Neil:Â So, what do you think?
J:Â I, uh, like the idea.
Neil: Â You don’t like it. I can hear it in your voice.
J: Â Â No, it is a clever idea. It might even work.
Neil: Â So, what’s the problem?
J: Â Â I’m just not sure it’s the WAY I visualized you coming back. I thought it would be more romantic.
Neil: Â This IS romantic. This is 21st Century romance!
J: Â Maybe I’m old-fashioned, but is it really THAT romantic if Air New Zealand only sends you back because you promised to put their hashtags on your Instagram photos?
Neil:  We’re not just offering them hashtags on Instagram.  We’re offering them Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.  We’re offering them to be part of a real life love story. Imagine the campaign “New Zealand is for Lovers!”
J: Â Â I think the State of Virginia already has that one copyrighted.
Neil: Â How about, “When in Love, Fly Kiwi!”
J: Â Â Yeah, but the name of the airline is Air New Zealand, not Kiwi.”
Neil: Â I’m sure they’ll figure it out. They have a big marketing department.
J: Â Â So, let me understand it — you want us to email Air New Zealand and offer them that we we will hashtag everything we do while we travel around the South Island if only they sponsor it?
Neil: Â Well, we have to offer them more than that. Â We need to tell them that we will convince all of our readers that THEY should come to New Zealand and find love THEMSELVES — while flying Air New Zealand, of course — the airline of Romance.
J: Â But what does this have to do about us?
Neil: Â This is all about us!
J: Â It makes me feel as if you are only coming back to see me if you get a free ticket.
Neil: Â Â A ticket is $2000!
J: Â Well, I suppose this IS who you are. Â I think the first post I ever read of yours was about you taking Sophia out to dinner to the Olive Garden, using a coupon.
Neil: Â That’s being frugal.
J:   Maybe I’m just worried about what happens if this plan falls through?  Will you still come back to see me as soon as possible?
Neil: Â Â Of course I will. Â Soon. Â But maybe not as soon as if we were sponsored by Air New Zealand.
J: Â That’s not a very romantic thing to say. Â Imagine telling your blog readers that’s how you feel. Â They all peg you as super sweet.
Neil: Â Screw them. Â And, believe me, Â they LOVE to get free stuff. Â You should see them pushing each other and grabbing things at BlogHer.
J: Â But imagine this is one of your screenplays. Wouldn’t you want the hero of the story to return to his love interest, no matter what, even if he was so poor that he couldn’t afford a ticket? Wouldn’t he find a way, legal or illegal, Â because if he didn’t see her soon, he would die from heartbreak?
Neil: Â Exactly, that’s how I feel! Â If this was a screenplay, the clever hero — a George Clooney type — would come up with this amazing social media campaign, and get an airline to sponsor him to see her again! Happy ending!
J: Â And then what — at the very end of the movie, one of the pilots would do the wedding ceremony at the airport terminal?
Neil: Â Â That’s not a bad idea. Let’s put that down.
J: Â Â I don’t like this idea. Â It’s like exploiting our relationship. Â Not everything has to be sold through “social media.” Â I’d rather you were so desperate to come here, that you became a stowaway on a ocean liner.
Neil: Â Â Sure, I would rather do that too. Â But do you know how difficult it is to be a stowaway on an ocean liner nowadays? It just doesn’t happen anymore. They have security, and besides, I don’t like cruising. Too much food.
J: Â OK, write to Air New Zealand. Â Let’s see what happens. Â I’m just happy you want to see me again. Â Do you want me to help you write the letter? Â I used to work in marketing.
Neil: Â Â Sure. But I’m not ready yet for that. Â First, I need to get myself prepared. I read a tutorial on pitching to a brand, and there are a number of steps involved. I have to create a media kit, gather my daily page views on my blog from Google Analytics and Quantcast, chart my daily influence on Twitter, create a Facebook page, map out my Facebook statistics in order to show reader engagement, and lastly, convince all of my friends to give me a +New Zealand on Klout to cement my role as a leadership role on this subject in my community.
J: Â That sounds like a pain in the ass. Are you sure it’s worth all that trouble just for trip to New Zealand?
Neil: Â Â Hmm, maybe you’re right. Let me go to the Princess Cruises forum and research “How to Become a Stowaway.”