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August 29, 2006

Losing the blogging steam?

While everyone is talking about the soon-to-launch music blog (Idolator) from Gawker, I decided to check in on one of my favorite bloggers.

One of my top books of 2005 was Julie & Julia, a memoir penned by the blogger-turned-print author Julie Powell. In case you're not familiar with the book, Powell started a blog to document a Julia Child-worthy experiment: try and make all 536 recipes in the infamous cook's Mastering the Art of French Cooking in just one year.

The blog became extremely popular, just like her book would, as Powell discussed how hard it was to not only cook with marrow, but come to the realization that sometimes you just don't know what you want to do with your life.

Powell's posts were very candid and offered an open look on the author who was on the verge of a meltdown just before her 30th birthday.

I visited Powell's new-ish (it's been up since last summer) blog (the Salon edition ended when her experiment was over) to see what she had been up to lately and was somewhat disappointed.

Her blog, over at Blogger, now reads more like a promotional piece than the once-intimate diary she was so well-known for. The posts are infrequent (just a few a month, usually) and tend to revolve around whatever TV show or radio program she's been interviewed for or an award she's hoping to win. I've noticed there aren't as many comments as there were over at Salon, except for a post with a not-meant-to-be racist remark from Powell that stirred 21 comments and an apology post.

I'm sure Powell is busy with the success of her book, but I hope she doesn't forget what a good blogger she is and the voice that she has. The reason why her book deal came to life was because of her online musings, so it's a shame to see the newer blog so bare and a bit lifeless. I'd be curious to see what kind of interaction she has with her readers and if it's anything like the relationships she developed a few years back when her experiment first began. My hope is that her blog won't become an example of a blogger losing steam.

Posted by Alicia Dorset at 03:14 PM
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August 28, 2006

My friend, the museum exhibit

Here's the scenario: You work at a museum and you've got a great new exhibit coming up, one that would most likely appeal to a younger audience than the typical show. How do you promote it? Flyers? Posters at coffee shops? Nope, you make a Myspace page for the exhibit and watch the word-of-mouth promotion begin.

The Detroit Institute of Arts recently created a page for their upcoming American Music Exhibition, a collection of photographs from renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz, set to start toward the end of September.

The page has a simple layout, features photos of subjects included in the exhibit and is open to comments. A "marketing blurb" serves as the About Me section:

"We’re so excited about this, that we’ve even written a marketing blurb. Here it is: “From the pages of Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair and Vogue to the galleries of the DIA come photos you can almost “hear”—American Music. Annie Leibovitz, one of America’s most famous living photographers, has immortalized some of our greatest musicians: from B. B. King, Johnny Cash and Norah Jones to Detroit legends Eminem, Aretha Franklin and the White Stripes. Neil Young said it best, 'rock-and-roll can never die.' American Music makes sure of it.”

The page is a smart move for the museum. Because the exhibit will feature a live performance every week of its run, it makes sense to add featured performers' friends as contacts for their own page. Of the 292 friends the page had as of this post, many of them are local bands, Detroit organizations and residents, all sure bets to help spread the word about the exhibit.

My only concern about this page is that the profile photos used aren't credited back to Leibovitz in the caption information. In a society where we try to strive for "fair use" and proper credit whenever possible online, it would have been nice to see everything credited back to such a well-known individual.

And in case you're wondering, the exhibit is single, a Libra, and doesn't want kids.

Posted by Alicia Dorset at 04:04 PM
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August 24, 2006

NBC keeps fans' attention high

MIssing your weekly fix of The Office on NBC due to summer reruns? Fear not! Luckily TV's favorite accountants are keeping fans entertained and patiently waiting for the third season of the hit primetime sitcom.

With just two episodes left for the summer, the weekly webisodes are NBC's answer to online video content that is available on their site only. The accountants have been on the case to find out just who stole $3,000 from the office petty cash. (Hint: They know it's their boss, Michael Scott.)

The webisodes aren't the only online content available to fans. Fake public service announcements, deleted scenes, teaser trailers for the fall and even a photo blog of Dwight as a bobblehead doll are just some of the popular features.

Earlier this year NBC fought against YouTube after a Saturday Night Live skit appeared on the site, only to strike a deal with the popular video-sharing destination just a few months after.

I'm glad to see NBC has realized the popularity of media-sharing sites and giving extra content for their popular programs. By having so much new content available while the show is off for the summer, the casual viewer will be more likely to tune in this September to see what happens next in Pennsylvania's favorite workplace.

Posted by Alicia Dorset at 03:38 PM
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August 16, 2006

Snakes on... the Internet!

With Snakes on a Plane set to hit theaters this weekend, Samuel L. Jackson has been making his way through the media circuit promoting the film. During his visit to the Daily Show, he explained to Jon Stewart about how Snakes filmmakers turned to the blogosphere to help build buzz about the movie.

