The Tennessean's inaugural Toast of Music City awards started yesterday, asking readers to pick their top restaurant, spot to get (avoid?) a speeding ticket, or to vote in any of dozens of other categories. The responses offer a real-time glimpse at what's most important to readers. As I post now, the most popular categories include local politicians, waiters and liquor stores (hah!).The fine print -- and questions
Illustrating the challenge of doing anything in the computer age, the Tennessean notes that it can suspend the contest if it gets "compromised by a virus." One question: How did the paper get the lists of, for example, 3,046 doctors that readers choose from? Do these lists involve sponsorships that need to be more clearly disclosed?
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[Image: yesterday's Tennessean, Newseum]
We have access to D&B reports, and another piece of software whose name I forget, that will list every business in a particular segment in a particular zip code. Even if they don't advertise, if they're in the industry, the name will pop up.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if anybody at the paper cares who wins the popularity contests. The idea is to get the advertisers to punch up their top of mind awareness by um, well, ADVERTISING. We used to make money that way.....
You don't need a vendor to get lists of business and categories in a zip code or county or municipality -- any county and/or state will have lists of licensed ones that are public record. Though I have no doubt that newspapers would turn to a data vendor, the same way as I have no doubt newspapers might print a press release -- sometimes it's just not important enough to figure out how to do it yourself.
ReplyDeleteIt's possible they're getting the data from Planet Discover's Acxiom data as well. Only someone at the paper would know for sure.
ReplyDeleteIt looks like an interesting way to populate their Pluck ratings and reviews at the re-launched Nashville Shopping site. Which, of course, will drive more advertising. And more content will drive more traffic.
Not at all a bad play on their part.
I know for a fact the only way a business could get their name on the ballot was to buy an ad in the section. That's why BBQutie was named best restaraunt in town...not LIME or Ruth Chris'. Yep, it's that cut and dry.
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