MixedContent

There is a good article in the Globe and Mail that describes how music companies are working with bloggers, as opposed to suing them. Finally, someone in the recording industry has realized that a sending a pack of hungry lawyers after trend setters is not the best idea, and that maybe if they gave them some product to review instead, things might work out better.

One thing I have been noticing is that people are becoming more immune to traditional advertising and marketing efforts. I think record companies will gradually realize that having an articulate fan with a website who passionately promotes an artist to their network of readers (who in turn do the same) can be superior to a million dollar advertising campaign.

I think this partly has to do with trust: people instinctively are skeptical of marketing produced by the organization itself. For example, I will seriously discount a glossy subway poster campaign for a new artist, if the posters are produced and put up by the artists’ record company. Contrast this with the ‘authenticity’ of hearing about a new artist through word of mouth from a friend (on a blog, or otherwise).

The other part is simply the nature of small world networks, and how online communities are wired to quickly spread ideas.

My only fear is that corporate interests might corrupt the authenticity of people’s voices. Will a blogger who gets free records give a better review?

Mark Evans also points to this story and has an interesting take on it.