A Wannabe Publicist's Libre Confessional

My boss has been dangling the carrot, or should I say title, "Director of New Media", in front of my face ever since the word mobisode was first heard (it’s a mobile episode for those media newbies out there). Working in television, one constantly hears how mobile technology is going to a) change the world b) make us rich, or c) inundate us with more crap content. Take your pick. So far, it's only the broadcasters and rap stars who sell their ring tones that are making money from this technology, not the independent producers like the one I work for. Doesn't mean I'll stop trying to make it happen for them, it's just that my current belief is that mobisodes and podcasts work best as a promotional tool, not as stand-alone content. Frequently I visit the itunes music store's podcast section to see what's new and exciting. In hotspot number 6 this week is Jack Black's Nacho Libre Confessionals. "Exciting!" I thought, as I bypassed everything else and started downloading Jack's podcast, essentially proving my theory that it'll be blockbuster entertainment that will continue to drive demand for mobile entertainment. I watched a few spots of Mr. Black in his photo-booth-like set staring in his rather strange way at the camera as he told us nothing we'd never heard before. Kinda lame, I confess. I love Jack Black, so am I missing something? Am I not getting the joke? Something tells me the studios don't care if it's funny - it's Jack - off-the-cuff - making people relate to him - see a new side of him - feel engaged in the creation of the film. It's cheaper than a publicity tour, it gets people's attention and drives the branding home. So why would they care that it's really just more crap content? They'll make their $100 podcast production budget back a thousand times over. Amazing! Even though the podcast made me want to fall asleep, as a wannabe publicist, I think it's marketing genius.