[NYTStore - Dave]

http://www.nytstore.com/ProdDetail.aspx?prodId=30747

[netnow22]

Thanks that is a gold mine for affiliates

[Snowfinch]

Only fool's gold. Pretty sick, in my opinion, to try and make a few dollars off a man's death. But, hey, to each his own I guess. However, some of the stuff going on easily proves the LOVE of money is the root of all evil.

[Mr. Sal]

Only fool's gold. Pretty sick, in my opinion, to try and make a few dollars off a man's death. But, hey, to each his own I guess. However, some of the stuff going on easily proves the LOVE of money is the root of all evil.
Thanks Snowfinch! :up:

I thought I was alone on this one...

Btw, http://forum.abestweb.com/showpost.php?p=942744&postcount=1 :angelic:

[RemodelingGuy]

Thanks Snowfinch! :up:

I thought I was alone on this one...

NOPE!

Not Alone Bro!

But, if a site is targeted to POP Music, it would be like a hurricane or major flooding in my niche.

You hope it doesn't happen, but you want to be there for your visitors looking for relief when IT happens....

:angelic:

[Sam Bay]

From NY Times:

"his image and likeness is going to be very easy to exploit,” he said. “There’s a fan base that is hungry for seemingly as much Michael as they can ever get.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/27/business/media/27finances.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&hp

[Snowfinch]

Still doesn't make it right. People used him and exploited him in life and that was bad enough. Really sad to see them do it after his death.

[TerriFalcone]

I am mostly on the anti exploitation team. This the company uses any front page of the New York Times from 1851 to the present for their "commemorative" plaques so I suppose this isn't really exploitation. At least not more than anyone who reports or comments on the news of the day.

[snappy]

Forgive me if I am wrong, did you know that sales for Michael CDs, Vinyls, Movies, Books have been sold out at amazon, ebay is going nuts, so there is a need for his items and for people to remember him, what makes that sick? maybe you didn't think of it and that is sick. People are making tshirts and other items because fans are so upset and would like to have a piece of his memory if you don't sell it to them fine I understand ethics and morals, I also understand that if I don't sell it someone else will. Life events are what IM'rs wait for, if thats not true then tell me when is the best time to make cash? Tragedy and Happiness. Tragedy=death Happiness=holidays, b-days, anniversaries. If you don't want to make money in these times well soon you might be broke.

[Snowfinch]

I would rather be broke than make money off of this gentlemen's death. There is a big difference in selling his Thriller album and making plagues and t-shirts that say "HEY MICHAEL'S DEAD'.

"If you don't sell it someone else will?"

Wow! That's like saying, hey they built that new bank on the corner. You just know one day it will get robbed. I might as well be the one that robs it. Someone will rob it one day anyway.

Making money off the life of one of the greatest, most talented and most moral Americans ever is one thing. Using his death to do it is another.

I'll stay broke. Cause I ain't pushing nothing that says HEY MICHAEL DIED just to make a buck.

I can see pushing something that said HEY MICHAEL LIVED and the man did live and made our world a better place.

I can see pushing his life, but not his death.

I'd would rather be poor and have my dignity, than be rich and have no morals.

[loxly]

I can see pushing something that said HEY MICHAEL LIVED and the man did live and made our world a better place.

I can see pushing his life, but not his death.

I'd would rather be poor and have my dignity, than be rich and have no morals.
Nice summary and right on the mark.

[VampireSkunk]

Hey folks

lighten up

Michael Jackson was a wonderful entertainer and he died. RIP.

There's a market for this.

If people want it, where's the harm?

We're not selling drugs or firearms here.

[ToughTurkey]

Its no different than what every tv network, radio station and newspaper is doing this week.

[loxly]

Just wanted to clarify that I agree that marketing products relating to and commemorating his life is ok, and is going to be done regardless. There is a fine line, but marketing is marketing and this happens to be a big marketing opportunity for the right types of products.

[isellstuff]

Just wanted to clarify that I agree that marketing products relating to and commemorating his life is ok, and is going to be done regardless. There is a fine line, but marketing is marketing and this happens to be a big marketing opportunity for the right types of products.
YES! Agree too. I happened to have some PPC ads up for Michael Jackson stuff, have had them up for years. The surge in sales was incredible, simply incredible. I had no idea there were that many fans still around. I was a teenager in the early 80's and remember watching MJ videos on MTV. Had no idea Michael Jackson still had so many followers.

[Haiko de Poel, Jr.]

I bought a MJ album today, I wanted it!

However, if it had been promoted to me I would have despised the company for it, but both Amazon and Apple are making sales that are incidental to their product offerings, not promoted offers, it's happening naturally.

A reprint of the NYT, is also incidental, but it's NOT the first thing people would think of buying to remember him so that explains the disengage and ensuing uproar and it's understandable, but if we stop and think about it, this is their (NYT) business (Newspapers and reprints). It's not like they went out and minted MJ coins and offered them ... that would be opportunistic and worthy of resentment.

Just my opinion.

[Rexanne]

Sometimes opportunity is just another form of greed. Opportunists will always show their true selves and people will choose whether or not to *do business* with them.

Kind of a tough choice - market to a need or have a lil' class. Pick one and try not to apologize whichever way you choose to go. Whatever makes it easiest to sleep at night is all you need to honor.

Opportunists will always "cash in" - And they'll have their money to keep them happy when they realize they have no friends.

/moralistic rant

[VampireSkunk]

No, I don't get the moral outrage thing.

Outrageous was the way when he was still alive the media milked all the (unproven) allegations against him for the scandal value...which no doubt contributed significantly to his early demise.

Promoting his products in the wake of his death - when there's massive renewed interest in his music - what's wrong with that?