Go Go Gadget Netflix

Netflix is contunuing to defend their holding in the marketplace against Blockbuster and cheap downloads with the announcement of a new device - a set-top box through which movies can be streamed from your online Netflix account conveniently to your TV. There seem to be a few bugs left to work out, and it isn't technically "free" (box plus you need to maintain an online account with netflix), but it certainly expands access for those die-hard movie buffs.

Good for netflix, bad for USPS? Any Netflix loyals out there?

Should YouTubers Heed this Advice?

Found today on the YouTube.com homepage. Take it as you will--for entertainment purposes or solid guidance on how to successfully maintain your posted videos.

He does make a COUPLE valid points, but I won't spoil it...Have a watch.

and would you like to scan your iphone, sir?

Interesting piece at Mashable about a service that allows barcodes to be read by mobile devices. It's called Scanlife, and it has lots of potential as a seriously cool way for brands to capture data and promote special offers.

Although grandma will still want to clip coupons for the foreseeable future, this is where the future of retail promotions is going.

Brand Resuscitation

The New York Times reports that a company called River West in Chicago has begun quietly buying up brand names of once beloved products. Names like Brim ("fill it to the rim with Brim!"), Underalls, and Quisp cereal are starting to make a come back on a store shelf near you. 

This strategy is based on the insight that just because a $40BB company like Unilever or Anheuser-Busch can't sustain a smaller brand like Nuprin or Eagle Snacks doesn't mean that there isn.t still lingering brand equity in the market place that can be tapped to create a resuscitated brand presence. 

In fact, River West did research that showed, for instance, that Brim coffee still has over 90% aided awareness in the market despite being off shelves for over a decade.

Get more from mobile marketing - DMNews

Interesting article on Mobile applications featured in DM News from the perspective of a few thoguht leaders in the space (ShopLocal, StudioCom, Store Xperience, Slifter)

Get more from mobile marketing - DMNews

Walk the Talk

Interesting Ad Week article on Mobile Word of Mouth featuring Google Android open source platform which will open up to developers to create a variety new applications.

Walk the Talk

NY1: Technology

NY1: Technology

There are some relatively-new high-tech tools available that combine shopping online with shopping offline that could have cut down on the amount of time you spent waiting in line this past holiday season.

Grocery Retailers rethink merchandising

Everyone knows that when you go to the grocery store, the bread in on the left, the produce is on the right, the meat is in the back, and you are going to do a loop in one direction or another, with occasional forays into the center for essential items like cereal. The best a CPG marketer can hope for is an end-aisle display to have their product featured within the perimeter "racetrack" itself.

Piggly wiggly has opened up an experimental format in Myrtle Beach, SC that takes that standard approach and turns it inside out, organizing products in what they claim is a more logical pattern. This includes things like placing the cereal next to the milk and putting frozen corn near fresh corn.

Will it work, or will it confuse the hell out of people who have been shopping grocery the same way for decades? Only time will tell.

Digital Carding

In the UK, 10% of kids age 12-15 admit to buying their own alcoholic beverages at a shop. This rising trend has led one chain to test out facial recognition software that will indicate if a buyer seems to have the facial characteristics of someone old enough to be buying alcohol. Is this a trend we can imagine coming to the US anytime soon? Beyond the privacy issues, there is a legal question as to the validity of this type of random criteria mapping. 

It does however demonstrate how digital tools are coming to the retail environment in ways that help the store owner, and sometimes, the customer.

Coming Soon: A Web-Wide Social Network?

"NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- Three announcements, all within a week of each other, were indicative of the same trend: that the future of online social networking doesn't live within a single entity's walls but instead permeates the web. "

http://adage.com/digital/article?article_id=127012

Cooler than Google Earth?

It looks like Microsoft has finally created a content feature that out googles google in terms of aggregating and displaying massive information in a totally compelling interface. It's the WorldWide Telescope project, found here.

This interface promises to have aggregated the photographic artifacts from both the Hubble and the best of land-based telescope-captured photograhy. As Microsoft puts it on the WWT site, " bringing together imagery from the best ground and space-based telescopes in the world for a seamless exploration of the universe."

Like Google Earth, Microsoft has created a 3 dimensional environment that allows users to explore in three dimensions the universe around us. The only problem is that you need a very advanced computer to view it, my MacBook Pro just isn't up to the task (ideally viewed on a PC with Vista, a .net framework installed, etc, etc, blah blah blah). At least give Google credit for making the old Keyhole technology both browser and OS agnostic. I'm sure MS will get there eventually, but I can't believe they think that this will sell more copies of Vista.

Assuming you don't have a .net framework on your computer, there is a pretty good overview here, showcasing it's introduction at TED earlier this year.

Are Diamonds Better Than an iPhone

Will the new HTC Touch Diamond Phone be the iphone killer.

