Ritsa- Foxwoods

A few months ago, my friends and I decided to take a trip to Foxwoods for the night. Walking around, I noticed a kiosk-type device close to the wall that allowed you to enter to win contests just by typing in your phone number. After that you receive a confirmation text to your phone. Little did I know that I would keep receiving "promotional" texts about events going on Foxwoods for months in advance. I occassionally receive texts promoting events such as concerts, celebrity appearances, and bar specials.

Denis - iPhone OS 3.0 Software

On March 17, Apple presented the blueprint for iPhone OS 3.0, the next version of the world’s most advanced mobile platform. In addition to previewing its innovative features, Apple gave members of the iPhone Developer Program immediate access to the iPhone OS 3.0 software beta and an updated Software Development Kit (SDK) with over 1,000 completely new APIs.

With the new SDK, members of the iPhone Developer Program can build applications that do even more. Developers will have the tools to enable in-app purchases — like subscriptions, additional game levels, and new content. They can also create apps that connect peer to peer via Bluetooth, communicate with hardware accessories, and use the Apple Push Notification service to provide alerts.

Maps

You can now embed maps within your applications using the new Map Kit framework. Map Kit works with the Google Mobile Maps Service and features panning and zooming, custom annotations, current location and geocoding.

If there's one thing the iPhone OS 3.0 preview has emphasized, it's just exactly how big the iPhone platform is, and how much room there is still left for growth and expansion.


This thing is just huge! Unlike the two years previous when it was non-existent, Apple's iPhone platform is now the hottest mobile platform in the world with over 30 million iPhone and iPod touch devices out in the wild. That figure has brought over 50,000 paying developers (with over 800,000 free iPhone SDK downloads) to Apple's door. So far, they've written more programs in just eight months than the Windows Mobile platform and its third-party developers have seen to date in over nine years. At the same time, Apple's software bazaar is nearing the one billion download mark, enabling even a small guy to become rich overnight with only a moderately successful iPhone app.

http://www.tgdaily.com/content/view/41758/141/

David- How Marketers Plan To Invade Your Phone

I haven't put much thought into the rapid growth of the mobile industry but it's growing and doesn't seem to be going anywhere. There are people out there that want a fair share of this Mobile market and according to a cnnmoney.com "Big marketers certainly seem interested in the opportunity: Car makers, movie studios and other deep-pocketed companies have started testing the waters of mobile marketing, and research firms estimate mobile advertising could be a $1 billion-a-year market in just a few years". That's a lot of money that I sure wouldn't mind being a part of.

Cell phones are here to stay especially with the new features that are being added to phones, IPHONE alone has thousands of things you can download to the phone, a book being one of them. You can go on the Internet, write emails, check facebook, myspace, whereas before these things all had to be done in front of a PC, now its right in the palm of your hands.

http://money.cnn.com/2007/02/14/magazines/fortune/mehta_pluggedin_mobilemarketing.fortune/index.htm

Kristen - Mobile Marketing on my Blackberry

It seems like everyday there's a new application that I can add to my Blackberry. Tons of different websites have mobile applications so that people who use Smartphones can tap into their favorite websites and get the latest news updates, scores and much more. Currently I've been on an application downloading spree and recently put Google, Facebook, ESPN, SoccerNet and the Red Sox applications on my phone. I may not completely need these all the time, but Google does come in handy when you're in the middle of Brooklyn and have no idea where you are--you can access Google Maps and find your location and get directions with the click of a button. I think in the future mobile marketing is going to easily become a huge trend, as it already has. People love things that make their life easier, faster and more "on-the-go" friendly--this is just one of the many ways to make that possible.

Shane - Mobile Marketing

Mobile Marketing has increased dramatically over the recent years. With the creation of the iPhone and other smart phone devices that display the Internet as it would on any computer, it has only become easier to invade cell phone space with paid advertisements. I used "Free 411" last year. Trying to avoid charges to my cell phone I thought I would take a few extra minutes, listen to the advertisements while I wait, and get the same thing I would from dialing 411 directly. That didn't exactly go as planned. Instead, my phone would constantly receive text message advertisements from this so-called "Free 411" which cost me money to receive since they are sent out of network. Never again will I be calling that number.
It is becoming a reality, however, that we are easily reachable via cellular devices. Since cell phones increasingly evolve into hand-held computers they are now being treated as such by advertisers. The biggest marketing ploy thus far is the iPhone Apps. Granted, most of the apps are pretty cool and, if I had an iPhone, I would have many of them. But many of the apps, just as computers do, have advertisements in the corners of the screen. The yellow pages, for example, or Google Maps, all have advertisements along with your search results. After all, if it looks and act like a computer, why wouldn't it be treated like one?

http://www.straightupsearch.com/archives/2009/03/mobile_apps_mar.html

Kristin- Stop & Shop jumpstarts mobile marketing

I don't know if you've noticed lately, but if you've been to your local Stop & Shop you may have seen a display like the one below when you walked in.

