, warrants for his arrest, a public relations crisis and a personal journey that is exactly the stuff upon which successful movies are made (oh how we love to watch our characters transform their lives.)

And that makes Hancock different than the rest. Different is good for brands and it's very good for stories (and many marketers say a brand is a story). As a result, I suspect this movie will do super at the box office. Time will soon tell. (update: my prediction was right)

Oh, and just to be clear, I'm not advocating sloppy work, apathy or drinking. I'm encouraging "different" thinking because that leads to innovative branding. When you position your brand as far as possible from "all the rest" instead of the "best of all," then all the rest no longer matter. Because you're in your own league now.

And when you're in your own league you're far less concerned with outdoing your competition and far more focused on perfecting your own act. So let the rest be heroes because you're truly super.

Here's the trailer...

The show--and the show's marketing--must go on

In my Friday reading, I came across an interesting piece discussing how the crew of the upcoming Batman movie, The Dark Knight, has decided to keep their movie and their movie's marketing on schedule and untouched. For those that may not know, this is the movie that stars the recently deceased Heath Ledger and is due out this summer.

To be sure, Heath Ledger's death was/is both a shock and a tragedy. I've been a fan of the actor since his 2001 role in A Knight's Tale--a medieval story about overcoming odds with a terrific supporting cast to Ledger's lead. But due to his passing--and specifically due to the extreme, psychopathic character Ledger plays in the Batman sequel (or sequel to the prequel?)--some think the marketing should not be as focused on him.

See, he doesn't play a silly-and-fun Joker like Jack Nicholsan did in the 80s version. Nowhere near. He plays a dark, sick-and-very twisted Joker. And he, not Batman, is truly the center of the movie's marketing campaign.

There's been plenty of talk that Ledger grappled immensely with the morally devoid character and that filming took a toll on him. To paraphrase, he wanted to do right by the part but found the character so deplorable that it gave him a raised level of anxiety and insomnia as he wanted to do right by the role.

But he was thrilled to play the part, no matter how hard the work. Because storytelling was his passion.

I agree with Director Christopher Nolan that neither the film nor any of its Joker-centric marketing should be changed. Because by NOT changing anything truly honors Ledger's tremendous effort and brilliant outcome--as well as the turmoil that the actor endured in telling the story. After all, it's more often the case that magnificent accomplishments are the result of very hard, dedicated work.

To soften it...or even slightly change it...would be to discredit the body of work, and the very talent that worked so hard to create it. And hey, we all know it's just a movie (not real life) and Ledger was merely breathing life into a character that would otherwise exist only on the page.

So in this case, I concur that Hollywood should not touch a thing. The show that Ledger dedicated himself to must go on just as he understood it would. And, as the article reports, after having seen the trailer, Ledger was amazed by his work (even asking to "see it again').

I'm so glad that he was able to at least see a trailer before he passed on (once a movie is finished "production" it can be in post-production for months, even a year, as editing is a tedious and exhaustive, frame-by-frame process). A trailer featuring Ledger is below, RSS and email subscribers please click through to the blog to view it. It looks to be quite a movie with well-defined characters.

Calling all New York City "Cloverfield" Midnight Movie Meetups (01.18.08)

Marketing-related posts should resume in the near future but right now I am seeking NYC meetups for the 01.18.08 MIDNIGHT opening of "Cloverfield". I wanted to thread this in the search engines as I've found a lot of talk on the movie but not anything on where people are meeting up for it.

So if you've stumbled upon this post--and know anything about meetups or which NYC theaters are running midnight screenings-- please let me know details (thank you).

(readers: Cloverfield is a sci-fi thriller movie that has a lot of Internet buzz behind it--mainly because it's a J.J. Abrams film and he is, among many things, the creator behind the ABC hit Lost so he's amassed a loyal fan following.)

I understand that it will be a manic midnight opening on Friday (which is actually like Thursday night) and I'm game, but I don't know which theater will be airing it--or where people are meeting beforehand. 

Folks, if you ever get the chance to go to a crazy movie opening like this, I highly suggest it. Besides feeling like a kid again, it's so much fun to holler for a couple hours with total strangers. I saw the Snakes On A Plane movie on opening night, the Buffy midnight musical and the midnight opening of Star Wars III, and all were an absolute blast (and I'm not even a fan of snakes or stormtroopers).

As you can see from the movie poster above, NYC gets demolished--including Lady Liberty's head. I really love Lady Liberty and just wanted to say that.

PS: Actually, taking me to Cloverfield is my x-mas gift from my pal David Reich, who, at the time, didn't know that he'd be going with me at midnight...but that's what friends are for ;-). Trailer is below (RSS and email subscribers, please click through to the blog to view).

'Twas not the vampires that killed Buffy after all (just a bunch of blood-sucking lawyers )

A few guilty pleasures I enjoy in life.

One of them is the annual Buffy midnight Sing-a-Long in NYC's West Village at the historic Waverly Theater (it's a sing-a-long because a special Buffy episode was a clever musical).

It's like the Rocky Horror Picture Show...except it's Buffy The Vampire Slayer.(My post from last year's Buff-fest is here.)

But this year I won't get to go. (sad face)

First, let's get the usual question out of the way (long-time readers of the blog know I'm an avid fan).

"Um, you watch Buffy, as in that vampire slayer chick, CK?"

Yes, Buffy as in Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV Series. But the show was never really about vampires--you had to be a viewer to understand--it was about smart story arcs and complex characters. (Don't believe me? Ivy league Oxford University has run classes and written theses on how brilliantly complicated the series is :-).

