It's on your screen.
Steven Colbert is the Greatest Living American. Or at least, he was for a while. For 19 days, Colbert's fans made him the top-ranked result on Google for Greatest Living American. This stunt won him the Webby award for "Person of the Year."
This isn't Colbert's first Internet stunt. He once nearly broke Wikipedia with his talk of African Elephants, spawning his own version of the site. Starting as a spin-off to the popular Daily Show, the Colbert Report has become a sensation of its own. Colbert has become a major figure in American news, entertainment, and politics. He has been to Fox News. He has battled with NBC's Stone Phillips, twice. He has been a keynote speaker at the White House Correspondents' Dinner. His portrait crowded the Portrait Museum in Washington so much, it caused a fire hazard. Marvel Comics gave him Captain America's shield.
This blog is about the business of the Internet, and it's fitting that my last entry is on Colbert. Colbert has figured out how to use the Internet more efficiently than any one else in news and entertainment could dream of. He has entered into Merriam-Webster's dictionary. He has more fans on Facebook than Obama or Hillary. His broken wrist ended up making $171,000.
Look at the #1 result on Google Images for Greatest Living American:
I can't say I know exactly how he does it. If I did, I'd be doing it. What I do know is, he's doing it right, and we need to learn from him.