Specifically Kutcher, who as of 12.59 p.m today Pacific Time has the highest number of followers on Twitter -- followed by number two CNN News Feed (www.twitter.com/cnnbrk), Britney Spears (www.twitter.com/britneyspears), and number four (yes behind Kutcher and Ms. Spears) Barack Obama (www.twitter.com/barackobama) -- challenged CNN earlier this week to see who could reach 1 million Twitter followers first, Kutcher or CNN.
On Wednesday (April 15) afternoon CNN was in the lead with 937,000 followers (number one on Twitter), when we checked at noon. Kutcher, pictured at top, wasn't far behind (number three on Twitter), seeing his number of followers grow to 888,000 on the heels of issuing his challenge to the cable news network founded by Ted Turner, who no longer has anything to do with the network, which is owned by Time-Warner. Pop singer Britney Spears maintained her second-place ranking as of Wednesday noon, with 903,000 followers, pushing President Obama fell to number four.
In announcing his CNN Twitter-follower challenge earlier this week in a video posted on his Twitter Feed, Kutcher said if CNN wins the contest he will ding-dong or doorbell ditch (that kids' prank that reminds one of why Kutcher created the show "Punked") CNN founder Ted Turner's house, ringing Turner's doorbell and then running away, assuming of course he could first figure out which of his many houses Turner would be at, and then get through the gate.
In a more serious tone, Kutcher said in the video: "I find it astonishing that one person (him) can actually have as big of a voice online as what an entire media company (CNN/Time Warner) can on Twitter. I just thought that was kind of an amazing comment on the state of our media."
Natural~Specialty Foods Memo (NSFM) basically agrees with Kutcher, and in a positive way. We think it is great that individuals can gain as many eyeballs on sites like Twitter as huge media companies can. But we do think it amazing that Aston Kutcher has that many followers on Twitter. Frankly, at first we thought it was one of his "Punked" pranks; that he somehow was able to manufacture that many followers. Could that actually be the case (tongue in cheek, of course)?
As of 4 .p.m eastern time today (1 p.m Pacific time) the follower tally in the "Tweet-off" between Kutcher and CNN is:
Ashton Kutcher (www.twitter.com/aplusk)
=1,049.833
CNN Breaking News (www.twitter.com/cnnbrk)
=1, 025, 844
Aston Kutcher is the winner, as the "Tweet-off" has officially ended. We congratulate the David (Kutcher) for defeating the Goliath (CNN).
In fact, CNN has conceded to Kutcher. This is the network's concession "Tweet" on its Twitter feed: Ashton Kutcher is first to reach 1 million followers in Twitter contest with CNN. CNN also sent Kutcher a personal congratulatory "Tweet" here: Congrats @aplusk. Ashton Kutcher is the first twitter account to reach 1MM followers.
Ashton Kutcher will be on CNN's Larry King Live tonight to discuss the challenge -- and now his victory. Note to Kutcher's PR rep: Perhaps you should have him appear wearing a boxer's robe, with the theme song from the movie "Rocky" playing, as he enters King's CNN set
It should be a fun segment since earlier this week King, who is CNN's highest paid host, tossed his suspenders into the middle of Kutcher's "Tweet-off" challenge to CNN, posting a video on YouTube in which King boasts that there is no way Kutcher can beat CNN.
In the video Larry King says: "Are you (Kutcher) kidding? Do you think you can take on an entire network. Do you know how big we are? DO you know what CNN is? Kutcher, you're playing out of your field. You're in another time zone. CNN will bury you!!"
King will be eating crow, organic and locally-produced we trust, for dinner tonight, along with the rest of the CNN team. We wonder how Anderson Cooper likes his crow prepared?
Meanwhile, Britney Spears looks to have gotten a Kutcher-CNN Twitter-follower bounce from the "Tweet-off." Currently her follower count is up to 973, 921, closing in on the magical 1 million followers mark.
