Monetizing Marketing
CNN's recent merchandising experiment, mashing up headlines and T-shirts reopens a very interesting conversation about whether or not (and if so, how) marketing efforts can be monetized.
It's not the first time this has been done. Think Staple's Easy Button or Burger King's Xbox games.
On the surface it seems like a no-brainer, but I think the deeper you dig, the slippier the slope becomes. Remember when ESPN tried to "monetize" their Sportscenter commercials?
Whichever way you slice it, it certainly gives the phrase "earned media" an entirely new meaning.
PS Get your CNN shirt here
