Lately, people seem to be appealing to the social nature of the Internet to affect commercial endeavors. For example, there is a site set up specifically to vote for the worst performer on American Idol. Another group is looking to send a message to the recording industry with online mass marketing tactics.
Appealing to the viral nature of the Internet, the group at Bum Rush The Charts is looking to strike back at those who seemingly have a beef with podcasting or any other mediums that choose to make use of audio material for fair use purposes.
They’ve got support, too. Textra’s Natali Del Conte has worked up a clip to help promote awareness of Bum Rush Thursday, which incidentally is today.
For those wondering what the group has in mind, an except from the official blog lays out the motive and plan of attack:
On March 22nd, we are going to take an indie podsafe music artist to number one on the iTunes singles charts as a demonstration of our reach to Main Street and our purchasing power to Wall Street.
The track we’ve chosen is “Mine Again” by the band Black Lab. A band that was dropped from not just one, but two major record labels (Geffen and Sony/Epic) and in the process forced them to fight to get their own music back. We picked them because making them number one, even for just one day, will remind the RIAA record labels of what they turned their backs on – and who they ignore at their peril.
The blogosphere is becoming more and more influential in swaying public opinion, to be sure. It will be interesting to see, however, if the Bum Rush campaign can manage to get “Mine Again” to the #1 spot on iTunes.
If it works for an independent music artist, who says it can’t work for a presidential candidate?
