ManilaIn this entertainment-crazed town, the hottest draw of the moment is not the latest TV soap or Holywood blockbuster. It's 'The Talented Mr. Montano' (http://delfindjmontano.blogspot.com), the personal blog of one Brian Gorrell, an Australian who once had a Filipino boyfriend named DJ Montano.
Brian started the blog as a way of shaming socialite DJ into paying him the $70,000 that DJ conned out of him during their relationship. The blog has all the requisite elements for a compelling read: tales of sex, drug use, violence and social climbing. The blog has literally been an overnight wonder, generating 70,000 unique views just 5 days after it was started (and the numbers have continued to grow). It has viewers from all over the world, of different nationalities and has generated coverage by the mainstream media as well.
Juice stories aside, what has been interesting about this blog is the tremendous empathy that Brian has received from thousands of faceless stangers. Even without them knowing the full score, they assume that Brian is indeed the victim. Some have even started a Paypal account to take donations to help fund Brian's crusade. Brian's raw honesty appears to be working well for him in this case.
Opportunity: Being honest and transparent is a powerful source of respect. As they explore the digital world, brands need to be prepared to lose some control and tell the truth about themselves, unpleasant as it may sometimes be.
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