So why won't I be going singing this year?

Because Fox went and rained on our musical parade and deemed us breaking the law. To be sure kids, there were no illicit drugs or debauchery at this event. (I know, damn.) There were a few vampires, though. But they were very nice; some of them even gave me candy and demon finger puppets.

All told, it was a mix of ages with people from all over the tri-state area who didn't necessarily have much in common. No matter, we came together to share a tremendous experience--and from a marketer's viewpoint, you couldn't manufacture a better brand opportunity.

For a retired series, no less. But no more.

According to CNN: "The TV show didn't exactly die when the show and its demon-fighting heroine went off the air three years ago. Driven by a fiercely loyal following, fans put together the sing-along event, a la "Rocky Horror Picture Show," where people turn up for midnight screenings of a musical episode of the show, often dressed up in costume as their favorite characters.

That all came to an end this week when the studio that owns the rights to the show got wind of what was going on. Lawyers for Twentieth Century Fox Television, a division of Rupert Murdoch's News Corp., told a licensing company that had given the green light for the sing-along events that it had gone beyond limits of the show's licensing agreements.

The event's organizer, Clinton McClung said he had sought and received a licensing arrangement from Criterion Pictures for the events, but Alexander said those permissions went beyond what Fox allowed.

Now, McClung has had to cancel a costume party later this month as well as about 10 shows in theaters around the country as a result of the cease-and-desist order. He said he has already taken the sing-along event to 15 other cities, where it has mainly sold out."

According to Fox: "There are plenty of legal ways for fans to enjoy Buffy, but this particular event is not going to be possible at this time."

According to CK: I understand there exist licensing laws and policies (which, again, the organizer had worked to clear). But I also understand how a show is nothing without its fans..and now you've ticked-off those loyal fans, and chosen a very poor choice in wording. With shows sold-out in multiple cities and with your army of lawyers--um, and publicists--you could have figured out something (even Universal came to their senses and caved last year).

And what Fox needs to understand is that by virtue of holding these events, the fans produce:

• After-market revenues: These fans keep a show that has been OFF THE AIR FOR SEVERAL YEARS high in the hearts and minds of fans old and new (read: we buy more DVDs and crap because we still love the series...these events make us remember just how much and we show our love by, you guessed it!, buying more of your crap).
• Fan WOM to promote NEW shows: Fans who unite often ask, "Hey, watcha watching to fill your Buff fix now that the show is off the air?" (read: those fans promote other media properties of YOURS while at these events. Yup, a highly sought-after "engaged" audience who trust each other's recommendations happy to recommend more of your shows).

So this move by Fox produces (1) bad publicity, (2) bad blood (had to go for a pun!), (3) exudes bad business sense and (4) makes no brand sense.

As for this ticked-off fan, I will buy no more Buffy crap from Fox. I'll just make (illegal) copies from the friends I met at last year's event and prove myself a deviant.

And to Clinton McClung, I say: you rock for all the work you put into this. I know it wasn't a moneymaker but a passion of yours, and we fans heart you for it. And this marketer is so proud of you for taking it to the press (NY Magazine interview with McClung here).

PS: Want to see fan armies in action? Just look at all these posts saying how "Fox hates its own fans," "What a great way to lose future fans," and "Lawyers are evil" (at least for once they're not saying that about marketers!). And there are hundreds more spewing disgust for the studio. Monumentally stupid move. You can sign the petition right here.

Really smart programming...or really poor parenting?

So in a play (pray?) for better ratings this TV season, CBS is debuting an innovative (insanely risky?) new reality program. And, being that reality programming has been segmented seven ways to Sunday, they decide to focus on an untapped niche in kids.

After all, who doesn't love kids, right? The problem is that the parents of the kids might just love fame more than their kids.

The series is called "Kid Nation" (premiering Sept. 19th) and it brings 40 children (ages 8-15) together in a "ghost town" of Sante Fe, New Mexico for what is billed as a "social experiment." The kids have to build a society in 40 days without adult supervision.

Yep, the parents left their kids in the (cough) trustworthy hands of a television network for 40 days.

According to E News: "But the show has become mired in controversy after a mother of one participant took issue with the production. The woman said her 12-year-old daughter's face was sprayed with kitchen grease while cooking and she suffered minor health problems. The mother alerted authorities about supposedly lax safety conditions at the privately owned Bonanza Creek Movie Ranch, where the series was shot in April.

In a letter to the attorney general, the aforementioned mother, identified by the Associated Press as Janice Miles of Fayetteville, Georgia, wrote that her daughter, Divad, was not properly supervised by the show's handlers. The child allegedly suffered sunburn on her face and hands and developed a rash that left her with several scars. Miles also noted that four other kids accidentally drank bleach, necessitating immediate medical attention."

Oh, and now New Mexico state isn't quite sure if this "camp" might just qualify as violating child labor laws. Um, oops.

See, CBS is a company and its responsibility is to be profitable. But the parents' responsibility is to be, well, responsible. So I can see letting kids go to a real camp with real supervision, but to ship them off to Hollywood--even a "mock Hollywood" in some ghost town--without the watchful eyes of parents? Hey, I may not be a parent but I did read Lord of the Flies.

Alas, CBS is so confident Kid Nation will be a success it has greenlit casting for a second season so maybe I'm just too overprotective to be a parent...or perhaps the producers shouldn't allow the kids to handle bleach this go 'round. I understand from CNN that the parents had to sign tomes of legal documents that basically protected the network even in the case of fatalities.

