Coldplaying a blinder

Coldplay have achieved the kind of success that breeds envy. With the launch of their new album, the amount of sour grapes in the UK media has hardly been surprising (international readers, how was it for you? Let me know in the comments section).

A fitting album title may have been 'Damned if you do, Damned if you don't' rather than the obscure chromosone reference of 'X&Y'. No wonder it took them nigh on two years to release the thing.

Perhaps the boys need a little praise to stem the flow of bad press.

As a subscriber to their 'In my Place' newsletter, I have been impressed of late with their understanding of how to operate in the digital age. Their website has been the epitome of talking directly with their fans and contains valuable lessons for those seeking to market on the internet:

• Early bird concert ticket deals for subscribers, so the fans get there before the e-bay touts
• Exclusive audio of the new single 'Speed of Sound'
• Exclusive video of 'Speed of Sound'
• Teasers for the album tracks
• Backstage concert footage
• 'What the band are listening to' featured on the 'Coldplayer'

The combination of teasers and exclusives worked a treat and they've managed to squeeze concert tickets and an album sale out of me (as well as this endorsement, non-paid unfortunately).

Remember people like to buy, they don't like to be sold.

Sipping Google Bourbon with GoogleGuy

No, not another Google Gulp drinks launch, but instead the latest algorithm update.

Within the search engine community the mysterious, yet knowledgable, GoogleGuy provides the kind of positive PR that Scoble has been doing for Microsoft. He demonstrates a degree of openness that can only benefit the SEO community and the perception of Google within it.

He has been commenting on the recent Google Bourbon update advising the SEO community that the update is not yet complete:

"Take a break from checking ranks for several more days. Bourbon includes something like 3.5 improvements in search quality, and I believe that only a couple are out so far. The 0.5 will go out in a day or so, and the last major change should roll out over the next week or so. Then there will still be some minor changes after that as well."
GoogleGuy has also demonstrated his openness in a new Questions for GoogleGuy thread with interesting responses on topics such as reinclusions (suggests allowing 4-6 weeks) and why they are not planning on going down the pay-for-inclusion route anytime soon (avoidance of conflict of interest).

After a mammoth Q&A session on the boards, he hints that maybe there's something in this blogging thing after all:

Maybe I ought to get me one of these blog things; I hear they're really popular with the kids these days. :)