Marcom this week: From A to zinc – 12/24/10 edition

From Federal Communications Commission (FCC) net neutrality rulings to the New Year’s reigning media outlets, here’s a look at what made headlines this week in the integrated marketing communications industry.

FCC Rules to Regulate the Internet
This fiercely debated topic came to a head earlier this week when the FCC passed a controversial net neutrality order to ensure the Internet stays free and open. The limited net neutrality rules – the FCC’s first-ever attempt to regulate the Internet – focus on: 1) ensuring transparency of Internet services; 2) no blocking of lawful content, applications and services; and 3) prohibition of Internet services from discriminating against any lawful content or giving preferential treatment to certain content.

While it all may sound good and well, the rules have yet to garner much support, and rumors are swirling that Verizon is contemplating a challenge. However, it appears this was, overall, a smart step forward by the Commission. We’re following this topic closely, so stay tuned for more in-depth coverage. In the meantime, let us know what you think. Should the government regulate Internet access?

For those in need of a quick refresher, net neutrality is the buzzword used to describe the principle of maintaining unfiltered access to the Internet. Learn more about net neutrality by watching this helpful video from Engadget.



2011 Top Media Outlets
Burrelles Luce released this week its list of the top media outlets for 2011, which includes leading traditional and social media outlets in the U.S. based on circulation, visits, authority or market share. No big surprises in the area of daily newspapers: The Wall Street Journal, USA Today and New York Times once again hold the top-three spots. However, where it gets more interesting is blogs. The Huffington Post retained its No. 1 position, while Mashable moved in on TechCrunch’s No. 2 turf. The top-20 list welcomed newcomers Mediaite, Lifehacker and GigaOM, while bidding adieu to The Daily Dish, NewsBusters.org and Business Insider.

A trip down memory lane – or at least back to 2007, when Burrelles Luce first began ranking blogs – reveals that 60 percent of the blogs that appeared on the list four years ago are no longer in the top 25. Remember Perezhilton.com and Gawker? Looks like the days of celebrity gossip blogs ruling the Net are no more.

Prius Bundles Up for Its 10th Birthday
We recently gave props to Toyota for its Swagger Wagon campaign, but it appears the carmaker is due kudos for its Prius Projects effort, as well. To celebrate the earth-friendly car’s 10th anniversary (wow, 10 years already!?), Toyota, with help from agency partner Saatchi & Saatchi Los Angeles, has developed a film series that is slowly revealing the future of Prius. In the latest spot, entitled Prius Cozy, a group of hipsters gathers in a perfectly pastoral setting to outfit a Prius in a homemade sweater. The end result is a car that looks cozy enough to snuggle up to (or in, as it would be). But, the greater result may be the warm and fuzzy feeling tree huggers and space-starved city dwellers alike get when thinking about the brand.



Marcom This Week: From A to Zinc is compiled by the Vitamin IMC editorial team. They can be reached at vitaminimc@gmail.com. Miss your vitamins last week? Visit last week's “Marcom This Week."