And to think the American public is worried about the parenting sense of Britney Spears.

Here's the trailer for the show (RSS readers go here). And here again is the article.

Let people have what they want, how they want it and, more to the point, WHEN they want it (it's called "marketing").

Oh how I'm enjoying these Webby 2.0 times with new industries emerging...entire sectors scrambling...and others striving to get a clue. Sometimes it's annoying but mostly it's just so enjoyable watching all the ups, downs, innovations and, yes, the frustrations from new worlds demanding the old to hurry up and get new (read: relevant).

Jeff Jarvis has posted on mommas who sell grass to maintain the salary once afforded them, but now no longer, due to being left a widow in an expensive suburb with two sons to raise. It's a TV show called "Weeds" starring Mary-Louise Parker (the one with the snake) and I've watched it since it aired, as well as the season premiere last night.

But Jarvis can't.

While the momma and all her drugs and drama is available through a Showtime Network subscription and via Showtime On-Demand--it's not available via iTunes....at least not in a timely manner. Which begs the question, shouldn't all TV be downloadable? And downloadable at the same time as original airing or very close thereto?

Being people pay for it on iTunes there is a profit model (btw, can readers tell me: when you download an episode off iTunes are commercials still in there?). Hmm, if following the model--which I understand is the model upon which marketing is founded--of giving people what they want, how they want it and, moreover, WHEN they want it...what industries, other than TV, would need to get with the program?

In my post on Mad Men (the AMC show), I applauded the network for releasing the episodes on iTunes the next day (or, now looking back, I guess I praised them for practicing "marketing"). But in that post Toad brought up an interesting point on ratings. In his comment he said: "Putting the show on iTunes the day after isn't a novel idea: lots of network TV shows do that. Helps make money, but messes with the ratiings: Studio 60 was a top download on iTunes and also big on DVRs, but the ratings were mediocre. Much was made over that- did the more educated upscale audience the show reached in those formats make up for the low ratings. NBC said no. (I think it was on NBC)."

So my question is, aren't revenues more important than ratings? And couldn't the networks use "downloads" as a new way to prove popularity? I mean, people go on and buy the show, and those people are tracked. It's not just that the show was on, they were "engaged" enough to seek out the show and "loyal" enough to pay for it. Doesn't engaged + loyal + here's my money = good ratings? I know it equals good marketing.

Funny aside: I once had a guy say to me, "You look just like Mary-Louise Parker...no, wait, Parker Posey...no, I mean Ashley Judd." To which I said, "No, you mean Pamela Anderson." I guess you had to be there but everyone present did giggle.

Pretty aside: Since Showtime is focusing on the woman-with-a-snake theme for its current season (see above), I must pay homage to my favorite woman-with-snake photo by the inimitable and late Richard Avedon. Here's his famed shot of "Nastasja Kinski and the serpent." I've always thought this shot was stunning (and elegant) and I'm not  even a snake-with-woman kind of woman. Ok, you got me, I am.

Drinking, Lying, Cheating, Smoking and Making Dreams Come True (Mad Men, the Show)

Did anyone catch last night's premiere of "Mad Men," the new show on AMC about the adveristing industry's evils and excesses in the early 60s? I'm curious as to what people thought of it...and if there are any good discussions on it, please point me to them.

In a nutshell, I thought some was well done and some was waaay overdone. Insofar as characters, I like the lead, the lead's mistress and, most especially, the head secretary--I'm not being politically incorrect, this was 1960 and women in administrative roles were given the title of secretary (and smoking and drinking at work, in the ad industry, is portrayed as not only permitted but very much encouraged...well, at least for the men).

But I can't quite transition the youngest ad man's character, Pete, played by Vincent Kartheiser, from his days being Angel's son Connor (while not a huge fan of Angel, the series served as a quick fix when Buffy left the airwaves).

Overall I give the premiere a 7.5-8 out of 10. Here's the NYT Review.

The press and ad campaigns? Quite good. In fact, it's due to the great signage treatments done at Grand Central (specifically at the GCT/Times Square Subway Shuttle location) that prompted me to watch the show. An interesting comment from the Mad Men blog--which is far from riveting--was that the between-commercial advertising factoids kept one viewer from TiVo-ing over the commercials. And I understand each factoid tied into the commercial that followed it. So they seemed effective for this episode. I personally found the factoids annoying because while trying to fast-forward through the breaks I kept thinking I was missing the show and ended up watching a lot of commercials from pharma companies which claimed "these are not actors" (which just made me say "Am I really supposed to believe that?").

But here's a very interesting factoid: all episodes are available via iTunes the day after they air. So AMC is due a BIG thank you for letting viewers have what they want, how they want it, and, more to the point, not making them wait to have what they want when they want it. While that seems common sense, it's a big move by this network to move this show and AMC's new "original drama series" programming format forward (and at $1.99/episode, gives the cable network a new, near real-time revenue stream). Watch for more to follow.

According to AMC: "Offering our content on iTunes gives consumers the unique ability to view Mad Men episodes when and where they want, providing the show with the ability to have a stronger voice to reach a wider audience," said Charlie Collier, EVP and General Manager of AMC. "We couldn't be more excited about Mad Men. This is an important series for AMC as it marks the first time the network is delving into the original drama series arena. Leading up to the premiere, Mad Men has already received industry wide critical acclaim. We are thrilled by the critics' response and are eagerly awaiting the premiere."