So you may be asking yourself what it is, or are just too scared to try the new technology. Stop & Shop has launched these new mobile "scan it" devices in many of their stores. It's really quite simple and easy to use. When you walk in, you scan your Stop & Shop card and one of the scanners will light up for you to take and use.

As you shop, you simply scan the barcode of the item you want with the device and it will appear on the screen. There is then a button you can press to add this item to your cart. Once you scan the item you place it in your shopping bag. If you decide you no longer want the item you can easily remove it from the list as well. I really enjoyed using the device because you get to bag your groceries as you shop. When you're done shopping, you simply proceed to the checkout and scan a barcode at the register, swipe your credit card or pay cash, and you are on your way. So you may be wondering how you purchase bakery items or fruits and vegetables...worry not. Stop and Shop has placed barcodes near these items as well that you scan or weigh your vegetables and the scale prints out a barcode for you. Below is an example of the barcode found in the bakery area.

Also, as you walk up and down the aisles, your hand held scanner will beep and alert you of special discounts in that aisle. Since you scan your Stop & Shop card at the beginning, the device is aware of your previous shopping habits and as you shop you may notice many coupons appear for items you frequently buy. For example, when I was shopping my scanner kept alerting me of a discount on bottled water since I usually buy a case whenever I'm there. The whole system is really quite amazing to think about how marketers are really individually targeting each consumer.

Sue H--G-20 activists and Twitter

Political activists have long been early adopters of the newest technology---and the latest must have gadgets for the group include Facebook & Twitter. Since the dawn of the printing press--where activists used print to quickly spread their message and unite en masse--to the recent Obama campaign, technology has always played a key role in social activism. Clay Shirky, author of "Here Comes Everybody" and an expert on the social and ecomomic effects of Internet technologies, states that the groundbreaking event for online campaigning was the 1999 WTO protest in Seattle, where tens of thousands of activists descended on the city. Internet advances ---particularly mobile technologies--have made it dramatically easier to organize large groups of people in protest. These types of technology allow instant, on-the-ground, mass communication. This was blatantly apparent @ the G-8 protests in 2007, in Germany, where large groups of people identified a security breach in the police blockade and relayed the information within seconds to protesters, enabling them to outmanuever police. Far more people today are digitally connected, making it easier for groups to assemble and dissipate quickly. For the most part large-scale protests organized online have been peaceful--but the WTO, and G-20 protests do have a history of turing violent--something that worries some activists as the week unfolds.

Krista - iPhones in India flop

According to a BusinessWeek article yesterday, iPhones are not selling well in India which can be an indicator that they won't do well in China either.

Apple's iPhones have been sold in India since last August but sales have been very low given the 20 million new customers that Indian cell-phone providers add each month. The price may be a consideration as the iPhone is 1/3 the amount as the new Indian-made car, Nana costs. At $700 each (price is determine by local partners, not Apple) it is expensive compared to $199/mo with a 2 year contract in the U.S.

The article also mentions the slowing global economny as a factor and that the iPhones can be unlocked and used on competing networks.

http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/apr2009/gb2009041_266236.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index+-+temp_global+business

Kerry- Mobile Marketing

Verizon, AT & T, Sprint Nextel and T-Mobile have agreed to to improve mobile marketing by working with the Mobile Marketing Association to lower costs for marketing and lead to a more consistent user experience. While working with the MMA to streamline the the process of getting marketing content out to the users.

