In the beginning, it was so wierd to have so many different channels within my reach. I felt like this supreme television goddess and I would just sit and watch random things for hours on end. I could tell it when to record, what to show....It was more entertainment than what I'd previously been accustomed to. Now I'm a huge fan of many shows- Dexter, Californication, Swingtown (I'm so blogging about that show soon), Project Runway and Diary of a Call Girl are my favorites.  I've fallen victim to and now worship the big box in the living room. Never mind that currently the living room is also my bedroom (another story for another time), I'm hooked. I can't imagine life without TV.

However, all of this television watching has really brought to my attention the amount of advertising that gets pumped into our brains on a daily basis, and to be quite frank- I'm uncomfortable with it. There are at least eight commercials in a commercial break, and they're all selling something. They're all just there to make you feel like you need something else. You need this lotion or gym membership to be attractive. If you advertise on this dating website you'll find the man you're going to marry. It's sickening.

What if I have better things to worry about than whether or not I'm attractive? What if I just broke up with my fiance and you're making me feel like crap? And it may seem like I'm making a big deal out of nothing, but each and every one of those ads is just another drop in the bucket about what I'm "supposed" to be. While I do worship the big box, I refuse to take orders from it. That's just me.

It's all just too 1982 for me. It gives me the same hives as when my mother tells me not to laugh when my two year old niece farts because she wants her to be a "lady". Ladies don't fart? Yeah- and they also don't go poop. My mother also complains because my niece likes to play with trucks and that's not a "girl" toy. People are who they are, and I think advertising and certain social norms tend to squash creativity and adventuresome-ness.

Advertising creates these norms, defines what the ideal is in a society, and these are organizations that are trying to sell a product. They don't care about you, your children or your financial well being. All they care about is making money. People complain about the oil companies, but the thing is this- they made you think you needed them, and kept on inventing new products to get you hooked on it. Now, we can't quit even though it's costing us everything. It's too ingrained, and there is some fat cat sitting there with his millions- no, billions- of dollars.

I am being a bit dramatic, but it's the same point. I don't think it's wrong to buy popular products (although I think the 3G iPhone is the epitome of overrated and don't get me started on the iPod), I just think it's important to know who's selling them.

How would you like the opportunity to do a joint venture with one of the biggest names in Internet marketing? How would you like the opportunity to win $25,000 in cash? And how would you like the opportunity to be a part of Internet history? If it sounds to good to be true, this is one time that the truth is actually better than it sounds! Joel Comm has created the world's first Internet reality show, and he is inviting you to take part by being a contestant on The Next Internet Millionaire!

This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity unlike anything you've ever seen before. All you have to do is film a short video audition in order to have a chance at being on the show! It doesn't matter if you are a newbie or experienced Internet user. It doesn't matter if you can create a professional video or if you just have a simple webcam. It doesn't even matter if you currently have any product ideas! All that matter is that you have the DESIRE to be The Next Internet Millionaire! Go to this page right away and learn how to submit your video audition...

And by the way, even if you don't want to be on the show, I highly recommend you get on the show mailing list as you will learn a lot just from watching this groundbreaking event! The Next Internet Millionaire... Will it be you?

To your success!

As a side note, I started using a Mac notebook computer since my last post about the KKITM show, and discovered to my dismay that the "Listen Live" option does not appear to function properly on the Mac. It opens the same window for a media player, but instead of listening to the remainder of the show as I still can on my Dell, the Mac plays a repeated loop of the show every five minutes. So I only get to hear 5 minutes of the show without closing the application and restarting. This is apparently only an issue with my laptop, however, since a coworker of mine said he's listened to the show on his Mac with no problems. So I'll put that complaint on hold while I investigate my laptop settings.  

My issues with listening live online drove me to these additional online marketing recommendations. These are predicated on the assumption that there is an audience to be had out there that cannot listen to part or all of the show each morning due to work restrictions or radio/internet availability. Here we go. 

Number One: The New and Comprehensive Kidd Kraddick in the Morning Show Blog
Cover all topics including funny quotes and pics in each day's post. The blog can be posted to hourly/twice an hour during the show for people who are not allowed to play music/radio out loud or listen to headphones but still have access to the Internet. 

***RSS Feed Bonus***
Assuming the blog is built on a WordPress platform (non-negotiable, must-have for maximum usability), The show blog comes equipped with at least one automatic RSS Feed. For workers who cannot be seen logging in to Kiddlive.com or any other website that looks cool or fun, the RSS feed can be read in various formats and through various feed readers, which the user can select according to their work needs and preferences. This RSS feed puts the regularly updated show posts into their feed reader so that they can select the time frame they missed and catch up with only the info they haven't accessed yet.