Launching in europe and then us.

http://www.unwiredview.com/2008/04/15/htc-diamond-touch-and-dream-android-to-be-unveiled-may-6/

And now for a laugh. (Facebook in real life)

If you thought that last posting was a downer, then watch this for a chuckle. It's humor is based entirely in truth, which is... Hey isn't that a saying?

MySpace Humiliated Me

To quote from HHH's entry on Monday, "I've been violated." I never did work up the courage to share my experience with you all. In a rage of boredom (can boredom really be raging?), I joined MySpace a year ago. I had already been a member of Facebook for three years, starting back in the day when it was exclusively for college students. Somehow, it just wasn't enough. I wanted more. Knowing full well I'd feel creepy and full of regret, I joined MySpace.

MySpace was tolerable for the few months I had it, but I got bored quickly. Bulletins were abused by certain friends of mine who solicited useless junk, friend requests from swingers in Idaho kept flying in (it felt dirty), top friends got jealous if they got demoted in rank. My lunch hours would consist of filling out useless survey bulletin posts with no relevance to life. At one point, I threw my hands up and purged my top friends' list. Among my top four friends were politicians, singers and maybe a few bigots just to show how ridiculous the notion was. I couldn't take it.

Over the course of my membership, my account got "phished" three times. The first two times, it was harmless but annoying, nonetheless. The third time, I had to find out through a group of people at work. I quote, "WHAT was that naked video you posted on my comment space?" WHAT!? OH MY GOD. I was mortified. And THAT...was when my scandalous, unwilling affair with MySpace ENDED. There's no looking back; we're done.

While Facebook's security has become a little looser these days in the vast social orb, I can still say that it's 100 times safer than MySpace.

So, without further adieu, I close with some MySpace etiquette.

Bluetooth Marketing

What a great Bluetooth campaign.
-mags

http://www.cscout.com/blog/2008/05/06/trend-bluetooth-marketing.html

.................
Sent from my iPhone

The mentos Kiss-Cam
Need a kiss? I like this experience a lot, except for the webcam-connection which made me wonder 'what are they doing with my image here'. I wonder if others feel the same way?

Other than that it's a fun use of video online. It has a touch of interactivity built into the video too, Not bad! (Nice talent selection too)

Have we no manners??

I've been violated. Or, at least that is how I see it with my latest run-in on FB. All along, my biggest concern about joining FB was the privacy, or lack thereof. After much persuasion, I ventured into social media-land regardless and to my surprise it's been amazing - just in the number of old friends I have been able to reconnect with. That is until today.

Today, I opened my inbox to a rash of messages from friends demanding to know who the hell "So and So" was, because this person had invited god knows how many of my friends to be his friends. 99.9% of these he has never met, knows not how I know them nor how they came to be my FB friends and his perception was that this is acceptable FB behavior. Now, I am sure we have all gotten the completely random FB friend request, and we accept it or ignore it, and it's no big deal. But suddenly, when one of your own friends does it, and it results in an influx of messages into your inbox, it is a completely different story. It's the online version of a party crasher, and I did not react well.

So, in an effort to determine whether or not my reaction was completely irrational, and whether I should block him and go hide my head in the sand after sending a note of apology to all my friends, I googled "Facebook Etiquette". We should all take note with this quick refresher on proper behaviour on FB, and use these Top 10 as our "Facebook Mantra":

1. One should NOT friend another with whom they have no association with, that is without a proper introduction. You don't want to be the creepy dude on FB, do you?? Oh, and for those of you who are still single, it is recommended that you wait 2 days before friending someone you hooked up with.

2. If you must "Poke", do so with moderation and caution.

3. In conversations with fellow FB members, be careful not to let on that you know everything about them, even if they have plastered their page with gory details about thier latest breakup or conquest. Stalk secretly all you want, but in conversation do respect some level of (dare I say) privacy, otherwise you are right back in the "creepy" category.

4. Keep a clean profile page - avoid abusive posted items, notes, information or wall posts. And post pictures that include clothing - lack thereof is just wrong, no matter how you slice it.

5. Treat FB friends with respect - respect their views, even if they are of lesser quality or you perceive them to be wrong.

6. RSVP'd event attendance must be respected and upheld.

7. Tell the truth. (this is worth multiple mentions)

8. Be gentle and patient with non-savvy FB users (like the elderly and small animals).

9. Help friends who seem to be in distress - reach out to them, share the love.

10. Lastly, FB is not an acceptable replacement for socializing offline. Make time for your friends outside FB.

Domo Arigato, Rocky Roboto!

Meet Rocky, the doppelganger "robo-squirrel" residing on the lush, green campus of Hampshire College. Rocky's mission: to help observe animal (group interaction, individual behavior and patterns) behavior in a more "natural" fashion, as opposed to laboratory testing. The technology inside Rocky, who's a few years old, is constantly being updated.