Anyhow, for those that watched it let me know what you thought of the show and the campaigns--and where people are chattin' it up. Thanks ;-).

Magnificence in the downright dirty

I was watching a terrific interview with Mike Rowe the other night, he's the host of Discovery Channel's popular series "Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe" that's now in its third season. How dirty? We're talking downright disgusting jobs ranging having to transport tons of cow dung...to cleaning up roadkill...to cleaning the city's sewers... to many more sticky, icky tasks.

(A promo for the show is here.)

What is so magnificent about this series? Many things, actually:

They listen to the public: as I understand, only about 20 of the 150+ episodes were found by the producers--all the other segments have come in through viewer's suggestions.

A new reality: instead of this being yet another reality show, it's a formula where the host is a guest and does the dirty job on which they're basing a segment (and Mike Rowe is one heck of a relate-able, everyman host).

It's positive: while I can safely say that viewers don't want to live in "a day in the life," the people who live this life are very positive, oh-so real and really funny. Their dirty jobs aren't their "lot in life" but, many times a job where they have a lot of freedom. And even a lot of fun.

It's respectful: I don't know about you, but when I see what many of these workers go through I have a really hard time griping about my workload, being these guys deal with a load of crap (literally). But the show is in no way a mockery, it celebrates the world's dirtiest jobs and the unsung heroes that do them.

It counters a trend: in a time where we are awash with "infotainment" shows celebrating the elite, primped and pretty I'm gaining a newfound respect for the downright dirty. We don't need anymore plastic celebs, we need the real deal these types of shows give us. Oh, and it's given me a new reason to watch Discovery (I otherwise only watch it for Shark Week).

Interesting tidbit: in the interview Mike Rowe told Larry King that he had an uncanny success rate at aligning with unsuccessful shows. But he kept trying new things...decided to get his hands dirty...and now has quite a hit on his hands.

Yep, sometimes you (literally!) gottta step in a lotta sh*t to come out smelling like a rose.

I'm not watching, but I am listening (and definitely buying).

The last time I really watched a TV show was when "Six Feet Under" exited the airwaves. Before that, as you regular readers know, it was Buffy (laugh all you want the writing was brilliant; even scholars from Oxford University agree).

During the last six minutes of Six Feet Under they featured a character montage that was so moving and set against such soulful, if haunting, music it moved me to tears. Actually I all-out wept. Four times over two days. As a result, my friends have banned me from ever watching it again as I was such a mess of a host at what was supposed to be our super fun "season finale taco and beer party" (you can see the montage here, but I doubt it will have the same impact unless you regularly watched the show).

Sure, I watch the news regularly. But besides that staple, I now "listen" to TV far more than I "watch" it. For instance, that song (Breathe Me by Sia) playing through the Six Feet Under montage? I bought that goodie right after it aired. In fact my playlists are full of shows I "listen" to, like:

• Grey is annoying, but the music isn't. I don't watch "Grey's Anatomy"--I'm just not drawn to these characters--the lead female gets on my last nerve and that lead Doctor lacks depth and isn't "McDreamy" at all. But the one episode I did watch prompted me to buy a song (Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol). I'll buy more songs from Snow Patrol but not watch any more Grey.
• Well, at least the music didn't sell-out. "Nip/Tuck" used to be TV's bravest series...before selling its soul and every shred of dignity in Season 3. Many thought the show was about ego-heavy plastic surgeons (well, now it is). But Seasons 1-2 chronicled the two primary characters working to better themselves from the inside while everyone else tried to better themselves from the outside, vis-a-vis a lot of breast implants and liposuction (the patients never got better just bigger, or skinnier). But in the Season 4 Finale, they wrapped up the myriad plots vis-a-vis a video featuring a very apt song (Brighter Discontent by The Submarines). I doubt I'll watch the new season but I did buy that song the very next day.
• The only one I don't want whacked is the score. I'm trying to get into "The Sopranos" being it's the final season. But I'm just not feeling it. I am feeling the score, though. Take the song they played the week before last: it was so spot-on and chilling that myself and others are trying to buy it...but can't (Evidently Chickentown by John Cooper Clarke). Either the producers are really smart in trying to build demand for their upcoming "final season score" or really stupid to have overlooked it being available on their site, iTunes, or anywhere else. What's particularly interesting about this song? It's nearly thirty year's old. No worries, it's new to a lot of us who want to buy it, and want to buy it right now.

My point is that music seems to be the best product placement...and the best advertising...when it's done right. When done well the music can either become its own character on the show or give more context, and depth, to the show's existing characters. Move me to listen--heck, move me to tears--and you've moved me to buy. That's advertising I've no problem listening to (and if TV shows improve I might even start watching again).

Have some dignity and just get Lost

I used to watch much more TV. Then I started blogging. Sure, news is TV but I don't count that as entertainment. My "passive" time is just extra special since there's so little of it. So when my favorite TV show disrespects the audience as gravely as Lost has it's disappointing.

For those of you who watch the series you may (or may not) agree with me. For those that don't, just know that it's a show that was really good, then really confusing and then completely unreliable between repeats and mid-season interruptions. Indulge me readers with a word to the show's producers--and to many brands that need to die with some dignity...

Where did you go oh so wrong? You lost your momentum and, in so doing, you lost your way. From 20 million to 12.8 million viewers, you've definitely lost your audience. Why? For the simple reason that you took your audience for granted. We got the hint that the honeymoon period of Season One is over and now we've moved on to other shows. Other media, too.

