You have to love the genuine stupidity of the "Main Stream Media" here in the USA. In a piece in today's New York Times... Yes... The New York Times... About the Web 2.0 Summit scmooze that took place in San Francisco a few weeks ago, reporter David Carr has this to say... “This is not just another rich guy — there are a lot of those around here,” said John Battelle, one of the summit’s hosts. “He built News Corp. from not much, with his own two hands, and this is a room full of entrepreneurs. The other thing this room respects is intelligence, and they can tell he is smart, really smart, not just from what he says, but what he has done with MySpace.”
Pardon me, but in common with a lot of other Empire builders like "The Donald," The "Wizened of Oz" didn't build News Corp from "not much"... He inherited a thriving newspaper business from his father... Which leads me to the conclusion that most journalists either don't do any research (even about their own business) Or, they are just plain stupid... Or are both!
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So old Tony is set to clear $10 million before he even puts pen to paper after a leading publisher agreed a deal to release his political memoirs. The ex-star of "The Queen," is estimated to earn about $10 million as an advance payment as part of the agreement, with Random House publishers.
The book is not expected to be published until late 2009 at the earliest – well after any general election expected to be called by "His Grimness," Gordon Brown. Mr Blair, who was finally dragged out of number ten, screaming and kicking, after ten years as prime minister, has said that his account will be "serious and thoughtful, but also entertaining".
Bloody Hell... And you can bet another $10 million it will be unapologetic about his conniving with Bush to land us in the continuing Iraq mess. Still, when he cocks up his job as Special Envoy to the Middle East, a few dollars might come in handy. Although, once he hits the big bucks speaking circuit and gets his seat on the Carlyle board, he won't be worrying where his next pint is coming from.
Rabid readers of MadScam will be delighted to know that I recently did a podcast with Robert Rosenthal, founder of a really great agency in Boston with the interesting moniker... "Mothers of Invention." Robert has a blog with another great name "Freaking Marketing." Well worth reading.
To hear my dulcet tones, go to the bottom of the "Freaking Marketing" page and click on the link for my interview. I've done a few of these in the past, but this was by far the best, as Robert asked some really great questions, which allowed me to kick the shit out of all my usual hobby horses. A good time was had by all. Check it out.
Then go on-line and order "MadScam." And as we're coming up to Christmas, don't forget every member of your family, all your friends, and any homeless people you come across who want to make a career in advertising. That's how I did it!
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If you drive a Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini, or anything else that costs several hundred thousand dollars, you might be interested in the ultimate car wash. It can cost up to $8,000 and take a couple of weeks to complete. And, it's in the UK...
Which goes to prove there's as many really crazy people over there as there is over here. But, if you can afford it, you will have the cleanest, shiniest car in the world... For a few days.
Then you'll have to do it all over again. Unless you are like the owner of a very pricey Porsche mentioned in the video. He keeps the car in the garage permanently and just looks at it while enjoying a glass of wine. Probably a Chateau Lafite!
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As Ace Baseball Guru Yogi Berra once said... "It's deja vu all over again!" So, with today's news that on the 20th anniversary of Oct 19, 1987 - the day the stock market suffered the biggest single-day crash in history - the market tumbled precipitantly amid worries over corporate earnings, the credit crunch, and the nation's economy piling it on, I was asking myself, why are people gob smacked with this more than to be expected news?
Though it wasn't quite a crash, the Dow Jones industrial average today plunged 366.94 points, or 2.64 percent, to close at 13,522.02. The Nasdaq and S&P 500 both dropped more than two-and-a-half percent. Google was one of the few Silicon Valley tech stocks that actually gained value, closing up $5.09 to $644.71, after reporting strong earnings Thursday. Among the biggest losers was Milpitas chipmaker SanDisk, whose stock fell more than 15 percent to $42.71 per share after a disappointing quarterly statement.
At the same time... The really ominous news out of the so called "Hot Bed" of entrepreneurship was that the Silicon Valley's job market suffered its third consecutive monthly drop, shedding 2,200 jobs in September. Which, apart from the housing melt-down, is the really scary news... 'Cos this was where the future was supposed to be... Remember?
