Celebrity tipping point on Seesmic

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As go celebrities, so go other things in our culture.

Today Seesmic got a HUGE win. The Indiana Jones crew, including famous movie stars and movie directors, are on Seesmic. Here, check them out:

http://seesmic.com/cate
http://seesmic.com/georgelucas
http://seesmic.com/harrison
http://seesmic.com/steven
http://seesmic.com/karen

There’s a lot more on this over on TechMeme this morning. These celebrities are so well known in our culture that I don’t even think I need to put their full names in my post. Ever heard of Harrison Ford? Steven Spielberg?

It’s interesting, CEO Loic Le Meur bristled when I told him that FriendFeed was the World Wide Talk Show. He said he was going to turn Seesmic into that and this shows that he’s probably right. Funny, though, that I first learned of this on FriendFeed. If you look at everyone this morning talking about Seesmic, you’ll see there’s a TON of new conversation happening thanks to these celebrities showing up on Seesmic.

How important is this?

MySpace’s CTO once told me that getting celebrities to use its service was key in getting hundreds of millions of people to use its service.

Congrats to the Seesmic crew!

Published by Robert Scoble

I help entrepreneurs build their technology business' story, help with getting ready for investors, with other launch plans, and many other strategic things that can help your new startup. Call to talk: +1-425-205-1921 (text first).

Published

53 thoughts on “Celebrity tipping point on Seesmic”

  5. First, I think this is wonderful press for Seesmic. That said, this isn’t like MySpace where the celebs actually used the service. This was a promotion where these guys were on video for the Seesmic audience. But if Spielberg and Lucas start dropping Seesmic comments on Louis Gray’s blog, TechCrunch or anywhere else, that would indeed be huge.

    Like

  6. First, I think this is wonderful press for Seesmic. That said, this isn’t like MySpace where the celebs actually used the service. This was a promotion where these guys were on video for the Seesmic audience. But if Spielberg and Lucas start dropping Seesmic comments on Louis Gray’s blog, TechCrunch or anywhere else, that would indeed be huge.

    Like

  7. “Contrived promotion”?? If you’re that cynical, you could include the entire blogosphere and all social networks as contrived promotion.

    I agree that this is huge for Seesmic. Way to go!

    Like

  8. “Contrived promotion”?? If you’re that cynical, you could include the entire blogosphere and all social networks as contrived promotion.

    I agree that this is huge for Seesmic. Way to go!

    Like

  9. Hmm, interesting, but we’ll see. I’m no Seesmic user — signed up, decided I didn’t really have anyone to talk to via video that I couldn’t cover via text in Twitter and gave up — but my impression was that it was a much more conversational place. And I think there’s a difference between Harrison Ford “using Seesmic” and somebody else getting an interview with Ford and *putting* it on Seesmic. It’s not like we’re going to hear from him in his pajamas one night over a glass of wine. Are we supposed to start accumulating celebrity “friends” there, now? The MySpacing of Seesmic?

    So, we’ll see.

    Like

  10. Hmm, interesting, but we’ll see. I’m no Seesmic user — signed up, decided I didn’t really have anyone to talk to via video that I couldn’t cover via text in Twitter and gave up — but my impression was that it was a much more conversational place. And I think there’s a difference between Harrison Ford “using Seesmic” and somebody else getting an interview with Ford and *putting* it on Seesmic. It’s not like we’re going to hear from him in his pajamas one night over a glass of wine. Are we supposed to start accumulating celebrity “friends” there, now? The MySpacing of Seesmic?

    So, we’ll see.

    Like

  11. Does anyone really give a sh*t? Who cares?

    In answer to your question, Robert…..

    It isn’t important at all. Get a life, idiot.

    Like

  12. Does anyone really give a sh*t? Who cares?

    In answer to your question, Robert…..

    It isn’t important at all. Get a life, idiot.

    Like

  13. There’s another

    http://seesmic.com/shia

    But they’re not really on seesmic.

    It was just a variation on the press junket with some of the questions coming
    through seesmic & twitter.

    http://www.sizemore.co.uk/2008/05/17/indy-irregulars/

    And there were updates while the interviews were happening

    Spielberg did mention he is working on some internet projects he can’t talk about

    http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/digitalcontent/2008/05/spielberg_pops_up_on_seesmic.html

    It was arranged through a movie pr firm

    http://www.theppc.com/film/

    It would be interesting if Lucas, Spielberg, and any of the others continued to post videos, but I doubt it will happen.

