How Far Can We Go to Build Buzz?
Last week the UK press was in a buzz around a 104 year old woman who was using Twitter. This is obviously a world record, and it says a lot about the penetration of the 140-character messaging service. But was it real?
According to TechCrunch, it was not. In a post titled The REAL story behind the 104-Year-Old who joined Twitter they explain that the old lady had joining Twitter just one day before, and that she was convinced to do so by a company called The Geek Squad. Here is a quote from the article:
What none of these (UK Press) stories told you, however, was that poor old Ivy had not joined Twitter just because it was suddenly the talk of the old peoples home. No. She joined because home PC maintenance company Geek Squad signed her up, propped her up for a photo opportunity and press-released the hell out of it. And frankly I hope they paid her, or at least donated to her favourite charity because this is one of the most self-serving, cynical PR stunts I can remember.
Personally I am not a fan of faking things to get traffic and buzz (well, except on April 1st…). I believe it just adds noise on the web, and it forces people to compete on a lower level (i.e. resorting to anything to get attention).
But what about you, do you think it is a fair strategy to setup something like this and use it to generate buzz for your company or website?
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How Far Can We Go to Build Buzz?
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Foursquare Signing Mainstream Partnership Deals Left And Right
February 9, 2010 - 10:23 am
Tags: adage, America, appeal, badges, Boston, Bravo, Chicago, city san francisco, cocktails, couple, couple weeks, CrunchBase, deal, Foursquare, guide, Harvard, HBO, history channel, ins, iphone, Los Angeles, mainstream appeal, Mayor, money making opportunity, movie, New York City, new york times, nightlife, range, rating, restaurant, restaurant recommendations, romantic tips, San Francisco, service, Show, Times, Valentine, video series, Warner, warner brothers, way, yelp, zagat
Posted in Tech | No comments
Foursquare continues to sign interesting deals with major players in a wide range of fields. Following the service's Bravo deal a couple weeks ago, they've reached a deal with restaurant rating guide Zagat, according to The New York Times. And AdAge has some details about deals with even more partners, including HBO, Warner Brothers, and the History Channel.
The service has been on a roll lately. They're now seeing over a million check-ins a week, with that rate doubling in the last month alone. And these new deals can only help them as they bring the type of mainstream appeal that it took services like Twitter so long to find.
The Value Of Online Buzz For The Top 20 Brands
February 9, 2010 - 10:00 am
Tags: 30 million, 579, 6 million, algorithm, Apple, brand, brand exposure, Buzz, Citigroup, company, company news, content, conversation, dialogue, dollar, dollar value, earnings reports, eBay, exposure, General Sentiment, Google, mcdonalds, Media, mentions, News, news media, Nowadays, online, pr campaigns, Product, readership figures, report, sentiment, social dialogue, tweets, Twitter, value, web
Posted in Tech | No comments
Nowadays, buzz around brands on the news, blogs, tweets and other social media that spreads through product launches, PR campaigns, earnings reports are as valuable as traditional ad campaigns. But buzz and social dialogue on the web is tough to quantify. General Sentiment has released a report that calculates the dollar value of the buzz, content, and conversation taking place online. General Sentiment's technology evaluates the volume of mentions and sentiment value regarding a brand, company or person. The algorithm combines this data with website traffic and online news readership figures to determine the purchase-equivalent dollar value of the brand exposure across more than 30 million sources by gauging sentiment, frequency, and exposure of news mentions and social dialogue.
Google topped the rankings, with value of its "buzz" itemized at $669.6 million. Google's social media reach costs $402 million, with its Twitter reach alone valued at $22.8 million. On the other hand, Apple came in fourth with total buzz reaching $293.2 million; social media buzz valued at $223.7 million; and Twitter reach valued at $5.6 million.
