Fairness in a Viral Video World
One media trend needing repair is the trend of instantaneous public shaming. The YouTube viral video media machine is constantly hungry, demanding more and more servings of content. Labels: Content, enough, Meltdown, public shaming, Viral Video, YouTube
When is enough enough?
Celebrities melt down, insult innocent people in a stereotypical way and show off their private indiscretions in viral video that spreads around the world: the public eats it up. Or elected politicians make boneheaded and hypocritical decisions, spurring bloggers and other amateur "journalists" to mock them endlessly while attracting a mob mentality that happily add their own comments. Jackass thrill seekers record on digital video their idiot stunts so we can laugh at them.
These are all legit candidates for public shaming.
Some people get dragged in through no fault of their own. And mainstream media often joins in the flogging practice favored by viral video sites and blogs. Sometimes someone has to step in to say "enough is enough", as this football coach did this past weekend. We need more of this action from the public and less misplaced shaming.
posted by Unknown @ Tuesday, September 25, 2007,
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Plan "Opportunity" into budgets, like Hot 99.5 with Bobby Brown
Labels: Bobby Brown, brand building, Branding, Budgets, Hot 99.5, Meltdown, Opportunity, Radio, Scandal
For right or wrong, the media loves to exploit celebrities...and, for the most part, celebrities (plus their publicists) love it, too. Look at all the major celeb meltdowns we seen in this post-YouTube, post-TMZ era. Paris Hilton. Mel Gibson. Tom Cruise. Michael Richards. Nicole Richie. Lindsay Lohan. Grey's Anatomy's Dr. Burke. Britney.
Media watched, gawked and mocked as one PR crisis after another drove ratings, web traffic and headlines.
Bobby Brown is the latest notorious celeb in trouble. This time, instead of the media just piling onto the celeb's scandal, a radio station has stepped up and given a helping hand.
Hot 99.5 in Washington, DC paid his bail (getting him out after a 3-day stay in lock up) as well as his overdue child support payments to the mother of two of his kids born prior to his marriage with Whitney Houston.
In exchange, Bobby Brown will co-host with Kane during the morning show on the rhythmic hit station, putting him to work for his money. It also gives Brown a chance to air his version of the events, entertain, be the spotlight and say any mea culpas he wishes to give.
The by-product?
Massive worldwide publicity references on the entertainment and late night TV shows, cable network newscasts and talk shows, other music and talk radio stations, newspapers...and, of course, the Internet.
And now it's a front webpage web event for Hot 99.5.
Radio station's MUST get back to budgeting a line item called "opportunistic marketing fund". It's a forgotten (but still valuable) brand builder. Planned and budgeted marketing dollars kept ready to use for the station to do good works in the community, creating positive goodwill (and potentially far-reaching word-of-mouth marketing buzz).
Trying to suddenly find $$$ in tight budgets for the station to respond to sudden "opportunities" (as Hot 99.5 has done with Mr. Prerogative) is minimally complicated and difficult. Usually to the point where nothing happens and the opportunity is lost.
Build "opportunity fund" mechanisms into your budgets and explain it to the controllers what that means. And then wait for opportunities. Don't worry...you won't have to wait very long.
After all, celebrities will continue to meltdown...
Just don't forget to put out the press releases and viral video.
More melting down" update (3/2): But will Bobby Brown back out? Update (3/5): Yep, he's out. Even so, Hot's effort was worth it.
Always the drama...it's not easy Being Bobby Brown...
posted by Unknown @ Friday, March 02, 2007,
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