The rule has 5 objectives:
- Promote a consistent consumer experience
- enhance efficiencies for marketing campaigns using short codes
- cut the time to market for campaigns
- ensure consistent monitoring and auditing
- cut operational costs

This all came about when users had been tricked to subscribing to services from text messages and jokes. They were charged on their bill for these services. They are looking to get subscribers approval or an opt in/opt out procecuders in place.

http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/162224/us_carriers_join_to_improve_mobile_marketing.html

Liz - China

Regarding Google and China - Google is fighting hard to dominate in China and surpass its #1 rival, Baidu. The downside to Google's new music offer is that the music may not be the latest release considering most record companies will wait before sharing music & profit w/Google. Baidu currently has a music sharing feature, mostly illegal since Baidu is being sued by a number of record companies. To stay ahead of Google, I imagine Baidu will approach most record companies about a new music sharing deal. And most will partner w/Baidu - they have more to gain with a partnership and by sharing profits.
http://www.forbes.com/2009/03/31/google-baidu-music-markets-equity-china.html


On another note, I thought it was interesting that the Chinese web portal and social network operator Tencent financially relies more on the selling of virtual goods rather than advertising . It sells about $750million in virtual good a year - instant messaging upgrades, wallpaper, etc. Online advertising is a very small portion if its overall revenue (10%). This is a little outdated but 88% of Yahoo's total revenue in 2006 came from marketing.


http://www.forbes.com/2009/03/19/china-social-media-tencent-technology-paidcontent.html

Mark - Did Conficker start in China?

I'm sure many of you have heard about the virus going around called "Conficker". It was believed that this virus had originated from either Europe or Russia, but there is now a new rumor that the virus code is very similar to the Nimda virus that occurred in 2001. The Nimda virus had supposedly been developed in China, so now there is now reason to believe that their might be some connection between the two viruses because of the similar code that was used. Even with this rumor, officials have still not been able to locate the creator of this virus, but at least now they have some assistance in narrowing down where to block the return of the virus. Make sure you all delete your cookies and don't open any strange emails!

More on this article

Connie - Google to offer free music downloads in China

I found an interesting news item today about Google and Chinda. Apparently, Google and the major music labels have found an alternative way to monetise digital music: advertising.

Google has announced that Chinese users of its search engine will be able to download around 350,000 songs from partners EMI, Sony, Warner and Universal - all free, licensed and legal.
Revenue will be generated for the service from advertising, which Google will in turn share with the four major record labels.

According to the article, the deal will not be replicated in other countries. One wonders if this will eventually be offered in other countires.

To read the rest of the article, click on this link:

http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/google-offer-free-music-downloads-china-96591

Shane - Google in China

Through a previous class I had learned about Google's entry into China and the many troubles they were having after doing so. Google, as most people know, promote themselves as being the most complete search of the information you are looking for on the web. China, however, has the most control over information that its occupants receive than any other country. The trouble they had was that if they didn't enter the Chinese market they were missing out on a huge piece of the worlds population. However if they were to enter the Chinese market the Chinese government was only going to allow them to display certain content that they deemed appropriate. In doing so they would be going against their mission statement and what they stand for. Read more through the link...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4645596.stm

Denis - Legal and Ethical Aspects of the Internet

The Internet allows consumers, businesses, and industry to do many new things in unique and efficient ways. The technology around which it is built is also changing and advancing rapidly. A source of concern is that the legal and ethical developments regarding the Internet are not able to keep up with the fast pace of technological change.

http://www.tekxam.com/StudyGuide/concepts/Ethics-and-Legal/TekXam_Legal_and_Ethical_Study_Guide.html

This website is a tutorial that touches on the main areas of legal and ethical concern that have emerged so far, the ways in which they are being dealt with, and the implications for providers of technology related services and products.

Drew-Foreign markets tough for YouTube

I checked out the article Mark posted and found some more about the block of YouTube in China. The heavy internet regulation isn't only in China. It seems like the moment that the government finds something in a website offensive there isn't much evaluation and the entire site is banned. The article went on to talk about the control countries want but don't have over websites like YouTube because they are foreign. In China a big competitor of YouTube is tuduo.com, which the government doesn't mind because they can regulate it. This makes it hard for Internet sites and companies to break into that huge market. I can't say I feel too bad for these huge companies but more so for the citizens. This isn't just in China either. Companies are trying to penetrate markets around the globe that have emergent Internet use but are having difficulty in some places. YouTube isn't only blocked and/or regulated in China but also in Thailand, Pakistan, Turkey, and Germany.

