You’d think Amazon (or rather, its allies) could get the word out a little better

OK, I realize that Amazon itself probably isn’t involved in this. But when Former Cayce Mayor Archie Moore was quoted in the paper as a leader of the pro-Amazon group that has started running radio ads, saying “I’m not sure at this point the extent of what we’re doing,” he wasn’t kidding.

Have you heard the new radio ad? I did this morning, once, before I read the story in the paper about it. And I thought it was interesting, with it sort of halfway registering on me some things I might want to say about it, and I decided I’d listen to it again and write a post about it.

But I haven’t been able to hear it again. And now I don’t remember much about it, since I didn’t know I was supposed to memorize it from one hearing.

First, I tried to Google it, and all I found was the story in The State. Then I checked my e-mail — no releases. THREE releases from the other side, the aforementioned “South Carolina Alliance for Main Street Fairness, but nothing from the pro-Amazon group, whatever it’s called.

I e-mailed a couple of MSM types who might be in the loop more than I am, and no dice. I tried Tim Flach, who wrote the story in The State, and he said he just heard it on the radio. This is not the way it usually goes, folks.

Then, when I went out to get lunch and run some errands, I took along my little digital recorder, turned it on, and put the radio on the station I’d heard it on this morning. Or rather, the station it happened to be on, which I assume was what it was on this morning.

Nope. Although I do have a recording now of “She Blinded Me With Science,” which I hadn’t heard since the 80s.

And I thought it was ironic that an ad campaign undertaken in behalf of such a cutting-edge Web giant as Amazon would be so… technically unsophisticated. Unless this is the plan — unless it’s trying to go subliminal, and fly under media radar. I don’t know.

If I ever get to hear it again, and have notes on hand, I’ll have something to say about it. Maybe YOU have heard it enough that you can offer something in the meantime.

I do have this video from the opposition — but that’s not what this post was supposed to be about…

12 thoughts on “You’d think Amazon (or rather, its allies) could get the word out a little better”

  1. bud

    I heard it on Keven Cohen’s show yesterday while the topic was under discussion. Can’t remember the details though. Seems like it was a bland appeal to the obvious: provide the tax breaks in order to get the jobs. This is blackmail of course but at least they were nice about it.

  2. Debbie McDaniel

    I’m a small biz person and could care less about Amazon getting a tax exemption as I know people need JOBS.
    Perhaps the pro-Amazon peeps need to hire a better PR firm?

  4. Brad

    By the way, if anyone associated with this radio ad effort reads this and would like to share the audio, or a link, with me and my readers, please write to brad@bradwarthen.com.

    You’ll reach a wider audience, and it won’t cost you another dime.

    Of course, if you DO want to buy a blog ad, there’ll be nobody stopping you. Ditto to the other side. There’s something vaguely … wrong… about all this ad money getting thrown around, and me not getting my taste.

    Of course, this bears no impact on what I write about you. You can be paying me, and I’ll still criticize you if I think it’s warranted. Ask my (former) employers at The State. I’m like that.

  5. Kathryn Fenner (D- SC)

    @Debbie— That’s ‘cuz you run a business that is a better mousetrap, so people beat a path to your door. So many “local” businesses (like Walmart and Best Buy–yeah, Main Street) operate(d) like Henry Ford, where you can get the Model T in any color so long as it’s black. Hiller Hardware so seldom had what I needed unless it was an actual nail or screw, that I gave up going there. I wish I didn’t have to drive out to Lowe’s and I do buy from the Cayce Ace Hardware when I can, although why exactly an Ace Hardware is more local than Lowe’s, I’m not sure.

  6. Brad

    Yeah, well, I expect they can afford it.

    One of the things I remember from the radio ad is that the “pro” side is trying to make this all about Walmart, and painting the anti-side as being entirely Walmart funded.

    Brian Flynn of the “Main Street” group doesn’t deny the Walmart connection. He said this in an email today:

    “All I will say about the Pro-Amazon add is that there is a lot of mis-information going out on the airwaves regarding this issue. Every time Amazon brings up Wal-Mart as being behind this effort I have 10 small businesses that say it’s not just the big box retailers pushing for a level playing field. Amazon states that they’ll have no choice but to leave if they don’t get their sweetheart deal…I beg to differ. Amazon should be telling South Carolinians that they’ll come to SC and be a good corporate citizen and play by the same rules all of the other retailers have to follow everyday.”