What's with the games? Moving time spots to avoid American Idol doesn't work, it just smacks of insecurity (if you had a decent show you wouldn't need to avoid category killers or ratings monsters). Ah, but then you gave us 16 no-repeat episodes! So that was to make up for being gone mid-season for 3 months?  Nope, that won't get your mojo back.

What to do now? Do yourselves a favor and go out with some dignity. Make next season your last season--but announce it NOW so people will want to still watch. Surely with your big budgets and cadre of creative brains you can come up with replacements. Or forget my advice altogether and line-extend into a third island (heck you've already line-extended into two...why not a third?). Nah, just get lost.

When I was studying for my MBA the Editor of Variety addressed one of my communications classes and explained how television was all about programming. One hit can make a network. That's not rocket science and we all know that but, being a marketer, that's only part of the formula. Once you've found the right show you need to remember who's on the other side of the lens--and understand just what they're giving you: an investment of time. I say that as I think that's what is so easily forgotten.

Take care of your brands and your brand's fans, Hollywood. Or wind up as just another cautionary tale. But at least the show's lessons aren't lost on we marketers :-).

P.S.: For your viewing pleasure I highly recommend HBO's "Rome". I never liked period pieces but they've done a banner job with the episodic. They only thought they were going to get one season out of it and hence ended the first season on Caeasar's death...but Rome continued after Caesar and so too the series. Who knew the fall of the Roman Empire could be so darn much fun?

YOU as VIP (you BIG shot, you).

It's official: YOU are a VIP. According to Time Magazine, the Users behind "User-Generated Content" were the most important event/persons of 2006. And if you pick up a copy of the magazine you'll get to see YOU on the cover (the cover has a mylar "mirror" so as to see your reflection in).

It's a pivotal moment to see a magazine that has boasted many presidents, philanthropists and visionaries in this annual top spot recognize the impact of a lot of "little guys" and, in so doing, relay that control is no longer in the hands of the few.

Here are a few paragraphs excerpted from the article (penned by one of my faves Lev Grossman):

"But look at 2006 through a different lens and you'll see another story, one that isn't about conflict or great men. It's a story about community and collaboration on a scale never seen before. It's about the cosmic compendium of knowledge Wikipedia and the million-channel people's network YouTube and the online metropolis MySpace. It's about the many wresting power from the few and helping one another for nothing and how that will not only change the world, but also change the way the world changes.

The tool that makes this possible is the World Wide Web. Not the Web that Tim Berners-Lee hacked together (15 years ago, according to Wikipedia) as a way for scientists to share research. It's not even the overhyped dotcom Web of the late 1990s. The new Web is a very different thing. It's a tool for bringing together the small contributions of millions of people and making them matter. Silicon Valley consultants call it Web 2.0, as if it were a new version of some old software. But it's really a revolution."

Folks, it's a revolution indeed--and revolutions are nothing if not messy. Even with this nod from major media, corporations will continue to have a bugger of a time ceding control to consumers and many (evil) marketers will still try to rig the system. But with a major media outlet giving this sea change its due look for a lot of companies to begin looking to us to navigate these uncharted waters. What a great time to be alive...and what a terrific time to be a marketer, eh?

P.S.: For the record, I always knew YOU were a BIG shot. But now more of the world will :-).

Can a trainwreck make a comeback?

The art of the comeback. Sometimes the fall makes you better and bigger. Sometimes you just should have stayed down on the couch (Cruise), off of the booze (Gibson), away from the stage (Richards) and out of Vegas (Spears).

Yep, the latest girl gunning for good graces is Britney Spears. Fed up with fame and focused on breeding, Brit waved "buh-bye" to the spotlight a few years back to bask in K-Fed's glow.

Problem is the spotlight never left her...it just illuminated her chaotic relationship, baby-bumbling brouhahas and post-baby weight battles--which wasn't post-baby weight for long since she was pregnant again in a matter of a NY minute.

It's not that the tabloids didn't have a field day with Brit before, it was just balanced with content on her chart-toppers. Understandably she thought they'd turn to Lindsay and Jessica. And that they did. But Brit was always in their peripheral vision--and gave them far too much fodder not to print.

Poof! Now she's back and, in working to regain her star power, her moves (and mishaps) have included:

• Filing divorce papers and, via text-message, apprising K-Fed he is FedEX.
• Slimming down the bod, bobbing-up the hair and making a surprise showing on Letterman.
• Become Best Friends with Paris Hilton (with baby in tow?)...and stripping to her fishnets in Vegas.
• Launching a perfume. Maybe she's working to appeal to any of our senses?
• Releasing a new album. Well, 2 new albums as I understand, a remix (that way she can get one out in '06) and then a truly original LP in '07.
• Going on Oprah, explaining her foolish decisions were cries for help and desperate pleas for "real" love. Oh wait, that didn't happen (but maybe should have).

A lot of stars leave the limelight only to come back with a vengeance. But when you do this much harm to your image does the public really want you back? I tried to map Britney to another songstress and the only one I could come up with was, gulp!, Whitney Houston--as even Jessica Simpson kept her career going through her breakup/breakout.

Maybe '07 will be the year of many train wrecks proving they're the little trains that could. Or maybe no amount of damage control can save these damaged goods. I ask you marketing brainiacs: How far is too far out of control to reclaim your audience? With two-failed marriages at 24, 2 babies and too much partying, can Brit still be a marketing machine...or just a mess?

