Has Charlie Taken the Sheen Off of Twitter?

Charlie Sheen has become a one man, always on, global media platform. From television to radio to newspapers and magazines to online, Sheen has become a constant presence in the media. Are we watching the mental breakdown of a talented actor before our eyes? Or are we witnessing a clever self promoter set himself up for his next entertainment venture? Either way, what is indisputable is the fact that Sheen's media mayhem has been fueled by social media:

• Sheen drove over 1million twitter followers in 25 hours
• Sheen outpaced Apple's new iPad, Lady Gaga, President Obama and Sarah Palin in social media ranking over the last 3 months
• 74,000 people applied to be Sheen's social media intern, within 48 hours

#winning, #tigerblood indeed. So what do Sheen's numbers teach us about social media platforms like Twitter? Some are suggesting that Sheen has shown Twitter has more in common with traditional news media than initially thought. Anything to drive more viewers and the more sensational the better. Given that Sheen is also working with the celebrity endorsement social media company, Ad.Ly some argue that Sheen is demonstrating the revenue potential of Twitter as a marketing platform. There is clear evidence that Twitter has benefited from their association with Sheen. CNBC estimates that Sheen's impact has increased the value of Twitter by over 30%.

Regardless of what you think of Charlie Sheen or his antics, the impact of social media in his crusade is amazing. He built a large owned audience, in real time, in scale, with a self-published unedited narrative. My sense is that like the Pet Rock "Charlie the media platform" will have a short shelf life. A friend of mine suggested that the sure sign that Charlie has jumped the shark is interest from Mark Cuban in creating a show with him. Perhaps the circus will move on but the impact of social media will continue.,