December 2010
6 posts
My Klout score! →
I just found out about this site through a friend’s mention of Qwerly. My score - not too bad for a semi-newby, I’d say! :)
5 tags
SPARQCode (and others) make QR Codes Acessible for...
When checking out from a store, everyone’s familiar with the beep! sound of the bar code scanner. When this product was introduced, marketers and customers alike were probably so excited at the efficiency they could now enjoy. Marketers and customers now have another new technology that could make it easier to communicate: QR codes.
A TechCrunch article describes SPARQCode, a company...
5 tags
Would a cyber war be safer than a regular war?
You’ve probably heard that Einstein quote that goes something like, “World War Four will be fought with sticks and stones” because in World War Three, we will have nuked each other to an Armageddon.
Well, Einstein didn’t know about the digital age—something that would have a massive impact on any potential mass wars of the future.
I am somewhat a pacifist and would...
“If you don’t have time for social media, you’re basically saying you don’t have...”
– Erik Qualman, author of Socialnomics This quote comes from a phone conference Erik had with my social media graduate class at St. Bonaventure University on Tuesday, December 7, 2010. (via jbgordo)
5 tags
Using LinkedIn Ethically & Effectively
Professional networking can be a nerve-racking process, especially for recent graduates with little real-world experience. Many adults young and old want to stand out but are shy or nervous in a networking setting. They have to fight that introverted feeling to really build up their networks.
For Gen Yers (like myself) who grew up communicating through AOL Instant Messenger and Facebook, ...
HOW TO: Back Up Your Tumblr Blog →
mashable:
If Tumblr’s (nearly) day-long outage taught us anything, it’s that we should probably start backing up our content.
November 2010
12 posts
7 tags
How Social Media has Changed Our World & Our Lives
Social media has affected and changed our lives in many ways. Personally, I’m very thankful these changes took place.
I always felt kind of cautious entering the marketing world because I pretty much hate most advertising (it’s just annoying) and I strongly dislike when people or companies lie, cover things up or take advantage of people. For these and other reasons, I studied...
Awesome use of social media to make money →
RelaxZen Review - Click link to learn more! →
I received a free sample (courtesy of Smile.ly!) of RelaxZen, a nighttime sleep aid that helps you relax and get to sleep easier. I was satisfied but not overly impressed. However, I plan to try it again. I have $1 off coupons; if anyone’s interested in trying it, let me know! Also, you can visit ThirstMonger.com/RelaxZen and enter the code SMILE to receive 10% off and free shipping through...
7 tags
The more you know, the more you Kohl's.
I come from a long line of women who love doing whatever it takes to buy something at a low price. For that reason, my mother, grandmother and I love shopping at Kohl’s, where customers can purchase stylish items while not spending extravagant amounts.
If you shop in Kohl’s for an hour, you’ll hear this message over the loudspeaker at least once or twice: “The more you...
“weal \WEEL, noun:
1. Well-being, prosperity, or happiness.
2. A raised...”
– http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/weal
The future makes me freak.
So, after talking with some Boomer/Gen X colleagues today about some “problems” Gen Y has, I was going to write a post about technologies or business tools that won’t be around by the time Gen Y is the current age of Boomers (about 60). I was thinking 40 or so years from now, calendars, watches, alarm clocks, email, computers, etc., won’t exist separately.
They’ll...
Make your own app (for not too much money!) →
This is awesome. I’m definitely going to consider using it for my thesis project!
Are marketers neglecting Baby Boomers? →
I don’t think so - I never would. But I found this article interesting, even though it makes marketers sound like those Eskimos or whoever that leave their elderly grandfather out in the winter snow to freeze to death…
7 tags
Some things never change - like many of Godin's...
Although seemingly ancient in online years, “The Big Red Fez” by Seth Godin presents plenty of tips and pointers for creating user-centered websites that marketers can still apply today.
The book’s clean format and concrete examples, although outdated, made it an easy and enjoyable read. After reading the book, I felt like I had taken a short amount of time to learn plenty, including the...
5 tags
Loco over location-based services?
Maybe location-based services aren’t as up-and-coming as marketers first thought.
According to a MediaPost article, a recent study shows only about 4% of adults use location-based programs and many who don’t use it cite privacy reasons. I agree that could be an issue. If I’m hanging out at a cafe or bar, I might not want some creeper who sees my check-in to come find me. Or that...
7 tags
Group Coupons: A Blessing or a Curse?
Group coupons through sites like Groupon.com and LivingSocial.com may seem like a Godsend for businesses and customers alike.
They allow people to receive great deals and discounts on certain products and services while businesses get more customers. But is it all so good?
According to an article on msnbc.com, group coupons may actually have a negative impact on small businesses that...
6 tags
Integrated Promotional Contests Keep Giving
Without a doubt, contests are a great promotional tool to generate sales and increase consumer brand awareness. Consumers are more likely to buy something they think might make them rich or give them something they want. For this reason and others, many companies employ the promotional contest tactic. Recently, Sara Lee’s State Fair Corn Dogs launched a particularly successful contest,...
October 2010
7 posts
6 tags
Greenwashing: Modern-day Tom Sawyer
Are your company’s products green and sustainable? Probably not. Just like Tom Sawyer convinced Jim that whitewashing a fence is fun when it’s really not, companies may be convincing consumers they’re sustainable when they may not be.
According to a recent study, 95 percent of consumer products provide buyers with misleading claims about how green the product is. Some companies...
6 tags
Political attack advertisements gain vengeance
Political attack ads are far from new; in fact, they’ve been so overused, many people have become practically numb to them. But what happens when someone crosses the line? There’s a big difference between calling someone a liar and a baby killer.
One of this year’s political candidates just may have crossed that line. Missy Reilly Smith, whom CNN dubs “the long-shot...
7 tags
There's something new about advertising's behavior
Based on its title, behavioral targeting in advertising sounds quite Big Brother-ish. You might picture some market research person at Google constantly monitoring what consumers are searching for on the search engine. While it isn’t perfect, behavioral targeting can benefit consumers as much as it benefits organizations that would use the service.
According to an article on Mashable.com,...
4 tags
Location-based Text Message Ads: Marketing's...
Text messaging (or SMS) has been around long enough to have joined English’s everyday vocabulary. Even location-based text messaging isn’t completely brand new. However, at the beginning of this year, marketers and advertisers began to test location-based text message advertisements—something fairly new that, of course, comes attached to ethical questions.
According to an...
4 tags
I bought in to the lie.
Overall, I found “All Marketers are Liars” by Seth Godin helpful. He strengthened my choice to pursue a degree in marketing. He aligned his ideas with my worldview, resulting in my enjoying the book and feeling reassured.
But that doesn’t mean I agree with every point Godin made. People can dislike parts of something and still agree with the overall message or objective, and vice...
16 tags
Execution VS Vision: Which lands on top?
When first asked this question, my mind immediately heads to the “cop out” answer: They both matter.
A company lacking visionary, innovative ideas will die at the hands of innovative competition and a company failing the execution level will soon perish.
A Techcrunch article by Sarah Lacy mentions a few companies, including Apple, Blackberry and TiVo. Apple would not be nearly as...
8 tags
The Social Network
While not the best movie I have ever seen, “The Social Network” was worth viewing more than once. I saw it first for fun with a friend and then with our IMC class. The second time I approached the movie with a more critical, strategic eye.
One could easily name numerous life lessons, from being careful who you trust to creating a product or service that’s unique. Among these and...