Beautiful Japanese gramophones
February 9, 2010 - 9:43 am
Tags: adjustment, Alan, analog, bamboo, batteries, Boing, boing boing, company, DIY, DJs, file, file formats, Gakken, gramophone, hobbyist, japanese company, music, music player, Needles, nostalgic sound, perfect music, player, premium, quality, record, record music, sez, sound, speed, supplier, Tone
Posted in Buzz, music | No comments
Iceland’s paper of record bans linking
February 9, 2010 - 9:40 am
Tags: Anti, bank, commitment, door, former prime minister, front page, Halli, head, Iceland, Icelanders, journalism, minister, Morgunblaðið, News, newspaper, online, page, people of iceland, Policy, service, site, society, talk, website
Posted in Buzz | No comments
blueKiwi Rides the Freemium Wave
February 9, 2010 - 8:48 am
Tags: access, Alice, anything, blueKiwi, business platform, Carlos Diaz, Chatter, Christophe Routhieau, community, community managers, criticism, CrunchBase, dashboard, everything, external communications, Facebook, finding a way, free version, internal communications, internal decision, internal discussions, networking, networking tools, Order, personal assistant, Praise, process, Product, shortlist, slew, social business, social networking, success, thoughts and ideas, Top, Twitter, unified solution, user, version, way
Posted in Tech | No comments
With the continued success of Twitter and other social networking tools, any criticism (or praise) of products and companies is becoming increasingly public. Finding a way to manage these external communications in the internal decision-making process is an ongoing challenge for many businesses. Today, in an effort to help marketers and community managers better deal with such outside correspondence, blueKiwi, an Europas shortlist finalist, has announced the introduction of a free version of its Social Business Platform aimed at integrating outside conversations into daily internal communications to improve the decision making process.
Instead of community managers simply engaging with outside audiences via social networking tools, blueKiwi pulls outside conversations into internal discussions in order to leverage the thoughts and ideas of its user base, much like Salesforce aims to do with Chatter or Bantam Live. It is social CRM. BlueKiwi combines a slew of web 2.0 capabilities: such as collaboration, document sharing, blogging, event posting, and polling, into a single, unified solution. The use of social analytics tools ensures that the most pertinent conversations reach the eyes of the community managers.
blueKiwi Rides the Freemium Wave
February 9, 2010 - 8:48 am
Tags: blueKiwi, business platform, community managers, dashboard, external communications, Facebook, finding a way, free version, internal communications, internal decision, internal discussions, networking tools, personal assistant, shortlist, slew, social business, social networking, thoughts and ideas, Twitter, unified solution
Posted in Tech | No comments
With the continued success of Twitter and other social networking tools, any criticism (or praise) of products and companies is becoming increasingly public. Finding a way to manage these external communications in the internal decision-making process is an ongoing challenge for many businesses. Today, in an effort to help marketers and community managers better deal with such outside correspondence, blueKiwi, an Europas shortlist finalist, has announced the introduction of a free version of its Social Business Platform aimed at integrating outside conversations into daily internal communications to improve the decision making process.
Instead of community managers simply engaging with outside audiences via social networking tools, blueKiwi pulls outside conversations into internal discussions in order to leverage the thoughts and ideas of its user base, much like Salesforce aims to do with Chatter or Bantam Live. It is social CRM. BlueKiwi combines a slew of web 2.0 capabilities: such as collaboration, document sharing, blogging, event posting, and polling, into a single, unified solution. The use of social analytics tools ensures that the most pertinent conversations reach the eyes of the community managers.
blueKiwi Rides the Freemium Wave
February 9, 2010 - 8:48 am
Tags: access, Alice, anything, blueKiwi, business platform, Carlos Diaz, Chatter, Christophe Routhieau, community, community managers, criticism, CrunchBase, dashboard, everything, external communications, Facebook, finding a way, free version, internal communications, internal decision, internal discussions, networking, networking tools, Order, personal assistant, Praise, process, Product, shortlist, slew, social business, social networking, success, thoughts and ideas, Top, Twitter, unified solution, user, version, way
Posted in Tech | No comments
With the continued success of Twitter and other social networking tools, any criticism (or praise) of products and companies is becoming increasingly public. Finding a way to manage these external communications in the internal decision-making process is an ongoing challenge for many businesses. Today, in an effort to help marketers and community managers better deal with such outside correspondence, blueKiwi, an Europas shortlist finalist, has announced the introduction of a free version of its Social Business Platform aimed at integrating outside conversations into daily internal communications to improve the decision making process.
Instead of community managers simply engaging with outside audiences via social networking tools, blueKiwi pulls outside conversations into internal discussions in order to leverage the thoughts and ideas of its user base, much like Salesforce aims to do with Chatter or Bantam Live. It is social CRM. BlueKiwi combines a slew of web 2.0 capabilities: such as collaboration, document sharing, blogging, event posting, and polling, into a single, unified solution. The use of social analytics tools ensures that the most pertinent conversations reach the eyes of the community managers.
