Is the modern market really fixated on “Everyman?” And is that why Chris Brogan is getting all the cool freebies for his blog?
Brogan recently claimed that “I am the new everyman” and that this fact gets him blog trials and freebees. I had to go to work this morning, so I didn’t have time to take issue with this when it first came out, but I’m going to now.
First premise: that marketing is now just looking to the “everyman” image. Marketing to everyman goes pretty far back. Who can forget the plethora of beer commercials and car ads we grew up with? Remember “Baseball, Apple Pie and Chevrolet?” They’ve been searching for Everyman for generations — this is not a new deal.
Second, I don’t really think of Chris as Everyman. He’s obviously quite unusual. From my distant vantage point he appears to be a kind of new world order social media jetsetter, a guy who’s followed by 70,000 people on Twitter and who can show up at any town in the U.S., tweet that he’d like company for dinner, and immediately see some instant friends. He doesn’t go to blogging conferences, he presents at them. He promotes others, yes, but all the while, he is himself at the center of the storm, the axel around which his social media circle revolves, not just another spoke.
Chris, you are a social media celebrity, not Everyman. The reason people send you things to try out for your blog is:
a. Readership. That includes numbers and demographics. How many of what kind of readers you get when a product is written about on your blog.
b. Writing skill. Association with good writing is always worthwhile for product promotion. And finally a word you like to use:
c. ROI. Return on investment, for non-marketing readers. Sending you a free item to look at for the blog is hugely, hugely cheaper than hiring a PR firm and buying ad space. Especially when you remember that the company gets its product at cost, not at retail.
No, they are not sending you stuff because you’re Everyman. However, your innocent stance about your own stature is somewhat ingenuous … kindof simpleminded … maybe a little Everymanish. But that’s it, the rest of what I’ve seen of you is unique and sophisticated. Go with it.
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Your points are all good. Here’s what I’m trying to get at when I say that.
The old way: give a camera pro the camera to review.
The new way: give a weirdo a camera to review.
I’m not a pro at pretty much anything people throw at me. I’m really damned good at communicating and using social tools to communicate. But I’m not a car guy, and yet GM let me drive around in their cool cars (not for money, just for love). I’m not a camera guy, but Nikon sent me a D60 to play with (I later bought it).
See what I’m getting at?
Not ME specifically, but that’s a trend marketers are following right now. Does that clarify?
Thanks for your points.
I don’t know who Chris is. Maybe I should if he is able to perpetuate that kind of myth for profit.
Im sure he USED to be an everyman sort. But the fact that he think still thinks he is either means hes delusional or hes still runnin the same schtick.
He is everyman in the same way George Bush was everyman.
Okay, I concede your point. You are an everyman inasmuch as a camera reviewer. Perhaps your “best in the world” (i.e. Seth Godin’s be the best in the world for your specialty) niche is “everyday guy who’s also a superstar social media person and blogger?”
I think they should have given you the Nikon, BTW.
It looks like Chris clarified his position below. Nevertheless, I still like your George Bush analogy.