Steve, thanks for the heads up on that. Is this the right link? http://foodjunk.wordpress.com/2010/10/22/popchips-barbeque-a-review/

I have a great book on this topic. :-)

I did get that point, but you don't peel an orange and apple the same way. I think in any debate—even a debat on how to critique warrants context. Punches don't have to be pulled but motivations matter. My distaste for pop-ups is not going to position me as a thought leader. But successfully tearing apart a night of experimentation might help someone who desperately wants to be heard—the spotlight. And having watched this feedback VERY closely, I saw a lot of this. Not all, but enough to make me uncomfortable. And that's what this post is about.

Brad, what a thoughtful comment. Thanks for making me think.

Yes. Not easy and not going away either. And you're just surprised I'm still blogging aren't you?? :-)

Not so much. I actually thought there were some really good examples by brands my team did not work on (Sharpie, Visa, JCP and more) and I don't think what went down last night remotely looks like an unsolicited pop-up ad. I get what you're saying, but don't agree.

Angela, So nice to hear from you. Actually, I have a draft written up for Digiday that is very in line with what you just described. Will publish post Oscars on Monday. I'll ping you.

Jay, while I hear what you are saying and actually agree for the most part—this was the conventional wisdom for social in the early days and even digital. But gradually as a trend matures it begins to take hold as part of a broader set vs. a replacement. So five years from now—marketing will likely be more responsive and the novelty will be gone. But we can all say remember when... at moments like this. Same with customer service on social. Remember when @comcastcares started doing it? Not it's just part of customer service for a lot of companies. And that's pretty awesome.

Doug, PR is losing ground specifically in the areas I've mentioned in this piece. It's why I wrote this. Edelman may be doing a little better—for example when I joined the digital practice at Edelman it was just 250 people globally. Now it's over 800. BUT we are still known as a "Public Relations" firm and because of that, we need to work even harder.

Kevin, You truly grasp what I am putting forth here. Yes, I am actively looking for partners on the client side who want to work this way. We have a few—and need more. Thanks for the thoughtful comment.

That's a great point and good practice.