12 June 2009

The Warmth Of The Fire

For those of you who have been following this blog for a couple of months or longer would know I'm a Joker who likes starting fires.

Which is the approach I took in a recent posting in an open letter to the editor of B&T Magazine. Many of your criticised said approach and I think the comments that resulted are probably more interesting than the post itself.

But let's take a look at the outcome...
+ The post received 33 comments, the most I've ever received.
+ My blog received the most hits it's ever had in one day yesterday.
+ My RSS Feed hit an all time high.
+ And perhaps most importantly, B&T made a change with more changes to come.
This is a good outcome, no? Would it have been the same had I'd taken a less controversial approach? Maybe. Maybe not.

I bag the shit out of traditional media all the time. But sometimes the results are amazing. So even if you bag the shit out of the approach I took the other day, stop and think about the outcome, which I believe speaks for itself.
Posted by Zac Martin at 4:06 PM

16 comments:

  1. Do you remember Corey Worthington? He got a lot of exposure as well. Or Chk Chk Boom?

    Lucky you break up the fires with some good content and insight as well.
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  2. I disagree... no matter how many extra people the post brought to your blog, it isn't effective unless B&T take your comments on board.

    Most of the 33 comments were people arguing with your methodology. The only conversation you inspired really was whether or not your method of delivering the message was effective.

    So if the desired outcome was for people to disagree with you, then yes, it was a successful outcome. If the point of the post was to inspire change, I'd say your "controversial" approach didn't really have much effect.
    ReplyDelete
  3. @ Nathan Bush

    But there was no change or benefit from Corey Worthington or Chk Chk Boom girl.

    @ Jason P

    Umm, check out the forth point there. B&T have taken the comments on board, I got a response from them and they have implemented some change.

    I see the extra views and comments as a bonus, but the core outcome was the change.
    ReplyDelete
  4. Fair point.

    Admittedly I read that as B&T MIGHT make a change. Good job on making a difference.

    PS. I think your comments are still a bit buggered. It crashed the open tab only in my Internet Explorer
    ReplyDelete
  5. I'm sure there was - we saw police reaction to youth parties change and parents would have taken more caution when they went away or hosted a party. Chk chk would have changed the credibility of eyewitness accounts. However, I think the point you're trying to make is that they didn't go out to incite these changes - they were just a consequence.

    So, congrats on the change, and for putting your balls on the line to cop some decent abuse. But don't think people are just reading your posts for your fires. I like going to the circus but I don't want to be mates with a carnie!
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  6. Correlation does not imply causation. It's great to see you value B&T as a valuable resource. Thanks zac
    ReplyDelete
  7. @ willemrt

    I was waiting for that comment. I do realise that Kate Kendall and others played a fairly major role in this change. :]
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  9. the definition of a good result really depends on your own motivations and what you deem as an ideal outcome.

    personally i think you short sell yourself with the sensationalist nonsense. you have more constructive things to say and obviously you're a smart guy, but the whole 'x is dead' and gen y cliches are pretty tiresome and don't demonstrate your thoughts. it's been done by loads of people before you - there's nothing new to be said in predicting revolutionary change whilst showing ignorance for what has worked before you.
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  10. i whinge about stuff regularly enough on my blog. which is fine by me. but i don't really understand what the big deal is about you doing it over here.

    is it because you're in the marketing merry-go-round that a whinge about a publication on here is such an Important Thing that it has to either advance or destroy your career? isn't this a blog where you put all kinds of ideas and responses to stuff from a personal perspective (which is why it's sometimes more interesting and, dare i say, relevant, than trad broadcast media)? and doesn't that include the occasional vent about something that gives you the shits?

    why wouldn't your whinge still be valid if no change was instigated by b&t? do blogposts always have to be 'how brands can learn something from how i opened a can of chickpeas tonight and spilled them on the floor'?
    ReplyDelete
  11. Henceforth the role of BrandDNA on this blog will be played by Lauren.
    ReplyDelete
  12. It all depends on how you want to be perceived Zac. Tabloid magazines sell a lot of copies, but they don't maintain any credibility. You don't want to be known as the shock jock do you?

    Because as Ben said earlier, that would be to sell yourself short.
    ReplyDelete
  13. Hi mate,

    Right now you are the Darryn Hinch of the blogosphere. The ruder / more sensional / bullying you are the more hits and attention you'll get.

    You may even effect some change, but at what cost? Is what you say positive, a good thing to add to the world? Or are you just a wee bit embarassed?

    As for being just 19 'Give me the child until he is seven and I give you the man'.

    Don't get me wrong I love your shit strring. I think you know that I strongly endorse that kind of behaviour - I just wonder if there is a more intelligent, positive, effective way to do it.

    ....and in case you havent noticed I have just fallen off my hypocritical high horse.

    Adam Ferrier
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  14. PS opening this up for conversation is excellent (and interesting). I never heard the offline Derryn Hinch publically ask for feedback on his style.
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  15. lets hope you don't go to jail like Hinch did in the 80's Zac heh.
    ReplyDelete
  16. As with anything, it depends on your blogging and personal branding objectives.

    If you want to be hired as a marketer, tone it down. Wait, tone it the f#$k down.

    If you want to be a mini-Mumbrella (in the nicest possible way) keep it up! It's certainly engaging.
    ReplyDelete

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