Rocky's anatomy: a basic computer and speakers that mimic various squirrel calls. And yes, he can even discreetly connect to laptops!

"One recent afternoon...[they] brought Rocky out for field testing and placed him near real squirrels. Mounted on a board, he was shielded by a camouflage hood and a long cord connected him to the researchers' laptop.

After the computer's program flipped the hood open, Rocky went into a sequence of tail-flagging, barking and other motions squirrels recognize as warnings of danger.

The most successful experiments are when the real squirrels respond by 'flagging' their own tail, halting their foraging to check for danger, scamper up a tree or take other actions that show they picked up on the signals..."

Of course, optimal results can only be achieved if the actual species being tested is reasonably capable and intelligent. (Also, the smaller the easier when it comes to mimicking body language and signals.) Among other animals/reptiles/critters tested are lizards, wild parrots, sage grouses and even sea slugs!

Thoughts? Could this potentially be pulled off with some small dog breeds? And please, let's not call the robo-Chihuahua "Tinkerbelle."

Never too Late to Change...

Can you guess what this is a picture of?

Hint: Its really thin and really cool and may get me off a PC once and for all!

Whats a CTO?

A Chief Twitter Office, OMG, RME TISNF someone really landed this job at Comcast. Read on Twitterheads...

http://blogs.mediapost.com/social_media_insider/?p=13

Nifty Laser-Guided Wheelchair

This chair's computerized laser power says it all. Will the FDA hurry up and approve it already!?



http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/30/researchers-show-off-laser-guided-wheelchair-that-docks-with-veh/

Newsflash: people dig social media

Universal McCann has released some interesting survey statistics on social media. Use is up. People are even starting to understand that whole RSS thing.

- 83% watch video clips, up from 62% in the last study in June 2007
- 78% read blogs, up from 66%
- 57% of internet users are now members of a social network
- RSS consumption is growing rapidly up from 15% to 39%
- Podcasts are now mainstream digital content, listened to by 48%

More proof that social media isn't just a passing trend or blip on the radar. That doesn't mean that brands should scramble desperately to make use of these mediums. Relax, think and come up with compelling - not forced - ideas. There's nothing worse than a social media campaign made for the sake of being a social media campaign. Just because it's new and burgeoning doesn't mean it is immune from quality control.

Above we find the 13-million-view sneezing panda from YouTube, because a chart or graph would've be kinda boring.

Mobile Technology Meets Retail

An interesting, quick read featuring a sneak peak into the future highlighting patent development that will allow consumers to use their cell phones to pay for groceries.

This will open up a ton of targeting/programming options.

http://storefrontbacktalk.com/story/040308mobilepatent

Ecco, cool site.

I came across this site for Ecco shoes and aside from the long-ish load time, it's pretty sweet little site.

The way motion brought to life through the rotating ground is a nice, it's a different approach. Not to mention all the little things happening in the background. Also, I really like the deeper dive into shoes which shows how the shoe looks while walking. Nice Job.

http://eccoworld.ecco.com.pl/

MySpace: karaoke

If you're into Karaoke, this might be the new place for you. MySpace is launching karaoke. Now, i'm not a big Karaoke fan. (for some reason my voice is much better when singing in the car)

Check out the full article here at Yahoo.

Starbucks, you're breaking our hearts

It's nothing new that Starbucks has been experiencing declines in in-store traffic as of late. So, they've cut back on their projections for '08, shortly after promising to deliver a better web experience.

This coffee joint was never really known for providing the utmost in online user experience, despite priding itself on being one of the first means of social networking. As one source confirms, they've wasted potential and opportunity: "Starbucks had mastered social networking long before MySpace, Facebook and YouTube had any prominence. And yet, Starbucks focused almost exclusively on stores, dismissing the Web as a place to sell coffee beans, grinders and maybe some jazz CDs."

Ah, yes. It's also a Wi-Fi zone. Big deal. So are ten thousand other places that reek of coffee. Come on, Starbucks- make us web-savvy caffeine lovers proud. (I'll give them this: they have mentioned implementing a strong CRM platform, but where are the results?)

It seems the best they can do is, more or less, a weak hybrid between a "network" and online suggestion box:

"The Starbucks Experience grows, in part, from the unique combination of a shared passion for coffee and the exchange of great ideas. For years, Starbucks stores have served as the center of vibrant communities, welcoming customers and encouraging creativity and dialogue. Starbucks today announced the extension of that community beyond the doors of its stores with the launch of MyStarbucksIdea.com."

They're doing this to become even richer, essentially. Although profit makes the world go 'round, they're missing the point. Social networking is about appealing to people of the world...Just trust us on this one, Starbucks.

