"Phase Hydra" Blu Ray campaign (planting seeds)

[patsu]

The wording, however, sounds much like paraphrasing a blurb coming from any of the 'modern' marketing firms looking to make a quick big buck by subverting a phenomenon traditional marketing doesn't understand into sellable phrases acceptable by management. I've met my share of these people, and from what I've seen, those who're suggesting ways to use viral mechanisms and social networks in marketing tend to loose out with management to those who desire to abuse them. (The first kind would suggest something cheap and ethical that might pay off big, while the latter type would promise results - for a price - and use all the proper marketing buzzwords.)

Very true. We can only hope that the BDA marketing folks are smart enough to pick the right team and strategy (In fact I don't even know if they have finalized on someone yet).

I do feel like slapping some of the drones in these 'modern' marketing firms though. Some I encountered are more like bank robbers in nice suits and mysterious language.

"You want half a million for doing WHAT ?"

 

[Colourless]

The term I've heard for seeding blogs and forums with shills in order to attempt to create a viral marketting phenomenom is called 'astroturfing'. Very much sounds like what they are planning on doing.

 

[patsu]

Orchestration, outreach and awareness is ok since Blu-ray is a good product. I think they can probably find supporters and positive experiences among their customers.

Faking large scale response (lazy marketing) wouldn't work though... especially now (Why report it in a large committee of enemies and friends if it's going to be under the table)

They already have all the necessary support and wind behind their effort. Only need to give opportunities for grassroot to chime in, and to clarify doubts and questions in a sincere and honest fashion.


EDIT: Come to think of it, this might be a good time to launch their outreach marketing program to right the wrongs (allegations) so to speak. They will get sympathy points from supporters if done right. The agency who can recognize and execute this should win the contract. Their challenge would be "Who is the leader/voice in BDA" ?

 

[Bobbler]

According to Paidgeek (a SPHE/BD insider)

As sometimes happens on the forum, a bit of information has spun up into something more than it really is.

I did a bit of research and "Phase Hydra" is not the name of any project, but rather was just the title given to a presentation. There is no proposal in this presentation, nor any other promotions committee activity to use anonymous forum participants to promote Blu-ray.

Part of the presentation in question covers the importance of attending to all the communications on Blu-ray, including forums like this one. It does not recommend doing so anonymously. Others have participated here from Pioneer and possibly other BD companies in the past. Maybe they can be coerced into making occasional posts again.

from this thread on AVS Starting at post 3507.

The only information we have about it is from Paidgeek and Alex (who broke the news about it), but Alex didn't really give much actual information (like what he exactly saw, unless I missed posts by him) -- alex didn't think it was a big deal because he assumed both sides were doing it, he admitted (so it's possible he assumed the Project Hydra mentions related to marketing he saw was related to sinister viral marketing, when it wasn't). I dunno...

 

[patsu]

Ok, so this is a false alarm based on someone's casual interpretation of what's presented in a BDA meeting ?

Thanks very much for the response, its great to have insiders here on the forum to cut through the fog. Reading between the lines a bit and asking one last question just to wrap it up: is it true that that the presentation entitled Phase Hydra related to marketing blu ray, but did not relate to the use of forum participants to promote blu ray?

I don't mean to be redundant, but that's basically the gist of your responses, I think.

Part of the presentation in question covers the importance of attending to all the communications on Blu-ray, including forums like this one. It does not recommend doing so anonymously. Others have participated here from Pioneer and possibly other BD companies in the past. Maybe they can be coerced into making occasional posts again.

Now that I know they have excess budget, I think BDA should do more than occasional posts. Open communication with knowledgeable insiders is always attractive to early adopters. Will come in handy dealing with FUDs quickly too.

 

[RobertR1]

Ok, so this is a false alarm based on someone's casual interpretation of what's presented in a BDA meeting ?
.

"false alarm" why? because a Sony employee is downplaying it? I know it favors your bias so you'll buy anything tossed your way but seeing how Sony (and others) *has* used such tactis in the past, I certainly don't put it past them.

 

[avaya]

"false alarm" why? because a Sony employee is downplaying it? I know it favors your bias so you'll buy anything tossed your way but seeing how Sony (and others) *has* used such tactis in the past, I certainly don't put it past them.

Sony CE/SPE does not equal Sony-BMG/SCEA

*removed* - because I don't want to get involved in this again.

 

[patsu]

"false alarm" why? because a Sony employee is downplaying it? I know it favors your bias so you'll buy anything tossed your way but seeing how Sony (and others) *has* used such tactis in the past, I certainly don't put it past them.

???

So you'd believe one person and not the other. All I'm saying is it's a false alarm because no one today has any proof of BDA conducting any under-handed marketing right ? Or are you saying you have the evidents ? Did the original poster come out and defend his claim with concrete facts ?

As for my bias, I only note that some of Amir's posts were dubious/incorrect to say the least. And all the incredible FUDs against Blu-ray (e.g., Blu-ray is MPEG 2 only, Uncertain dual-layer release, PS3 cannot handle AVC HD Profile, Toshiba's claim that Blu-ray playback is not robust due to the head being too close to the disc, Amir's VC-1 vs AVC comparison, etc. etc.) were captured on AVSforum and the Internet. All of them proved to be wrong. I'm sure you can google for them.

Because of this, I agree it is imperative for BDA to increase their net presence to dispell any FUDs launched against them again. They don't have to resort to cheap tactics because Blu-ray is a great product.

 

[Rolf N]

"-- The BDA has formally kicked off a new PR campaign called "Phase Hydra"....its purpose is to seed "high profile" forums with Blu-ray advocates and target bloggers to promote Blu-ray to get the word out to the world...the campaign will also focus on "smaller, independent studio issues"..."

Yeah, but will it be strong enough to match the opposing phalanx, who has played this game for half a year already? Will it drive them crazy, or kill them?