Number Two: A Double Opt-In Daily Email Update
Some readers might not have a clue about RSS Feeds or might not be able to access non work related content online. A sign-in form on the KiddLive.com website would allow people to register for email updates that can be sent to either their personal or professional email addresses. The email would be formatted in rich text only and HTML in order to reach all audiences successfully. Daily email updates summarize the day's show (providing either brief summaries or exact copies of the blogs that are already written online) in a format that everyone with email access at work can enjoy at their own convenience. 

Kidd Kraddick benefits from this process as well by cultivating an extremely targeted list of email addresses. The show can sell a couple tasteful ads to be posted on each email and thereby add another potentially lucrative stream of revenue. It goes without saying that an email marketing campaign such as this must follow email best practices guidelines including a one click unsubscribe option at the bottom of each email and providing legitimate subject line titles. An additional bi-monthly email list can be cultivated via sign-up which sends more advertisements/schedule updates/concert announcements/etc to those who opt in for it.

An additional monthly email would be sent to all subscribers containing a poll and requesting user feedback on how to improve the effectiveness and enjoyment of the KKITM email updates. This is an essential part of effective customer relationship management, allowing the users a voice to help tailor the product towards their needs.

Number Three (Optional): Full-Fledged Transcript of Each Show
While most people will not take the time to read a full transcript of 4 hrs of talk each day, A full-fledged transcript provides the added benefit of natural search engine optimization (SEO). This means that the more content you preserve from the show, the more phrases you can rank for in the search engines. This third option is labeled "optional" simply because it competes to some degree with the Show Blog recommended in #1. Some of the content would obviously be duplicate, which some search marketers will warn against. 

The overall concept here is twofold: a complete transcript allows for natural optimization and will drive at least a trickle of search traffic to the website, thus creating the opportunity to gain new listeners and extend the fan base; the extensive content also provides hundreds of opportunities for text link ads. I know of an ad company or two who would go crazy buying text link ads on the Kiddlive site. It's not a lucrative ad revenue model, but it is a stream of revenue and traffic generation which could likely be implemented using a voice to text transcription application so that the majority of the process is automated.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  

The beauty of interactive marketing (Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Blogging, Email Marketing, etc) is that it is customizable to the user. Nowhere else does the user have as much power to help create the ultimate entertainment experience. Organizations like the DFWIMA (DFW Interactive Marketing Association) exist to help corporations understand the interactive marketing industry and to excel in said market. 

Radio, television, and print ads are the traditional form of marketing revenue. While they are still essential for branding (building brand awareness in the minds and social lives of the public), they are completely untrackable. This means that advertisers cannot measure the results of their campaigns. They can tailor a campaign towards a specific market at a specific time, but the results of the campaign are completely immeasurable. Email and web-related ads, however, are completely trackable. Track ad impressions, click through rates, and user feedback to hone your ad campaigns and generate more ROI.

Radio shows are missing out on millions of interactive advertising dollars due to the lack of comprehensive online presence. Each stream of online marketing is valuable because it reaches people the others can't, while simultaneously providing real-time analytics (measurable results) in most cases. 

The consumer had no way to expose a fraud or a bad deal to the masses. Newspapers, books, and radio were the primary methods of communicating to the public. Television obviously took over as the most popular mass media communications method, but the stations were run by the rich minority, leaving the public with little more than gossip and petitions to spread the word of malpractice. 

The Internet levels the playing field once and for all. Even the most average person can create a blog or join a forum and post their experiences and opinions of the various businesses they've encountered. We live in an unprecedented age of consumer power. A timely message delivered in the right place online by a single consumer can literally cost a business millions of dollars in sales and reputation repair. 

The Internet also allows for corporations to flood the space with positive messages and claims to good intentions and benevolent deeds. Any business willing to dedicate some time and money can seriously spin their online image in any way they see fit.

The Web is the battlefield, and some corporations are just waking up to the realization that cyber slander can destroy their profits. I'm thinking of one small to mid-sized oil and gas company in particular. A disgruntled ex-salesperson posted a slanderous accusation against the company on a very influential investor forum. This forum was already crooked to begin with, since the forum owner propagated false accusations against similar oil and gas companies in order to win the confidence of the seeking investor. The owner would then direct the disillusioned investor toward an "honest" organization which he coincidentally benefited from. 

This is a black hat marketing method which earns no respect from me. This forum abuses the power of its influence to slander others in order to keep the spoils. But this oil and gas company now finds itself in a dilemma: what do we do about these horrible things which our ex-employees and competitors are saying about us?

That is the million dollar question (or multi-million dollar, as I've seen businesses drop like flies). Bad online reputation may not end your business, but it can undo years of costly progress.