Making Print Interactive

We've been reading about QR Codes, SMS codes, and other ways to make interactive calls-to-action a working part of print media. The latest example comes from today's NY Times, which describes a program being tested by Rolling Stone and Jan Wenner to increase the value of print advertising in their magazine. 

In this case, you take a picture of various ads with your cell phone and email it in, and a photo recognition service (SnapTell, check them out here) translates what you've sent and forwards you more information.

This is a great idea that I wold have assumed would need QR codes to make it work. This service does not use QR codes. If the photo recognition software the Snaptell is using is powerful enough, it could do away with the need for QR codes or SMS short codes to add customized CTAs to print, OOH and packaging, and really accelerate the use of user-captured imagery to drive dialog between consumers and brands.

Logo Gone Bad.

"It cost £14,000 to create, but clearly no-one at the smart London design outfit that came up with the new logo for HM Treasury thought to turn it on its side...."

This is too funny.
A logo gone terribly wrong indeed, see the full article.

Limitless Paper in a Paperless World

A clip from The Office. The Dunder Mifflin Paper Company commercial premiere. All paper commercials should be this creative.

Take it From the Googleys

An example of the power of simple, straightforward approaches to really good design. The ten design principles that make Google googley:

1. Focus on people—their lives, their work, their dreams.

2. Every millisecond counts.

3. Simplicity is powerful.

4. Engage beginners and attract experts.

5. Dare to innovate.

6. Design for the world.

7. Plan for today's and tomorrow's business.

8. Delight the eye without distracting the mind.

9. Be worthy of people's trust.

10. Add a human touch.

And, in case there was any doubt, take a philosophy lesson from the team.

More of the Circuit

Ok, it's official, i'm a fan, be sure to stick around for the "Dell Dude" interview, it's great.
Definitely also checkout their HD player at http://thecircuit.mojohd.com

Internet Speak in Essays? IDK! Common Sense?

Perhaps we shouldn't ROFLMAO about this one, because it's kind of sad. (Or can we!?) As of late, teachers are finding emoticons and acronyms, popular in instant messaging and emails, seeping their way into classroom assignments. The line between formal and informal writing is beginning to appear a bit hazy to a quarter of the teens surveyed in the study.

This issue allows for more forceful lesson-planning going forward. One research specialist declares, "It's a teachable moment...If you find that in a child's or student's writing, that's an opportunity to address the differences between formal and informal writing. They learn to make the distinction ... just as they learn not to use slang terms in formal writing."

What I see here is a lack of common sense. According to the laws of grammar, every sentence begins with a capital letter. Every sentence ends with a period. :-) is not a word, and esoteric (well, to some) acronyms are out of place in formal classroom assignments. Why can't this concept be grasped and applied accordingly? Some get it, some don't. And it seems the rest...just feign ignorance or give into laziness.

Thoughts?

Noise to the Ears: When Enough is Enough

Several posts ago, we were on the topic of ...noise. While London's use of LED decibel meters for up-to-the-minute noise monitoring may be brilliant, the Mosquito by Santel is a stretch. And now, it's causing uproar. (As a side note, it was sold under the North American company name "Kids Be Gone".)

Essentially, it's a device to ward off teens and those in their early 20's from places they shouldn't be loitering. How? By giving off high-pitched (that's an understatement), ear-damaging (another understatement) frequency waves similar to, "fingernails dragged across a chalkboard or a pesky mosquito buzzing in your ear." Come on, now. No one can argue that ear drums should not be tampered with to this extent. Not only that, but it's just a poor way of dealing with annoying teens.

While some areas admit that the Mosquito does its job in irritating teens to the point of shoo-ing them away, other cities have banned it or are in the process. As predicted, it's becoming a huge invasion of private property, echoing its way into sidewalks and apartment complexes.

And I couldn't agree more....

"There is a significant problem with giving people a tool like this and empowering the public to take over the tasks of law enforcement...It can certainly be used in a way that's inappropriate, and without a doubt, it will be."

simple is good

No high budget, 3d-rendered, overly scripted, supermodel-laden campaigning necessary.

Just a sharpie and some imagination.

After seeing just how bad pharma advertising can be, this Zyrtec street campaign is quite refreshing.

Keep the banana hammock away from the banana stand

Very summer. Very European. Very funny.

South Korea's iPhone "Contender"...or is It?

Presenting my technological finding from last week's trip to Seoul, SK!

The 3-inch touchscreen LG LH2300 launched late March, and became readily available in the Korean market early this month. If it makes its way stateside, will it outperform the capabilities of our beloved iPhone?

As the article states, some of its primary features are:

-800×480 pixel widescreen resolution

-direct access to main internet portals

-3MP camera (auto-focus, face recognition, anti-shake)

-digital T.V.

-bluetooth 2.0 connectivity

It's still a bit early on to determine whether this breakthrough will triumph over Apple's brainchild, but let's be on the lookout for user reviews in the months to come and keep it on the brain.