Kerry- Google and Behavioral Advertising

In this article it talks about how Google has introduced a new type of behavioral ad target with YouTube and their partner site AdSense advertising network. What happens is when a websurfer goes on to YouTube and AdSense websites it shows them pages they pursued in the past. So say someone searched baseball on the YouTube website when they go back an ad would be generated towards your previous search regarding baseball. Google has programs for websurfers to opt out of having ads populate based on their search. But for the time being this function could only be used by certain internet explorers and you would have to opt out on all your computers. The Center for Democracy and Technology wants major websites to create an industry wide opt out of all interest advertising.


http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/03/11/google_behavioral_advertising/

Liz - ethical & legal issues

http://pwebs.net/marketing/ethics/articles/internetethics.htm
In light of how the Internet is a major part of the daily life for all of us, I found this website very interesting. Blogs, photos, email, anything online is forever in cyberspace. Does Facebook own our pictures once we post them? Who actually owns our words when we post online? The internet is free range for anyone looking. From a business perspective, what is posted online about the company, whether it is through a blog or the company's website, is crucial to its reputation. The company site must make sure that it contains correct information so as to avoid any legal issues and misguided (unethical) marketing. We hear of spyware that invades our email accounts or businesses selling our cell phone numbers. I think we will continue to see more legal action against and to prevent these actions. Just last year an Az man violated Washington’s Computer Spyware Act and Consumer Protection Act when he bombarded people's computers with ads and them presented them w/a software that would block the ads, which when downloaded turned their computers into spamming machines. http://www.atg.wa.gov/pressrelease.aspx?id=19416

Kristin- New York Times 10 Rules of Blogging

The success and take off of blogging as a phenomenon may be due largely to the fact that there really are no rules or regulations. People can create a blog and really write whatever they want. It seems odd that there are no restrictions really set into place yet. While I'm sure some companies have experience some troubles with their employees blogging (perhaps unfavorably) about the company, to date you don't really hear about any major troubles or disturbances brought about by blogging. Blogging right now is really a entity for people to express their thoughts, ideas, and concerns openly and freely; both good and bad. I can foresee in the future that either the government or companies will put into place rules and regulations for blogging. There is going to be that one person who pushes the envelope too far and ruins it for everyone. Below is a article that better bullet points the New York Times article discussing the 10 rules for blogging. Even these rules are very vague and many common sense for now.

http://www.businessinsider.com/the-new-york-timess-10-rules-for-blogging-2009-3

Sue H--Revised guidelines for BT

Behavioral targeting has been around for several years, but has recently been receiving increased attention. One of the biggest worries about BT is privacy issues. The Federal Trade Commission recently revised guidelines for behavioral targeting (February 12th) requiring websites to disclose the data they are collecting to their users and give them a chance to opt out. Behavioral targeting in a nutshell is an advertising practice in which a marketer targets ads to consumers based on their past online activity. Privacy advocates feel the new guidelines do not go far enough to protect the consumer, saying it places too heavy a burden on consumers because hundreds of sites are collecting personal information, and the average online user would be easily overwhelmed. Consumer advocacy groups were also concerned about certain categories of information--such as genetics--being used improperly and asked that these areas be entirely off limits. On the flip side Google and Yahoo praised the new guidelines, which do not require either company to change any of their current practices in regards to information gathering.

Mark - Mobile marketing & China vs. YouTube

I came across this article about a public mobile campaign sponsored by The Partnership for a Drug-Free America that I thought was real interesting. The campaign targets parents that might have a hard time and not exactly sure how to talk to their kids about drugs. With the everyday use of cell phones in today's society, I thought this was a brilliant idea. Banner ads are displayed across mobile websites on cell phones, linking users to different tools that can be used to educate them and their children, as well as provide advice on communication about this topic.

More on this mobile marketing campaign

Well, China's at it again, taking away many of the freedoms that us Americans might take for granted. The Chinese government announced today that they were going to block access to the popular Internet site YouTube.com, and not with much reason. There are rumors that one of the reasons this was done was because of a video that was displayed on YouTube.com that showed Tibetan prisoners being attacked by Chinese policemen. I understand how this would cause great concern, but to limit all access? That seems a little ridiculous. Why can't they just block and remove this video from the site like they do with other video clips?

More on China and YouTube

Krista- Twitter can get your fired

I found this story about a guy who was offered a job at Cisco but then bad-mouthed it on Twitter. Cisco found his tweet and now he's out of a job. It says that HR Depts in the near future will have to overlook some of the online faux pas that seem to be occuring more frequently. There were a few other examples of politicians who disclosed (what seems like classified information) but didn't get fired.

But I guess the question is where is the line drawn between your social and professional lives?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29796962/

It also mentioned Twitter is much quicker than Facebook on getting info out so therefore it's quicker to get your fired.

