Seriously, what’s all the hoopla about Old Spice responding to your tweets via YouTube videos?

Groundbreaking? Really? Haven’t you done that?

Oh come now. You’ve probably even responded to people via video and yet you sit here giving Old Spice all the credit. This isn’t brilliance, this is what we’ve come to expect from global brands. This is the monster every early adopter of social media created. This is what we — ahem, you — asked for. We need to get used to it.

What’s the difference? Timing and scale (aka budget).

If Old Spice hadn’t done it, some other company would have done it a month from now. The simple fact is, you didn’t do it first, and I didn’t do it first; and even if you or I had the idea to do it first, neither of us could have pulled it off and grabbed as much media attention because Barney’s Plumbing Service wouldn’t have had the resources or the volume to do so.

The original positioning, strategy, and commercial were much smarter than the fact that they responded to your tweets via video. Actually, I’d go as far as to label the strategy, positioning, and original commercial brilliant.

But why are you making such a big deal about it?

Because Old Spice responded to you. Personally. Individually. And with a wonderful sense of humor that only gobs of money can buy — which, case in point, is a good reminder that social media that goes huge in a short amount of time is far from free, far from cheap.

That Old Spice guy had millions invested in him before he reached your laptop, desktop, or mobile device.

Think about the commercial that created the Old Spice guy — the commercial that actually made him a likable character we wanted to watch again and again (yes, I love that guy, and I want to smell like that guy). Above all, let’s not forget the account planning department that worked on the the positioning that was handed off to a flock of creative folk chomping at the bit to be the ones who created the next Old Spice campaign.

Killer creative? Hell yeah.

Brilliant social media? Nope — smart and first would be more accurate.

What do you think? And while you’re at it, what do you smell like?

I’m on a horse.

I posted this article on facebook about the Tallahassee Democrat’s launch of paid online content, under which Larry posted this great response. It’s re-posted here with his permission. Thanks, Larry:

As someone who worked in newspapers for most of my career, with the latter part helping pioneer the online version of one of the country’s top newspaper sites, I can say (and have been saying) that this is a bad move. Half of the newspaper site’s traffic comes from google. A large portion comes from referral site links. They are effectively snipping off a majority of their traffic. I do wonder how the current web advertisers have reworked their deals to reflect the drastically reduced number of eyeballs that the democrat will provide.

This is not to mention the recent research that shows nearly 8 out of 10 adults said they will not pay for online news sites. That ad revenue (assuming it is significant) will not be recouped by online subscriptions. What they are doing is telling current print subscribers that their rate will double, but they’ll be getting an online sub. I know many subscribers who are dumping their subscription — and many others who will grumpily pay it, even though they never go online. The democrat will count those as online subscribers.

The real shame in all of this, to me, is that the Democrat is damaging their brand as a ubiquitous news leader in the capital region of one of the largest states.

The old newspaperfolk will cheer this move (and they have), but that only further proves that traditional newspaper companies fail to understand the Internet. They continue to slide down the slope created by underestimating eBay and craigslist and overestimating the value of their product. People don’t pay for news these days, and if you aks for money, most will turn away and find another source for news. What those people will find, much to traditional newspaperland’s disappointment, is that they can live perfectly fine without the daily newspaper. They will have more free time and their heads will be less cluttered by not having sensational headlines and non-news stories forced upon them. They will find much more relevance in their immediate world, the people they interact with each day.

If there is something newsworthy, the television stations or radio stations or magazines or other online news sites or even their friends and co-workers can fill them in.

Trust me. I know. I was a newspaperman through and through. Ink flowed through my veins. But I am sickened by how far newspapers have fallen, especially my hometown paper. I still have many friends in newspapers and I love and respect them dearly. I despise what their corporate leaders’ mismanagement has put them through the past few years. It’s been absolutely awful how their staffs and budgets have been shredded.

Maybe one day we will again have a truly local newspaper — locally owned and operated. That’s a paper I can support.