Obama sells out?

It's everywhere in the blogosphere today, but it's nowhere in the press that i've seen. It's the bubbling sponsor-gate the world witnessed as Barack Obama gave his mini-concession speech after yesterday's loss to Hillary in the PA primary. Is it paid endorsement? is it Guerilla marketing? is it whack coincidence? The blogosphere is divided. What do you think? 

I will point out that none of the t-shirts in question had a URL on them. i'm imagining a "secret" url tied to some underground group either in support of or against obama. that would have been interesting to behold. And to ponder.

Google gone green

Subtlety be damned, Google made quite the splash with their melting iceberg logo during last year's Earth Day.

Well, grab yourself a tall cup of sustainable shade-grown coffee and slip into a pair of organic hemp slippers. This year - while it's yet to be seen what they can stir up with this year's logo - Google has launched a mash-up of Google Maps and YouTube where users can share their planet-friendly achievements with the rest of the Google Earth.

The end goal, to “honor Earth Day and combat global climate change".

Just because you can, doesn't mean you should

Please, no more lame YouTube video contests. If you aren't already convinced they are more often than not a waste of time, behold the pinnacle of user generated video voting idiocy:



Ready to enter and win big?

Not so fast! First, make sure you're not in one of the states where the contest is void in.

Ready? Hold your horses there! You must have a house listed with Century 21. Oh yeah, and your agent must be in the video too.

What better way to promote your brand than to patronize your current customers and bore the snot out of anyone who happens to come across your bandwidth-wasting content?

The Sound of (Not) Sucking

Using live LED decibel meters, AEG-Electrolux's brilliant new outdoor campaign lets consumers know just how noisy things are in a world where you can buy quiet washing machines.

The website gives real-time decibel ratings for the billboards. At the moment, London resembles their appliances the least.

Now, I wonder if the same could be implied by their vacuum machines.

Measuring a social media "addict"

Max Freiert has dug up some statistics showing what sites MySpace, Facebook and Twitter "addicts" are more likely to view.

I assume "addict" translates to "heavy user" in this case.

His findings are telling - if not shallow:

- MySpace addicts are somewhat vain – focusing heavily on establishing and fine tuning their online personas by customization of their personal profiles
- Facebook addicts focus more on engagement – interacting with applications, music and people both on and off the platform
- Twitter addicts are most interested in fostering communication and exploration – sites that allow a user to understand what their contacts are doing, provide a platform for content discovery and encourage users to actively participate are the most likely places to find hardcore twitterers.

Twitter and visualizing your social networks

Ok, most of us have fun with twitter, but this makes it that much cooler. Twittervision 3d let's you experience a globe with random twitters from people around the world. It's really interesting in that it really shows you the vastness of both twitter and also the web in general. If you like that, then there is also a Facebook app that seems pretty sweet too, it's basically a mash-up between twitter and google maps. It's all about visualizing your social network

Then there is the site called ... Twitter Browser. If you want to visualize your network in more of a site map view, this the place to go (actually even if you don't you should still check this out.)

"No Store", a real world woot?

Like a real world woot.com. It’s an interesting concept for a train station, see below from Trendhunter.

"The NoStore store is a “recyclable” retail space located in Shanghai’s Metro that offers artists retail space for just one week. As a result, the contents and theme of the store change every week. The concept is dynamic and also provides artisans with an accessible outlet for their unique products. The store typically features items like hand-painted T-shirts and socks-turned into dolls.

From the introduction to the concept, NoStore clearly tries to attract Metro commuting office ladies who only have 5 minutes to spend in the shop.

It promises surprise treasures to be discovered within the four square meters shop space, and at an afforable price. Art made accessible. This is yet a very new happening. There are plans to roll out the concept in more Metro stations."


Read this article here at Trendhunter

Suds take over Miami.

Sony using Miami like overflowing washing machine as the backdrop for a commercial for Sony's digital cameras. It must have been a blast to see live. More spots here on you tube.

Video ads on, yes... Vending machines

And you though online banners got ignored.

Inspiring Photography

I find photography very inspiring. It drives so much of what we do and say in the world of advertising and marketing. A friend of our marketing family shoots photography on the side and i was really inspired by it.

Take a look it's like a mini vacation.

Does this Barcode Look Familiar?

Just about a month ago, Mags wrote a post about QR codes... which was followed by the idea of adding people to your facebook via codes printed on tee's... and so on and so forth. The timing of that post was certainly on the early adopter end of things.

Exactly one month later, City Search has announced that it will be partnering with Scanbuy to get users information through a trial program with 500 local businesses in San Francisco. These businesses (mostly restaurants) will be placing a scannable bar code outside their location or on billboards which users will "scan" with their camera enabled mobile phones. Via a downloadable application, Citysearch will serve up the mobile version of the Citysearch page, offering users information, promotions and user reviews.