Google Lowers Controversial Nexus One Fee
February 9, 2010 - 7:19 am
Tags: 3g, combination, communications services, company, contract, ETFs, FCC, fee, financial impact, Google, gripes, industry, Line, mobile industry, national carriers, nbsp, Nexus, niraj, original article, phone, quot, rationale, rocky start, Sheth, smartphone, special interest, support, t mobile, termination, termination fees, trouble, Update, Wall Street, waves
Posted in web | No comments
Update 2: Google has now reportedly lowered the $350 fee to $150, and launched a support line for the phone at 888-48-NEXUS.
Update: The FCC has sent letters regarding early termination fees to Google, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon. In its letter to Google, it says:
...where new options may subject consumers to substantial ETFs, potentially from more than one entity, the Commission has a special interest in ensuring that consumers have a clear and complete understanding of the rates, terms, and conditions on which the communications services are being offered and the rationale for those rates, terms, and conditions. The combination of ETFs from Google and T-Mobile for the Nexus One is also unique among the four major national carriers. Consumers have been surprised by this policy and by its financial impact. Please let us know your rationale(s) for these combined fees, and whether you have coordinated or will coordinate on these fees and on the disclosure of their combined effect.
Original Article: Google made big waves in the mobile industry early in the year, and the effects of those waves are being felt quite hard by some users. The Nexus One's release has gotten off to kind of a rocky start.
The issues plaguing customers of the much-anticipated Google phone have been widely publicized. Most of the gripes have dealt with Google's customer service (or lack thereof) for the device, and trouble with 3G connections. More recently, however, complaints of outrageous early termination fees have popped up.
The trouble for users is that if they got the Nexus One with a two-year contract from T-Mobile, they end up having to pay about $550 to terminate early. The thing is, they have to pay T-Mobile's regular fee, but they also have to pay Google a fee. Needless to say, that has caught some people off guard.
Google's fee is a $350 "Equipment Recovery Fee". It applies to customers who cancel their contracts within the first 120 days.
According to Niraj Sheth with the Wall Street Journal's Digits Blog, "A Google spokeswoman said in a statement that the fee is "a way for the company to recoup the subsidy it gives to contract customers."
"'This is standard practice for third-party resellers of T-Mobile and other operators,' she said. A T-Mobile spokesman said that the carrier’s early termination fee is standard for its customers on contract."
While the combination of the aforementioned problems may not bode well for Google's reputation in the mobile industry at the moment, the good news for the company is that they are projected to come out on top in the smartphone race eventually. Crunchgear says Google and Android will "own the smartphone market" eventually. Time will tell if that is an accurate depiction of things to come, but for now, people just seem upset.
Related Articles:
> Google Unveils Nexus One "Super Phone"
> Nexus One Sales Of 5-6 Million Units Forecast
> Google Tries to Carve Out its Place in Mobile
From “Eraserhead” to MMS: David Lynch Goes Mobile
February 9, 2010 - 5:26 am
Tags: Afghanistan, blue velvet, campaign, company, David Lynch, Delawari, device, device profiles, Director, DLF, end, everything from mobile, experience, Foundation, Haiti, iphone, James Citron, Kabul, Los Angeles, marketer, message, mms, Mobile, Mogreet, motorola razr, NonProfits, Oscar, oscar nominee, phone, play one, red cross, someone, something, sorts, Tech, Television, text, text message, Twin, twin peaks, velvet, video, video marketing, video messaging, video playback
Posted in Social | No comments
Award-winning director (and three-time Oscar nominee) David Lynch (of Blue Velvet and Twin Peaks fame) and the David Lynch Foundation Television have teamed up with mobile video marketer Mogreet to bring video MMS messages to Lynch fans.
We spoke with Mogreet and the David Lynch Foundation about the technology, the purpose of the campaign and how the DLF is using social media and technology to further its message.
Spreading a Message With Mobile Video
The ever-increasing pace of smartphone adoption only underscores the growing importance of mobility. As we’ve seen with everything from mobile app stores to the Red Cross’s text message for Haiti campaign, mobile is an extremely valuable platform for brands and nonprofits to get their messages across.
Video is an important communication driver, too, and when you combine the two technologies together, you end up with something potentially amazing.
Last month, we wrote about Thwapr, a company that specializes in doing mobile-to-mobile video. We see mobile video messaging as something that’s only going to continue to grow, especially as more and more companies realize just how many users are able to actually view video on their phones.
One of the companies that is really focused on mobile video marketing is Mogreet. Mogreet works with companies so that they can send video MMS messages to users that request their information. Because virtually every mobile phone sold since 2005 or so can support MMS messages that include video playback, the potential audience for these sorts of messages is huge.
