The Cluetrain Manifesto abrigred

I just finished reading the theses from the cluetrain manifesto and found it pretty interesting, but I picked out a few of my favorite ones. While there were many that peaked my interest these did the most.

"In just a few more years, the current homogenized "voice" of business—the sound of mission statements and brochures—will seem as contrived and artificial as the language of the 18th century French court."

"We like this new marketplace much better. In fact, we are creating it."

"We are immune to advertising. Just forget it"

A common thread among the ones that I found the most interesting, is that they were also the most invirogorating, putting the power of the market in the hands of the customer/consumer and out of the company, almost making the company seeing as less powerful and scared under the bully of the public. I am interested to see what the rest of the class thought during our discussion after the break.

Our Viral Video -"Outrage For Injustice"

Here is our viral video completed for class. We chose to explore the social issue of denying/violating ones ethics over your own ability for selfishness and self-control- Specifically regarding the consumption of animal flesh.

The Text from the video was taken from the song "Edens Demise" by the seminal mid-90's hardcore/metalcore band Earth Crisis Full text of the song's lyrics can be seen below the video



"Edens Demise" lyrics
Poisoned tears fall from a corroding sky down to a
tortured earth that's been left to die. The oceans
diseased, the stricken lands decay. Mankind's
supremist mentality has set this world ablaze.
Nature's plan forever altered, animals lost to
extinction. This society based on greed fuels the
onslaught of destruction. The circle of death ends
with the instigators victimized. The means to
quench a selfish lust brings eden's demise.
Mass-murder, demonic cruelty. Absolute fascism. To
end the enslavement and slaughter, the antidote is
veganism. Don't let your outrage for injustice end
where your selfishness begins. I have conquered
through selfcontrol, together we can win. Respect
for nature and innocent life, the end of human
over human oppression. A peaceful world can evolve
after animal liberation. To persist with what is
immoral is illogical. There's no excuse for
violence against nature or for the innocent to be
killed. I see so much sickness. The enemy
surrounds. I see so much sickness. I fear what the
future holds. I have hope that the point of no
return has not yet been passed. These are the
final moments. Sand pours from a broken hourglass.

The First Completly Legal MP3 blog

Earlier in the year I posted about the growing popularity and power of MP3 blogs

Well it seems that the music industry is now finally trying to catch up with them and the first totally legal mp3 blog has launched. RCRD LBLhttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif is (from their own about section)

"a network of ad-supported online record labels and blogs offering completely free music streams and downloads from emerging and established artists."

Seems like an interesting concept, and I guess well see how well it does, though from what I've read in other articles about the site, its founders expect it to do very well financially.

"How is 12oz of Sausage supposed to feed 600 Pounds of Men"

In class we have talked about "Dell Hell" and other examples of fans and fanatics reacting against a company and the company....eventually responding. Well I stumbled across what is possibly one of the most entertaining customer complaints ever.

Please listen!- totally worth your time!

Now besides the fact that the man is totally supporting the redneck stereotype and does a pretty funny job of cussing at the end he actually has a valid complaint. Now instead of calling the Jimmy Dean sausage corporate line, do you think it would be more effective for him to of started a blog and found other people who have similar complaints about the downsizing of their precious sausages?

p.s. the image besides being a jimmy dean product has nothing to do with the post, just thought it was so grody (grody= a higher level of grossness) that it had to be posted.

Finding Vegan Cupcakes to Take Over the World With Just Got Easier

A few days ago I stumbled across this Blog.
Basically what the blog does it allow users to type in recipes they want and it will search throughout the databases of currently 27 top-rated vegan food blogs- allowing a wide range although well regarded recipes bound to pop up.

I don't think that we have discussed this exact type of blog in any of our classes or books, but perhapsI would label them as filters.

The type of specalized blog/software could be used for anything, but because its vegan food its just better ;) Go ahead and search for something tasty and seasonal like Pumpkin Pie!

The Great Debate: Is Web 2.0 Bulls#!t?

The preliminary list of 2008 SXSW Interactive Panels has been released. Many, many of the panels discuss things that relate to our class including social media, Web 2.0, and PR on the internet.



Check out the full list, or my abbreviated ones of speical interest to us.


* The Art of Self-Branding
* Beyond the Blogosphere: How Online Talent is Being Developed
* Futurists' Sandbox: Social Technologies in 2025
* The Great Debate: Is Web 2.0 Bulls#!t?
* Social Network Coups: The Users are Revolting!
* Social Networking and Your Brand
* The Suxorz: The Worst Ten Social Media Ad Campaigns of 2007
* Taking Over the World: the Flickr Way
* Wireframing in a Web 2.0 World
* You Are Here: Gaming and User's Geolocation in Web 2.0

Guerilla Marketing

While we were acutally assigned to read chapter 10 of "The New Influencers" I acutally found the little profile at the end of the chapter much more interesting.

The sections discussed guerilla marketing. The idea of this is to be as creative and unconventional in your marketing as possible. An example of this that the books discusses is the Night Agency, who have succesfully done campaings for many big companies, including MTV. Check out their website to see examples of their works.

This is type of marketing that I am most interested in hmm...wonder if there are any firms like this in Austin....not yet?

Oprahtube

In what truly signals Youtube's acceptance into mainstream society, it seems that everyone (and I mean every ones) favorite day time talk show host will be having her own you youtube channel.

Yes, that right Oprah Winfrey now has her own Youtube Channel

Orpah will be posting videos that she makes specifically for Youtube, along with tons of other footage. To celebrate the launch of this, on Monday the founders of Youtube came on her show and talked to her, and she is displaying some of her favorite "stars of Youtube" throughout the week.

Just think of the marketing behind this now. Oprah, the most powerful woman on the world now has a space on the most powerful social media tool of the last 10 years. If some company could get behind this (other than youtube) they would have so many eyes and ears.