The interesting point about this new technology is that some see this as a value ad to current ad spend on Citysearch - that without any additional spend, they will have potential customers milling around outside the business snapping pictures! The golden egg here will be to see if this can actually tie into overall ROI...

Check out the full scoop!

Pilot launched today: Meet Deepak Ananthapadmanabha from MOJO HD.

Mojo HD launched a new pilot online today called The Circuit. In short, I laughed out loud a few times which in todays online competitive front, is definitely a good thing.

So, it's tech news (which i find interesting) in a humorous wrapper. It's sort of like the Daily Show meets Talk Soup which isn't a problem at all for me, I mean there is plenty of room in my life for people who make me laugh!

Here is a place where I can be exposed to tech news in a creative form, while getting a laungh. I'll all over it. Meet Deepak Ananthapadmanabha

What do we think of NetPromoter scores?

In a recent discussion with a client brand manager, the following question came up. "How do we track or develop a metric for posts online about our newly launched product?"

A number of national brands use Net Promoter Score to find out how likely an existing customer would be willing to recommend this product to another potential customer. NPS can be helpful in establishing benchmarks for ongoing eCRM efforts, but has it been too simplified to be useful?

Then I found this Satmetrix report was published discussing benchmarks across four different industries.

Can a lift in NPS demonstrate direct lift in sales? Please discuss.

Damn Funny.

Thanks BillAKABill for reminding us about this great TV Spot from 1983. It's as funny today as ever. Goes to show you how great work can be timeless.

Emergency Alert Texts: FCC Approved

Mobile owners will soon receive emergency alert text messages under the following circumstances:

1. A disaster that could jeopardize the health and safety of Americans, such as a terrorist attack; these would trigger a national alert from the president of the United States
2. Imminent or ongoing threats such as hurricanes, tornadoes or earthquakes
3. Child abductions or Amber alerts.

If you have T-Mobile, Verizon, Sprint Nextel, or AT&T you'll be able to participate. This feature is particularly useful for frequent travelers who don't always have a laptop or television handy, or a radio turned on. What's even more beneficial: this feature will cater to those with disabilities; carriers will be required to use vibration or other distinct sounds to ensure everyone receives alerts.

Thoughts?

Mac Lovers and Creatives Unite!

From weekend edition on NPR, a Duke University researcher reports in that just being exposed to the Apple logo can make you more creative.

A new study shows that just being exposed to the Apple logo can make you more creative. Duke researcher Gavan Fitzsimons talks with NPR's Susan Stamberg about his study on logos and the brain.

Listen up to this archived report from npr.org.

Too bad they're suing New York City for use of this green initiative logo. :(

New Facebook Chat: A Blessing or Annoyance?

There's AIM, MSN, iChat, Adium, Google Chat, and now...Facebook Chat? (Oh, I guess I should include MySpace chat, too.) The world's largest social networking site will stop at nothing! Conveniently, no buddy list is needed since users already have friends' lists from which to pick and choose who they'll converse with. Another difference: the mini-feeds will display in the chat windows so users can see who's been up to what and where and when!

A grad student seems to think, ""[Facebook Chat] looks like it's going to be an interesting and useful feature...My bet is that this will surpass [Google's] GChat as No. 2 behind AIM, because it's so universally used and logged into."

While that may be true, it can also pose as an annoyance. Yet another window to keep open! According to a computer programmer, "Not only do I need to keep each of the IM programs open now, but I also need to keep a copy of Gmail open in my browser, and now a copy of Facebook open in my browser...It's not like I need five different e-mail programs open to e-mail five different people."

Personally, I'm a fan of the clean, Google approach to chatting. I think I'll stick to it. My beloved Facebook has become such a smorgasbord of "impressive" eye candy over the past several months. Thus, yet another feature doesn't seem so appealing anymore.

How do you celebrate the 30th anniversary of Space Invaders?

Yahoo! Japan and Tatio (the original game developers of Space Invaders) celebrated it in a big way with a full yahoo homepage takeover in japan on April 1st. I'll let the creative speak for itself.

http://event.yahoo.co.jp/invaders/beginning/

If you can't laugh at yourself...

So, for years, the relationship between Account and Creative Services in the Agency world has been an interesting one. Despite those claiming to have the most highly evolved and mature relationship, I will argue that there will always be a healthy dose of antagonism between these two disciplines. And that is a good thing as it pushes us to challenge, question and be better in our respective positions.

That said, everyone should check out this video on YouTube (if you haven’t already – I’m usually the last to see these!). Enjoy, and remember that the only way to stay sane on the rollercoaster is to be able to laugh at yourself!

