Brand Crusader and "You" Named Time Magazine's Person of the Year for 2006

Congratulations!

You and I won the 2006 Time Magazine’s “Person Of The Year” Award, beating major celebrities, world leaders, despots, scientists and philanthropists for all of our noble work on Web 2.0

You can read the story at… http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1569514,00.html

Also the Sydney Morning Herald have a blog called “Mash Up” in which yours truly contributed part of this story to regarding us all winning this illustrious award in which it asked whether we deserved this recogntion…

http://blogs.smh.com.au/mashup/archives//008856.html


Yes, I did deserve this recogntion and so did you!


But our work has only just begun. We need to look at other areas where we we should be considered as "number one" as consumers and where the importance of "YOU" and "ME" and "US" is truly and substantially rewarded.


As fans of entertainment products and as consumers of other products and services, we all deserve a better deal and more of the equity pie.


For our investment (in each transaction we make) and in our serial focus given to a product or service (through brand loyalty as a continual customer) and for just allowing it (the product or service) to be in our mind set.


We should be asking for more of a return on investment for our contribution for the dollars we spend in the world or allow to be spent on our behalf (politicians, ad agencies, corporations and super fund managers please take note).


Let's now all ask for more and renovate our focus on capitalism (which lines the pocket of an elite few) to a better format that we may choose to call (for want of a better term)"consumer-equityism"(sic), where we all get a proper return on investment.


Perhaps instead of shopper loyalty cards (e.g flybuys), they should issue us with company shares when we give a product or service so much of our attention and share of wallet.


Could this be a n'you era?


"YOU" have the power, make them pay you more!

SIGN THE PETITION / THE BATTLE HAS BEGUN

The OneRingNet have organised a petition to send to New Line to ask them to gently change their mind of dismissing Peter Jackson from The Hobbit and LOTR prequel films. This is something that every LOTR fan should do. Please click on the following links to take you to the petitions, At the time of writing this they already have over 40,000 signatures for the PJ for Hobbit Film Preference.

http://www.petitiononline.com/hobfilm/petition.html

and (more importantly) PLEASE sign the other petition as well (the PJ for Hobbit Film DEMAND! = 6200+ signatures so far) that says it has to be Peter Jackson making the film or no-one at all at...

http://www.petitiononline.com/hobnow/petition.html

Personally (Like the Fellowship's Defence at Helms Deep), I feel that much stronger medicine is needed like stakeholder pressure, these soul less, heart less Hollywood suits couldnt care less about what us fans think, its all about the bottom line and how it affects their stock price and the markets perceived shareholder value. We are mere pawns on their balance sheet and cash flow statements. If anyone wants a glimpse of this go and check out the Tim Robbins film "The Player" on DVD.

Anyway, as part of own campaign update we have petitioned the following organisations to put forward our campaign and invite other fans to do similar things. We particularly recommend that you the fans consider yourselves as indirect investors at Time Warner (see my previous post to Time Warner Investor Relations for more details) and that you have a right as a customers to let the powers that be there hear you loud and clear about how you feel (Democracy is not just about having your say with politicians). To them rejecting Jackson from the Hobbit is a mere Risk Management exercise for them, lets all show them how much the stakes have risen in their foolish rejection of Peter Jackson.

Here is a list of the main people we have been campaigning with our story

The Board of Directors at Time Warner and New Line
ir@timewarner.com

The New York Stock Exchange - Media Centre (where Time Warner is listed)
InvestorRelations@nyse.com

Dow Jones Media Centre
howard.hoffman@dowjones.com

Fox News
foxnewsonline@foxnews.com

Reuters News Agency
editor@reuters.com

Australian Associated Press
news.melbourne@aap.com.au

Variety Magazine (there is also a Hobbit Film commentary page here as well)
news@variety.com

Plus there were quite a number of others contacted as well

All of these organisations were sent a copy of the letter in my previous post. In the case of the investor centres, market analysts and stockmarkets we have already asked them to notify and publish our concerns to all investors and particularly Time Warner investors to let them know that New Line is killing off their Cash Cow. Here is a copy of that transcript...

"Dear NYSE

Thought you might be interested in a story that is likely to effect investor confidence in Time Warner stock after the announcement that Academy Award Winning Film Maker Peter Jackson will not be invited to make the long awaited film "The Hobbit". Not only will this be an unwise investment choice on the part of New Line who have contributed some significant revenue to Time Warner, but it has also enraged Peter Jackson fans such as myself to the point where we are protesting significantly about this by writing to you now and plan further protests of significance.

As you will see in my email below (Blog Readers please note THIS WAS THE SAME LETTER IN MY PREVIOUS POST) I have already informed Reuters, so it's only fair that you inform investors of this new risk development to Time Warner stock according to the usual compliance requirements and stock market governance policies.