While working on my next book, "The Ubiquitous Persuaders." A 50 year update on the Vance Packard classic, "The Hidden Persuaders." It was interesting to read in today's New York Times the piece on the 50th anniversary of the launch of the Edsel. In a few hundred words, it gives all the reasons why the car was a flop. Everything form it's looks and mechanical problems with the poor quality of the initial models... And there were 18 variations on offer when it was launched, to the fact that a month after the launch date, the Soviets launched Sputnik.
What that has to do with it, I have no idea. But nowhere in the piece does it mention the fact that the Edsel was produced as a result of massive consumer research involving hundreds of focus groups allowing consumers to describe what they were looking for in a car.
All of which goes to prove what I have been saying for years, most research, focus groups in particular, are a complete waste of time. Which is why 80 percent of new products fail in their first year. Even though they all tested like gangbusters in Boise, Idaho. But you know what? Focus groups will still be around long after the dinosaurs have come back to reclaim the earth!
And, if you can't wait for my next book, you can still buy my last one, "MadScam," on Amazon. UK.
As I am sure you are aware, there's a big stink going on over here about how "The Decider" has been illegally tapping the phone's of people Cheney has decided are members of "The Axis of Evil" and need putting away for the rest of their lives.
Because I worked on the Qwest account for a number of years, I've been following the news that three telecommunications companies have declined to tell Congress whether they gave U.S. intelligence agencies access to Americans' phone and computer records without court orders, citing White House objections and national security.
Joe Nacchio, the ex-CEO of Qwest claimed during his recent trial for looting the company coffers the government contracts his company was promised failed to be realized because of his refusal to knuckle under. And why did he refuse... Because, as he said, it was plainly illegal. Good for him. Unfortunately, it didn't stop AT&T and the other telecom companies from complying. For some, it's always business first.
I'm sure everyone on both sides of the Atlantic has their knickers in a twist with the news today that shooting will begin in 2008 on Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins, which promises to "reinvent the cyborg saga with a storyline to be told over a three-pic span".
Film company Halcyon points out that the movie will be a "reinvention", as the third film was the conclusion of what happened in the 'now. The intention with the new film is to present a fresh new world and have this be the first of a trilogy. Apparently, it will be set in the future, in a full-scale war between Skynet and humankind. The film is slated for a summer 2009 release.
No news yet on the possible participation of Arnold Schwarzenegger, the company says: "We've left it open for him to maybe do a cameo. He has an important job, as we know, and the final decision will be based on his desire and availability." Who knows, maybe "The Gubernator" will do one more "Terminator!"
Here's the really scary news of the day... The US Government has been dipping its toes into the blogosphere. As part of its effort to blog them over here so we don't have to blog them over there, comes Dipnote, a blog from the US State Department. That's right, it's called “Dipnote” which is apparently short for “diplomatic note” in DoS jargon (or “dipspeak”).
And that's not the only thing that's dippy about it. In common with a couple of other million blogs out there, it trots out that same old, same old... “Let the conversation begin.” So far, the conversation appears to consist mainly of a) complaints about the blog's white-text-on-black background; b) well justified skepticism that any branch of the federal government is truly interested in an open exchange of ideas; and c) suggestions for better names. Also a fair number of comments from China, Australia, and points east, suggesting that perhaps foreign folk are more interested in the workings of our State Department than we are.
Best comment so far comes via Judith from Australia: “Ah, the comic section of the Internet.” She says. Don't worry, Judith, it'll get funnier!
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Just 'cos you can't get enough of me... I have a piece in today's BrandWeek about my interview with "Missy" the head honcho at "SuicideGirls" during the PSFK Conference in Los Angeles a couple of weeks ago. Very erudite. Lots of good stuff in there. Check it out, then check out "SuicideGirls." Best damn Web 2.0 site out there... And I know all about this junk.
George Parker
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