Wal-Mart Cracks the Code on Social Media Integration

By Jeff Zabin

"Based on a survey conducted last month of more than 250 companies for the benchmark report Social Media Monitoring and Analysis, the Aberdeen Group found that organizations are coming to view company-hosted blogs, discussion forums, and other Web 2.0 platforms as a critical prerequisite for their online content strategy.

In fact, according to the research findings, 62% of best-in-class companies already host such platforms (compared to 42% of laggards), with an additional 22% planning to do so in the next 12 months.

Yet, despite the proliferation of company-hosted blogs and discussion forums, most companies have yet to treat social media as an additional touch point, and one that can be integrated into their overall customer-facing activities. Retailers, in particular, have a golden opportunity to leverage consumer-generated content from their discussion forums to create cross-promotional campaigns and to even drive in-store sales."

Read on....

Has everyone forgotten that so much of early web activity was built on forums, message boards and 1 to 1 interaction? That was the most exciting thing for myself and many friends was the ability to connect with someone else virtually through the web. Why should that seem so foreign to so many brands already?

I like the quote from Wal-Mart exec discussing the greater goal of online/offline related activity, as opposed to the lesson learned about 7-10 years ago, that web cannot solely replace brick n' mortar businesses. Discuss!

12 Future Apps For Your iPhone

Here is an awesome article at ReadWriteWeb on future iPhone applications and how they will change the way we do many things. Applications that give us better savings, time sensitive based on location.

Software that would make payment by credit cards obsolete and no more receipts either, thanks to your Bluetooth connection. Have your friends eaten at the restaurant your sitting in? Check out their review of it before you commit.

12 future iPhone applications.

No Brand Can Ignore The Social World

Forrester reports, "Mazda And Honda Have The Most Active Customers; GMC And Mercury The Least". Here's the topline executive summary.

"Car owners have widely different affinities for social applications. Mazda, Honda, Pontiac, Hyundai, and Jeep have the most active customers; Ford, Nissan, Chevrolet, GMC, and Mercury have the least. Car brands should use these tendencies to plan strategy. For example, Honda owners are the most likely to react to online content, which the company could exploit with consumer ratings. No brand can ignore the social world; even among Mercury owners, the least active, half are connecting with social media."

American Airlines to offer in flight broadband this year

Online broadband is coming sooner than you think, so now you can play multi-payer games while in flight to your hearts content. 

With the news out today that you can't hide from your email any more, are you happy? sad? discuss.

TextBuyIt - Super or Super Silly?

Amazon.com just launched "TextBuyIt", a system through which mobile users can use text messaging through their phone to purchase products from Amazon.com. Is this a great stride forward for Amazon or simply a company trying to be "hip" in the mobile scene? Amazon continues to try and be the one-stop-shop for anything and everything, and this is their latest push.

Pros:
- The claim: according to Amazon, the system is "simple and convenient"
- It lets you price compare on the go... no need to go back home and check the deals on Amazon.com to see if you can get a better price.
- You can purchase Jimmy Buffet's latest CD from your spot on the lawn, in the middle of the concert, in less than a minute, on your phone (ok, for some this may not be a "pro" - pick your favorite band and insert in place of JB then).

Cons:
- The reality: the process involves several text messages and an automated phone call from amazon (still "simple"? debatable...) - What if you don't have an account already set up with Amazon?
- What if you don't own an iPhone?
- What happens if you want to buy multiple products (and not several of one item)?
- This service doesn't allow you to tap into your gold box savings.

Amazon claims that they will continue to expand on the accessibility of this service into "regular" cell phones. But will this service be a springboard for success or will it remain a limited, price comparison-only tool?

The Wall Goes Interactive

Until now, loved ones of Vietnam War victims had to travel all the way to D.C. to pay their respects. Last week, a digitized version of the Wall was launched.

The article sums up its features:

"The Web site, unveiled last week, links names to casualty reports, historical documents and digital photographs, and allows users to leave online tributes to those who died."

I think it could come in handy for web-savvy kids and teens conducting their next research project. It also establishes community and "in loving memory" on a whole new level. But, I can see folks (those who are more personally touched by the events) arguing as to whether it's really necessary. So, is it helping to further preserve history? Thoughts?

Why cyberspace isn't, and will never be, nirvana

Back in February of 1995, what did you think of the internet? Newsweek resurrected this really interesting article called "The Internet? Bah!"

It's one mans rant on the web and how useless it is, it's his perspective in 1995. (i wonder if he's changed it?) Take a read through this, it's amazing that 90 percent of what he mentions, actually comes true. Talk about seeing the future, but backwards... Here's a bit of it:

"Then there's cyberbusiness. We're promised instant catalog shopping--just point and click for great deals. We'll order airline tickets over the network, make restaurant reservations and negotiate sales contracts. Stores will become obselete. So how come my local mall does more business in an afternoon than the entire Internet handles in a month? Even if there were a trustworthy way to send money over the Internet--which there isn't--the network is missing a most essential ingredient of capitalism: salespeople."