Today, Starbucks moves to free wi-fi while the Tallahassee Democrat moves to paid online content. More coffee and less reading may not be a great combination, but it just might be how most of Tallahassee will roll until the ruling is overturned.

Of course, that’s only a prediction. I’ve been wrong before — ask my wife.

Here’s another prediction: I give it less than 15 days before web traffic plummets, 60 days before online advertisers find new places to sink their still meager budgets, and 90 days before staff begin soiling their pants daily, bring a dry cleaner in house so they can remain moderately fresh, and reconsider jumping back on the free train.

But hey, maybe the mother ship, Gannett, have convinced Dorsey and Gabordi that they’ve got this in the bag. Maybe they conducted their research and are just waiting to uncork champagne bottles and break them on the heads of us skeptics. Maybe they’ve gazed into their crystal balls and released of purple flying subscription monkeys knowing they’ll return with the wallets of eager local readers. (If that turns out to be true, expect to see a few dead purple monkeys strewn about town (How’d that be for a lead story?).)

Who knows what will happen starting tomorrow, but we’ll find out soon enough.

I just hung up the phone with Verizon in a daze. I called to upgrade my plan to the next level since I’d gone over in minutes for the second consecutive month. Instead of just saying, “Okay, let’s get you upgraded,” he said, get this, “Why don’t we just give you 250 promotional minutes and get you a 10% discount on your bill for the next 6 months. That way, you can gauge your usage and make a decision then.”

Really Verizon? You think I’m falling for it? Who do you think you are just giving shit away like that? On top of having a really good signal? Some nerve. And come on, guys you honestly want me to believe that the call center guy (the same one who answered the call) has the authority to pull the trigger on that sort of deal? Without talking to a manager? Or consulting a script? Bullshit. And that tone of voice. It was perfect. Too perfect. It had that sincere, understanding quality that sickens you because no matter how hard you try, you could never pull it off even with your dearest loved ones. Damn you, Verizon. Damn you and your generously generous generosity.

This is the kind of call that makes me wish I’d stayed with AT&T and my iPhone.

Heh.

It’s quite a predicament not making any money. Many of us have been there, scrambling to see where our next check will be coming from. Unfortunately, it’s the worst place from which to make big decisions.

On Wednesday, the Tallahassee Democrat announced a new pay-to-read model, no matter where their content lives. They call it a new revenue model, but really, charging for stuff isn’t anything new. The only thing that’s new is the price tag.

Although I can sit back at my desk and take pot shots all day long, I’m going to offer a few ideas that could help. Maybe they’re silly, maybe not — but what ideas has the Democrat explored prior to the price tag? Maybe the Tallahassee Democrat has considered them all in some form or fashion — days and nights of frantic white boarding. The world may ever know. However, one thing I do know is the tone of the Bill Cotterell’s article isn’t going to win over any potential subscribers.

Don’t build a wall around the paper. It’s a community paper. Involve the community in determining its future.

Since there is no other local general paper, you can certainly choose to sit there and jam anything down your local community’s throats like big ol’ corporations have done for decades, or you can sit down and listen to your audience and your local community.

• Formal Customer Focus groups: Considering the direction of the economy’s slope over the last two years, the Democrat should have started focus grouping a year ago, foreseeing the likelihood of a pay-to-read model.
• Informal Focus Groups: Have a feedback party. Invite people to a bitch and moan session. And don’t get defensive. Listen, learn, and then see if some of those ideas would be useful to you.
• Educate citizen journalists: Get into teaching mode. Involve the community of people with good opinions and good ideas and teach them how to structure a story.
• Create a citizen paper: Maybe it’s just an online version people get for free.
• Creative Brainstorming with Community Pros: Invite local creatives to an idea-generating roundtables to come up with even more ideas on how to push the Democrat into the future.
• Advertisers get a free all-encompassing subscription for every employee in the company.
• Create tiered small business pricing that allows companies to purchase subscriptions at a discount for all employees.
• Start smaller: Instead of starting at your ceiling price, why not offer 90 days to “lock in” at a discount?
• Offer an advertising-free subscription for $24.95 where you won’t get hammered with advertising online.

