Last week, oops50.com got an e-mail from a promotional manager (Angela) for Katie Couric asking our team to spread the word about her new T.V. show.  This is no joke.  The letter said:

“We are promoting the fall return of KATIE COURIC to Daytime television with the launch of her new nationally-syndicated show "KATIE." Blending information, stories of the day and entertainment, the show is being touted as "sunny, sexy and smart."  The new show will be distributed by Disney-ABC Domestic Television and premieres September 10th.  Timely and topical, the show will include powerful segments intersecting news, entertainment, fashion, and healthy living among other topics, alongside thoughtful interviews with newsmakers, celebrities and everyday people who have extraordinary stories to tell. “

If you visit her website, it says she is celebrating women who are re-inventing themselves - Sheryl Crow, Jessica Simpson, and Jennifer Lopez - Really?   Nothing against these superstars but do we REALLY care about how they re-invent themselves?  Oh, and by the way, from what to what?

Now, the promoters want little old us at Oops50 to post about Katie's return to television.  And in return, they will provide us with promotional images and giveaway items including hats, coffee mugs, tee-shirts, mousepads, and water bottles from the KATIE! show. In return, they said they would help drive traffic to our site.

When I wrote back saying we would consider promoting the show because we like Katie, (after all, who doesn’t?) and like us, she’s over  50.  I also wrote back asking Angela to explain how she was going to drive traffic to OUR site.  Would Katie like to do a piece about our blog for women over 50?  Seems like a fair trade to me.

The very next day, Angela sent me another letter, not only repeating word for word what she wrote in her first letter, but giving ME a list of things to do to promote our new BFF Katie Couric.  Check out the list:

1) Blog post on your website/blog during the campaign period (now through 9/21).   Attached is an asset zip containing promotional images, logos and promo trailer.

2) Post on your Facebook page during the campaign period.

3) Send us a preview URL before the post would go live on your site.

4) Host a giveaway promotion along with your post. Included in the zip file is a jpeg of the giveaway items we have give you from the Katie show to make available for your fans to win.  We handle all fulfillment on our end, you can just provide your winner's contact info at the close of the campaign.

I wrote Angela back again, saying, she did not answer my question about how she would drive traffic to our site, nor did she say whether Katie would  mention our blog on her show.  I also let her know that while our readers might enjoy the Katie Show, and wish her good luck, I didn't think they cared about owning a Katie coffee mug or mousepad.  Honestly, do the promoters really think we are going to take the time to promote a mega star and get nothing in return?  Does that strategy work for them?   Show me the money, Katie!  Or, at least talk about our blog on your show?  Are you listening?