P.S.: If Britney is going down, maybe she'll do the world a favor and take Paris down with her.

The Power of Parody.

In addition to the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, this past week NYC boasted another event with flying characters: this one sponsored by Target and conducted by magician extraordinaire--or more aptly coined "endurance artist"--David Blaine.

If you don't know of Blaine, he's the eerily cool Houdini of our times having been buried alive, suspended above the River Thaimes for 40 days, submerged for seven days in a lifesize fishbowl in Lincoln Square and so on.

This go 'round he's been placed in a gyroscope for 52 hours above his corporate sponsor where Blaine attempted (and succeeded) to escape from shackles while dangling four stories above Times Square. Besides the promotional value for Target and Blaine, the stunt gives 100 kids a $500 shopping spree.

I did catch Blaine's water act in Lincoln Square this summer but was out of NYC for his gyroscope action this Thanksgiving. Darn. Here's some footage of the action (44 seconds):

But in my searches for a video showing Blaine free himself and plunge to earth I found the BEST Blaine video...which, ironically doesn't include Blaine at all. It's a parody and it's very funny. Right over 4 minutes, it succinctly captures Blaine's hallmarks, namely: freaking out his audience with his trickery and his trademark stare.

That's the thing about parodies, they promote the person they're picking on as much as they poke fun at them: a way of loving and mocking them simultaneously. In a recent piece for Business 2.0, Jeff Hicks, CEO of Crispin, Porter and Bogusky, advises, "The brands that are adopted, blogged about, and parodied the most are the ones that are going to win because they're involved in the evolution of pop culture".

So for those aspiring fame, you might also aspire to be made fun of--pretty powerful marketing, eh? Here is the Blaine parody (psst: for all you younger viewers this does include lots of f-bombs...and "what the eff?!" bombs):

Fan Armies in Action: Take THAT Bill, Baby!

Ah, the age of empowerment. Empower your fans to market for you and then...slap them with a $9,000 suit? What's a fan army to do? Tally up the hours of unpaid marketing expenses and slap 'em back with a $1,900,000 bill, baby!

Here's the gist: The 2005 movie Serenity was built on the Sci-Fi series called Firefly, a show created by famed director Joss Whedon. Problem is, the movie had budget issues so the studio (Universal) relied on the fans to do most of the marketing. Fans indeed spread the word...but to other fans...who were already amped-up to see the movie. Universal needed to reach other demos for this movie to turn a profit, so it needed some mainstream marketing efforts (but didn't have the budget).

And the thing is, the movie was quite good. While a fan of Joss Whedon's brilliant work, I never watched Firefly but the movie got newcomers right up to speed. You didn't have to be a fan of the TV show or a Sci-Fi fanatic to enjoy the action and connect with the characters.

Now Universal is threatening legal action against fans for utilizing the Serenity brand without a license. The irony here being that many of these fans were using the brand to create Serenity-inspired goods to... perform viral marketing. In response, the fans--who label themselves "The Browncoats" as a takeoff from the movie's heroes--are submitting an invoice for their time to Universal.

Here's the bill: While fans are still submitting their timesheets, man hours at the time of publishing this post were 25,908.

Fees: $1,943,100 (psst: take it from someone in the biz: at $75/hourly, you guys aren't charging nearly enough for your time.;-).

Here's an excerpt from the bill: "Rather than responding in a manner which might antagonize Universal, we thought that asking fans to tally those hours and publishing the totals for all to see would be a gentler way to make both the specific point about Browncoat marketing for Serenity and the more general point about the relationship between producers of entertainment and their increasing (and knowing) reliance in the 21st century on fanbases to help promote that entertainment."

Not a bill, but a POINT: The site goes on to say that it's not an actual bill, but "We simply believe that issues are raised in this area when a company knowingly has accepted the promotional work of fans...we just believe that there is a point to be made."

Here's the takeaway: Studios need to protect their brands. They also need to care for their fans (without your fans your brand is worthless). There is a better way--and a lesson to be learned.

• To the Browncoats: Point taken and dually noted. Bravo for playing the bill-me game.
• To Universal: Work with your fans and budget accordingly. Is a $9,000 lawsuit worth losing the support of this fiercely loyal, highly cosumptive audience? I understand you need to protect your brand's licensed assets but there exists a better way. No fans = no brand. And you need your fans more than ever since you need to recoup your losses through DVD sales.
• To marketers: Take note of how savvy these fan bases are--yes, I've said this before, but I call 'em "fan armies" because they're strong and organized. These are armies you want to empower, not infuriate. If you listen and respect them? They'll teach you some of the best marketing lessons to be had, and they'll do it for free. If you don't? Well then you best be on the lookout for the bill .

Shout out: Thanks to cathode tan for the heads-up on this priceless post.

When the guest star gets spun-off.

In this age of authenticity and accessibility, it's no wonder that it's hitting the stars. Take the FX show Nip/Tuck. I've been watching the show for all the years it's been on. Not for the gore (there are lots of surgeries and such) but for watching the show's Miami Plastic Surgeons work to improve themselves from the inside while their work involves improving everyone from the outside.

It was an edgy drama that did much for the F/X network. "Was" is underlined because, since Season 3, it's been a slippery slope from edgy into poor-form.

Still, from time to time, I tune in. The biggest score this season? A 2-part guest spot that's spun into a series all her own. Rosie O'Donnell had a 2-show guest spot where she played a white-trash, Montel-lovin' woman who won the Lottery.

