Who's Your Brand Killer?

• You may have seen today's Post wherein the article about Mark David Chapman (the killer of John Lennon) declares that he saw himself as a pathetic loser whom nobody in the world cared about and who would die without achieving any fame. His opposite? John Lennon: the person Chapman hated most because of his ability to communicate with millions. Why bring this up on PR Machine? Because anyone who is trying to reach the masses by using publicity (to communicate with millions) knows people live through celebs and brands. In Chapman's case opposites attract. (This is something most marketers don't study, consider and utilize enough.) Who hates your brand and what it stands for? Who could kill it? What could they say or do? What consumers are jealous of your brand's cache? Could your brand benefit by assessing who hates you vs. simply focusing on those who can afford you? Food for thought.
  
• Chief Marketer publishes a list of the Ten New Rules of Branding. (#1 on the list is: "Brands that influence culture sell more; culture is the new catalyst for growth.") Sounds like social scientists just got a closer seat at the marketing table?
  
• If you're a blogger and have come to PR Machine seeking to learn how to get some advertising on your blog (outside of Google AdSense and AdBrite), this ClickZ article will help.
• Digg is getting more popular. In this BusinessWeek article, the founders talk about how their news article ranking vehicle has expansion plans.
• Yahoo embraces Word-Of-Mouth: Yahoo! Shopping is expected today to unveil a redesign that incorporates word-of-mouth concepts and lets marketers participate in the conversation.
• Matt over at CitizenSpin updates me on the Portable Media Expo. Check it out, it's the Woodstock of Podcasting.
  
• Who should be named the 2005 Media Person of the Year?