So I’m still cleaning up from having my car broken into on Monday, but last night was a different Rob – the podcast pioneer from Podcast411 was in town so we had dinner in Boston’s North End. I have been interviewed on 411 but it’s so far back in the archives that it’s been buried because he’s overhauled his sound system since what I believe he calls “The excedrin episodes” or something like that.
In related bizarre news, Pink was in town this week and hung with the true Macks at the AFC.
Today is the MIT Brave New Web event so more info on that and a Boston Geek Dinner at Sonsie (break out your best black turtleneck and pants).
I’m also getting into a discussion with the CAPOW guys about companies that put “deceptive” videos up on YouTube. Should a company put up a video that looks grassroots? Is this wrong? Should an organization like WOMMA deal with ethical questions for the industry, or are they around just to generate trade shows (I don’t see “non-profit” anywhere on their site)?
I’m interested in your opinion if you’d like to weigh in.
6 replies on “Robbed – part 2”
Ah, that depends on what you define as looking like grassroots. All of my videos look “grassroots” in the sense that their level of quality and production matches most other homemade productions on YouTube – i.e. incompetent with video compared to pros.
If David Tames put up a video on YouTube, it’d look pro even if it was about washing his pet hamster. He’s just that good.
So… what does grassroots look like?
The argument is that making something look grassroots would be using some unknown username in YouTube instead of your company or PR Agency’s name. Then remaining quiet about who did the video until it catches some media buzz.
So the question is when do you reveal? I’m for putting it out there right away. If the content is appealing, take credit for it. If you give the diggers even part of one day to expose your company as the content creator/sponsor before you claim ownership, it’s all over.
See, I would say you now rank up with Pink in star status that they have to seat you together. It’s like if you showed up at the Oscars someone would have to find you a ticket because you are that cool.
I think their is a lack of information literacy. We could just nip this deception in the bud by getting our own message out and informing anyone in ear shot.
So my new thought now is: Why bother with the deception?