The 7:25 minute video shows host and comedian Andrew Kennedy interviewing the first "guest" on the talk show-like presentation to potential advertisers: Maryam Banikarim, the company's chief marketing officer. It's one of nine from the event uploaded to Gannett's YouTube page.
This is like watching one of those infomercials where your first bottle of snake oil is free. All you have to do is pay for shipping and handling.
ReplyDeleteSeriously, who is going to watch this besides those of us tipped off to it by Jim's blog?
That's the most stilted, awkward, obnoxious piece of tripe I've seen in quite a long time.
ReplyDeleteI've told you all a million times...this girl is on fire!
ReplyDeleteYou mean:
DeleteThis BS artist is on fire!
And make no mistake - the piece was all about "Blue Balls," not Gannett.
This ahould be watched at 3 AM in the dark with a bag of Cheetos and a 2 liter bottle of soda.
ReplyDeleteROFLMAO!!
An awful lot of "blue" lighting - is this supposed to bring up images of "Blue Balls"?
ReplyDeleteAfter watching this clip, I fully understand the phrase "Theater of the Absurd." The illogical statements made during the interview made my jaw drop.
ReplyDeleteWith Banikarim, Beusse and Payne providing the laughs, they didnt need to.spend $25000 on a professional comedian.
ReplyDeleteYou nailed it 8:54.
ReplyDeleteInfomercial content, quality and acting.
Funny how he repeatedly has to tell the audience, "You can clap."
Should have gotten an overly-animated guy with an English accent to 'accidentally' spill something on her dress then magically clean it up with the front page of USA Today.
Oh wait, they did have the overly-animated guy - the Jim Cramer clip.
Of course you all hate it. It's not about you! Personally I loved it. If Gannett does an upfront you hate it. If Gannett doesn't do an upfornt you castigate the leadership. Be honest, anythign Gannett does or doesn't do you hate it. Now on teh other hand my stock is up again today. Yep the Girl is on fire!!!!
ReplyDeleteI would have a negative review of anyone represents their company by trying to do a mock tv talk show-type presentation. If you're not going to do it well and, by that, I mean just as well as the show your mimicking, don't do it.
DeleteI work with advertisers who seeing something like that would have a) laughed b) left and c) both a and b.
I think the most disturbing thing about the video for me is how clueless Maryam is about Gannett being all about local. In the communities I've visited, one of the biggest complaints I hear is how the editorials are no longer from "our town" but from somewhere else. There is very little local news. You can spew local, local, local all you want, but you aren't fooling anybody. Just because you say it doesn't make it so.
ReplyDeleteI would also like to know what other companies out there feel the need to defend what they do and explain it to the masses via Youtube. Shouldn't it be obvious to everyone what it is Gannett does so well? Why should it have to be explained? We are a newspaper. If we were successful, this video wouldn't be necessary. I think this speaks volumes that the company is in serious trouble.
Reminds me of one of those Kevin Trudeau infomercials.
ReplyDeleteTypical performance from a bunch of TV people. Lots of meaningless glitz...void of anything substantial.
ReplyDeleteThat's how we roll folks.
Considering her masterful performance in that dreadful video, I would make Maryam an EGOT winner. I was speechless after her reaction to the Cramer clip. Speechless. Couldn't say a single word. Ugh.
ReplyDeleteOh give her a break. She was up there recollecting a memorized script. The talk show format sure a lot more interesting than podium and .ppt.
ReplyDeleteYes, and who wrote the script? She did.
DeleteAnd you should see the pressure they are all getting to get this upfront to provide a good ROI. Gannett finance is on these guys daily looking for updates on how much we've booked on every account so they can tie it directly back to the event. Just wait until you see the creative writing from sales and finance.
ReplyDeleteI expected drivel from Banikarim. But having Payne up there was a waste of time. Wolff ? This guy is on something, and it isn't good.
ReplyDeleteToo painful to watch .
ReplyDeleteI still won't read the online version of their Wilmington News Journal until they drop the Facebook only commenting , which
they won't .Also , the per column inch rates are not affordable to the average small business .But without the high rates , there would be no money to pay stock options to their big execs !