World’s Sexiest Man Is Also One Of The Dumbest Marketers

-George Clooney Dog Icon- “I would rather have a prostate exam on live telvision by a guy with very cold hands than have a Facebook page,” George Clooney told a group of reporters at the Toronto International Film Festival. Clooney, who was previously named the world’s sexiest man alive, probably didn’t realize that his Facebook fan page is not far from becoming one of the 1,000 most popular Pages. While I can’t blame the guy for preferring to jet set around the world without the hassle of managing his online presence, he’s missing a big opportunity.

There are millions of women would love the opportunity to pick Clooney’s brain (if you don’t believe me see this video) but rather than even tempting these women with the possibility of conversing with him, he has chosen to avoid Facebook all together. As for those millions of fans that could be informed about his latest movies in production, they shouldn’t hold their breath as Clooney won’t be joining the site anytime soon.

Contrast Clooney’s strategy with Vin Diesel, who is now the third most popular person on Facebook with over 6.2 million fans. Vin Diesel is not known for his acting skills nor is he known for being one of the worlds most … well he really isn’t the most anything. However by just engaging with fans on a regular basis, Vin Diesel has skyrocketed in popularity.

Thanks to engaging fans, Vin Diesel has been able to surpass George Clooney in the volume of searches on Google over the past few months. I guess Clooney will watch all the Facebook celebrity action from the sidelines for now.

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772324 Comments2009-09-17+15%3A50%3A29Nick+O%27Neill »

Clooney's statement was surprisingly naieve from a man considered one of Hollywood's Power Players. I can't believe he doesn't have his own 'Internet Guy'

Comment by Rob Bell — September 17, 2009 @ 7:54 am
Well, Mr. Clooney is indeed missing a great opportunity here. For example if he had a fb page he could publish many more, um, interesting photos like this one there.

Comment by Cremolosa — September 17, 2009 @ 7:56 am
Perhaps there is something to be said for the talent-to-publicity ratio in this equation. Granted, there are few less talented than Vin Diesel, but to applaud him for whoring himself? Please.

Comment by Wooden U. Lykteneau — September 17, 2009 @ 8:17 am
Most major actors and their reps don't see nor understand the value of the Internet. Hollywood, which is always first to tout themselves as ahead of the game, is in fact very outdated when it cones to PR. They simply don't understand that a blog is more widely seen than a magazine. That a YouTube video is watched more than most entertainment news show interviews. That Facebook, Myspace, and/or Twitter is not only an invaluable promotional tool but also just plain good PR. But guys lime Clooney don't need PR so the reason to do it then just becomes because it is quite simply a decent thing to do. It shows the people who pay your salary (the fans) that you appreciate their support, and their money. One of the first actors I saw do this a few years ago was Michelle Rodriguez, then as other celebs began to blog and communicate via social networking sites, her costar, Vin Diesel jumped into the game and took it to a whol new level. If you trace it back a few years Rodriguez (or whomever was responsible for the idea of her going online) was on the forefront of the "celebs online" craze but has since just been overshadowed by "bigger" names and/or attention seekers. In any effect very very few celeb appreciate the power of New Media. And it's quite sad both because of wha they're missing out on and more importantly because of what their fans are missing out on.

Comment by A.D. — September 17, 2009 @ 8:21 am
He's famous enough that he doesn't need to dabble around with facebook if he's not into it. That makes him genuine and perhaps smart – not dumb. Because hiring an 'internet guy' to make posts on your behalf is more stupid – people have a way of finding out and it can backfire.

Vin Diesel, really? He's gonna become more popular than Clooney because of his FB Page? Puhleaase.

Comment by Sid — September 17, 2009 @ 8:28 am
At the end of the day, what does it matter? Does George need to increase his Google searches? A B-list actor like Vin Diesel needs additional exposure in order to hype his name and be considered for future film projects that may currently be going to A-list actors. In that case, Facebook is an excellent opportunity to generate buzz and develop a following. If George had a major cause like Lance Armstrong, that would be another reason to be active on Facebook. But if George is not seeking to promote himself or a cause, is it a case of him not "getting it" or does he just not need to market himself?

Comment by Julie Senter — September 17, 2009 @ 8:35 am
Clooney has done quite well without Facebook. How much more famous can he get?

Comment by Bob Rhubart — September 17, 2009 @ 8:48 am
I'm missing something. Why does Clooney care if he's googled less? It would appear that his star status is a result of being a good actor and a *ahem* handsome individual. Vin Diesel doesn't have the same content value as Clooney, so he has to talk more in order to get a big following. Will his fans stay loyal to him once they realize there's no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? Perhaps; I'm not really a fan of twenty of the pages I've "fan-ed," but I never bother to "un-fan" them.