I spoke with James Citron, the CEO of Mogreet, and he told me that the company has more than 2,700 device profiles in its database, meaning that if you have a cell phone, chances are, it can play one of Mogreet’s video MMS messages. Each video is encoded in a variety of different formats and it is sent to phones in the best format for that phone, so that users of an iPhone get a different experience than someone using a Motorola Razr, but each user gets the best possible experience for his or her device.
While this has primarily been used for commercial advertisers, Mogreet is interested in getting into the non-profit space too, because that’s perhaps an even better market for this sort of service. Think about it, what if you could donate and then get a video message back showing someone who is helped by your donation saying thanks? Or what if you could see what is going on in Haiti or some other place that needs aid? The non-profit organization’s message might be that much more powerful. After all, images often speak louder than words.
To that end, Mogreet decided to work with the David Lynch Foundation and bring some of Lynch’s talents — and messages — to his fans.
David Lynch Goes Mobile
The David Lynch Foundation Television is dedicated to documenting programs that awaken creativity and transform lives. To that end, the foundation has a website, DLF.TV, that has lots of video content of David Lynch and of people the Foundation has helped, as well as of other artists and friends who have support the Foundation’s vision.
The first mobile video message that the DLF will be sending to fans is of a short film that Lynch directed featuring the musician and artist Ariana Delawari. Delawari’s debut album, Lion of Panjshir was recorded in Kabul and Los Angeles, and reflects the cultures of both places. Delawari’s decision to return to Afghanistan in 2007 to record the album influenced her work and its overall sound. Like Lynch, Delawari is a student of transcendental mediation and like Lynch, it has also influenced her life and her work.
Lynch directed a six-minute short showing off Delawari’s style and voice. The style is unmistakable Lynch, from the background to the sound mix to the camera angles. It’s also a piece that works well when viewing on the web or on a mobile phone.
To spread the word about Delawari — and to kick off a mobile-type of initiative — fans can text ‘LYNCH’ to 647338.
It’s an interesting approach to spread a message from an always-interesting director. It’s also something we expect to be a growing trend, especially as nonprofits start to embrace the power of mobile.
What do you think about mobile video? Are you a fan of David Lynch? What do you think of this initiative? Let us know!
Reviews: video
Tags: david lynch, MMS, Mobile 2.0, video, video messaging, web video
Netflix Instant Streaming Goes 1080p This Year [Updated]
February 9, 2010 - 4:22 am
Tags: 720p, Blu-ray, broadband infrastructure, closing the gap, CNET, company, content, convenience, core technology, criterion collection, digital video disc, disc format, foreign films, gap, ground, high definition digital, Instantly, mail, microsoft silverlight, Netflix, playstation 3, quality, quality scale, resolution, service, Silverlight, sound, statement, streaming service, United States, Update, upgrade, video, video quality, Watch, xbox, xbox 360, year, zune marketplace
Posted in Social | No comments
Update: Netflix contacted CNET and retracted its statement regarding plans for 1080p streaming, saying it has no plans for 1080p this year. However, the company stood its ground on the 5.1 surround sound plans, so you can still keep your ears open for that upgrade.
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Netflix plans to bump the video quality of its Watch Instantly streaming service up to 1080p on some devices, CNET claims. It will also roll out 5.1 surround sound support. Both upgrades will occur by next year.
Currently, Netflix Watch Instantly is available in 720p HD on the Xbox 360, the PlayStation 3, and some set-top boxes. 1080p is a much higher resolution, and the existing devices don’t stream Netflix content with 5.1 surround sound.
Netflix’s CEO has in the past predicted that streaming will overtake DVD-by-mail as the company’s main business. The library keeps on growing — for example, the Criterion Collection just contributed a ton of art-house and foreign films — and the number of devices you can watch the content on is growing too.
No time frame for the upgrade has been given, but the core technology that powers Netflix Watch Instantly — Microsoft Silverlight — got the capability last year. You can already watch 1080p streams on the Xbox 360 through the Zune Marketplace using Silverlight.
In some ways, streaming stole HD’s thunder. While the high definition digital video disc format Blu-ray was counting on viewers’ interest in quality, it turned out that more users have been interested in the convenience of watching content when and where they want. That has meant a sacrifice in resolution among other things, but 1080p Netflix is a first step towards closing the gap between quality and convenience.
The highly compressed 1080p streams that are possible over the United States’ broadband infrastructure are still not high enough on the quality scale to beat Blu-ray head-to-head, but they will still be better than most people are used to.
Reviews: Blu, Netflix Watch Instantly
