Post by litebright on Jan 27, 2015 12:55:35 GMT -5
This is the kind of BS that makes me not trust stuff that sounds fun and goes viral. It sounds like he never intended to run the actual business, he just came up with it to see if he could get something to go viral and then sold it the second that it did.
Tech More: Startups
Ship Your Enemies Glitter Was Just One Big Viral Marketing Stunt
TAYLOR LORENZ
The Guy Behind 'Ship Your Enemies Glitter' Just Sold His 'Stupid Idea' For $85,000
A web service for mailing your enemies envelopes full of glitter that sold for $85,000 last week has been revealed as just one big viral marketing stunt.
The founder of the service, Mathew Carpenter, spoke to Ryan Holiday at BetaBeat who writes that Carpenter "knew the media would make him rich if he played his cards right."
Carpenter, a 22-year-old Australian SEO expert, runs Sofa Moolah, a website devoted to teaching people how to make money online.
One of his New Year’s resolutions was to work on more side projects in order to improve his marketing skills. Last year he began experimenting with a few different ideas before hitting a success with Ship Your Enemies Glitter.
He says he knew topping out on aggregators like Reddit and Product Hunt would allow his stunt website to gain mass coverage. However, what he wasn't prepared for was how media outlets would warp his story.
"It really reinforced to me how little fact checking and verification goes into a story. For example, many outlets reported I was a student at a local University which isn’t true and I have no idea how they came to that conclusion," he says.
The stunt website wasn't malicious, and it appears from the interview that, before it became unmanageable, Carpenter was attempting to fill orders.
"The great thing about this project, no matter how messy my place has gotten from the glitter, is that I’ve met a lot of really smart & creative people from it," Carpenter says.
"You. You and your crazy life. You and your geographic anomaly. You and your drunken lesbianic ways and terrible navigational skills." - ProfArt and her holy baby
I also don't get the outrage. It was a side hustle, which people do to make money, on the side. The same can be said for flipping houses or Bar Rescue type of things. He used his skills to start a company, it took off immediately, and he sold it. Orders are still being processed, no one is getting screwed, except for the owner of a metric shit ton of glitter who now has to deal with a business that people are calling a scam.
So the video of the man rather calmly cursing when he opened the glitter bomb was fake? You don't say!
Also, can I just say I'm so sick of (forced) viral marketing? Because I am. *shakes cane*
Nothing was forced. He sent out a tweet and submitted it to Product Hunt where it shot up as the #1 product. There was no competition so it wasn't hard to get attention. It's not like he bought followers or shares.
"Marketing
The only marketing that has been done was when I launched which included sending out a Tweet from my own personal Twitter account. I also posted the website to Product Hunt. From there, coverage of the site exploded. The great thing about this website & the marketing surrounding it is that the readers on the publications that post about the site love it! On most of the publications the story has been their most popular of the day & many outlets have continued reporting about the site multiple times." from the auction page information
So the video of the man rather calmly cursing when he opened the glitter bomb was fake? You don't say!
Also, can I just say I'm so sick of (forced) viral marketing? Because I am. *shakes cane*
Forced?
were people ordered to buy glitter at gunpoint?
Forced was poor word choice on my part, obviously no one was forced to buy glitter bombs or share the idea on social media, that's not what I meant at all. I'm just ready for the "throw everything at the wall to see what sticks" kind of business and marketing model in hopes of making a quick buck, to die out already. But I do realize that's unlikely - hence the *shakes cane* part of my comment.
Forced was poor word choice on my part, obviously no one was forced to buy glitter bombs or share the idea on social media, that's not what I meant at all. I'm just ready for the "throw everything at the wall to see what sticks" kind of business and marketing model in hopes of making a quick buck, to die out already. But I do realize that's unlikely - hence the *shakes cane* part of my comment.
So, like, every business or product idea...ever? Lol
Forced was poor word choice on my part, obviously no one was forced to buy glitter bombs or share the idea on social media, that's not what I meant at all. I'm just ready for the "throw everything at the wall to see what sticks" kind of business and marketing model in hopes of making a quick buck, to die out already. But I do realize that's unlikely - hence the *shakes cane* part of my comment.
How would you propose people innovate? I'm failing to see how this was a "throw everything at the wall" type of marketing model - he did two things and t was picked up. It's better than the friends and coworkers making you buy jewelry in a candle model that people are so desperately clinging to for a "quick buck".
I don't get why this is upsetting to you. Do you feel duped?
I just thought initially that it was funny and neat, one of those only-in-the-Internet-age kind of ideas for a business. And to find out that it was just some guy throwing paint at the wall of social media to see what sticks, rather than having any intentions of actually being able to follow through if his idea was successful, does feel disingenuous.
I am irked when companies and individuals pull social media stunts. Like that viral marketing company that claimed to be behind Alex from Target and they were just trying to take credit in order to drum up business. I just think it kind of sucks to not be what you say you are.
So, like, every business or product idea...ever? Lol
Lol. No.
This happens. A lot. You should see the number of patent applications filed based on this principle - file 100 applications and maybe 1 or 2 make it. The few that "stick" make money.
This happens. A lot. You should see the number of patent applications filed based on this principle - file 100 applications and maybe 1 or 2 make it. The few that "stick" make money.
I've no doubt. Not everything is a good idea, but all you really need is one, right?
For the record I'm not at all upset, just rolling my eyes, especially because the video was so obviously fake. I'm getting the feeling people in this thread don't realize my *shakes cane* comment was TIC. I'm not actually incensed or anything. Good lawd, life is too short to extend that level of energy on some random guy.
Post by jojoandleo on Jan 27, 2015 14:40:02 GMT -5
I feel like this is looking for things to be mad at. He had an idea. It went viral. He sent the orders he could. It was bought and now people are continuing to have their glitter sent. How is this a scam? OMG! HE DID IT TO MAKE MONEY!?! How...smart?
To the one point, it is different from other businesses in that his goal wasn't so much about the business he created/sold, but in USING the creation/sale of that business to show that his REAL business (being a marketing/SEO genius) is awesome and can drum up exposure for ANYTHING. lol.
I still have zero problem with it on any level, though. I mean, he essentially acted as his own client. The business that he created happens to have served a (weird, unexpected) market of its own and made him some $$ too, but it's a completely-relevant demonstration of how well he can promote ANY business. There is absolutely no part of any of this that was shady or deceitful. Sure, he could have found someone *else's* random business and done the same, but hell, why not make the buck yourself?