CNotes

Content

Big Twitter brouhaha over Amazon.com's decision to sell a book in its e-store called "The Pedophile's Guide to Love and Pleasure: A Child Lover's Code of Conduct." Seriously. This is not a joke.

I found out about the sale of the book from two women I follow on Twitter.  After checking it out and reading what the author had to say about the book, I was appalled that Amazon would offer this book for sale. The #amazonfail hashtag was running rampant. Boycott Amazon.com facebook groups popped up ... totaling more than 10,000 fans.

People called & email Amazon. Major news outlets picked up the story.  Here's Amazon's initial statement:

 Amazon believes it is censorship not to sell certain books simply because we or others believe their message is objectionable...however, we do support the right of every individual to make their own purchasing decisions. (reported by AolNews)

The challenge?  This statement is in direct conflict of Amazon.com's own guidelines:

 Publishers are expected to conduct proper research to ensure that the Titles sold through the Digital Text Platform Program are in compliance with all local, state, national, and international laws. If Amazon Digital Services, Inc. determines that the content of a Title is prohibited, we may summarily remove or alter it without returning any fees. Amazon Digital Services, Inc. reserves the right to make judgments about whether or not content is appropriate. (Read full guidelines HERE.)

Um, I'm pretty sure that fondling a child is against the law in every state in the U.S.  Don't you?

So, on this topic, we're not talking about protected free speech.  According to those who have read the book (I have not), this is a how-to manual that gives explicit advice on skirting laws and encouraging adult-child sexual activity.  Children are to be protected from adults who want to abuse them.  Whether this book qualifies as protected free speech is a question for the legal community.

Interestingly, Amazon.com has issued no statement since pulling the book sometime last night after freely defending its decision to offer the book for sale earlier in the day, as well as allowing the author to publish the book through the company's Digital Text Platform.  As a PR practitioner, I wonder when they will. This will make an interesing case study on crisis communications.

It appears that Amazon broke no laws in publishing or offering the book for sale.  It is a private company and can certainly can sell this book should it choose to do so. However, the public can vote with its wallet and use response speech to decide to spend its money elsewhere - there are consequences to free speech that we all need to understand.  In a commercial or retail environment, this is where money comes into play. I think it is the very real impact of a possible boycott from consumers (especially at the holidays) that led Amazon to do a complete 180 without explanation. 

Conference

I’m headed to NYC today for business conference that’s part continuing ed and part relationship building with a key constituency PR folks like me work with regularly.  It’s BlogHer '10 and from my understanding, bloggers from around the country convene on NYC to talk about trends & issues facing this form of social media, improving writing, monetizing your blog, how to talk about niche aspects of our lives and more.

 

I look forward to meeting some of the bloggers SONIC has worked with over the past couple of years. Bloggers have helped us drive awareness for cause branding (our Limeades for Learning® program), new products (like the Footlong Quarter Pound Coney) and Wacky Pack® Kids Meals and our fantastic lineup of non-entertainment branded toys.

 

The FCC regulations regarding disclosure were discussed at length and with some degree of controversy at BlogHer09.  I wonder what the follow up will be this year.  I’m also attending a preconference sessions called BlogHer Business '10 that is a smaller group with people like me who work with bloggers in a business setting.

 

I’m headed solo to this gig, although a woman who works on our business at Barkley (SONIC’s agency of record) is speaking and we plan to meet up at some point.

 

I look forward to meeting some of the women I follow in social media space, including @MomAgenda, @lauralevitan, Penelope Trunk, the Pioneer Woman and others.  The sponsorships are pretty incredible for this gig – CPG brandsand other retailers see BlogHer conferences as a natural extension of their marketing mix. I’ll probably evaluate the conference to see if there’s opportunity to SONIC in some forms or fashion. Some of our competitors will be present and it will be interesting to see what they’re doing onsite to build relationships with bloggers.

 

Blogging and social media has and continues to change communications & PR. With the decline of print and local media, PR practitioners need to evolve. While there’s much dialog in the industry, I see many people still holding back & waiting to see what will happen.  Too late for that, Charlie.  The space will continue to evolve and we need to nimble enough to adapt to changing technology to spread the word.  Interesting to me that some people still have their heads in the sand and think this marketing channel is “cute” or “fun” or “fly by night.”

 

I’ll let you know what I learn. Hopefully, I’ll pick up some tips, suggestions and strategies to make CNotes a better blog, too.

Criticism

"The problem that has no name." - Betty Friedan, The Feminine Mystique, 1957.

The problem in the 1950s, in Ms. Friedan's opinion and shared by many feminists of the time, was that women were not equal in American society and that women's personal development had been shunted by their collective role as supporting wife & loving mother.  She noted in her book that "The problem lay buried, unspoken, for many years in the minds of American women. It was a strange stirring, a sense of dissatisfaction, a yearning [that is, a longing] that women suffered in the middle of the 20th century in the United States. Each suburban wife struggled with it alone. As she made the beds, shopped for groceries … she was afraid to ask even of herself the silent question — 'Is this all?"

You'd think we've changed in the last 50 years, but not so much.  While the pendulum swung in women's favor in access to work and we're still closing the earnings gap, a "new" problem continues.  Women criticize each other's lives & choices.  There are as many variations of a successful American woman as there are women.  Some of us work outside the home. Some of us stay at home and raise children.  Some women have to work financially and raise children.  Some women choose to work and raise children.  All of these women can be successful, and yet, we continue to criticize.  When, we should be celebrating that many women today actually have options.  Many women don't, but that's a topic for another day & another post.