If you and your business have already suffered loss from bad online reputation, there is no time to wait. Contact a reputation management professional immediately. 

If your business is expanding on the Web, now is the time to put a campaign into place that will protect your reputation in the future. Unsatisfied customers are inevitable. You can't please everyone all the time. But you can proactively protect your business from bad press that could cripple your business. 

For more information about protecting your good name on the Web, contact me at daniel@culturefeast.com.  

Basically, Godin pushes his own product, Squidoo, and his books. He is trying to establish himself as the foremost authority on marketing by denouncing things like search marketing and by attempting a hard reboot of marketing strategies. Not that his promotion of "outside the box" thinking is necessarily off target. But really, if you've read one book, the rest are fairly obvious continuations. Get one book, grasp the premise, and then read the others only if you become a huge fan.

It's all smoke and mirrors, anyway. Whether you're Seth Godin, Aaron Wall, or Rand Fishkin, it's all about creating perceived value and getting a few influential friends to back up your play.

Seth's statement about the small percentage of book purchasing /reading Americans is a valid one. How many people will you actually be influencing if you make the bestseller list? Answer: millions in the long term. More and more people read blogs and news websites rather than books and newspapers. That's a given. But don't give up your dreams to be an author just yet.

As you will see in the months and years to come, CultureFeast is an example of blogging your way toward a book. It sometimes takes a little momentum, confidence building, practice, and target audience building to pave the way for that first successful book. Rather than buying into Mr. Marketing's every word, consider doing what motivates you. If you really want to blog, then blog. If you want to write a book, write a book. The problem with marketing gurus is that they're chief end is to line their pockets by telling you how to line yours.

Of course you want to make money! Sure, you want to give up that crappy job and do your own thing! But for now, do what you love. Make room for it in your life. Spend time on it. Just enjoy it. Keep up with marketing best practices just so you don't completely fall off the relevancy map, but don't go changing your life every month when a new guru is announced.

However, I would like to see someone sitting in their living room with a laptop and something to say get busy and manage to build their personal brand in a year, much less six months, to the point of receiving a $325k job offer. I'm not saying it's impossible, but I'm betting that success involves a combination of luck and genius. Not that I'm calling Patel a genius. I'll give him credit for making a name for himself.

Ironically, Patel's post didn't give any inclination that he was seriously considering any of these job offers. Which brings me back to another point: there are too many people out there writing and commenting on blogs who like to tell everyone how much money they've turned down. They think that by writing these things they will convince us all of their worth and that somehow someone will actually offer them that much money or more. I'm hoping that no one is actually that foolish.

Strong words, I know, but we face a necessary evil. We help businesses fight for visibility amidst the throng of thousands of other voices. Still, there are timeless truths that one must choose to hold onto or else risk drowning.

“Stay away from the love of money…Be content with the things that you have.”
“Be true to yourself.”
“Write your first draft from your heart. Write your second draft with your head.”

A writer faces certain dilemmas during the developmental stages of his career. What path will i take to success? Will i insist on staying true to my art? Will i write anything to get attention? Where do i draw the line between pursuing success and insisting on authenticity?

Search the Internet and you will find a thousand ways to leverage yourself to gain visitors, clickthroughs, and, in the end, popularity. You can follow a dozen formulas or create your own hybrid. Make thousands of dollars or simply become known as the authority on a subject.

Some of you will inevitably try all of these things and finally come to the conclusion that it’s not worth that feeling of losing substance on the inside. Sure, you could make the money if you want to. You could gain the popularity if you wanted to. But you stop because you realize you don’t really want to. You discover that even the uncomfortable obscurity you’ve lived in for years is preferable to a life focused on the bottom line.

They are the rough seas we must all navigate to the best of our abilities. Some will sink. Some will swim. Some will float helplessly. Some may even walk on water.

Which will you be?

Shoot, which will i be?

It was only last summer that I heard about The Island. This futuristic film was packed full of mini-commercials. It was little more than an advertisement for bottled water, video games, and other products.

I don't have a problem with natural product placement. After all, it lends some realism to a film to include car brands we drive, food we eat, and clothes we wear, etc.

Hollywood just sank to an all new low. Harrison Ford stars in a new film called Firewall. The trailer of the film tells the audience to "catch the new Chrysler 300 in Firewall..."

Excuse me? I'm supposed to watch a movie to see a stupid car??? I normally go to the theater to watch a movie, not shop for cars. I'm hoping that Harrison Ford had nothing to do with the marketing of the film. Last I heard, he was voted America's favorite actor. He obviously doesn't need marketing ploys to draw a crowd.

I was actually okay with the overblown display of Sears' products on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Though everyone on that show is filthy rich, I have no problem with it because regular people are getting new homes out of it. It's a fair trade off for me.