Comments on: TV Show Leverages Twitter With One-Two Mystery Pitch

By: Tom Chandler

Tom Chandler — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 05:46:25 +0000

Sher; I receive an email when someone follows me. Naturally, you go look to see what they’re about, which is when you see their page. This is how Twitter spammer types work; they follow people, who go to their twitter pages, where there are links to spam/phishing/annoying sites.

By: Sher Matsen

Sher Matsen — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 01:31:34 +0000

I’m haven’t used twitter (I know booo hooo)but I thought you needed to “follow” someone in order to get their tweets? So can’t you just not follow them anymore to get rid of their messages, no?

By: Tom Chandler

Tom Chandler — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 18:04:47 +0000

Admitting the problem is the first step. Fortunately (or unfortunately), I’m too busy mucking about with computers to follow much of anything on TV – I’m considering canceling our satellite service.

By: Carson

Carson — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 21:08:43 +0000

I don’t watch Mad Men regularly, but for some reason I continue to follow Betty Draper.

I just can’t cut her loose.

And I don’t know why I just admitted that, either.

By: Tom Chandler

Tom Chandler — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 04:46:36 +0000

Graham: You’re exactly right – this is an engagement marketing tactic (engaging with customers around shared passions and values, which in this case is a TV show).

That’s why it caught my eye, and ended up as a post.

I think this stuff is intriguing, and the kind of Twitter fictional character gig you mentioned is the mirror of a fictional, anonymous blog I pitched (but couldn’t sell) to a client who was perfect for it.

I’m holding the project in reserve, and I’ll sell it one day (damnit!).

By: Graham Strong

Graham Strong — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 21:06:28 +0000

I’m not much of a twitterer, but don’t you need to “follow” someone in order to get their tweets? If so, it should only be a matter of unfollowing them to get rid of their messages, no?

(Although I suppose someone could keep creating new accounts and spamming you with follows…)

But doesn’t this fall neatly into the category of engagement marketing Tom? I would have thought you’d be all over this one! I could see a time in my life where I’d enjoy a post or two per day from some fictitious character.

Hmm, what about creating a fictitious character and building a whole Twitter story? Not like the 140 character stories, but a post per day that advanced the plot. Twitter might be a bit too limited to do this, but something similar might be interesting…

~Graham

By: Rolf

Rolf — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 20:26:49 +0000

I followed the Madmen characters for a day or so. They have been twittering for some time now. Thousands follow them.

Here is Peggy Olson:
https://twitter.com/peggyolson

Even David Ogilvy joined in:
https://twitter.com/David_Ogilvy

This is fun once or twice, but if this is the start of spamming, I fear for the quality of twitter. After all, people don’t join twitter to be troubled by virtual characters.

By: Tom Chandler

Tom Chandler — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 18:30:13 +0000

Very true. As for fake Twitterers, I thought the campaign was interesting for the one-two punch — the second character “warning” about the first (a nice touch).

I admit it feels a little creepy that TV characters are “alive” on the Internet, though the effect on the fan base is probably monstrous. And yes, I’m absolutely sure this is the first recorded opportunity of someone pretending to be something they’re not on the Internet…

By: Roberta Rosenberg

Roberta Rosenberg — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 17:16:40 +0000

Hmm, not sure. Techies often get their digital panties in a bunch when them ugly marketing types get a hold of new technology.

On the other hand, blogging by fictitious characters abound. I’m a fan of HBO’s Big Love and one of the wives has a blog featured on the BL website.

So why wouldn’t fake people Twitter, too?