    Lucas has said he wants to go back to making experimental films and documentaries.

    And Tom Hanks actually makes his own videos and posts them to myspace (and as Spielberg mentioned, they produce programs for HBO together)

    http://www.myspace.com/tomhanks

    Like

  14. Celebrities using a channel may not impress the “techno-geeks”, but they certainly help bring in mainstream users. If these celebs REALLY use the channel, it will have an impact.

    If they just have some surrogates post a few re-purposed videos, that’s a turn off. But if they create real interaction like @Montelongo (star of A&E’s Flip This House) does on Twitter, they can have a real impact in connecting with & turning people on.

    Like

  15. There’s another

    http://seesmic.com/shia

    But they’re not really on seesmic.

    It was just a variation on the press junket with some of the questions coming
    through seesmic & twitter.

    http://www.sizemore.co.uk/2008/05/17/indy-irregulars/

    And there were updates while the interviews were happening

    Spielberg did mention he is working on some internet projects he can’t talk about

    http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/digitalcontent/2008/05/spielberg_pops_up_on_seesmic.html

    It was arranged through a movie pr firm

    http://www.theppc.com/film/

    It would be interesting if Lucas, Spielberg, and any of the others continued to post videos, but I doubt it will happen.

    Lucas has said he wants to go back to making experimental films and documentaries.

    And Tom Hanks actually makes his own videos and posts them to myspace (and as Spielberg mentioned, they produce programs for HBO together)

    http://www.myspace.com/tomhanks

    Like

  16. Celebrities using a channel may not impress the “techno-geeks”, but they certainly help bring in mainstream users. If these celebs REALLY use the channel, it will have an impact.

    If they just have some surrogates post a few re-purposed videos, that’s a turn off. But if they create real interaction like @Montelongo (star of A&E’s Flip This House) does on Twitter, they can have a real impact in connecting with & turning people on.

    Like

  17. It will be interesting to see what they have their PA’s and interns posting on their behalf. If anyone really believes that these “celebs” will be posting themselves, then Scoble you are more naive than imanginable.

    Like

  18. It will be interesting to see what they have their PA’s and interns posting on their behalf. If anyone really believes that these “celebs” will be posting themselves, then Scoble you are more naive than imanginable.

    Like

  19. There’s another, Shia LaBeou

    http://seesmic.com/shia

    But they’re not really on seesmic.

    It was just a variation on the press junket with some of the questions coming
    through seesmic & twitter.

    http://www.sizemore.co.uk/2008/05/17/indy-irregulars/

    And there were updates while the interviews were happening

    Spielberg did mention he is working on some internet projects he can’t talk about

    http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/digitalcontent/2008/05/spielberg_pops_up_on_seesmic.html

    It was arranged through a movie pr firm

    http://www.theppc.com/film/

    It would be interesting if Lucas, Spielberg, and any of the others continued to post videos, but I doubt it will happen.

    Lucas has said he wants to go back to making experimental films and documentaries.

    And Tom Hanks actually makes his own videos and posts them to myspace (and as Spielberg mentioned, they produce programs for HBO together)

    http://www.myspace.com/tomhanks

    Like

  20. There’s another, Shia LaBeou

    http://seesmic.com/shia

    But they’re not really on seesmic.

    It was just a variation on the press junket with some of the questions coming
    through seesmic & twitter.

    http://www.sizemore.co.uk/2008/05/17/indy-irregulars/

    And there were updates while the interviews were happening

    Spielberg did mention he is working on some internet projects he can’t talk about

    http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/digitalcontent/2008/05/spielberg_pops_up_on_seesmic.html

    It was arranged through a movie pr firm

    http://www.theppc.com/film/

    It would be interesting if Lucas, Spielberg, and any of the others continued to post videos, but I doubt it will happen.

    Lucas has said he wants to go back to making experimental films and documentaries.

    And Tom Hanks actually makes his own videos and posts them to myspace (and as Spielberg mentioned, they produce programs for HBO together)

    http://www.myspace.com/tomhanks

    Like

  23. Nonononono, Dawn, hardly. Contrary to what a small percentage of the online community thinks, social networks are designed to be, as their name suggests, half social tool, half networking implement. And there’s nothing inherently self-promoting about socializing. It’s a shame that social networking and self-promotion has become so unnecessarily associated…

    It’s not me being cynical, it’s me having an instinctual and negative reaction to overmarketing.

