Real World vs. Virtual World vs. Fictional World

There already exists a blurring of the boundaries between real and virtual worlds. Add fiction to the mix and it gets very confusing, very quick.

Many are already aware of the AMC show 'Mad Men.' It has been heavily followed by many in the advertising world. Imagined characters in an imagined agency with relatively realistic parallels to today's world. Everything that makes compelling fiction.

So much so in fact, advertising individuals have begun to adopt 'Mad Men' personas to carry on conversations. The first appearance was the 'Mad Men' character names appearing on Twitter in. The conversations were real people (not the actors) that had adopted the character names and personas to both expand the show from television to the internet and add a little entertainment to everyday marketing conversations.

How? Here's a sample of the conversation. It all started with a new online marketing tool aimed at comparing websites or press releases against competitors.

A representative from the company (grader) writes: My super-secret project, Twitter Grader is now in alpha. Follow @grader if you're curious -- but please, not all at once. Be gentle.

ellieeille writes: Can we @grader with suggestions?

grader responds: @ellieeille Yes, please send any feedback to @grader. That works fine. Will add a feedback form on the app tonight.

jstorerj joins the conversation: there might be a bit too much recency built into the @grader model. i went from an 89 to 92 over one particularly active night.

BryanPerson responds: @jstorerj Maybe you were just paying a little more attention in class than you usually do? Ha!

ScottMonty observes: @BryanPerson That's a good score on TwitterGrader - I got the same one.

So far so good. At this point, the conversation moves to other sources (websites, forums) and takes a turn.

David_Ogilvy joins in: @ScottMonty: http://tinyurl.com/39fbkq Here's your answer.

David_Ogilvy adds another thought: Job offers should really be direct messages... @don_draper is already considering replacing me with younger talent

Don_Draper responds: @David_Ogilvy - It's an honor. I'm quite happy at Sterling Cooper, but would be willing to grab lunch and hear what you have to say.

From here, the conversation blends between talk about real world agency work, fictional clients on the show 'Mad Men' and hypothetical planning around fictional products. All from a simple post about a new marketing research tool.

Clearly, engaged members are loyal members of any brand. The trouble in the digital world is what drives engagement. This example presents an interesting case where individuals not only want to interact with a brand but immerse themselves in the brand. The same is being seen in the music industry where the largest sales have not come from listening to music but playing or singing along through rhythm based games. Rock Band 2 will be released with a slate of full albums extending both the game experience and the music experience.

These are not isolated instances but becoming the norm. Today's customers want more than products and services. They are looking for experiences. Loyalty is driven not by tangible goods but by the entire experience.

AMC, like many companies today, were concerned over their ownership of the product - 'Mad Men' in this case. AMC sent takedown notices for the accounts as it infringed on copyright.

After receiving many complaints, the accounts and pages were reinstated. The site WeAreSterlingCooper presents the case as well as I have seen thus far:

Fan fiction. Brand hijacking. Copyright misuse. Sheer devotion. Call it what you will, but we call it the blurred line between content creators and content consumers, and it's not going away. We're your biggest fans, your die-hard proponents, and when your show gets cancelled we'll be among the first to pass around the petition. Talk to us. Befriend us. Engage us. But please, don't treat us like criminals.

This site exists to catalogue the conversation around AMC's Mad Men and its fanbase across the social web. But it's just the beginning