Once she got monied up, she traded her trailor for a McMansion, tons of cellulite removal, diamonds and men. In gaining millions, she lost her family. Oh, she also lost an ear (she was sporting 5 karat earrings and got "ear-jacked"). But the thing is, through finding out what really matters--family and ears definitely; money and looks not so much--she not only moved viewers, she moved the network into a TV deal. You go, girl.

None of the program's others stars--including those 3 hotties up there who headline the show--have, to my knowledge, been offered any spin-offs, decent movie roles or ad spots. Why oh why on a show about beauty, money and sex does Rosie O'Donnell shine as the most bankable beauty of all? Because in two episodes she connected with viewers. She's given us steak not sizzle. Let's face it, we've been starving for meaningful dialog.

Marketers Listen Up: in this authentic era, start looking for more guest stars to steal the show. In TV and all other media. Now that's hot.

P.S.: Rosie's For All Kids Foundation has been doing tremendous work for the kids of Katrina. She's helped to move the kids out of the government-sanctioned trailors and give them more of a sense of permanency.  So Rosie has trumped both the Headliners...and FEMA. She'll be presenting her model to Congress to teach them how to be better prepared in the future. I'll say it again: You go, girl.

Marketer seeks Borat Movie Meetups (NYC)

As I'm not having luck finding any NYC fan meetups for Borat this Friday--and yet it was all too easy for SoaP, Buffy and Star Wars--I am posting the following. What else is a marketer to do?

Any NYC movie-goers that know where fans are meeting up for the Borat opening on Friday, please advise. In Times Square, the Village or Union Square? Do tell.

I'll likely enjoy the show either way, but it's always more fun to hang with all the fans -- and then ask you guys what you thought of it after (I am a marketer after all, but not the evil spammy kind).

For all readers, if the movie is half as marketing-gold as it appears, you can bet your budget I'll be reporting on it. In case you missed my first post on him, it's here (in which he's wearing far less than up top there).

Girls Got Game...who knew?

Who knew women played so many games?  No, not head games (we knew that!). But video games, a $7 billion-dollar industry.  I caught an article in BusinessWeek profiling Skunk Studios, the company that makes "casual games," a nifty market segment that wants less shoot and kill, more ease and breeze in their games.

Think more along the lines of Pac Man than Grand Theft Auto and you'll get a feel for this market. Turns out the market is huge; I was shocked at how many of my gender are getting their game on: according to the Entertainment Software Assn., 38% of all game players are women. In fact, women over the age of 18 represent a significantly greater portion of the game-playing population (30%) than boys age 17 or younger (23%).  You go, girls.

We were all surprised a few weeks ago when we came to find out not all MySpacers are 21. Nowhere near. Over 55 million of them are 25 and older--with adults 35-54 making up more than 40% of the site. Which just goes to prove something I tell clients (and frequently remind myself): Don't assume. Do ask (do your due diligence). Especially when important strategies, and expensive marketing campaigns, hinge upon your assumptions.

The answers--and we women--will often surprise you.

Is "Lost" Losing its Luster? Characters not plot. Complex not complicated.

Coming off the Season 3 Premiere of Lost last night, mind you, one of the shows I still watch now that I've taken to all this blogging--though I TiVo'd it and watched it around 1am--I can't help but find myself wondering if the show has jumped the dharma-branded shark (you gotta watch the show to understand that reference).

Not jumped the shark in that the show has gone too many seasons...but that it's lost its way. Certainly, it's too early to tell since it was the first episode of the new season. But, not for nothin', it wasn't even an Emmy contender this year after taking the house by storm last year (for it's first season, no less).

Why the cause for this Lostie's concern? Well, that leads me to 2 marketing principles. Neither are ground-breaking or new, but obviously bear repeating:

Character driven: The beauty of TV is that characters are accessible to us, they (literally) come into our homes once a week, develop and define themselves over time. Unlike a box-office smash with BIG-screen stars that we're in awe of (Tom Cruise and Mel Gibson currently not withstanding).

That's why the Apple ads have done well, because they're using living, breathing characters not lifeless, good-lookin' machines. Not to beat a dead Vampire Show, but the reason that Buffy did so well is because of several layered characters (the show was never about saving the world). And the beauty of Lost is (was?) that it connects you to the characters by featuring a "prequel" with every episode...via the brilliant character back-stories. Your characters, not your special effects, are what hook us.

• Marketing principle #1: Stay steadfast to one concept; one true, unique differentiator. In Lost's case you need to focus on characters again (not plot).

Keep it simple (or simpler): I understand that there are Sci-Fi and spiritual forces at play on the island. I dig those. To a point. Now you're just becoming too high-maintenance for this marketer. We've now got so many hatches (above and below sea level), the "lucky" numbers, the damn Polar Bears, branded sharks and washed-up Pirate ships. And (oy!) the friggin' "others". I don't want to become attached to the "others". It was just perfect enough having the characters from the tail-end of the craft enter the scene last year. That made sense. All were stranded. All were connected somehow. All had endured the same fall-out-of-the-sky experience.

Now we have gated island communities...who hold book clubs? Not cute, too complicated. Too much of the wrong drama. When all I want are complex characters--and a true ensemble cast. I've been having to tell some clients lately that their offerings and business models are far too complicated. If I'm grappling with how to communicate them, how are the prospects going to feel?

That's right, overwhelmed. One could say...lost.

• Marketing principle #2: Keep it simple. Simple does not mean without depth. Don't be a mile wide and a 1/2" deep.

