Keeping tabs on big business

In 1999, with Y2K mania in full buzz, I told a friend about a theory I had: that in 10-15 years (2009-2014), the economic landscape in the U.S. would be dominated by only five to ten huge companies. These megaconglomerates would have their tentacles in just about everything we buy or consume -- food, finance, entertainment, media, you name it. My friend thought I was high. At the time he was probably right. But the buzz has worn off and guess what? These days it's all about the big-box retailers, acquisitions, multinationals, lowered trade barriers, off-shoring, privitization, wildly out-of-control-executive compensation, etc.

I'm not an expert on such things. Not by a long shot. Fortunately, I know someone who is and his blog, Oligopoly Watch, provides a terrific primer on the subject. It covers the moves in several industries, from beer to pharmaceuticals and beyond -- including many non-recreational products. Healthcare, energy, banking, defense ... the site really does help to, as its author intends, "make sense of the business pages in the newspaper." Presumably, that's the online version of the newspaper now owned by one of only three or four publishing giants still standing.

Don't get me wrong. The site doesn't rail against big companies. Indeed it takes a fair, balanced approach to a business strategy that's not inherently evil nor particularly new (although in the era of weakened antitrust legislation it sometimes appears accelerated).

No matter what your perspective, the site provides an eye-opening look at the connections we rarely if ever consider when it comes to everyday purchases. It also helps readers flesh out the bigger picture and see the impact such connections and corporate policies can have on the U.S. and global economy. Highly recommended.

Hunter Boyle's First Blogger.com Post Ever

Yes, that first post on a new blog is a truly special thing. I'll level with you (or me, since there's not a soul reading this I'm sure) -- I don't know how long this blog is going to live. Now that I'm about to leave the Internet Marketing Report Steal These Ideas Blog, I thought I'd test out a few other hosts besides TypePad and see how I like them.

This is also a test case for redesigning my own woefully outdated site -- Hunter Boyle Creative Communications -- to see if replacing it whole-hog with a blog makes sense.

Finally, I'm interested in seeing how well this idea works as its own marketing initiative: What will it take to get search results? How much more spam will flow into my inbox -- and how quickly? I have been writing the Internet Marketing Report Steal These Ideas Blog since January and much of the traffic has been driven by the Marketing Update ezine up to now. So how long will it take to get one off the ground with few traffic-driving ancillaries?

(In case you were wondering, this isn't a transparent ploy to just promote my own site -- Hunter Boyle Creative Communications -- even though I can see why you'd think that. Nothing like a brand-new blog to make you feel like you're talking to nobody but yourself, yeah?)