The fact that Donald Trump’s name sells stuff is no surprise. (Trump Steaks, anyone?) But who would have guessed that Trump reentry into politics could have been so immediately commodified by the online press? In fact, coverage of Trump’s political ambitions has quite literally become a money-making opportunity for the right’s online news hubs.
Leading the way is Christopher Ruddy, an online news entrepreneur and Trump friend, who has been buying banner ads across the Internet speculating about a Trump candidacy for months . Click the ad, and you can take an unscientific poll at Ruddy’s website, NewsMax, but only if you give up your email address first. It’s a tried and true technique, that Ruddy estimated a few weeks back would yield him 1 million new addresses, which can then be used for direct marketing, traffic building and advertising.
On Wednesday, Ruddy plans to push this business model even further, by hosting a “special online event” that is “exclusive to Newsmax readers.” Trump will be speaking in New Hampshire at a luncheon, but Ruddy plans to broadcast the event online to those who sign up and pay $2.95. “Tickets to the in-person event are completely sold out!” the e-mail crows. “But you can have a seat right at your office or home!”
Ruddy is not the only one who has figured out how to cash in on Trump. Erick Erickson and Redstate.com are promoting an exclusive one-on-one interview with The Donald on May 17. All you have to do to watch it is to give up your e-mail address so that you can be blasted with “the latest conservative news & offers from Redstate.com.” In other words, money in the bank.
So get on the bandwagon, all you media dinosaurs. Don’t just waste your “exclusive” interview with Trump like I did by posting it online for free. As Trump himself can tell you, there is money to be made.