If the show's writers are listening: I want the "Season 1" Locke back. As for Sawyer, I'll take him from any season :-). And if you kill off either of these characters...you'll surely lose this Lostie.

Brand Borat: Take heart Kazakhstan, Pluto didn't even get a film.

Apparently the much ballyhooed Borat has caused an international stink. A diplomatic brouhaha. I keep reading more blogs because it just seems too preposterous to be true. But Sacha Baron Cohen, the comedian who brilliantly dons such personas as Ali G (a hip-hop Brit) and Borat (a zany Kazakh journalist) has miffed Kazakhstan while hyping his new movie. And then there is the parody site imploring us to "Stop Borat" which you simply much check out.

The movie includes such degradations as anti-semitic remarks, incest and a car being pulled by a horse. Does the movie appear to make fun of the country? Absolutely. Does it put Kazakhstan on the map? Absolutely.

According to Sean R. Roberts, Central Asian Affairs Fellow at Georgetown University, "I have found that more Americans are aware of Kazakhstan than four years ago when I last lived in the United States. The increased knowledge of Kazakhstan, however, is not due to the country's economic success or its role as U.S. ally in the war on terror. Instead, most Americans have heard of it through a satire of a Kazakh journalist named Borat."

Now, the country's President Nazarbayev is flying over to the US to meet with Bush. On the agenda? The country's image. Why oh why Kazakhstan would confer with President Bush about saving a country's image is beyond this marketer (uh, have you checked out our international favor lately? This move only serves to make you appear ignorant, sorry to say).

President Nazarbayev has confirmed that his government will buy "educational" TV spots and print ads about the "real Kazakhstan" in a bid to save face before the movie's November launch. Just look at Borat up there in all his glory (that's pretty much all he's in). Do you really think an educational TV spot is going to trump this goofy guy? Fight fire with fire guys: get zany, NOT serious.

To Kazakhstan I say: Take heart. Take one for the team. Leverage the awareness--and the movie's halo effect--that Borat has bestowed upon you. Revel in all the newfound attention (it may be your one shot). And then follow-up straight away to prove your country deserves attention all the time.

Napa Valley leveraged the awareness from the film Sideways. When tourists come to my city, they always want to see Rupert the "deli guy" from David Letterman or the "Soup Nazi" from Seinfeld.  These aren't the Empire State Building or Lady Liberty, but we invite the satire (and thank you for your tourism revenues).

Instead of featuring horse-drawn carriage rides, feature horse-drawn car rides. People will understand you're far more advanced as a result. And we'll appreciate that you're a good sport. Even if we're making fun of you, let us love you...in our own way.

Laugh and indeed the world laughs with you. Run educational spots and we'll surely be laughing at you. Hey, at least you didn't get outright demoted like poor Pluto (who has nary an ad budget nor a box-office smash to capitalize upon).

The show MUST go on: passion fuels profit.

The thing about Sci-Fi fans is their passion. It equates into a fierce loyalty. Sci-Fi gives them an outlet to get completely engrossed in the moment. And they extend that moment beyond the 30 or 60 minutes each week by congregating like-minded watchers.

That's why so many Sci-Fi shows are brought back from the verge of cancellation. See, the community doesn't bond solely to save the show. The community is already intact and strong. So when they need to initiate campaigns they've been organized for some time; an army standing at the ready.

But many marginalize them. Label them "weirdos". Yet those very weirdos have gotten their way more times than not. They've successfully rallied to save shows at the brink of extinction. Created enough momentum to make movies from shows (shows that were already canceled, no less). And created some of the most lucrative trade shows in the consumer arena.

So call 'em weirdos, but how many times have you fought long and hard for a marketing campaign...only to receive the budget ax? Yeah, I thought as much. You needed an army, too.

Take the culture phenom Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The show, which started as a movie (it stunk) then became a TV show for seven seasons (it rocked), is now a movie again. By mistake, really. It's not a big-budget thriller. It's a rerun of a special "musical" episode that played five years ago (the arc for that episode happened to be demons casting a spell that made everyone sing and dance to death, so Buffy and gang sing and slay for the greater good).

So this movie...turned television series...turned TV musical episode...has come full circle...to big-screen movie. Got it? Good. Because there's more.

A la Rocky Horror Picture Show where people dress up for midnight showings with fans singing along to the movie, different cities have been holding Buffy Showings, a sort of "touring movie musical".

So what happens when you take a show, that's been off the air for several years and was otherwise free to viewers and then charge $10.75 for a 60-minute midnight viewing (all the other movies at the theater have already run, midnight is "dark" time) to sell-out crowds?

You make a pretty penny and increase the fan frenzy around existing and new merchandise. And you minimize risk, and cut costs, by taking this proven entity to a passionate community that does most of your marketing for you. That's profit fueled by a hell of a lot of passion.

And, luck be a lady, this weekend the Buffy Singalong Tour stops off in Greenwich Village--bet you can guess which marketer will be singing along on Saturday :-).

P.S.: To witness fan armies in action, check out this site, or this one, vying to save Stargate SG-1.

Update: I've had several fans e-mail me asking when Buffy will be at a city near them. I inquired with the "Buffy Guy" (yes, that's his nickname) and he informed me this is a completely organic, fan-orchestrated effort in various cities (Boston, Austin, NYC). There will be more Buffy Showings in NYC and they're working to hold them monthly. If I can find out when they'll happen in other cities or a centralized site, I will apprise...or you may be able to organize one on your own :-).