    Sure, this is big for Seesmic, but the whole thing is beginning to carry the air of old media.

    Like

  24. Nonononono, Dawn, hardly. Contrary to what a small percentage of the online community thinks, social networks are designed to be, as their name suggests, half social tool, half networking implement. And there’s nothing inherently self-promoting about socializing. It’s a shame that social networking and self-promotion has become so unnecessarily associated…

    It’s not me being cynical, it’s me having an instinctual and negative reaction to overmarketing.

    Sure, this is big for Seesmic, but the whole thing is beginning to carry the air of old media.

    Like

  27. Pingback: Indiana Jones and Friends Take to the Web on Seesmic - Film School Rejects

  28. Loic LeMeur is to be commended for this wise move…wow, what a great way to speed up the notoriety of one’s product. He just made Seesmic a household word today! woo hoo! Twhirl is next! I like Loic and I sincerely believe he’s doing a terrific job of building his brand(s) successfully. I did just finish reading Mike Arrington’s (TechCrunch) rant on outages …oops!

    Like

  29. Loic LeMeur is to be commended for this wise move…wow, what a great way to speed up the notoriety of one’s product. He just made Seesmic a household word today! woo hoo! Twhirl is next! I like Loic and I sincerely believe he’s doing a terrific job of building his brand(s) successfully. I did just finish reading Mike Arrington’s (TechCrunch) rant on outages …oops!

    Like

  32. Ummm, they are everywhere, blah blah press junket city, any TV camera, any reporter, any photolog, and besides it’s a stinker of a movie…yes, it’s truly that bad. And Narnia was quite sophomoric too, ground out double.

    Furthermore celebrity use is hardly a tipping point, cost, availability, quality, ease of use, contribute far more than some celebrity cardboard paid-mouthpiece. In fact, celebrity endorsements oft times backfire, as they can’t sustain themselves when the star fades from view or gets into trouble. Besides it looks fake and contrived, and works even less in the political arena, buncha self-important thespians lecturing us about politics, gawd, just read the scripts and shut up.

    Like

  33. Ummm, they are everywhere, blah blah press junket city, any TV camera, any reporter, any photolog, and besides it’s a stinker of a movie…yes, it’s truly that bad. And Narnia was quite sophomoric too, ground out double.

    Furthermore celebrity use is hardly a tipping point, cost, availability, quality, ease of use, contribute far more than some celebrity cardboard paid-mouthpiece. In fact, celebrity endorsements oft times backfire, as they can’t sustain themselves when the star fades from view or gets into trouble. Besides it looks fake and contrived, and works even less in the political arena, buncha self-important thespians lecturing us about politics, gawd, just read the scripts and shut up.

    Like

  34. So what if they never come back to Seesmic? This will still spread the word and introduce lots of people to the service. How much would it cost in advertising dollars to do the same thing?

    I think a lot of this negative reaction is just jealousy. I hear people say that Seesmic is nothing special, that anybody could have created it. Well, then why didn’t you?

    Lot of sour grapes in the tech world, me thinks.

    Like

  35. So what if they never come back to Seesmic? This will still spread the word and introduce lots of people to the service. How much would it cost in advertising dollars to do the same thing?

    I think a lot of this negative reaction is just jealousy. I hear people say that Seesmic is nothing special, that anybody could have created it. Well, then why didn’t you?

    Lot of sour grapes in the tech world, me thinks.

    Like

  40. “I think a lot of this negative reaction is just jealousy.”

    Jealousy of what? I could give a crap about Seesmic. Good for them that they fell for the oldest PR trick in the book. Being a vehicle to support a bad movie. I’m just saying this will unlikely have any long term impact on Seesmic, or vice versa. People that go see Indiana Jones aren’t going to run out and start looking at Seesmic. And I doubt Seesmic users will make Indiana Jones the next Ironman.

    Like

  41. “I think a lot of this negative reaction is just jealousy.”

    Jealousy of what? I could give a crap about Seesmic. Good for them that they fell for the oldest PR trick in the book. Being a vehicle to support a bad movie. I’m just saying this will unlikely have any long term impact on Seesmic, or vice versa. People that go see Indiana Jones aren’t going to run out and start looking at Seesmic. And I doubt Seesmic users will make Indiana Jones the next Ironman.