The movie's web site reinforces the use of blogs and fan sites, featuring some of the best tribute pages right on their own homepage, such as Snakes superfan, Brian Finkelstein. His blog, Snakes On a Blog, was started as a quest to get invited to the movie's premiere. And yes, he did get invited.

"Brian, our entire team at New Line are big fans of SnakesonaBlog.com. New Line would like to formally invite you to attend the premiere screening of Snakes on a Plane on August 17th at the Mann’s Chinese Theater in Los Angeles."

If you're off to see the movie this weekend, make sure to wear your favorite fan Snakes T-shirt.

Posted by Alicia Dorset at 04:23 PM
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August 10, 2006

OK Go dances with fans to build online popularity

Just a few years back, OK Go was a band well-known in the Chicago area, but unknown to the rest of the world. Today the band has the most downloaded music video in music history, thanks to the powers of YouTube and viral promotion.

Known for their funny live performances, OK Go's video for "A Million Ways," off of 2005's "Oh No," became a hot download last summer. Thanks to YouTube, the video is once again a favorite view on the site. Since being uploaded by the band in February of this year, the video has been viewed more than 333,206 times with 104 comments left. The clip, filmed in one take in lead singer Damian Kulash's back yard for the bargain price of $4.99 (the cost of a video tape), showcases the band's love of choreographed dancing to their now-hit single. Take a look:

The buzz surrounding the video's popularity has gained recognition from tradtional and mainstream media outlets, including The New York Times and even Good Morning America. GMA just debuted their 'YouTube Video of the Week' segment this week and of course, talked about OK Go's poularity with YouTube founders by Chad Hurley and Steve Chen.

Even JC Penney picked up on the band's popularity, featuring them in commercials for a new back-to-school promotion.

So, what's a band to do with all this viral buzz circulating around them? Keep it going.

The band sent out a call to fans through YouTube, "The OK Go Dances With You(Tube) Contest," for the best dead-on copy of their dance video. Participants who best resembled the band's routine in their own video would win a trip to see the quartet live in concert and, of course, come up on stage to dance with them. The call for entries was made into a YouTube clip.

So far hundreds of fans have uploaded their clips, rating each other's efforts as they anxiously await an awser from the band. One of my favorites, and apparently a lot of others, is the Hollywood and Vine rendition, where a brave foursome have beverages thrown on them as they dance through traffic.

OK Go is a great example of how viral communication can turn into a smart marketing plan. Their latest video, "Here it Goes Again," features the same low-budget choreography, this time on treadmills, and is already becoming a favorite of fans and media critics alike as it makes its way across the Internet. (They're asking fans to vote for it on VH1Top 20 by way of their blog.) This small band is now a big player in today's pop music scene, all thanks to realizing the power of word of mouth.

That and the ability to dance really, really well together.

Posted by Alicia Dorset at 02:32 PM
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August 03, 2006

Yahoo! launches corporate blog

It isn't everyday that a corporate blog makes reference to Cosmo Kramer in an entry. But then again, Yahoo! isn't your average corporation.

Yodel Anecdotal launched on Aug. 1 and promises to give readers an inside look at the big purple building in Sunnyvale, Calif.

We want to share insights into our company, our people, our culture, and the things that occupy our cluttered minds. We’ll cover emerging trends, provide some behind-the-scenes commentary, profile interesting Yahoos, spotlight our beloved users, reveal some of our quirks, tap into guest bloggers, sprinkle in some videos and photo essays, and generally think out loud (lucky you… you get to listen). You’ll hear from interns to executives. Some days we’ll be light and airy, others we’ll get serious.

The colorful blog includes video clips, links to Yahoo! product blogs and a Flickr page set up just for Yodel photos, present and past. The video tour of the Yahoo! campus is cute, all eight minutes of it, and shows you around the fitness center, cafeteria and numerous gumball stations.

With just two entries so far, both by Nicki Dugan (listed as blog editor), I've enjoyed reading Yodel and am excited to see what they've got up their blogging sleeves. The tone feels very inviting and I'm looking forward to more "behind-the-scene" tours and stories from employees and insiders.

I'm also interested in seeing how they deal with negative comments, if they post them at all. In the 81 comments the first post received by Aug. 3, I didn't notice any remarks from people that didn't like the blog. The terms of service are clearly stated in the sidebar and there's even a disclaimer and web site address for general customer service complaints, too. This was a good move on Yahoo!'s part as I'm sure many customers would see the blog as a place to list problems with software and service.

Posted by Alicia Dorset at 04:04 PM
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Fosters beer — Welcome to 2006!

