Ubiquitous Marketing

Rob Walker is exactly right in this post, where he talks about sustainable clothing manufacturer/retailer Nau. Nau is now closing operations. Although he clarifies later. This point should be taught and taught and taught in all journalism, business, and marketing classes.

Obviously, I’m glad I didn’t decide to write about the brand in Consumed. But that’s not why I bring this up. I bring it up because as far as I could tell, Nau got nonstop love from every “influential,” “tastemaker,” “thoughtleader,” blah blah blah blog you can name.

I thought that was the secret sauce? I thought if you win over the blognescnenti, then you flat-out win? Because the MSM is irrelevant? And stuff? So, what’s up? Could it possibly be that the whole bloggy-buzz thing is, oh, I don’t know … bullshit?

So we featured Nau on the cover of our green issue (free link here). My intro seems pretty interesting now.

As the green movement gains even more momentum, many companies are encouraging their customers to live a more eco-friendly life - and are offering the tools to do so.

If judged by traditional promotional means, the short film that outdoor clothing manufacturer Nau created, though it eventually led to a mention on Good Morning America, would’ve been deemed a failed opportunity.

The four-minute film, which detailed the transformation that “friend of Nau” Dee Williams underwent when she moved out of a regular house into an 84-square-foot house on wheels, was originally posted on a portion of Nau’s Web site called “The Collective.”

[snip]

There was only one problem: The video made no mention of the company, aside from a “Nau presents” at the beginning and the word “Nau.com” at the end.

Maybe that was the issue. Or maybe people care about sustainability. In my apartment, currently, are three people from Portland, OR. One didn’t know the company. One said, “Those clothes are expensive.” One said, “How could it close down? It was featured in every magazine.”

Nau could be the tipping point for expensive green companies. It could be something completely unique. But I think it needs to be explored. I think Nau is a really compelling case study. More to come, I hope.

Does the Newsday office sit on a surplus of oil? Because I’m curious as to why there is such a fuss. I guess I should be happy to hear about people really valuing print, though. Maybe Nelson was wrong.

I’ve somewhat followed this sports blogger getting Dooced by the Washington Post. Apparently he got fired for this post. It does raise interesting questions of what journalists are allowed to do (and write) in their personal lives. I believe that no journalist should be fired just because he or she blogs on the side (obvious qualifiers about whether or not it affects the job, etc.) or has a drunken picture appear on the I’nets. But I kind of think the context of what they write on their personal blogs is fair game for an employer. Obviously, the Washington Post isn’t saying why it fired him (it claims he resigned), but editors there are just not going to get satire and racial humor (still don’t know what the ‘knowing point’ is of this recurring piece). If he was in fact just fired because he was drunk in a picture (with a parrot!), then that, is in, fact lame.

He probably would have gotten fired day one if he announced he would be doing this side project, but no one should be surprised if the WaPo - upon his revelatory post - looked through the archives and found grounds for his firing. To work in the media (save for a few choice spots) is to shed your opinions and much of your personality when writing. Maybe this will change, but it hasn’t yet.

The outrage from readers - if not mock -is kind of weird. It does suck when someone whose work you admire gets fired, but they were certainly not raptly reading his WaPo metro coverage.

I’m on hold with Apple; Bob Dylan’s Tangled Up in Blue is playing. Do you need to compensate for hold-line jukebox? If not, why?

I was quoted for a recent story. The quote was fine, but the set-up paragraph was way off. It made my completely positive quote seem cynical and negative. I wonder - do I own that space? I mean, if it’s implying the context behind my quote, it should reflect my intentions, no? In any event, the article was first sent to me by a source in the industry. When I said, “No fair.” He said (surely while laughing), “Welcome to PR.”

It will be awfully tough to get non-early adopters (and IT admins) to switch to Google Docs (from Microsoft Office). But you have to believe the news that they will start making the app work offline is the start of something big. Mixed reviews initially, but that’s to be expected. I keep checking my account to see if it has added that functionality - please get here by tonight - for my Amtrak train ride. Please?

NEW YORK: Haymarket Media has promoted Julia Hood to the role of publishing director of PRWeek and Keith O’Brien to the position of PRWeek editor-in-chief. Hood, who was previously editor-in-chief, will report to Lisa Kirk, Haymarket managing director, marketing and technology publications. O’Brien, who was previously executive editor, will report to Hood.

I know I’m probably treading with opinions too close to my salaried profession. But I, like probably every other sentient being, have seen and contemplated the new Hillary Clinton 3am ad (here). Apparently, via the WaPo, Clinton strategist and Burson-Marsteller CEO Mark Penn was the author of the ad. I make no claims to the efficacy of such an ad (political marketing is not my specialty), nor the intent. But, for me, it made me think of my favorite SNL skit of all time.

I’m a tumblr, now. I’m hoping to get energy to publish more marketing stuff on here, but, for oddball, (mostly) nonmarketing stuff: go here.

I’ve admittedly fallen way behind on providing The Wire updates. Rather than flail three weeks behind, getting around to providing my thoughts on the final episode in 2009, I think I will just throw out some bullet points and consider us all square. Deal.

1) The newsroom scenes have improved. There’s still a bit high-mindedness that I never felt existed in other plotlines. Take the dockworker season, for instance. The laborers tried to push that the docks — in their current existence — were critical for the fabric of American life - and the writers, directors seemed to probably think this was a valid point, but the storytellers had it all come crashing down - because that’s what likely to happen. You know what Simon thinks of the newspaper situation, and it seems like he’s teaching, rather than just telling a story.

2) Bunk (Wendell Pierce) and Clay Davis (Isiah Whitlock) are playing the roles of their lives. Maybe I’m influenced by the Slate discussions, but I feel like you can actually tell how much they’re enjoying themselves. Most are focusing on Whitlock’s performance, but Bunk’s alternatively angry and resigned take on (sort of) the last honest cop is a sight to behold.

3) I’m not sure I buy Marlo’s increasingly complicated signals. Maybe there will be a sensible reveal as to what his picture of clocks represents, but this is the same person who, two episodes ago, was clearly caricatured about not being ready for the larger world. Now, he’s got some espionage-like codes?

4) I’m in the camp that finds McNulty boring these days.

Where’s it going to end? We’ll know soon.