Connie - Blogger's Code of Ethics

When it comes to blogging, I really did not think that people needed to follow any guidelines. But there are come people who feel that bloggers "should recognize that they are publishing words publicly, and therefore have certain ethical obligations to their readers, the people they write about, and society in general."

CyberJournalist.net went so far as to create a model Bloggers' Code of Ethics, by modifying the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics for the Weblog world. These are just guidelines but not something bloggers need to follow.

CyberJournalist says bloggers should be honest and fair (identify and link to sources), minimize harm (show good taste), and be accountable (admit mistakes).

Personally, I just think bloggers should watch what they say - you never know who is going to be reading your blog.

To read the full post about the Code of Ethics, click on this link:
http://www.cyberjournalist.net/news/000215.php

I started my own blog page

And have already blogged it up....

Spent hours trying to figure out blogging -- blogspot was, by far, the most helpful. the "Doing it right" chapter of the book starts out with "...techniques and guidelines that have worked for other successful bloggers." So I followed their advice: I looked for blogs on bloglines (it took me an hour just to figure out how to set up an account and then figure out how to search for what I was interested, hint: my interests were not represented in the top 1000 blogs: I am not particularly interested in more news (is there any good news these days???) And anyway, the ones I was interested in - -one or two design blogs -- I tried to add to my feed but I have no idea if I did it right, or if I'll get the RSS feed -- yes the Really Simple Syndication that I couldn't figure out.

I guess what I'm saying is that the technical sites the authors of Naked Conversations sent us to are useless to those with a vocab deficit like me. Blospot on the other hand -- its almost as easy as AdWords Starter edition. The page isn't what I want it to eventually look like, but I feel confident enough to try my hand at it on another day. And isn't that what it's all about? When you create a how-to, you want it to be simple enough for people to follow, it builds confidence and interest, and that keeps your audience coming back. Who knows, maybe I'll try a little html tomorrow.

So here's my blogspot -- leave me a note! http://kissutissue.blogspot.com/
And, by the way, how do people find out about your blog other than sending them an invite via e-mail? Is it really just through the links you leave and key words you use in writing your blog? That does seem a bit far fetched...

David- Why Blog

In reading an article from theatlantic.com the guy stated that "We bloggers have scant opportunity to collect our thoughts, to wait until events have settled and a clear pattern emerges". Bloggers obviously blog to give an option on particular topics and at times many conversations can come out of it. For example when Chris Brown hit Rhianna many people gave there suggestions and commented on what should be done and why. I personally disagree with a man putting his hands on a female just not cool and unacceptable. When endorsements were taken from him I agreed with that. If Michael Phelps got suspended for something he did that came to light a few months later then Chris Brown should of been punished as well. I see blogging as a way to express what you feel and see what others feel on the particular topic as well.





http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200811/andrew-sullivan-why-i-blog

Shane - A new way of communicating

Communication has no doubt evolved over the past several years. Telephones, both land and cellular, revolutionized the way people communicate with each other. Blogs have done much of the same thing. What seems to be one of the easiest forms of communication paths, blogging is able to make information available to mass amounts of people worldwide. While blogging has taken off on a personal route, businesses now depend upon blogs for generating traffic to their company. Since direct contact with a person is not required to gain the, often personal, information blogs set forth they are increasingly popular for those who wish to gain information from a company with a "no strings attached" frame of mind. It has widened the information gateway.

Kristen - Blogging and Sacred Heart

As you all probably know, blogging has become an influential part of business today. We write blogs for classes, companies use blogs to keep customers up to date and even celebrities in the entertainment industry use blogs to keep fans "in the loop" with their current projects. I work in the Undergraduate Admissions office at Sacred Heart and we especially use blogs to keep our prospective students up to date with things that we are doing. We use a bunch of current students, faculty and staff members to keep these blogs running and have had a decent amount of hits to the blogs, especially as we near the beginning of deposit time to gain our incoming class.

