Hiring the Internet

Back in June, Firefox 3.0 got some free publicity on its release date because Jonathan Zittrain mentioned it during his interview on the show, The Colbert Report. Zittrain is a professor and a researcher of the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard Law School, which investigates Internet policies. His new book, The Future of the Internet and How to Stop It, focuses on what Zittrain believes to be disturbing web trends that threaten future innovation on the Internet.

During his interview with Stephen Colbert, Zittrain discussed the danger of computers downloading malicious coding from the web. And the following exchange occurred:

Zittrain: If you visit the wrong website with the wrong browser, that could be it.

Colbert: What’s the right browser?

Zittrain: Well, Firefox 3 was just released today…

(Watch the intriguing interview here.)

Colbert then mentioned that Firefox 3 has gotten the “Colbert Bump.” For those unacquainted with the show, the Colbert Bump is not a medical condition with an unsightly rash, but a supposed phenomenon when an endorsement or appearance on The Colbert Report results in a boost of popularity.

And did the positive reference bode well for Firefox 3? Mozilla answers with a resounding “Yes!”

Wow! Amazing evidence that the Colbert Bump works! It’s also an interesting confirmation that many users (at least the more web-obsessed, savvier ones) do often sit in front of their computers, perhaps even with their browsers open, while engaging in other activities such as watching television.

The Colbert Report, by the way, is another television show that does heavy online marketing dedicated to a primarily younger demographic. Like The Office, it has a fake website and a very robust social networking campaign, including multiple Facebook applications.

No wonder Mr. Colbert seems to know a thing or two about online marketing.

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