By now, everyone — and I mean everyone — has heard about the infamous Murphy Goode blogger contest. And just in case you haven’t, the deal is a 6 month job (“A really goode job“) paying $10K/mo, blogging for the Sonoma County winery.

The contest has garnered plenty of headlines, and, thanks to exposure on network TV and major media outlets across the land, has already handily surpassed any marketing objectives the Goode team had established for this novel idea.

At stake is also a larger issue: social media and the wine industry. How does the new world of Twitter and Facebook play into next generation marketing plans? Some wineries have already ventured full-tilt into the space, having established Facebook pages and regular Twitter updates. But for most, it’s like dipping a baby toe into a giant lake of the unknown.

So, speaking about social media, about this Murphy Goode contest…

Applicants were asked to send in a 60 second audition clip via YouTube. The Top 50 (out of 2,000 contestants) was announced a few days back. I scanned across most, and would say the results are decidedly mixed. While some are slick (too slick, really, for the world of wine and blogging — they really would be more at home in a film festival for shorts), others are either too boring, non-educational or both. And that, in my view, is the death knell.

I either watch wine videos for one of two reasons: either to learn something (WSJ, WS), or to be entertained (Gary Vaynerchuk – although I find some of his episodes also informative). If you can’t achieve at least one of these goals, then what’s the point? Well, I suppose, nudity and looks could play a part as a last resort… wine, of course, becomes a prop at this point…

So here’s some of the best, and the worst of what I’ve seen so far. And to be fair, I can appreciate everyone making an effort to “put themselves out there” for all us armchair quarterbacks to criticize. But, hey, it is voluntary. The field will be narrowed to 10 by July 7.

Also, does this format portend the future of reality TV?

The Goode

#1468 – Excellent. Creative. But can she speak?

#513 – Aspiring wine nerd?

#499 – Genuine and Likable

The Bad

#384 – I like the idea. But too much green screen and it feels like a bad version of E! channel

#434 – Jenna is nice, and really goode at reading cue cards

#377 – Mother of 4 blogger (what’s with the narrow video?)

Sheer Brilliance (and contracted for life to StarkSilverCreek!)

Clinton Stark
Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, Fan of Napa (and Diet Coke)

Clint co-founded StarkSilverCreek and writes about social media, arts, wine, indie film, and his trusty Droid. An aging ice hockey player, he tries in vain to direct Loni in SSC videos. Originally from Ottawa, Canada, Clint is a Silicon Valley and new media entrepreneur. From the early PC clone days in the 80’s, to the explosion of telecom and networking in the 90’s, and now to social networking, Web 2.0 and software-as-a-service, Clint has successfully built businesses and start-ups into multi-million dollar operations. Recently as VP marketing he spearheaded the launch of a $110M company. But that was then.

Twitter: @clintonstark More: articles bio

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