I just read an interesting rumor on a forum:

Olsenpapworld.proboards34.com

"y r bookstores pulling mk n ash books OUT"

Here's what I think:

Maybe...

It could be true. But it could be just an isolated incident taken out of context. Who knows why they were taking them off the shelves? Maybe to move them to a new location? Maybe replace them with updated versions?

How many book stores are removing the books? There must be tens of thousands of book stores in the United States. One or two is insignificant. How many added Olsen books?

...Not

More likely it's another unsubstantiated rumor or URBAN LEGEND that floods the internet daily. Remember the false rumors about Mary-Kate on drugs? Very damaging, hurtful, and guess what? -- not true. Here's another example:

Computerworld.com

Lies, damn lies and the Internet

Internet misinformation takes many forms: reckless Usenet flames, rogue Web sites and parodies, outright fraud and, of course, urban legends, the rumors that refuse to die. Urban legends existed long before the Internet, as anybody who ever sat around a campfire bull session can attest. But there are tens of millions of people around this particular fire, and too many of them are as gullible as a kid at camp. Tommy Hilfiger Corp. was burned recently. The publicly traded clothing manufacturer, which reported $662 million in revenue for fiscal 1997, was the victim of an Internet fable that spread like wildfire.

The way the rumor went, designer Hilfiger appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show and made racist comments about several groups, after which he was tossed off the set by Winfrey. (As all urban legends do, this one mutated; as it circled the globe, Hilfiger's comments were alleged to have been made on several other television shows.) The rumor dates back to at least late last year, but once it hit Usenet this spring, it took off. It appeared in many newsgroups, including alt.rap, rec.music.hip-hop and soc.culture.filipino, usually accompanied by a call to boycott the designer.

The rumor was utterly false. Hilfiger has never appeared on or taped an episode of Winfrey's show. But the legend spread so rapidly and generated so much controversy among customers and potential customers that New York-based Hilfiger was compelled to respond on the 'net.

The Sky is Falling!

You might infer from that forum post that the Olsen brand is losing it's popularity. But according to official sources at DualStar all Mary-Kate and Ashley brands are doing well:

Msnbc.msn.com

Pagnotta said the Mary-Kate and Ashley retail goods brand remains strong. “Things are going forward there, and all of their retail partners, all of their business associates have really stood by them,” he said. “Not one has been lost in this whole process.”

The only acknowledged exception is their video games unit which was the fault of the developer, Acclaim, who by the way has filed for bankruptcy. They will be replaced by the new games channel that will come online in early 2005 on their new online fan club. They even plan to resurrect their magazine soon.

Massive Hits

Is the number of visitors you get on your web site is any indication of popularity? Their official web site is the still the most popular teen destination website in the world:

Twincities.com

The new product will be promoted on the existing www.mary-kateandashley.com site, where fans will be directed to a members-only gateway. The original site has received more than 12 million unique visitors so far this year, a more than 38 percent increase from the same period last year.

Still Taking over the World

They're still in the process of expanding all their brands worldwide as we speak and according to reports will be accelerating that expansion in 2005 and beyond:

Fortwayne.com

About 15 percent of gross revenues comes from sales overseas; by 2006, that figure should reach from 30 percent to 40 percent.

Conclusion

Don't believe everything you read. The next time it may be about you.

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