• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, November 8, 2010

Your opinion of media matters in this diverse world. But what if some enterprising media company -- say a TV company -- decided to start charging you to give your opinions on their digital areas? Want to tell other consumers that "Lone Star" sucks or that "Hawaii 5-0" is better than a luau? That'll cost you.

Sounds crazy, doesn't it? Yet, a new magazine -- aptly named Snob -- does just that. The culturally focused magazine looking for "Global Russians" as readers is the brainchild of Mikhail Prokhorov, the guy who recently bought the NBA's New Jersey Nets.

Charging its readers for their opinions on its social networking areas seems more of a marketing stunt. The conceit being if you are rich enough, secure enough, and daring enough, you'll want to join this party.

Oh yeah, you'd better dress the part. Just as Advertising Agereports, charging for social comments at Snob sounds like the strategy of having a "bouncer" at a club.

Snob executives say its brand is actually "a social network that has a website, that has a magazine." Of course, it sells print and display advertising on its website and magazine, respectively. It also helps tgat Prokhorov is a billionaire, with the ability to experiment and hang around for the long haul.

Stretch your marketing imagination -- just for a bit.

Imagine if NBC, ABC, CBS, Fox, the CW, cable networks, or TV stations would take the same general brand position as Snob: That is, don't reach for everyone. Dismiss the old rules of "broadcasting." Go in the other direction: "Hey, if you are daring enough, join us" or "We are not for everyone."

Marketing sometimes comes down to keeping the coolness of the party -- as well as the content - somewhat limited. Media absence makes the heart grow fonder.

Will that make viewers/consumers want certain shows/networks more? In some regards, HBO and Showtime work like this-- only getting to a third or a quarter of U.S. TV consumers.

It's doubtful TV networks are looking to drive anyone away -- especially these days when there are so many alternatives. A mere suggestion of having your website going behind a pay wall, or imposing other restrictions, can give media executives whiplash.

Yet major TV networks talk about the "value" of their programming -- which many are not getting from their current digital TV platforms. If their content is as valuable as they say, maybe they need to find other ways of enforcing this message -- not just with their business partners, but with consumers as well.