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August 18, 2003
Quixtar and Reporters
By QBlog in
This past weekend I was contacted by a reporter who was seeking information about Quixtar for a possible story. From our discussion I learned that the reporter was approached at a coffee shop by a member of Britt World Wide with a "business proposal." This reporter, like any good reporter, wanted to learn the story behind that ambiguous invitation to "learn more at our next meeting."
Inevitably the reporter turned to the Web to research the rather ambiguous coffee shop proposal. That research resulted in a visit to quixtarBLOG (among many other sites) and an email request for more information. I obliged and spent some time answering questions and discussing some of my experiences.
Will this result in a story? I have no idea. Time will tell I guess. What really impacted me was how this entire situation developed. Things are changing. Quixtar (Amway/Alticor/Whatever) is no longer operating in a vacuum of information. When many people hear about "the plan" they immediately turn to the Web for more information.
Reporters are beginning to ask questions too. This Dateline NBC story has the potential to be HUGE in more ways than many realize. Regardless of what the story is specifically about or what it does or doesn't "uncover," it will bring the name "Quixtar" into the consiousness of reporters everywhere. Newshounds will begin to ask questions and won't accept ambiguity as an answer. Good reporters will snoop around, looking for their "Silkwood" (or "Erin Brockovich" for you youngsters).
I've made this point before and now I'm making it again, Quixtar must change in order to survive. Quixtar can't continue to act like an online Amway and expect the same levels of success. Just like the Music Industry, Quixtar must re-invent itself to remain competive. And just like the Music Industry, Quixtar seems unable to embrace innovation and think of drastically changing the way it does business.
The truth is, people are asking questions and for the first time in history, they can find the answers almost instantly, and almost without any effort. I've met very few IBOs who understand this simple fact.