Anyway, you get the point. It hasn’t taken me that long to generate these ideas. So, imagine what we could do if we all worked together to figure this out.

What do you think of the new model? Will you be a subscriber?

It’s crowded out there, and it’s only getting worse: Join us at to this event, join this group, like this thing, donate here, friend this person — you might know them. Egads! (Yea I wrote, “Egads!”)

The more people jump into and become versed on Facebook and twitter, the worse the epidemic will get, and the more invisible everyone will become, creating a phenomenon only a little more appealing than static.

So, how are you feeling about your growing numbers of requests? How are you coping?

Would love to hear about what you’re doing or not doing. Heck, maybe it’s not even affecting you at all. Would love to know if that’s the case too.

Guests are limited to 10, so please RSVP as soon as possible if you’d like to attend.

Choose One

General $10.00 Student $5.00

WHERE: The Conversation Factory
WHEN: Friday, June 18, 2010; 12pm – 1pm
COST: $10 (includes pizza & beverage); Students: $5 PARKING:
Please park at the BrackenChase parking lot adjacent to our building off Eliza Rd.

This week, I want to try something different. Bring $5 and your lunch (or not) and we’ll talk about whatever’s on our collective Social Media mind.

We won’t be serving pizza and we won’t be offering up a formal topic. Hopefully, you’ll have enough faith in the forum and the people — and the fact that we’re never short on passionate conversation — to show up and give it a shot.

Love it? Hate it? Tell me here or tell me Friday, 12-1 at the Conversation Factory.

(Please note: We will not be holding Conversation Friday on June 12, 2010, as I will be out of town.)

After our Thursday evening festivities (yes, you’re invited, click here for details) we’ll be talking about where you need to go from this point forward on the online side of your business.

What needs doing in terms of creating a space for your brand? Do you have a plan? Is it flexible? Where do you want to be 5 years down the line? What are you doing now to help you get there?

Whether you’re just starting a business, or are well on your way, we’ll cover lots of shoulds and shouldn’ts — of course, those will all be open to interpretation and discussion.

Want in? Let me know.

Hope you’ve been well, and hope to see you here.

Guests are limited to 10, so please RSVP as soon as possible if you’d like to attend.

WHERE: The Conversation Factory
WHEN: Friday, May 21, 2010; 12pm – 1pm
COST: $10 (includes pizza & beverage); Students: $5
PARKING: Please park at the BrackenChase parking lot, adjacent to our building off Eliza Rd.

You’re invited to hang out with us at The Conversation Friday on Thursday, May 20, between 5 and 8pm.

If you’re in the neighborhood and want to finish your Thursday here, come on over anytime after 3pm. Use our Wi-Fi, use our conference room, make some calls, play some pinball, whatever. We’ll be here.

Our friends from the Liquor Loft/ Proof, Byron Burroughs and Angela Harding, will be here between 5 and 6pm to kick things off with a tasting of two unique beverages: the cocoa-infused Alchemia Czekoladowa Vodka from Poland, and the coppery blond beer, Bons Vœux, brewed by the La Brasserie Dupont. If you haven’t been to the Liquor Loft, they’re right on Tennessee Street next to the Starbucks.

At 6pm we’ll tap the Stella Artois barrel, uncork the wines, and hang till 8pm. If there’s anything specific you’d like to drink, bring it with you. We’ve got a thirsty fridge.

Hope you can make it over for a little while — or even a few minutes.

Date: Thursday, May 20, 2010
Time: 5-8pm (Doors open at 3pm)
Address/ Map link: 3033 Powell Road
Parking: Please park at the BrackenChase lot adjacent to the Conversation Factory just off Eliza Rd. If you haven’t been here, please see photos below.

Big and special thanks, as always, go to David Hanselman, owner of BrackenChase Home Builders, who’s been a driving, supportive force behind The Conversation Factory, Conversation Fridays, and transplant.