Trend: User-Created (Kinda): Sign-off

Katie Couric asks viewers to help come up with her signature sign-off. (She's "racked her brain, but nothing has felt right.")



I found the way (in particular, when) she/CBS did this interesting. Asking people at the end of her first show to log on to cbsnews.com and give a suggestion. My initial thought was why not build the buzz beforehand by running a contest to write Katie C's close? At the end of the program the "winning" entry would be revealed as she naturally signed off. Assumedly, a high percentage of participants would have watched and waited with bated breath. (I never did know how to spell that phrase.) Then again, it seems she did pretty well anyway. And would buzz have equaled viewers, loyal viewers at that? Surely if the first segment included her screaming that she's tired of these motherf'n snakes on this motherf'n network, she'd keep the talk going. But seriously, is this giving consumers too much power or power they don't really want? Would Cronkite's line go down in history if Susan from Montana had created/submitted/won with it in 1960-something? And would it have made sense to really try and make this opportunity more viral and interactive, etc. (as you'll see on the site, it's "thanks for your submission")?

Two more reasons I posted this:
1. Reminder to recommend Good Night and Good Luck to any who haven't seen yet.
2. Gawker's observation that she's committing a serious fashion no-no with the white blazer.

Hasta tomorrow.