Journalist Blogs His Pitch-to-Paycheck Process for New Media Age Feature On Up Your Budget Treasure Hunt

Joining a growing trend, journalist Graham Holiday has blogged the entire process of writing his feature on blogs as marketing tools. Much of the article focuses on the Up Your Budget Treasure Hunt blog-based viral campaign I conveived and executed for Budget Car Rental. Holliday includes the copy he submitted, interview notes - even the pitch letter that sold the story to an editor.

The magazine's lead-in for the story, which is behind a paid firewall (weird for a publication about online media, isn't it?) says:
"Several brands have experimented with blog-based marketing in the US, but Budget's treasure hunt blog shows best how the medium can work, reports Graham Holiday." (If anyone has a sub, pls send me a copy of the story)

Holliday's suggested lead-in:
"A $200,000 blog based advertising campaign for Budget Car Rentals. Campaign created by blogger, B.L. Ochman Advertised on blogs. Illustrated by blogger Hugh Macleod. Published using Movable Type blog software. First reported on blogs. Campaign spread virally by other bloggers resulting in over 1 million unique visitors in four weeks."

There are risks with viral campaigns, Holliday wrote, since it's impossible for marketing departments to control a message disseminated through social media. "To be asked to sit back and just let the viral marketing campaign "do it's job," was a complete leap of faith for us. But, we're very happy with the way it worked out," Budget told him.

We're flattered and happy to see such nice feedback on our Up Your Budget Treasure Hunt campaign, and fascinated at Holliday's blogging of the process. I'm not sure the whole world wants to see the whole journalistic process in such detail, but those who do will be happy.

You're right - the whole world doesn't want to see the whole journalistic process, but the editors won't forget me... ;)

and we all have to find a way to be remembered. :>)
Besides, you did a really thorough job

"it's impossible for marketing departments to control a message disseminated through social media" - since when did marketing departments truly believe they controlled messages anyway, except through Madison Avenue style advertising?

The mag arrived today. Here's the page on flickr:
If you want the original mailed as we discussed, let me know.