A little off topic–I hate the seeing the bad guys get away. These guys come from a medium I’ve nearly abandoned: television.
Bad guy #1: Kevin Trudeau
Flipping thru Direct Magazine, my attention was caught by an ad that didn’t fit. Turns out MacroMark is selling a mailing list of Kevin Trudeau’s clients.
Who is Kevin Trudeau? I googled him and found out that he is a shady character gettting past FTC rules based on his first amendment rights to print and sell books that say whatever he wants. The books are sold via Informercials and are really just an entre to sell subscriptions to his website. He’s a guy with a checkered past staying one step ahead, and by selling his client list, milking it for all its worth.
I can only hope that no one buys these lists and make this guy any richer. But if Direct wants to keep the message that direct marketing is above scammy infomercial and phone solicitors, they should distance themselves from this guy.
Bad guy #2: Bill O’Reilly
Marketonomy blogger Chris Kenton rants on Bill O’Reilly’s recent snub of JetBlue giving some tickets to website DailyKos. I don’t really care about O’Reilly or DailyKos, and I don’t think Chris really cares either.
O’Reilly basically says that because JetBlue gave some free flights to support DailyKos’s member convention, that JetBlue is endorsing hate-mongering speech that some commenters at DailyKos have made.
Knowing the simple fact that DailyKos is a community site with lots of members and free form discussions makes the whole 7 minute YouTube clip Chris linked to laughable. Well, I guess I’m not laughing, because Bill skips this fact and chooses to attack JetBlue and DailyKos, specifically calling DailyKos a hatemonger (note the singular term he uses). The pansy ‘expert’ from BusinessWeek is there just as a foil and does nothing except give Bill someone to hurl unsubstantiated questions at repeatedly.
Rant wrap-up:
Anyway, two crappy examples of what makes this one-way communication model of television is broken. And two people taking advantage of it, with major companies behind them. I’m just revolted. I hate when truth and fairness are abused while I sit her politely selling my B2B products.
Sorry, but these were bugging me. Now I can go home!
Just browsing the internet, very interesting blog.
Just browsing the internet, very interesting blog.
Won’t his clients be able to do something about it?
Won’t his clients be able to do something about it?
Dave,I’ve passed this along to the DIRECT team. Thanks for catching this!
Dave,< />< />I've passed this along to the DIRECT team. Thanks for catching this!