TMZ to take on politics

This was on Good Morning America this morning. TMZ is going to direct its citizen-submitted, pseudo-paparazzi lens on politicians. Expanding its gaze from Hollywood’s celebs to DC hopefuls, TMZ represents how the new media age is changing the coverage of politics and politicians. Not only will more mishaps be caught on film, but those mishaps can be posted, tagged, and shared in seconds.

From a rhetorical standpoint, we used to have more of a “shared” coverage and frame of politics. Will the fantasy themes of tomorrow have the same ability to catch us up in a drama? If the Imus case is an example, then the answer is yes.

The brand takeaway: Be authentic. It’s easier to maintain and ground you identity if it is truly authentic -- and you won't have to worry if you're being caught on film or not.

Jerks Need Not Apply

A co-worker sent me this article (registration required) from McKinsey. I hope he wasn’t trying to tell me anything.

The article is a review of Stanford business prof Robert Sutton’s new book The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn't. McKinsey treats the term more gently with the term jerk. Either way, I’m happy to see that there is a measurement for the total cost of jerks in the workplace. Not only are they jerks, but they can be expensive if they're allowed to fester and spread.

I can’t remember where I read it, but I continually repeat that “toxic companies get what they deserve.” Personally, I don’t like jerks. Some folks may like them. However, from a brand identity and corporate culture standpoint, remember your employee culture says a lot about your brand identity.

As the article points out, no jerks doesn’t mean a place free of conflict or tension. It’s how people “fight” in an organization that can be a cause and effect of it’s relative health, toxicity, or Jerk Index.

To paraphrase a primary theme in Karl Weick’s classic book, The Social Psychology of Organizing, this approach means learning to “argue as if you are right and to listen as if you are wrong.”

Which brand is hurt more?

In a lose-lose that only the fine folks at Wal*Mart can dream up, REO Speedwagon is touring Wal*Mart stores.

Nissan's Key Campaign

Honorary Agent Rett sent this opinion piece from the New York Times.

As Rett points out, the article about the campaign isn't so interesting (as a viral campaign it seems to be succeeding), it's more fun to see how angry the professor gets at bending over for a set of Nissan Altima keys.

For those that don't want to leap, the joke is that the new Altima's personal driver recognition program does not require keys. It does not require one to give up on society. More about the campaign and promotion here.

Polarize Me

In the latest issue of Fast Company, (subscription required) Dan & Chip Heath, authors of Made to Stick, state “if you want people to like you, first decide who needs to hate you.”

As I’ve pointed out on this blog, you can’t be all things to all people if your brand is going to be meaningful and equitable. You need to be unique (differentiated), you need to ground that identity, and it must be profitable.

The Bros. Heath demonstrate through tea, vodka, and personal ads how one may differentiate or may just be a part of the “hey – I’m here too” group.

Ultimate?

Will the term Sanctioning Agent make it into the general lexicon? Special Agent Cragan is "interviewed" by the local arts and entertainment weekly.

This from the City Pages:

Ticking through the impressive list of big media outfits that have cited his work in the last few weeks—CNN, the Washington Post, even that "ultimate sanctioning agent," the New York Times—Dr. John F. Cragan looks pleased.

Ultimate? Dare I dream of the Ultimate Sanctioning Agent? It may be like a new Marvel superhero...or not.

Head Like A Hole: NIN's new SEO/Viral Campaign

Thanks to Field Agent Jason for this very interesting promotion from Nine Inch Nails. The campaign is a bit esoteric…or a whole lotta of esoteric. Read the Rolling Stone article and then look at some of the comments from music and marketing folks. What I like about the promotion is that it seems to combine an element of gaming and like good web applications or sites, it makes the user feel like they are making progress. In the end commitment is escalated to such a point that one will have to buy (or illegally rip) the album. Additionally, it seems to be "brand-right" in that the campaign is not all things to all people, but rather does a lot to shield the committed and bring in a certain segment.

Cool and weird.

Where's the damn box?!?!

The line says "It's hard to find your litter box if you can't smell it." That's what I want, my cat to piss all over the place, even my red couch, so we don't smell the litter.

Somebody paid for a full-page ad in Entertainment Weekly to confuse potential consumers about why they might buy Fresh Step.