Also, the metrics can be deceiving; look at the type of fans and the quality of the product (e.g. the actor). I wonder if Clooney even WANTS to attract fans of Vin Diesel. They're two different types of actor!

Comment by Stephen Wade — September 17, 2009 @ 9:08 am
I guess online fame is not a metric of success for Clooney. You are right in saying that he is missing a huge opportunity because he has the ability to "mobilize" hundreds of thousands of fans. He could definitely use this to influence good causes or drive traffic to side projects / movies ala Ashton Kutcher (Katalyst Media, Spread and Blah Girls).

I do agree with Bob that you can only get marginally more famous at this point.

What exactly is Vin Diesel doing in terms of engagement? Is he actually writing the status updates? uploading photos? running contests? or what?

Comment by Joey Mucha — September 17, 2009 @ 9:25 am
Why would Clooney give a rats ass about his online presence? He's a multimillionaire, one of the most recognisable "stars" there is. Why would he spend his days catering to the whims of thousands of people when he doesn't have to, he has already made it!

Comment by John — September 17, 2009 @ 9:34 am
Clooney is an actor, not a internet star. Why should he change what he is, just because this internet thing is becoming populaur ? I'm sure he still gets enough offers to play in movies that he finds interesting and/or pay enough money. And I guess that's all he cares about. I would too, if I was such an actor like hime. So kudos to him, because he easily can ignore internet if he wants to and still be succesfull.

Comment by Timdc — September 17, 2009 @ 10:30 am
While I agree that Facebook is an effective marketing tool for many individuals and businesses, let’s get real here! Google searches and numbers of fans aren’t the only measurement of popularity or success. And judging from his comments, Clooney doesn’t WANT to engage with his “public.” Remember, social media is all about how often YOU want to be relevant.

Comment by Mariah — September 17, 2009 @ 12:11 pm
Wouldnt press releases like this one actually help increase the fanbase? People would fan him on facebook to tell him he’s a jackass.

Comment by Sarabjit 'sarb' Singh — September 17, 2009 @ 4:03 pm
I don’t know about this… I think those women in the video will probably go to see any movie he puts out facebook page or not. and the Vin Diesel looks like it shot up and shot down, meaning that it could have been a news story or a new movie coming out (don’t follow Vin’s movie releases). Clooney has made it, and while his fans would love it if he came out with a movie, I don’t think it would improve his monetary situation substantially to do it.

Comment by jgshort — September 17, 2009 @ 4:09 pm
Oh get real. George Clooney does just fine without Facebook and will continue to do so.

Comment by Liam — September 18, 2009 @ 5:07 am
Clooney's done quite well before and during Facebook's existence without giving it any attention, so maybe he's not as 'dumb' as you think. Really, get a sense of decorum about yourself and realize that Facebook isn't the beginning and end of all things, and a decision to not use it doesn't mark someone as dumb. Grow up.

Comment by Todd Sieling — September 18, 2009 @ 6:49 am
Good for him!

Comment by Ana — September 18, 2009 @ 8:09 am
I agree with the others on here. There is a rare, extremely high level of movie stardom in which the rare few who've achieved it actually AVOID certain types of marketing. Pushing an online presence has an aire of desperation to maintain one's fanbase, which in turn lends to an image of NEEDING to do so. Clooney is high above that to the level of classic movie stars.

Comment by Ally — September 18, 2009 @ 11:33 am
And? Does he need Facebook to market himself? Hardly. He's already got a strong presence in the real world. Marketing his causes (like Darfur) would be the only reason he has to use FB. In that case, he IS missing the boat. Otherwise, the world does not revolve around money. Sometimes, the quality of of one's life trumps cheesy money making schemes. Your blog seems to reflect this. Perhaps you should go back to blogging about eBay or maybe the wide, wonderful world of Infomercials. It seems to be more in your social class than Facebook.

Comment by Sayoko — September 20, 2009 @ 7:20 am
I agree with all these comments about Clooney not having to have FB. Why bother when he doesn't have to? Why waste time when unnecessary to? Clooney is smarter than you 'cause he's a big time even without facebook.

Comment by Brendan T. — September 20, 2009 @ 11:19 am
I doubt Clooney wants to waste his time when acting is what he loves to do and he can afford to do that all day long without having to focus anywhere else.

