Former CNET Sales VP to Head Blog Network Sales

Chas Edwards, former VP of sales and marketing for CNET Network's B2B sites will, on July 11, head over to John Batelle's new blog network, FM Publishing, to head sales. The network will launch with between 10 and 20 technology focused weblogs and branch out to, perhaps, culture-focused blogs.

Subaru Uses Blog to Promote Tour De France Sweeps

The Race to the Tour Blog, sponsored by Subaru, is running The Race to The Tour Sweepstakes which offers a chance to win a cycling trip through France, plus blog live about the Tour de France. So all you blogger wannabes, here's your chance. Of course, it would be easier to just start a blog of your own.

Two winners of the contest will get week long, gratis trip to the Tour de France with Trek Tours. Once there, contest winners get a Nokia 6630 phone and a Nokia SU-8W Bluetooth keyboard to do mobile blogging from the Tour de France.

The promotion and blog were created by R/GA.

Car Fuel Promoted With Road Trip And Blog

GoE is North Dakota's blend of ethanol blended fuel. Since ethanol is made from corn, a renewable resource, it's said to be more earth friendly and reduces dependence on foreign oil according to proponents. The high-end blend, called E85, is made from 85% ethanol and is believed to be more economical yet only some newer vehicles can use it.

To promote this the fuel, ad agency Sundog sent a group of guys on a roadtrip around the state to meet-and-greet the residents, educate people on the benefits of ethanol and offer to fill up the tanks of individuals who happen to pull up to GoE pump at the gas station. Their trip is chronicled in a blog and photogallery here.

Seth Godin Best Individual Blog, Adrants Runner Up

Seth Godin's blog was named the "best individual blog on the general topic of marketing and advertising" by MarketingSherpa in its annual Ten Best Blogs survey. The survey examined 52 nominated blogs across ten categories. Last year, Adrants won but we're all about sharing fame so a hearty congratulations to Seth Godin and thanks to all who would even consider Adrants worthy of mention alongside the great and legendary Seth Godin. We're also pleased to report our friend, MarketingVOX, was named "best group weblog on the general topic of marketing and advertising. MarketingSherpa has published a complete summary of the survey and other category winners here.

Pennsylvania Uses Blogs to Promote Tourism

The Pennsylvania Tourism Office is hoping the link-friendly nature of weblogs will help get the word out about the area's tourist attractions. The Office gathered together a group of people to take day trips in the area and then asked them to post their experiences to blogs hosted at VisitPA.com. The site, called Real People/Real Roadtrips gathers together various people from different walks of life including a "thrill seeking family," a history buff, two female "culture vultures," a biker, "Hipster Roadtrippers" and an outdoor adventurer. The blogs, which have already been written, will be promoted alongside a larger, traditional campaign consisting of print, regional cable and online. Aptly named Ripple Effects Interactive is behind the campaign.

Bloggers Launch Music Blog Ad Network

Blogs aren't just for scaring politicians anymore. Several weblogs are becoming influential in music and entertainment. Savvy entertainment companies have taken advantage of music-focused blogs to promote their music, books and films as part of the ongoing conversation taking place in the "blogosphere."

To date, Eminem, Weezer, The Bravery, Touchstone Films, Random House Publishing, Sony Pictures, Lions' Gate Films and TBS have advertised on blogs to reach influential and networked audiences. Now, a group of leading music bloggers have formed the Music Blog Network to help entertainment marketers quickly target the blogs' influential music fans.

more »

Weblogs Help Marketing Book Climb Bestseller Lists

Without any advertising, authors Bryan and Jeffrey Eisenberg have landed their book, Call To Action: Secret Formulas to Improve Online Results," on the bestseller lists of The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today and Amazon and saw sales of 17,000 copies within three weeks of the book's May 9 publish date.

To promote their book, the two brothers went the word of mouth route and sent review copies to weblog and newsletter publishers who gave positive reviews.

Panera Launches Faux Blog

Adrants reader JoAnna, who publishes ChefBlog received, on a recent blog post, what she believed to be comment spam from a faux blog set up for Panera bread company. Read the comment on JoAnna's post here. Then, visit the Panera blog, where JoAnna has left a comment of her own on the blog's only post calling the bluff, and decide for yourself. Loyal Panera fan or lame, uninformed blog marketing effort? We're leaning toward the latter. It just wreaks.

Blogging Jumps Shark, Becomes Trucker Hat

Following the recent whirlwind of blog hype including Nick Denton's love affair with the New York Times, his pie to the face at the Radar Magazine party, the launch of Blogebrity, Jason Calacanis' three million micro-blogs, a sudden explosion of branded character blogs and "all marketers should blog" blog conferences, it's now official. Rick Bruner and I, today, declare blogging to have gone the way of the trucker hat. In celebration of this sacred event, May 20, 2005, you can pick up your memorial, Nick Denton Trucker Hat over at Cafe Press.

OMG! New Blog Magazine to Launch!

We are like so too tired to even begin talking about this...

Or this.

Of course we can't complain about being branded an A-Lister.