    Like

  44. >>Lot of sour grapes in the tech world, me thinks.

    >Tell me about it.

    Tell ME about it!

    Let’s get a few things straight.

    1. The only thing Seesmic had to do with setting this up was a couple emails between Dan Light (@danlight on Twitter, @dannyboy on Seesmic) and Seesmic’s VinVin. Without going into too much, VinVin did a *lot* behind the scenes and put a lot on the line within Seesmic to let us do this. Seesmic was merely a tool that we used, in the way that Twitter was a tool that @Sizemore was using during the day. We wanted to use Seesmic, because we are Seesmic users.

    2. The whole thing was organised by Dan Light with Paramount. They took a lot of convincing (and I suspect there were A LOT of messages between Paramount and the filmmakers’ PRs as well). The whole thing was down the Dan Light.

    3. Dan asked Mike Atherton (@sizemore), Dominic Hawken (@dom) and myself (@giagia) to come along as a) we are members of the Seesmic community and b) we do online film promotion.

    So… in short, the “Indiana Jones on Seesmic” thing was thought of, set-up, organised and executed BY SEESMIC USERS only.

    For those of you who think it was ‘no big deal’, remember that everything we did on Seesmic went out *immediately*. All of the international journalists there had to take the tapes of their interviews to a satellite truck, beam them off to their networks, get them edited and wait for them to go out on a scheduled broadcast. We had things out IMMEDIATELY.

    Will the cast of Indiana Jones start using Seesmic? No, I highly doubt it.

    Like

  45. >>Lot of sour grapes in the tech world, me thinks.

    >Tell me about it.

    Tell ME about it!

    Let’s get a few things straight.

    1. The only thing Seesmic had to do with setting this up was a couple emails between Dan Light (@danlight on Twitter, @dannyboy on Seesmic) and Seesmic’s VinVin. Without going into too much, VinVin did a *lot* behind the scenes and put a lot on the line within Seesmic to let us do this. Seesmic was merely a tool that we used, in the way that Twitter was a tool that @Sizemore was using during the day. We wanted to use Seesmic, because we are Seesmic users.

    2. The whole thing was organised by Dan Light with Paramount. They took a lot of convincing (and I suspect there were A LOT of messages between Paramount and the filmmakers’ PRs as well). The whole thing was down the Dan Light.

    3. Dan asked Mike Atherton (@sizemore), Dominic Hawken (@dom) and myself (@giagia) to come along as a) we are members of the Seesmic community and b) we do online film promotion.

    So… in short, the “Indiana Jones on Seesmic” thing was thought of, set-up, organised and executed BY SEESMIC USERS only.

    For those of you who think it was ‘no big deal’, remember that everything we did on Seesmic went out *immediately*. All of the international journalists there had to take the tapes of their interviews to a satellite truck, beam them off to their networks, get them edited and wait for them to go out on a scheduled broadcast. We had things out IMMEDIATELY.

    Will the cast of Indiana Jones start using Seesmic? No, I highly doubt it.

    Like

  46. Pingback: loudhail » Indy on Seesmic

  47. @gia. So…. sort of a “if a tree falls in the forest, does anyone hear it?” exercise? The question is not whether Indiana Jones cast members will use Seesmic; that answer is obvious. This is one less promotion duty they will have to fullfill. The more important question is whether the effort will impact ticket sales. Doubtful. But it made for a great 15 min of “fame”

    Like

  48. @gia. So…. sort of a “if a tree falls in the forest, does anyone hear it?” exercise? The question is not whether Indiana Jones cast members will use Seesmic; that answer is obvious. This is one less promotion duty they will have to fullfill. The more important question is whether the effort will impact ticket sales. Doubtful. But it made for a great 15 min of “fame”

    Like

  49. Pingback: Persuasive Picks for the week of 05/19/08 : PerkettPRsuasion - The PerkettPR Blog
  50. Pingback: Week 08-24 del.icio.us links June 14, 2008 « SteveintheUK.Com
  51. Pingback: Idea IS the format» Blog Archive » Indiana Jones and the Online Video Junket

  52. Take one cup social netwking…one cup celebrity…mix well…bake in computer for 24 hours…yummy! And it has no calories or substance to make you fat!

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  53. Take one cup social netwking…one cup celebrity…mix well…bake in computer for 24 hours…yummy! And it has no calories or substance to make you fat!

    Like

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