Friday Frolic - Memo to Ashton Kutcher - Follow-Up: Will Ashton Kutcher Get 'PUNKED' On Twitter? More on Our Kutcher-Whole Foods Market Challenge

Ashton Kutcher now has over 1 million followers on Twitter. But he is only following 80 of them at present. Can there really only be 80 people out of a million of interest to the self-described social media lover and devoted Twitter-user? Sort of gives a new meaning to the old phrase: "one in a million."

Earlier today in this post [Friday Frolic - Memo to Ashton Kutcher: We 'Dare' You to Challenge Whole Foods Market to a Twitter 'Tweet-Off' ] we reported on and wrote about actor and reality television show producer Ashton Kutcher's winning his "Tweet-off" against cable news network CNN, a challenge to see which one could reach 1 million followers on Twitter.com that the celebrity issued to the news network earlier this week, and which CNN accepted.

In our story we also issued a challenge to Ashton Kutcher (and in-turn to Whole Foods Market www.twitter.com/wholefoods) : Take on Whole Foods Market, which has the most followers of any grocer on Twitter, in a "Tweet-off."

Kutcher (www.twitter.com/aplusk) rose to fame not so much in the movies, although he does well, but rather because of the reality-based show he created for MTV called "Punked." For the uninformed, "PUNKING" a person is basically the same as pulling a well-crafted prank on them.

The premise of Kutcher's "Punked" show is that he and his team create elaborate pranks that they then pull-off on unsuspecting celebrities. Things like having a phony police officer pull the celebrity over and then launch into an elaborate roadside investigation, for example, complete with informing the celebrity that he or she outstanding warrants out for them and the like. When the celebrity is near meltdown point, Kutcher and his crew then jump out and tell the victim that he or she have been "PUNKED."

Kutcher is cashing in from a publicity standpoint today on his "Tweet-off" victory over CNN's CNN News Feed (www.twitter.com/cnnbrk) . You can view the details of the challenge and victory here: [April 17, 2008 - Friday Frolic - Memo to Ashton Kutcher: We 'Dare' You to Challenge Whole Foods Market to a Twitter 'Tweet-Off']

Earlier today Kutcher appeared on America's most popular daytime talk show, "Oprah" (no last name needed), and is appearing on CNN's "Larry King Live" this evening.

On "Oprah" Kutcher talked Twitter with Ms. Winfrey (caught us, we used her last name), including his "Tweet-off" victory over CNN.

His appearance on "Oprah," along with the CNN "Tweet-off," are getting some mention on Twitter.com in the form of "Tweets," which is "Twitter-talk" for the 140 word-maximum posts users, including Natural~Specialty Foods Memo (NSFM) (www.twitter.com/nsfoodsmemo) make on the micro-blogging social media site.

Here is a "Tweet" about Ashton Kutcher's appearance on "Oprah" today that a Twitter-user made just minutes ago: Ashton Kutcher and Evan Williams Talk Twitter With Oprah [Video] http://ping.fm/yafXQ via @mashable. Just click the link to view the video.

In response to that "Tweet," (and one other) Twitter-user ("Tweeter" perhaps) rveturis (www.twitter.com/rveturis) wrote and posted the three "Tweets" below on the topic:

>@LeviDayley I'm not following Ashton either! Celebs r annoying. They have enough influence & don't really add value.20 minutes ago from Tweetie in reply to LeviDayley.

>That's hilarious!! Lets punk Ashton Kutcher - unfollow & bring him back to ZERO by Monday morning #unfollowfriday - please RT via @debweeva23 minutes ago from Tweetie.

>So can someone explain the Oprah thing today? Was this her 1st day on Twitter? I feel like I missed something ...26 minutes ago from Tweetie.

The "Tweet" of most particular interest and not is the one in the middle that we have in bold.

We ask: Is Ashton Kutcher getting a taste of his own medicine and getting "PUNKED" at this very moment on Twitter.com?

Well...since rveturis' post there have been a couple others, saying they were going to "un-follow" (no longer follow) Ashton Kutcher (www.twitter.com/aaplusk) on Twitter, so as to "PUNK" him.

The tale of the tape

When we published this piece [Friday Frolic - Memo to Ashton Kutcher: We 'Dare' You to Challenge Whole Foods Market to a Twitter 'Tweet-Off' ] at 1 p.m. today, Ashton Kutcher's Twitter feed had 1,049,833 followers. As of this moment he has 1,104,815 followers -- that's a net gain of 11, 054,982 in less than four hours today -- putting Kutcher thus far out of the "PUNKED" danger zone. OF course all the post-"Tweet-off" publicity is helping add followers.

But the "Punk Ashton Kutcher on Twitter" movement has just been launched.

Could it gain steam? If so that would be good news for Whole Foods Market in the event Kutcher "man's up" and embraces our challenge to challenge the natural grocery chain to a Twitter "Tweet-off," rather than basking in his glory of having defeated CNN.

After all, Kutcher (www.twitter.com/aplusk) has more than double the amount of followers that Whole Foods Market (www.twitter.com/wholefoods) does at present. Therefore any loss of his followers do to Twitter.com-generated "PUNKING" would put the natural grocer in a better position, although we don't think it matters, since if the challenge is made we think Whole Foods will pull out all of its natural and organic tricks to defeat Ashton Kutcher.

Of course, Whole Foods Market, which reads Natural~Specialty Foods Memo (NSFM) could beat Ashton Kutcher to the punch, taking advantage of his post-"Tweet-off" glow, and issue its own challenge to the actor-reality show producer-celebrity.

We suggest a Kutcher v. Whole Foods "Tweet-off" (specifics and details arranged by the two parties) in which the loser has to make a cash donation to the winner's favorite charity.

Earth Day is coming up on April 22. How about a "Tweet-off" of some kind between the two parties in which the loser donates money to the winner's favorite environmental organization, for example? Call it a "Green" "Tweet-Off" for Earth Day.

Bring it on!

[You can follow Natural~Specialty Foods Memo (NSFM) on Twitter.com at www.twitter.com/nsfoodsmemo.]

Friday Frolic - Memo to Ashton Kutcher: We 'Dare' You to Challenge Whole Foods Market to a Twitter 'Tweet-Off'

Actor, reality television show creator ("Punked," "Beauty and the Geek") husband of actress Demi Moore, and Twitter.com heavy-user Ashton Kutcher (www.twitter.com/aplusk), threw down the guantlet earlier this week, challenging cable news channel CNN, also on Twitter.com, to a "Tweet-off."

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]