Thinking about snakes on a plane

The Mainstream Media was enthralled by the Snakes on a Plane story. Here, at last, was proof positive that the internet changes everything... hey, it even changes movies!

Hollywood was scared, of course, but they usually are. They understand, finally, how to use TV, and now, all of a sudden, something new to worry about.

So the glee from all sides when SOAP took a hit (only $15 mm for a b movie in late August at the box office) was palpable. People were puzzled. One pundit said it teaches Hollywood just that the Net is a good place to run ads.

I fear that people are missing a fundamental truth: just because people know who you are doesn't mean they're going to buy what you sell.

There's a difference between infamy (or celebrity) and the consumer's desire to buy.

I knew all about SOAP and had no desire whatsoever to go. I'm just not ready to sit in a theatre with a bunch of people afraid of airplanes.

I'm afraid we come back to something that marketers have been struggling with for a really long time--the best way to succeed is to have a really great product.