DISQUS

Great idea. Will be interesting to see how it takes off over the next few months.

Really great post. I love the analysis of both campaigns. Can you do more comparisons between companies in the same industry?

Really great post. I've never been a fan of retainer fees, it doesn't encourage the agency to do their best for the client. Paying by results is my favourite option.

<abbr>Richard Millington´s last blog post..Downsizing</abbr>

Great post. So many people seem utterly reluctant to challenge things going on all around them.

Maybe we all need a 'why' day. Where we ask why we do everything we do.

Why do I need to wash myself? Why brush my teeth? Why only eat cereal or toast for breakfast? Why drink coffee? Why use a car to drive to work etc...

Sounds interesting.

I think it makes so much sense for front-line employees to have an online presence. Imagine if customers could choose which front-line employees they wanted to speak to in future based upon their online presence?

Might make things interesting.

Hi Everyone,

I'm really flattered and amazed by your interest. Thanks so much for taking the time to read the interview (more so for the people that went on to visit my blog).

I'm moving to Lithuania with my girlfriend. She's Lithuanian, we currently live together in the UK - but she needs to finish her studies in Vilnius to become a qualified architect. Since I can work from anywhere, it makes sense. It sounds like an amazing, if cold, experience.

AccountingElf: Sadly not. I don't think Bill Gates has ever forgiven me.

Go for it. Is there anywehre we can sign a petition on your behalf? It's something worth pushing for.

I personally like Co.comments. It's always worked well for me. But I will be sure to check this one out.

- rich

I agree, that it is a nice way to approach a top blogger. The problem might come when 50 PR managers begin approaching you exactly the same way, or if words gets out that you're a 'sucker for PR' (PR agencies do do this sadly).

I think there is also another benefit here. You can put together a great resource of freelance writers, and what write about. This can be an invaluable research tool for building up profiles of reporters in your niche. Certainly useful if you want to pitch an idea to them later on.

Brilliant points. I think you touch upon something quite fundamental about entertainment. The requirements for a product is changing. It's not the means of distribution that have to change, as much as it is the product.

I blogged about something similar a month or two ago: http://www.feverbee.com/2008/06/wheres-the-mone....

I really liked this post. You're absolutely spot on about rewarding the true fans with extra. The free stuff (the traditional content) gets attention. Those that want to be more involved can pay a few pounds to access the additional content. Maybe get a code that gives them access to online interviews, contact details to speak with those who produced the show, unique forums, invitations to the next live show/filming/event etc...Maybe even let these people see the next film/show/performance in advance (ahead of the crowd!).

Alternatively, change the business model. Randy Pausch's last lecture paved the way for his book the following year. Free eBooks and musics are generating more speaking engagements and higher audiences at live events. That's a decent business model.

Hi Dan,

Great post. Of course news sites need to adapt, just like they adapted for the internet last decade, they need to adapt to "web 2.0" this decade.

However, it's not always as clear cut as you make out. Take aggregation for example. If you simply set up a Twitter search when a major news story breaks, it's easy for advertisers to slip in a key word and sell products with dubious connections to the story. Worse, spammers will just abuse it with unrelated topics/links.

There needs to be an element of moderation. Or perhaps someone just monitoring Twitter full-time and highlighting the best posts.

Another point is that Twitter is still far from mainstream. It's amazing, of course, but it still has some way to go before it gets public acceptance (maybe another year or two?).

Perhaps the bigger challenge is the limited number of reporters. Reporters can't be everywhere. So I would recommend letting people self-identify themselves as citizen journalsits, empowering them to post news stories they find and then benefiting from their extended network of news. So when stories do break, these guys can speed up the process of getting it ont the websites.

How about forgetting about the cinema release and focusing on increasing the life-cycle of the film? A social media presence can gradually increase, especially with the cinema release, DVD release, (bittorrent release) and television showings.

Why not create a place to host fan fiction, tag reviews of the film, encourage debate and follow what the stars of the film are up to. Even have a 'spotted' section i.e. "Just spotted [actor] in Starbucks".

Another option is to extend the borders of the product. It's not a film, it's part of a broader entertainment experience. So the story continues on Twitter, on podcasts, on blogs etc. Add more backstory. The final two parts of the Matrix tried this, I think they were a little before their time.

I'm not sure community managers need to be experienced communicators. Age and experience do not necessary equal the ability to listen. I see that as a distinct skill that can be possessed by anyone with the right empathy for who they are communicating with.

I think them more interesting question, is how many of them use Wikipedia for research and then present the information as fact.

Should be interesting.

Alltop is pretty fascinating, partly because no-one thought of it sooner. Or maybe they just needed Guy's cred to do it.

Personally i'm very keen on it. It's the gateway for newcomers to enter the blogosphere and find the top blogs quickly. Then they can work their way down and find their own niche. Or just read.

I've just blogged about this. What I would add is much more on how to measure Social Media. Can it really be measured in anything other than sales?

And secondly, how to convince others that Social Media is worth the extended time despite the longer time it can take to see the fruits of your efforts.

I can't say quite why, but that note really rose me from my morning slumber.

Thanks.