The Cost of Infomercials - Run, Spot, Run!

I was recently asked if I had a ball park figure for the cost of producing a direct TV "long-form" commercial, also known as an infomercial. You're probably familiar with these 30 minute advertisements that simulate a TV show. Possibly the most famous example is Ron Popeil's Showtime Rotisserie where he coined the phrase, "set it and forget it". I checked with several sources and have these figures from 2007 (so astute business people beware).

For additional information on DRTV see Ron Perlstein's blog. If you're looking for assistance, get in touch as I know trustworthy folks in the biz. Speaking of which, you could easily trim these costs by having everyone bring their own lunch. No more deli trays ...

A Gathering Storm of Viral Videos on Gay Marriage!

A few weeks ago, a group called the National Organization for Marriage put out a striking video commercial called “A Gathering Storm.”In it, with a backdrop of menacing clouds, a clutch of people talk about their fears about allowing gay marriage. It has garnered 576,319 views so far. Now, a passel of celebrities on the Funny or Die comedy Web site has released a spoof version of the NOM commercial, called “A Gaythering Storm.”It features a “gay rain army” and a giant gay repellent umbrella. It has 440,616 views, although it just went up yesterday. Here are both of them, so you can vote with your click. But watch both, whatever you think–and that includes you, Miss California!

originally posted on All Things Digital, April 22, 2009 at 5:30 AM PT, written by Kara Swisher.

NOM:

Funny or Die:

Have a Vision. Make a Plan

In case you haven't been taken in by Susan Boyle's recent viral phenomena from her extraordinary performance on "Britain's Got Talent", here is the link - Susan Boyle's Performance. I think the key to her success is grounded in her wish (to be like Elaine Paige) and her development and realization of a plan of how to achieve that vision. Perhaps the reason we all are enamored is that her actions inspire us to ask; "What do I want to be and how do I realize that aspiration?"

A Primer - What's Happening out there on the Web?

I recently had a chance to pick the brains of my eldest daughter, Gretchen, and her husband, Ryan, who are both very technosavvy. We chatted about a few sites that might help me get a better understanding of what's happening out on the web. Here is where we "netted" out.

Whatever: http://www.scalzi.com/whatever/
John Scalzi is an author who blogs on whatever strikes his fancy. Some times its politics, sometimes its about sci-fi writing, sometimes it's just random internet geekery. He's easy to read, and can give you a good baseline for blog style writing and some understanding of net culture.

Lifehacker: http://lifehacker.com/
Good all around software geekiness with some other lifehacks built in. Good for keeping up with Firefox extensions, Google updates, and what's happening in the tech world. Not too hardcore, and there's always some fun stuff mixed into the feed.

Boing boing: http://www.boingboing.net/
This is the original source of web geek culture. This will give you a good idea of what issues and trends are currently on the radar of global geeks.

Freelance Switch: http://freelanceswitch.com/
Mostly about the freelancing world, but it will help you get a good knowledge designing for the web and can clarify terms like Web 2.0

And this recommendation is mine -
Seth Godin: http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/
The guy behind Squidoo and the author of Meatball Sundae, who's a Marketing Guru. His short posts are always a good read and his comments focus on industry trends and insights about the Internet and about marketing.

Enjoy!