The Australian Financial Review today has a fascinating article about the Alan Jones story through the context of old media versus new media. I am particularly interested to see that advertisers don’t consider advertising as an endorsement of the performer their ads are connected with. My take is: welcome to the new consumer empowered world. Social media gives people more power and the Jones story is showing how the power can be harnessed.
The interesting thing is not so much the power of the consumer. The people setting up these sites and responding are in large part not consumers of the sponsors, nor I suspect listeners of Jones. What it does demonstrate is the power of social media to gain traction in the traditional media. It is evident now that special interest groups who have the time and resources to set up and manage social media are utilising its power to set the agenda for the traditional media. Im thinking of the Union and media activists behind the Jones social media campaign and groups like Get Up. The power is undoubted, the long term stickability and effectiveness might be another question.
Mick Mouse Minni Mouse Allen Jones Jack Ripper a bloody joke
James you’re spot on. The 100,000 plus signatures collected by Nick Lochner would have far less of an impact if it wasn’t reported by classic media. The media paradign hasn’t moved, it’s just become a Venn set.
You only have to look at the whole “Kony 2012” thing to see that most people are sheep and will go along with the masses even though they have no idea what they are signing up to but want to be part of something, anything. Alan Jones is a joke but to say he will be forced to change because of this is an even bigger one.
If you doubt that set up a “line up here” sign and see how many people do it without knowing why.
Alan Jones is a legend and always will be
Alan Jones is a very rude man and always will be