Okay, so I’m really tempted to name names in this post, but I’m going to take the high road and talk about principles, not specifics.

I’ve worked with bloggers for many, many years to get the word out about my clients’ products and services. I don’t clog up the tubes of the interwebs with mass mailings of press releases; I much prefer to work one-on-one with the most relevant blogs for the specific product.

Recently, I offered a blogger more than $300 worth of free tickets to a specific event that was perfect for the blog’s audience. The response:

“I charge an administrative fee for hosting a giveaway. The fee for a giveaway with review is $50 payable via Paypal. Said fee covers my time creating the post, promoting [the event] via Twitter and Facebook, contacting and collecting the winners’ information and forwarding the same to you. In addition to the above, I would also tweet about the event as I attend it; thereby, creating a media buzz during and after the giveaway.”

Really? I’m going to give you more than $300 worth of stuff, and you’re going to charge me $50? Ummmm … no thanks, there are plenty of other blogs in the sea.

Seriously: In the world of online marketing and media relations, bloggers I deal with (almost) universally love getting stuff to give away. Contests draw readers, increase reader involvement, give the blogger something fun to talk about. It’s a win-win. It’s all good.

So don’t be getting all greedy and asking for an “administrative fee.” You’re already getting something of significant value. I’m giving away something of significant value. Asking me to pay you for the privilege of giving you something? Well, that’s just plain rude, crude, and socially unacceptable.

There. I feel better having gotten that off my chest.

Takeaway for marketers: If you’re thinking about paying someone to give your stuff away, think again. If you have to pay, it really isn’t all that valuable, then, is it?

Owtch.

From the article: “The studio blames the UK marketer’s strategy of limiting the opening to one theater to create buzz.”

Ya think?

(Thanks to BP for the heads up on this one.)

Takeaway for marketers: Sometimes a bad idea is simply a bad idea.

Politics and religion are two issues I try and steer very clear of in this blog, which purports to focus on “marketing and more.” But marketing is about messaging, and a new Harris poll demonstrates that the messaging by the far right in this country is taking significant root in the mainstream. The Daily Beast reports, but here are a few highlights:

>>67 percent of Republicans (and 40 percent of Americans overall) believe that President Obama is a socialist.

>>57 percent of Republicans (32 percent overall) believe that President Obama is a Muslim.

>>45 percent of Republicans (25 percent overall) agree with the Birthers in their belief that President Obama was “not born in the United States and so is not eligible to be president”

>>38 percent of Republicans (20 percent overall) say that President Obama is “doing many of the things that Hitler did”

>>24 percent of Republicans (14 percent overall) say that President Obama “may be the Antichrist.”

It’s one thing to have legitimate arguments about policy differences and the best way to move the country forward, but when Hitler and the Antichrist take center stage in the national discourse alongside demonstrably false claims of religion and birth, then we truly have taken a giant step toward living in an Idiocracy.

Takeaway for marketers: If you want to see what a truly effective integrated marketing and messaging campaign looks like, start paying attention to the Republican echo chamber.

See that image up there? It’s a screen grab of the email I received from PR Week when I subscribed to something or other a few months ago.

“Dear Craig Peters. Welcome to PR Week.”

Well, okay. So you got my name right. And you welcomed me. But … um … is that all ya got?

Seriously, a welcome email is a golden opportunity for making a real impression in the mind of the recipient. After all, this is a person who has just subscribed to your newsletter — do you really think there’s a time when they’re likely to be more receptive to your messaging?

Sure, it’s nice to call someone by name and welcome them. But this email from PR Week is the equivalent of my high school junior son picking up his date for the prom and saying — and only saying — in an emotionless, perfunctory voice, “Nice dress. Let’s go.”

Whatever you say, Mr. Roboto.

How about thanking me for signing up? Or telling me what to expect from my subscription? Or pointing me to a few valuable resources on your site? Or reminding me to whitelist your email address so your stuff doesn’t flow into my spam folder? Or giving me some sort of a signup bonus like a special offer or a free download? Or including some instructions for how to unsubscribe in the event all your mailings are this mechanical and soulless?

Hey, PR Week: You’re doing a lousy job of PR for yourself. You want to learn a thing or three about email communications? Take a look at how Despair does it right.

Takeaway for marketers: Focus on delivering a positive experience at every touchpoint between company and customer. Yes, even in those administrative email messages.

Every year around this time I’ve been pointing you to the free Marketing Wisdom report from the folks over at Marketing Sherpa. As I said two years ago, it’s “an annual must-read.” This year’s edition is no exception: Here’s the Sherpa page link and here’s the direct .pdf link. (Oh, and by the way: Be sure to check out page 8.)

Takeaway for marketers: Once again, and I’m not just saying this because I’m included this year: If you’re looking for practical online marketing tips born of experience, this is the place to go.