Apple: so hot right now

What's the best brand to accompany to a dinner party? With whom to get into an argument? Not sure? Looks like you might have to dig deep and appreciate the emotional value of brands in everyday life.

Interbrand's Brandjunkie survey advocated just that earlier this year. They delved into the emotional impact brands have had on consumers with up-close-and-personal questions. The end result? Apple, for the win! (One participant made an interesting point about Microsoft; for a company so fast and multi-faceted, there has been "very little innovation".) Concur?

Read the full article.

Your Tax Dollars at Work

The National Archives have created a really interesting interface to be able to peruse 1,200 historical documents and photographs from their "vault" of over 10BB records at www.digitalvaults.org. It's really slick and every artifact is tagged to allow good reference searching on a topic of interest (like the civil war, kennedy, etc).

What I find most compelling from a digital market perspective is how the National Archives is using the web, and very a non-traditional navigation architecture, to create a "Brand" for itself by developing a great immersive experience, not just creating a public service announcement that you might find in the back of a magazine. I just wish it had more video and web 2.0 functionality (there's no feedback or commentary or sharing capability for instance). But it does point out to me how the traditional "C-Frame" navigation and user experience architecture is slowly melting away.

Mobile Ads - More to Ponder

To take the mobile ads post – DOA or the next big thing - one step further... Although a rational and viable channel for us as marketers, there still seem to be concerns about user acceptance. And despite stats that show high views, recall and response rates, there are still opposing stats that show only 10% of mobile users find mobile advertising acceptable. This latter stat, though, can probably be influenced but I suspect it will come at a cost in terms of plan costs, richer content and ability to “close the deal” so to speak with content delivery.

And if acceptability is not an issue, then are they making sense? Per a recent article in Mobile Insider, there seems to still be a bit of confusion around the relevancy topic. I think that, in the end, reality is most likely somewhere in the middle and varies by audience/age. Regardless, if we ignore the consumer as "boss" and don't find a better way to finely target the mobile audience, we may find that the boost and sprint customers mentioned in the Ad Age article keep the phone's locator buttons disabled intentionally.

In the last couple of days, emarketer also published two articles in a strikingly similar vein: "Mobile Ads Still Taking Baby Steps" and "What's Holding up Mobile Advertising". Worth a read.

Just curious, is anyone else having deja vu to articles written 10 yrs ago about the internet and email with similar acceptance, privacy, measurability and technology concerns??

Hubbard ‘88

JetBlue "Gets It"

JetBlue has long been the poster child of how to do a ticket-less, web-based airline the right way. From the point of purchase at the website, to the terminal, to the on-flight experience; I've always been a fond admirer of their marketing.

In accordance with their strong online presence, JetBlue was an early adopter of Twitter. Yesterday, a recent post alerted travelers to potential delays from the poor weather in NY. Last month, a simple shout-out was given to the 2,000 JetBlue travelers that flew to Austin for SXSW.

The thing that separates them from a lot of other corporate initiatives on Twitter is that - along with typical promotional Tweets - they encourage direct dialog with users. Questions from users are answered, and questions to the user are presented. This active engagement encourages the user to provide valuable feedback and feel valued for being listened to.

A prime example of good social media utilization, indeed.

RSS The Creative Bureau, it's easy.

Just add this URL to your reader and .... Presto!
http://creativebureau.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

About.com's top 10 RSS Readers
And my favorite: Netvibes
and Netvibes for the iPhone

Mobile ads: DOA in 08, or the next big thing?

Here are 2 very disparate articles on the potential for mobile advertising. On the one hand, Ad Age this week points out all the barriers keeping mobile advertising from taking off. On the other, Ad Age, in the same issue, describes advances in place-based mobile ad delivery that will drive growth in Mobile as more carriers adopt this technology.

So, when your client asks, :Hey, should I be in mobile", you'll have lots to consider before giving your answer.

Mobile remains limited article here

Mobile is making great strides on geo-location here

Instore displays

This is my first posting straight to the CB thru my iphone. I took this in my local supermarket and blogged right there on the spot. Sweet!.

More and more I'm noticing the trend of LCD's in the retail environment.

Wendy's puts digital ads in bars.

From AdAge
Late night advertising on screen and at locations close to their restaurants. Not a bad idea, I wonder if they provide drunken coupons that late?

On second thought, that time of the night they could really charge whatever they wanted to their inebriated customers.

the $25.00 cheeseburger? No problem!

The Article is here.

Big Dog the robot mule, or something.

When i first came across this animal like looking robot seemingly designed to carry supplies, i was like wow, this is probably the creepiest thing I've seen. Imagine a forest full of these? It's super Sci-Fi, no doubt.



and when i saw this other version of Big Dog, i frigging laughed my ass off. I love Web 2.0