Below is a full transcript of a letter to Time Warner (MY PREVIOUS POST) with a detailed explantaion of our concerns. You have my permission to publish the letter in full or direct investors to my blog site listed below

Regards

Brand Crusader"

As you can see from the letter above we are communicating a real threat to the share value of Time Warner because of what New Line are doing. In this act we are trying to protect Time Warner investors because of the folly at New Line. Another concern here is their refusal to do an audit for Wingnut, is there something ENRONish that New Line or Time Warner are hiding on their books? Time Warner investors beware!!! (The old saying goes "Where there's Smoke, There's Fire!")

As Indirect Investors (customers) of Time Warner I urge you to write to Investor relations at Time Warner, NYSE and the media centre at Dow Jones and copy whateever news organisation you see fit. But if you dont want to go that far then...

Please Sign the One Ring Petition!!!!!

http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/petition-sign.cgi?hobfilm

Your Humble Savant


Brand Crusader

New Line's Betrayal of Lord Of The Rings Fans - No Peter Jackson Hobbit Film

It was with great remorse and gnashing of teeth that I read today in the press that New Line Cinema have dropped glorious film maker Peter Jackson from making "The Hobbit". Having been incensed at hearing about this betrayal after reading about it in The Age (see link below)...

http://www.theage.com.au/news/film/jackson-dropped-from-hobbit-film/2006/11/21/1163871392578.html

...and having also being a massive fan of the LOR books and films and of Peter Jackson as well, I saw it to be a fitting exercise to call in a few consumer activist friends of mine to start a campaign against New Line and Time Warner (the owners of New Line). We had a meeting and have all agreed to take action, of which the first step was to inform New Line and Time Warner of our intense disppointment and to ask them to reconsider their actions.

Below is a letter that I have written to the directors of Time Warner and New Line.

If you the reader of this Blog feel the same way as we do, then I strongly urge you to consider matching our efforts to protest to New Line and Time Warner and let them know that taking The Hobbit off Peter Jackson is totally unacceptable and we will not take this lying down.

Please find below a full email transcript sent to Time Warner Investor Relations to forward to the Board of Directors at Time Warner...


TO: ir@timewarner.com

Dear Time Warner Investor Relations

Sorry to use your email contact page, but it seems to be the only contact point on the Time Warner website to reach anyone in your company in senior management.

Anyway, as a loyal customer of Time Warner for many decades now and having spent thousands of my leisure dollars on your products over the years, it is people like myself "the loyal customer" who has made your company the success that it is. So then, although I am not a direct investor I am an indirect investor in your products and I am asking a favour of which is this...

My request is that you please forward this email to the Time Warner Board Of Directors, of whom I would like to address about a deep concern that I have (as do millions of other Time Warner customers) of a recent development at New Line Cinema.

If this email is not forwarded then they are likely to here about it anyway in the publication of it in world media publications in print and on-line in and stock market press centres, so it is probably in your best interests to let them know that a big protest is about to erupt.

Thanking you in advance.

Regards


Brand Crusader
Indirect Investor / Long Time and Very Good Customer for Time Warner products


RE: THE DEATH OF A GLOBAL DREAM - A PETER JACKSON HOBBIT FILM

To: The Board of Directors - Time Warner

Attention at Time Warner: Richard D. Parsons, James L. Barksdale, Reuben Mark, Stephen F. Bollenbach, Michael A. Miles, Frank J. Caufield, Kenneth J. Novack, Francis T. Vincent, Jr., Deborah C. Wright, Mathias Döpfner, Jessica P. Einhorn

CC at New Line: Robert K. Shaye, Michael Lynne, Stephen Abramson, Rolf Mittweg, Toby Emmerich, Stephen Einhorn, Camela Galano, Mark Ordesky, Jim Rosenthal, Russell Schwartz, David Tuckerman, Ben Zinkin

CC at Wing Nut: Peter Jackson

Dear Distinguished Board of Time Warner

I have just heard the news that New Line has decided not to involve Peter Jackson in filming JRR Tolkien's film "The Hobbit". According to press reports here, it sounds like the decision was based on a legal dispute between New Line and Peter Jacksons company.

I am sure I speak for millions of fans of LOR and Peter Jackson (the same people who have contributed billions of dollars of revenue for your company) in letting you know how shocked, distressed and betrayed we feel about this development. To a science fiction / fantasy fan this is a catastrophic event.

I dont think that the people making these types of decisions in your company realise the impact this decision will have on us "your market". I predict that if such an outcome is allowed to occur, then this is what will happen:

1. Film Historians, Popular Culture Historians will always lament at what could have been, and Lord of the Rings (LOR) Film Fans the world over will despise New Line for doing this and Time Warner for not doing something to prevent it from happening. It will become a most unfortunate legacy for the management concerned (meaning all of you and especially for the management at New Line) behind this nasty move who will always be remembered for the killing of millions of LOR fans dreams of a Peter Jackson version of the Hobbit. History will consign your reputations to the rubbish tin.