When you've got people lining up to use you in their movies, Facebook isn't going to get you anywhere you aren't already. For people like him, it's less an opportunity and more burning valuable time.

Comment by Joe R. — September 21, 2009 @ 7:17 am
Clooney has a sexy body, I love him…

Comment by Lee — September 26, 2009 @ 1:44 am
Hi, Clooney .
I think Clooney is the sexiest man in the world.He is a famous artist in Hollywood.So,His face is many girls love.

Comment by Lee — September 26, 2009 @ 1:48 am
He´s soo horrible! pleasee.. search for something better.. like I don´t know brad pitt or Lukas till

Comment by N — October 14, 2009 @ 1:33 pm

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Clooney's statement was surprisingly naieve from a man considered one of Hollywood's Power Players. I can't believe he doesn't have his own 'Internet Guy'

Comment by Rob Bell — September 17, 2009 @ 7:54 am

Well, Mr. Clooney is indeed missing a great opportunity here. For example if he had a fb page he could publish many more, um, interesting photos like this one there.

Comment by Cremolosa — September 17, 2009 @ 7:56 am

Perhaps there is something to be said for the talent-to-publicity ratio in this equation. Granted, there are few less talented than Vin Diesel, but to applaud him for whoring himself? Please.

Comment by Wooden U. Lykteneau — September 17, 2009 @ 8:17 am

Most major actors and their reps don't see nor understand the value of the Internet. Hollywood, which is always first to tout themselves as ahead of the game, is in fact very outdated when it cones to PR. They simply don't understand that a blog is more widely seen than a magazine. That a YouTube video is watched more than most entertainment news show interviews. That Facebook, Myspace, and/or Twitter is not only an invaluable promotional tool but also just plain good PR. But guys lime Clooney don't need PR so the reason to do it then just becomes because it is quite simply a decent thing to do. It shows the people who pay your salary (the fans) that you appreciate their support, and their money. One of the first actors I saw do this a few years ago was Michelle Rodriguez, then as other celebs began to blog and communicate via social networking sites, her costar, Vin Diesel jumped into the game and took it to a whol new level. If you trace it back a few years Rodriguez (or whomever was responsible for the idea of her going online) was on the forefront of the "celebs online" craze but has since just been overshadowed by "bigger" names and/or attention seekers. In any effect very very few celeb appreciate the power of New Media. And it's quite sad both because of wha they're missing out on and more importantly because of what their fans are missing out on.

Comment by A.D. — September 17, 2009 @ 8:21 am

He's famous enough that he doesn't need to dabble around with facebook if he's not into it. That makes him genuine and perhaps smart – not dumb. Because hiring an 'internet guy' to make posts on your behalf is more stupid – people have a way of finding out and it can backfire.

Vin Diesel, really? He's gonna become more popular than Clooney because of his FB Page? Puhleaase.

Comment by Sid — September 17, 2009 @ 8:28 am

At the end of the day, what does it matter? Does George need to increase his Google searches? A B-list actor like Vin Diesel needs additional exposure in order to hype his name and be considered for future film projects that may currently be going to A-list actors. In that case, Facebook is an excellent opportunity to generate buzz and develop a following. If George had a major cause like Lance Armstrong, that would be another reason to be active on Facebook. But if George is not seeking to promote himself or a cause, is it a case of him not "getting it" or does he just not need to market himself?

Comment by Julie Senter — September 17, 2009 @ 8:35 am

Clooney has done quite well without Facebook. How much more famous can he get?

Comment by Bob Rhubart — September 17, 2009 @ 8:48 am

I'm missing something. Why does Clooney care if he's googled less? It would appear that his star status is a result of being a good actor and a *ahem* handsome individual. Vin Diesel doesn't have the same content value as Clooney, so he has to talk more in order to get a big following. Will his fans stay loyal to him once they realize there's no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? Perhaps; I'm not really a fan of twenty of the pages I've "fan-ed," but I never bother to "un-fan" them.

Also, the metrics can be deceiving; look at the type of fans and the quality of the product (e.g. the actor). I wonder if Clooney even WANTS to attract fans of Vin Diesel. They're two different types of actor!

Comment by Stephen Wade — September 17, 2009 @ 9:08 am

I guess online fame is not a metric of success for Clooney. You are right in saying that he is missing a huge opportunity because he has the ability to "mobilize" hundreds of thousands of fans. He could definitely use this to influence good causes or drive traffic to side projects / movies ala Ashton Kutcher (Katalyst Media, Spread and Blah Girls).

