Topics for the 7/26/09 Show

Here are the proposed topics for this week's episode of The BeanCast. Please feel free to send in your thoughts and questions.

You have two ways to get in touch: 1) Send an "@" reply or DM on Twitter to @thebeancast, or 2) send an email to beancast@gmail.com

Please keep your comments succinct. Wordy comments need to be interpreted and I may not capture the essence of what you are asking. That's why I encourage the Tweet option to help keep the question or thought targeted.

This week's panel will be Angela Natividad (Live and Uncensored), George Parker (AdScam) and Greg Verdino (Crayon)

TOPICS

Amazon Buys Zappos: Zappos has always been the social media darling for some time. Does this affect that reputation? I keep thinking of "AmazonFail" and wonder is there's not too great a cultural divide? Was this a smart move for Amazon? Is it about buying the competition in the end or truly about expanding the category? What happens to the much-vaunted Zappos agency review? Tony seems upbeat about things "staying the same" but we all know that's crap, right? Predictions for Zappos after one year?

WalMart Holds Demands Suppliers Share More Ad Costs: What is the truth of this story? Is this unusual in the market? Aren't all the big retailers doing this? What will be the net result? Will this seriously affect ad dollars for the agencies representing the suppliers? Who will it affect more, the big agencies and suppliers or the small suppliers and small agencies?

The Twitter Free Exposure Engine: Twitter generated $48 million worth of media exposure last month. What do we get from this number? Is it fair? Who is all this exposure helping? Is there a residual benefit to brands using Twitter? Is this kind of exposure sustainable? (We know that Twitter plans for it to be, but is it reasonable to expect?)

Target as Taste-Maker: Target's strategy of pushing discount book titles and making them huge successes is getting attention. What makes the Target strategy most exciting for you? What social marketing lessons can publishers take away from the Target success? Is this an example of solid long-tail marketing or simply a brand identifying untapped star power and capitalizing on it?

Is Category Growth a Good Strategy?: Starbucks credits McD's coffee campaign for raising Starbucks' sales through category growth. Are marketers paying enough attention symbiotic marketing plays? Are they wise? Do category plays hurt brand USPs or help to define place in the market? What about the PlaidNation tour? Could other agencies benefit from Plaid's strategy of celebrating what's admirable in the industry, rather than just celebrating our own brands?