"The Cluetrain economy"

Miss Em links to a great post by Jeff Jarvis about the VW ad, and advertising in general.

If I were you, VW, I would hold a contest to get people to create the best damned VW commercial anywhere and promise to spend big bucks to air it on, say, the Oscars. You don't have to pick the terrorist commercial. You'll be making clear that the thing was not made by you. At the same time, you will learn a lot about new messages that truly resonate and reverberate from your customers -- because your customers are creating them. How's that for market research?

This is the Cluetrain economy, guys: Markets are conversations. Join in the conversation, don't try to muzzle it.

I may have to start reading this guy regularly.