I do agree with Bob that you can only get marginally more famous at this point.

What exactly is Vin Diesel doing in terms of engagement? Is he actually writing the status updates? uploading photos? running contests? or what?

Comment by Joey Mucha — September 17, 2009 @ 9:25 am

Why would Clooney give a rats ass about his online presence? He's a multimillionaire, one of the most recognisable "stars" there is. Why would he spend his days catering to the whims of thousands of people when he doesn't have to, he has already made it!

Comment by John — September 17, 2009 @ 9:34 am

Clooney is an actor, not a internet star. Why should he change what he is, just because this internet thing is becoming populaur ? I'm sure he still gets enough offers to play in movies that he finds interesting and/or pay enough money. And I guess that's all he cares about. I would too, if I was such an actor like hime. So kudos to him, because he easily can ignore internet if he wants to and still be succesfull.

Comment by Timdc — September 17, 2009 @ 10:30 am

While I agree that Facebook is an effective marketing tool for many individuals and businesses, let’s get real here! Google searches and numbers of fans aren’t the only measurement of popularity or success. And judging from his comments, Clooney doesn’t WANT to engage with his “public.” Remember, social media is all about how often YOU want to be relevant.

Comment by Mariah — September 17, 2009 @ 12:11 pm

Wouldnt press releases like this one actually help increase the fanbase? People would fan him on facebook to tell him he’s a jackass.

Comment by Sarabjit 'sarb' Singh — September 17, 2009 @ 4:03 pm

I don’t know about this… I think those women in the video will probably go to see any movie he puts out facebook page or not. and the Vin Diesel looks like it shot up and shot down, meaning that it could have been a news story or a new movie coming out (don’t follow Vin’s movie releases). Clooney has made it, and while his fans would love it if he came out with a movie, I don’t think it would improve his monetary situation substantially to do it.

Comment by jgshort — September 17, 2009 @ 4:09 pm

Oh get real. George Clooney does just fine without Facebook and will continue to do so.

Comment by Liam — September 18, 2009 @ 5:07 am

Clooney's done quite well before and during Facebook's existence without giving it any attention, so maybe he's not as 'dumb' as you think. Really, get a sense of decorum about yourself and realize that Facebook isn't the beginning and end of all things, and a decision to not use it doesn't mark someone as dumb. Grow up.

Comment by Todd Sieling — September 18, 2009 @ 6:49 am

Good for him!

Comment by Ana — September 18, 2009 @ 8:09 am

I agree with the others on here. There is a rare, extremely high level of movie stardom in which the rare few who've achieved it actually AVOID certain types of marketing. Pushing an online presence has an aire of desperation to maintain one's fanbase, which in turn lends to an image of NEEDING to do so. Clooney is high above that to the level of classic movie stars.

Comment by Ally — September 18, 2009 @ 11:33 am

And? Does he need Facebook to market himself? Hardly. He's already got a strong presence in the real world. Marketing his causes (like Darfur) would be the only reason he has to use FB. In that case, he IS missing the boat. Otherwise, the world does not revolve around money. Sometimes, the quality of of one's life trumps cheesy money making schemes. Your blog seems to reflect this. Perhaps you should go back to blogging about eBay or maybe the wide, wonderful world of Infomercials. It seems to be more in your social class than Facebook.

Comment by Sayoko — September 20, 2009 @ 7:20 am

I agree with all these comments about Clooney not having to have FB. Why bother when he doesn't have to? Why waste time when unnecessary to? Clooney is smarter than you 'cause he's a big time even without facebook.

Comment by Brendan T. — September 20, 2009 @ 11:19 am

I doubt Clooney wants to waste his time when acting is what he loves to do and he can afford to do that all day long without having to focus anywhere else.

When you've got people lining up to use you in their movies, Facebook isn't going to get you anywhere you aren't already. For people like him, it's less an opportunity and more burning valuable time.

Comment by Joe R. — September 21, 2009 @ 7:17 am

Clooney has a sexy body, I love him…

Comment by Lee — September 26, 2009 @ 1:44 am

Hi, Clooney .
I think Clooney is the sexiest man in the world.He is a famous artist in Hollywood.So,His face is many girls love.

Comment by Lee — September 26, 2009 @ 1:48 am

He´s soo horrible! pleasee.. search for something better.. like I don´t know brad pitt or Lukas till

Comment by N — October 14, 2009 @ 1:33 pm

World’s Sexiest Man Is Also One Of The Dumbest Marketers

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