I was appalled at the headline in the New York Times last week with it's article "Honey, Don't Bother Mommy. I"m Too Busy Building My Brand." (I almost hate driving any traffic to the article, but you should read it) That it's written by a woman who blogs is just too much to take.  Many women have found an outlet online through writing a blog or following other women bloggers. Some seek recommendations on products, some want to peer into another woman's life, some seek discounts & coupons. Women who blog (including this blogger) do so for a variety of reasons.

We're not all Dooce, Pioneer Woman, Greek Tragedy, Jennsylvania, Consumer Queen or Brazen Careerist. Sometimes we're Organized Chaos, JemJam, Musings by Max, Safronified and Make Lemonade.  Good for those women who have built a business & revenue stream for themselves & their families. And, good for those women who are sharing their thoughts, experimenting in the space and might someday consider adding some ad revenue. And, thanks, all for frequently making me laugh & sometimes making me cry.

The Social Path wrote a nice (meaning interesting, not positive) review of the article. Most telling? The article ran in the Fashion section. As though women blogging wasn't actually business.  Because it is.  Ask the Walmart 11 Moms.  Heck, ask Walmart.  And, thanks to a link from The Social Path post, Mommy 101's superfantastic review of the NYT article can be read in whole, here.

I don't like Jennifer Mendelsohn's article. That a mom who blogs would criticize women who want to expand their horizons and possibly add a revenue stream to their families by attending a blogging boot camp offends me.  To be fair, I haven't read her blog Clever Title TK, so I should check it out.  Mommy 101 likes her. Maybe I will.  I don't like this article. I don't like the accompanying graphic (shown below) with angry, neglected children & chores.

Copyright, New York Times

Time lapse between starting this post & finishing? One day ... let's pick up here ...

So, now I've read Jennifer Mendelsohn's response on Clever Title TK. You should, too. As suspected by Mommy 101, she didn't write the title and didn't include the graphic. I'm surprised that she's surprised by the negative response to article when the headline & graphic clearly set a tone of criticism. Perhaps a different headline and graphic would have conveyed the "fun" Mendelsohn saw at the boot camp.

By criticizing other women's choices for their lives, and choosing not to support those choices, we continue to perpetuate a competition where it simply isn't necessary. Good grief.

Can we all just focus on making sure the grass on our side of the fence is as green as it possibly can be and not worry about the other side of the fence? Or, how about we take down the fence & work together to make sure everyone's grass is green. Is that so difficult? If the blog & writing is good, someone will read it. If it's not, it won't be read. Sometimes I wonder what Ms. Friedan would say now.

Of course, maybe the NYT had this kind of response in mind all along. Lots of talk about the NYT. Lots of traffic to the article. Hmmm ...

Charity

Philanthropy used to be a uniquely American institution ... that's changed, particularly over the last decade, however we still lead the way in immediate responses to disaster.  The images and stories from the earthquake in Haiti are devastating and leave me heartbroken for those affected. 

Sometimes we don't know what to do to help.

In this case, money is the most important resource to give charitable organizations who can get into Haiti to provide both immediate relief and long-term development assistance. Because, the aftermath of this earthquake will have implications for years.  With the epicenter in Port-au-Prince, the capital city of the island nation, virtually all civil service and infrastructure (such that it was for the impoverished nation) was decimated. 

Know upfront that there will be graft and corruption.  Mean, evil and opportunistic people often seek to profit from others' tragic situations, but you can protect your donations by contributing to reputable organizations, particularly those that already worked in Haiti prior to the earthquake.

When I worked at Heifer International, I came to appreciate the short-term relief and long-term development work that many faith-based organizations do around the world.  There's something to be said for believing in a moral obligation to better the lives of our world neighbors who need help.  After all, "There, but for the grace of God, go I ..." 

It's interesting to observe how social media & mobile marketing have taken off following the earthquake. I spoke with a woman at Komen who tested text giving during Breast Cancer Awareness month at an NFL game (remember the all the pink on uniforms, hats, etc.?)  The response was mediocre and, I believe, Komen was probably ahead of its time. They were going to keep testing/implementing the program. And, here we are 3 months later and Red Cross has raised more than $3 million in text message gifts.

The technology is cool -text "Haiti" to 90999 and you'll be billed $10 on your mobile phone bill. Other charitable groups are offering this service as well, but Red Cross is raising the most this way.

Another social media tool, I've seen used this week by influential bloggers is giving money for each comment following a post on Haiti. Ree Drummond, aka The Pioneer Womanis giving $.10 for each comment on her Haiti post and EverydayAlice's Sweet Savory Life is giving $1 for every comment, up to $1,000.

Some folks aren't fans of the Red Cross, and if you're one of those, check out another charity. Most importantly, be sure you're comfortable with the nonprofit or NGO (non-governmental organization, the term typically used in the international nonprofit sector) ... its finances, its programs. A few you might consider ...

American Friends Service Committee - the Quakers

American Jewish World Service

Heifer International

Oxfam

The Salvation Army

World Neighbors

NPR has a more comprehensive list, you can find HERE.

Be sure when making a gift for Haiti relief/development efforts to designate your gift in that way. Or, you can give an unrestricted gift and leave the direction of the gift up to the organization to use as they need either for Haiti or to support other ongoing important programs that may lose funding in light of overwhelming response to a horrific disaster.

The people in Haiti, in my opinion, need & deserve our compassion, empathy and support.