Last year Google ran no less than 17 different April Fool's Day hoaxes. I have always loved that a company that has so much on its plate takes the time to differentiate itself and build some positive brand equity by investing humor. The Google April Fool's Day tradition started small in 2000 with the announcement of Google "MentalPlex", a search engine technology that … [Read more...]
The Changing Digital Landscape
2008 has shaped up to be a crazy year for online advertising - the writers' strike drove people online and the presidential election and the Olympics are causing advertisers to boost spending in a down market. The timing of these factors has altered media behavior - making the business of online media anything but typical for the year. How the advertising dollars that moved … [Read more...]
Lights, Cameras, Action!
Raise your hand if you've heard of Blendtec. I bet you are familiar with Blendtec and I bet I know how you first heard of their blenders - from their viral video series called "Will it blend?" That series, showing iPods and other unusual items being reduced to powder by a powerful blender, serves a strong branding message: If it can annihilate an iPod, it will make quick work … [Read more...]
Getting Into the Mashup Mix
It's become a new art form to combine various existing elements to create something totally new. However, it can also be dangerous creative and legal territory to navigate when particular items are protected by copyright laws. Some online marketers, eager to leverage new technologies for promotional purposes, are uploading and sharing video creations with copyrighted materials … [Read more...]
Video Goes Viral
Thanks to social networking sites such as YouTube, online video has quickly become an everyday part of the online experience. While marketers have been slow to capitalize on video so far, the low cost of producing content and potential for increasing reach will make it essential to performance marketing.The audience that watches Web video skews younger, but nearly everyone … [Read more...]
Sweet Charity
If you think getting people to shop online is tough, consider the plight of nonprofit organizations. They ask people for their time and/or money, but instead of receiving goods, these donors simply get the satisfaction of doing good.Although nonprofit organizations may have a different agenda from the for-profit online marketers, many of the goals (building relationships, … [Read more...]
Online Is Sweet
Food has recently been called everything from the new theater to the new porn. Regardless of how you think about food, you certainly can't avoid it. Food has become America's No. 1 obsession and food companies - from providers of high-end gourmet goodies to those feeding the fast-food nation - are battling to get on the dinner plates of today's consumers. And because everybody … [Read more...]
Have You Heard the Word?
Tell a friend: Word of mouth rocks. It's how many people find a dentist, a plumber, a pediatrician and a realtor, even a shrink. You tend to trust your friends. So when one of your close pals swears by her hairstylist, raving about what a "shear" delight he is, you are apt to give him a shot rather than thumbing through the phone book and blindly calling random barbers. Then … [Read more...]
Traveling and Treasure Hunting
Every time you go on the road, you should position yourself to market like a guerrilla and earn money like a king named Midas.Keep in mind that the road leads in both directions. You can promote your site when you're away from your town and you can promote it to travelers who come to your town. It's a double-edged golden opportunity. When you're a traveler, don't forget that … [Read more...]