Spears has a number of imitators on Twitter. Therefore on her Twitter feed (click here) she includes a sentence saying she is "The Real" Britney Spears. The word is her PR people do most of her "Tweets" on Twitter. Hard to believe, isn't it? But in reading through the "Tweets," we can tell she makes a number of her own posts as well:)
The current top-four rankings on Twitter.com as of this moment are:
1. Ashton Kutcher
2. CNN News Feed
3. Britney Spears
4. Barack Obama
The Natural Specialty Foods Memo (NSFM) Challenge: We Dare Ashton Kutcher to Challenge Whole Foods Market to a "Tweet-off"This brings us to our challenge to Ashton Kutcher, who no doubt, high on his winning the "Tweet-off" against media-giant CNN, is feeling his oats, organic and locally-grown we trust.
Of the numerous supermarket and natural foods chains with Twitter.com feeds -- these include Wal-Mart, Trader Joe's, Wegmans, Tesco's Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market, Raleys, Earth Fare, Natural Grocers, New Seasons Market and many others -- Austin, Texas-based Whole Foods Market (www.twitter.com/wholefoods) is the Twitter-follower champion of all grocers, with 448,753 followers, which is hundreds of thousands more than its nearest grocer-on-Twitter rival.
We challenge Ashton Kutcher to challenge the natural and organic foods retailing giant to a "Tweet-off." And if Kutcher issues the challenge, we challenge Paige Brady and the social media team at Whole Foods to accept.
Yes, Whole Foods has a social media team, led by Ms. Brady. It's no accident the natural grocer has nearly half a million followers on Twitter -- the retailer mines Twitter.com for followers.
Whole Foods therefore is the natural grocer giant, from a Twitter.com perspective, to CNN's media giant on Twitter -- making the natural and organic grocery chain the next logical Goliath to be taken on by Kutcher (David). at least in our minds.
Whole Foods Market loves a challenge. That's what makes it want to become a monopoly in U.S. natural and organic foods retailing after all, at least according to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC):)
And Whole Foods' has the resources to defeat Kutcher. It has nearly 300 stores and thousands of employees, all who could be enlisted to grow the grocer's number of followers on Twitter and win the challenge.
The challenge also would test the medal of the Whole Foods Market social media team. Can they defeat a lone man, Ashton Kutcher? He the same one man Twitter force of nature who just defeated media giant CNN, despite all of its resources, including Anderson Cooper and Larry King?
In our very best Larry King voice, our thumbs under suspenders: "Come on Kutcher, challenge Whole Foods. Do you know they have an entire social media team? Do you know they live and breath Twitter? If they want they can make CNN look like a little old country television station when it comes to gaining Twitter followers."
And to Whole Foods Market, embrace the challenge. In fact, circumvent our issuing of it to Kutcher. Issue the challenge to him first. Show CNN that when it comes to giants, Whole Foods Market is the King, and we don't mean Larry.
A Hollywood PR contact also tells us Ashton Kutcher and his wife, actress Demi Moore, like to shop at a Whole Foods Market store or two in Southern California, which adds a grocer-customer angle to the challenge. Perhaps the loser of the challenge donates a chuck of change to the winners favorite charity?
Readers, if you agree that the challenge -- Kutcher vs. Whole Foods Market -- is a worthy one, offer your comments on it by using the "comments" link below.
If you are a follower of Ashton Kutcher (www.twitter.com/aplusk) or Whole Foods Market (www.twitter.com/wholefoods) on Twitter, send them a link to this post/challenge.
Additionally, feel free to use the power of social media to get the word out on our challenge. Use Twitter, Facebook, ect. E-mail the post to Ashton Kutcher, Whole Foods Market and friends and business associates. We leave it up to you.
Let the certified organic "Tweet-off" begin.
[Follow Natural~Specialty Foods Memo (NSFM) on Twitter.com at www/twitter.com/nsfoodsmemo]
Posts
4 comments:
Make it happen Whole Foods. Clean Kutcher's clock. Your Manhattan store is in the Time-Warner Center after all. We get lunch there often. Take one for the team.
I'm all for the "Tweet-off." At least there's some content in following Whole Foods on Twitter. Just looked at Ashton Kutcher's Twitter site. It's all air.
Is the challenge serious or are you PUNKING us? LOL.
I suggest the loser donate 25 grand; half to the winner's charity of choice, the other half to a food bank named by the winner.
Since Kutcher already hit 1 million followers, have to make it something like the first one to get 500-k followers in 48 hours wins.
Follower number 500-k gets a prize; free groceries from Whole Foods, something of equal value from Kutcher.
Post a Comment