2. People like myself the world over, who are consumer activists will not only boycott all Time Warner products, but will actively campaign others to boycott Time Warner products and disrupt the business activities of all your enterprises (always in a law abiding way though). As for the someone else doing The Hobbit (other than Mr. Jackson) our protests in cinemas will be loud, disruptive, far reaching, highly impactful and very ugly. It would probably be best to cancel the Hobbit project outright (a non Jackson Hobbit Film would only destroy the dream - better to keep it just a dream)

3. You will further confirm an Anti Hollywood and Anti American trend sweeping the world. Many of us feel that Hollywood is completely over run by market researchers, business consultants and accountants. I used to see a film a week five years back, but now the schlock is so bad these days I am lucky to see four films a year (do you people (meaning your industry - Not just Time Warner) realise how much you have fallen in the quality of your films). This move by New Line would confirm that Hollywood has completely lost its soul and is a "Has-Been" entertainment medium of the 20th century. The cancelling of Peter Jackson's the Hobbit is the crushing of a dream that will finally make us realise that Hollywood truly is an empty shell, a mere callous and vacuous business machine that may as well be making cans of dog food (and about as tasty). Hollywood is America's last hope to make the world smile but now it seems to be nothing more than a vengeful sneer.

4. As part of our (I already have a sizeable team at the ready) protest campaign we will be producing special merchandise such as Black Arm Bands, Bumper Stickers etc, as part of the protest. Will be also be targetting movie threads, discussion boards, etc. Plus we will be involved in a number of other consumer activist programs which I am sure will be a BIG SURPRISE >:-( for New Line and Time Warner).

5. The film without Jackson will never reach anywhere near the return on investment that the company was hoping for and Time Warner and New Line will be the butt of industry and business jokes of how to ruin a franchise. Universities will probably use the story as a example of how out of touch companies can be and how even successful companies can make incredibly dumb moves and what happens when bad suits run entertainment businesses. Journalists will say hey arn't you that guy or girl at New Line and Time Warner that ruined it for millions of fans and disappointed a planet load of people.

Peter Jackson's work on the Lord Of The Rings is more than "Award Winning" and "Top Grossing", I dont think you people realise that its like a religion for fans like us, it is a sacred thing for us. It's people like Jackson in the last 10 years and Speilberg and Lucas in the ten years before that, that reminds us what kind of magic film can bring into our drudging lives so that we can escape into another world for 2 to 4 hours at a time. It's people like Jackson and the magic he creates that causes us to see a film or buy a box set when really we should be spending the money on the gas bill instead.

So if you people want to kill of your Hollywood dream machine, I mean really kill it off this time! then go right ahead!

But if you people are only interested in profit then I am afraid that without Mr. Jackson you will be very much underwhelmed at your return on investment because we the fans will reject it, and those who do not know any better may get suckered into watching the film once but they will not return to see it two three or five times or buy the DVD.

ON BEHALF ON ALL LOR FANS: "WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR YEARS FOR A JACKSON HOBBIT FILM, WE DEMAND YOU RECONSIDER YOUR ACTIONS!"

For your professional sake, I recommend you consider my advice carefully.

Thankyou for listening to our point of view.

Yours Sincerely


Brand Crusader
Very Big Peter Jackson and Lord Of The Rings Fan
brandcrusader@yahoo.com.au

PS: In the interest of my claim that I speak for many LOR fans therefore this letter will posted in the public domain as stage one of a campaign to protest this development. Anyone will be able to view this letter at http://brandcrusader.blogspot.com/

KFC LOGO TO BE SEEN FROM SPACE

KFC LOGO TO BE SEEN FROM SPACE

Today (Tuesday 14 November) KFC will become the only brand visible from space. In a World first the company will unveil a giant logo made from lighted tiles in the Nevada desert, to launch its new-look Colonel logo.The cosmic Colonel Sanders logo is located in the “UFO Capital of the World,” on The World’s only Extraterrestrial Highway. Area 51 is considered top-secret and the epicentre of inter-galactic communication. Measuring a record-breaking 7,990 meter square KFC will unveil the new face for Colonel Sanders to mark the official debut of a massive re-image campaign that will update 14,000-plus restaurants globally, including 600 in Australia over the next five years.

This Story courtesy of:

http://campaignbrief.blogspot.com/2006_11_01_campaignbrief_archive.html#116346861895702190

Brand Crusaders says...

Given the urban myths that KFC is made out of genetically modified chickens and who knows what other kind of alien ingredients nowadays on top of their secret recipe, perhaps that all along they have been in preparation to open up the brand to new markets - such as Martians!

The good news though, is that if Martians end up liking KFC they may not want to eat our children instead.

Good to see that KFC is still being considerate of the community

This is Brand Crusader...

Welcome Citizens of the Earth

I Brand Crusader am here to uphold the right of consumers globally. In these adventures and commentaries I will dispense justice on those who do us "The Consumer" a disservice and reward with praise those who do the right thing. Plus lots of pointers, advice, critiques, adventures and rants to products and service in between.

Stay tuned as I comment on the best and the bad of brand activities

Your humble savant

Brand Crusader