    So I said I’d like to have the names of some of those small businesses. He responded:

    “Below are a few businesses that are members that have been quoted in our press releases or been on TV regarding the issue:

    “Guy Jones, River Runner Outdoor Center (Vista)
    “Ava Allen, Be Beep a Toy Shop (Forest Acres)
    “Jon Landon, Carolina Fine Jewelry (Forest Acres)
    “Kelly Tabor, Good for the Sole Shoes (5 Points)”

  8. Kathryn Fenner (D- SC)

    “The same rules as other retailers”–Amazon is not in the same category–I cannot walk into the Amazon store and buy anything. I have to wait–even as a Prime member–two days for my stuff, at least. Amazon is in the same field as LL Bean or any other retailer *that doesn’t have a brick-and-mortar store in state.* I have to pay for shipping or possibly buy more than I wanted to to get my stuff.

    I wish I didn’t have to pay tax on purchases just because a company has a store in Charleston or Myrtle Beach, but I guess it’s a statewide thing, and as a former corporate lawyer, I understand why.

  9. Ralph Hightower

    First, this “Amazon tax break” is not new legislation. It is an attempt to renew legislation granting a sales tax exemption that expired last year.

    I don’t remember the domain name of the pro-Amazon tax break, but I have a big problem with political issue related domains that hide behind domain privacy protection. With standwithmainstreet.com, one does not know who is behind this issue (use http://www.dnstools.com to look up domain owners):

    [whois.godaddy.com]
    The data contained in GoDaddy.com, Inc.’s WhoIs database,
    while believed by the company to be reliable, is provided “as is”
    with no guarantee or warranties regarding its accuracy. This
    information is provided for the sole purpose of assisting you
    in obtaining information about domain name registration records.
    Any use of this data for any other purpose is expressly forbidden without the pr
    ior written
    permission of GoDaddy.com, Inc. By submitting an inquiry,
    you agree to these terms of usage and limitations of warranty. In particular,
    you agree not to use this data to allow, enable, or otherwise make possible,
    dissemination or collection of this data, in part or in its entirety, for any
    purpose, such as the transmission of unsolicited advertising and
    and solicitations of any kind, including spam. You further agree
    not to use this data to enable high volume, automated or robotic electronic
    processes designed to collect or compile this data for any purpose,
    including mining this data for your own personal or commercial purposes.

    Please note: the registrant of the domain name is specified
    in the “registrant” field. In most cases, GoDaddy.com, Inc.
    is not the registrant of domain names listed in this database.

    Registrant:
    Domains by Proxy, Inc.
    DomainsByProxy.com
    15111 N. Hayden Rd., Ste 160, PMB 353
    Scottsdale, Arizona 85260
    United States

    Registered through: GoDaddy.com, Inc. (http://www.godaddy.com)
    Domain Name: STANDWITHMAINSTREET.COM
    Created on: 20-Jul-10
    Expires on: 20-Jul-12
    Last Updated on: 20-Jul-10

    Administrative Contact:
    Private, Registration STANDWITHMAINSTREET.COM@domainsbyproxy.com
    Domains by Proxy, Inc.
    DomainsByProxy.com
    15111 N. Hayden Rd., Ste 160, PMB 353
    Scottsdale, Arizona 85260
    United States
    (480) 624-2599 Fax — (480) 624-2598

    Technical Contact:
    Private, Registration STANDWITHMAINSTREET.COM@domainsbyproxy.com
    Domains by Proxy, Inc.
    DomainsByProxy.com
    15111 N. Hayden Rd., Ste 160, PMB 353
    Scottsdale, Arizona 85260
    United States
    (480) 624-2599 Fax — (480) 624-2598

    Domain servers in listed order:
    NS37.DOMAINCONTROL.COM
    NS38.DOMAINCONTROL.COM

    This is similar to the pro 15% property appraisal limit a few years ago. The owners of the domain were hidden, but I went to that web site and the majority of the supporters lived in multi-million dollar Charleston homes.

  10. Mark Stewart

    People are playing word games with this: it’s not whether some place is a “store “, it’s whether the entity is a retailer. Amazon is absolutely that, as is any other entity that packages and distributes individual items to end usets. Despite some people’s rhetoric, this is not what the Target, Wal-Mart or any other corp. distribution centers in the state do.

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