By David Binkowski

Today's Journal (subscription required) reports that Fosters beer is pulling its advertising budget from TV and going to spend its entire TV budget on online ads. The reason for the change?

Many marketers, increasingly uncertain about the value of TV advertising, are looking at other media. That shift is particularly marked for advertisers such as Foster's that target young men, a group that is watching less TV and playing computer games or spending time on the Internet instead.

My hope is that they're not just creating banner ads and creating lame Flash games but actually plan on interacting with their users online... which, of course, falls outside of the advertising realm and into PR. Sigh.

Tagged: Fosters, advertising

Posted by staff at 01:54 PM
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August 02, 2006

Looking back at BlogHer 2006

I spent three days in San Jose, Calif., for BlogHer last weekend, THE conference for women bloggers. I didn't attend last year's debut event, but if this year's sold-out crowd at the San Jose Hayatt was any indication, I know I won't be missing 2007's efforts.

The sessions at BlogHer ranged from business topics, such as making your blog profitable, to technology questions ("How do you make a podcast?" "What about digital photos for my posts?" "What's a trackback?") and the chance to chat with mommy bloggers about what they've been up to and who was watching their kids.

My favorite panel was "Is the Next Martha Stewart a Blogger?" Featuring Maggie Mason, Gayla Trail, Andrea Scher, Pim Techamuanvivit and Marnie MacLean, the women discussed how their business and blogging ventures (most of them run stores online for their goods, while the rest host well-known blogs) might be the next wave of the future for the creative, "do-it-yourself" entrepreneur and how to not only make the most of it, but protect their individual work.

"Whenever people recognize what you're doing and want to get a piece of it, it's a really hard road to navigate," Trail, author of You Grow Girl, said.

The women discussed the growing demand for bloggers, especially bloggers writing about entertainment, arts and lifestyle topics, and how blogging can lead to so many different avenues.

Techamuanvivit, of Chez Pim fame, talked about what she hopes to accomplish with her food blog. Chez Pim has been featured across the country in various media outlets.

"The way I see my blog is kind of like a launchpad. I want to take it somewhere, I want to see where I can run with it," she said.

In every session, the faint sound of keyboards clacking could be heard as participants worked on upcoming posts or created live blog entries on the spot. By the end of the first day thousands of photos had been tagged "blogher" on Flickr and the conference's name was a popular search on Technorati.

BlogHer provided the chance to hear from some of the blogosphere's biggest names. Day One featured a lunch discussion with Caterina Fake and Meg Hourihan, the driving forces behind Flickr and Blogger. The conference's closing keynote involved a panel featuring Grace Davis, Caroline Little, Mena Trott and the always-entertaining Arianna Huffington.

Overall, my favorite part of BlogHer was meeting people. The atmosphere was so relaxed that attendees who came by themselves left with a whole collection of new friends. People joined each other during breaks to talk about their blogs and what they'd just heard. I met some wonderful new people and, of course, I've got some great new blogs to subscribe to.

Posted by Alicia Dorset at 03:08 PM
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August 01, 2006

Wikipedia and truthiness

In the last week, the New Yorker and Stephen Colbert have both explored Wikipedia and the meaning of truth.

New Yorker writer Stacy Schiff, in an article that prints out in nine pages, looked at Wikipedia’s genesis, its ever-increasing breadth, and its relationship to the truth. If you’ve ever checked out Wikipedia on a subject you’re intimately familiar with, you know its shortcomings:

Glaring errors jostle quiet omissions. [Founder Jimmy] Wales, in his public speeches, cites the Google test: ‘If it isn’t on Google, it doesn’t exist. This position poses another difficulty: on Wikipedia, the present takes precedent over the past. The (generally good) entry on St. Augustine is shorter than the one on Britney Spears. … Wikipedia remains a lumpy work in progress.

Here’s what the Encyclopædia Britannica’s president, Jorge Cauz, has to say about its competitor: “Wikipedia is to Britannica as ‘American Idol’ is to the Juillard School.” Wikipedia’s founder Wales counters, “Wikipedia is to Britannica as rock and roll is to easy listening. It may not be as smooth, but it scares the parents and is a lot smarter in the end.”

The last WØRD goes to Colbert, whose word last night was “wikiality,” which is a lot like truthiness.

Colbert applauded Wikipedia for subjecting facts to majority rule. “What we’re doing is bringing democracy to knowledge,” he said. He closed by encouraging viewers to take the truth into their own hands and talk back to environmentalists.“Find the page on elephants in Wikipedia," he said, "and create an entry that says the number of elephants has tripled in the last six months.”

This morning, the entry on elephants carried a note at the top: “Because of recent vandalism or other disruption, editing of this article by anonymous or newly registered users is disabled (see semi-protection policy).”

Posted by Laurie Mayers at 03:15 PM
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