Denis - YouTube had been blocked for nearly a year in Turkey

The row began when a Turkish judge ordered telecom providers to block access to the site because it was carrying videos that insulted Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey, which is a criminal offence in the country. Turkish prosecutors then objected to dozens of other videos allegedly attacking Ataturk or "Turkishnesss" or promoting Kurds. Google agreed to block videos that were illegal in Turkey so that they could not be viewed in Turkey. When, last June, a Turkish prosecutor demanded they be blocked worldwide, Google refused and the Government blocked access to the whole site.

http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/03/07/news/turkey.php

Sue H--Digital Mom report

I recently saw a report on the Today show about digital moms that caught my attention(being the mom of an active 11-yr old).  The report examines the the role of digital technology in modern moms.  Some of the findings were very interesting and got me thinking abou the ways modern technological changes have influenced my parenting.  I check my daughter's school website for any up-to-the-minute announcements, also all her sports activities are online. Her school just implemented an automatic emergency response system, which,when activated, dials parents from a computer to alert them of early closings, delays, or if there were an emergency situation in the school.  The report did mention  moms with children 12 or older are more likely to use social media and text messaging, and instant messaging. The report went on to see what a unique opportunity this was for marketers to utilize  these channels to facilitate conversations among moms and influence decision making.  A quote from the article states, "Among digital moms, the gap is closing between TV and other channels in creating initial awareness about products.  Marketers should consider the relative influence of each channel when determinimg how, when, and where to reach digital moms."

Drew- Will blog for money

I searched blogging on Google and in the suggestions that came up were, among other things, blogging sites, software, tips, project runway(?). The one that was most interesting to me was blogging jobs. The amount of websites that came up that were dedicated to finding and providing blogging jobs was surprising. Despite it being a tough time to find a job it seemed like there were about a million blog jobs out there. All different kinds of companies are looking for bloggers for a variety things. Some of the job descriptions described things that could be directly related to naked conversations. The other thing that was great was that plenty of the jobs were part/full time from home or even simply on a pay-per-blog basis. With a little extra time and plenty of digital marketing we could make some dough.

Is somebody watching you?

Many online companies have developed tools that can track every click a person makes, which articles they read, which advertisements they click, the purchases they make, the length of time on a page, and more. This has brought up privacy issues. Should this be self regulated? Or state and/or federally regulated? It is definitely great to see ads on the pages you look through that pertain to your interests. But to have a company know what should purchase? Now, that’s a different story.

I found an article from the FTC, dated back to February 12th, about the issuance of a report describing their ongoing examination of online behavioral advertising. It describes both the advantages and disadvantages of behavioral advertising to consumers.
http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2009/02/behavad.shtm

Liz - Google and China

TIME Magazine has some great articles on China and the Internet. I thought the following was interesting - it was pulled from the article, "A Brief History of Chinese Internet Censorship" dated 3/18/09 (link is below) ...

"A recent Pew Research Center survey found that 80% of Chinese think the Internet should be managed or controlled, and 85% think the government should be responsible for doing it."

The Pew Research Center is based out of Washington DC, but were those results filtered like everything else coming out of and going in to China? Did they alter their numbers to advocate what they do? You run the risk of arrest if you go against the Chinese government. The citizens of China are getting access to a greater amount of worldwide news even with the censorship and the existence of the Great Firewall of China. As Google puts it, "offering a limited set of information in China is better than no information at all." I guess something is better than nothing, but talk about Big Brother - most of the time people have to give up personal information to gain access to the internet.

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1885961,00.html

I found this article "Secreets to Building a popular blog" on www.doshdosh.com

"The success of a blog often depends on its audience size." So the articles #1 advice is to have a core audience of supporters. The circulation of your blog outweighs the content. Blog readership = word of mouth marketing.

3 Strategies for builing a core audience
1. Power networking- make sure your blog offers value to the intented party w/o requesting something in return. Stay on the radar by blogging often and encourage discussions with and amongst readers
2. Content Syndication - include guest bloggings, recommendations and links
3. Use social media websites as a distribution channel like Digg or Reddit

Mark - Engadget and the wimpy guy

I thought this was an interesting blog. I had never heard of it before, but Engadget is a blog that discusses and talks all about customer electronics. From what I have read, this blog constantly updates itself with the most current information on customer electronics today. This is great for customers who are doing research and maybe thinking about buying a particular electronic product, because chances are, it has been discussed on this blog. Even for those of us who enjoy looking at this stuff, it's a great blog to browse through.

Engadget's blog

I also came across one guy's blog who doesn't like Engadget because they update their information so frequently. I guess this isn't a good thing if your a competitor in the same market, and trying to bring customer electronic product information to viewers faster. For everyone else, it's great!

Check out this guys blog and how upset he is

Kristin- Top 25

This site features the top 25 blogs for March 2009

http://www.ask.com/bar?q=most+popular+blog+sites&page=1&qsrc=2417&ab=2&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebizmba.com%2Farticles%2Fblogs

When checking out this list I have heard of many of those mentioned. One that caught my eye was PerezHilton.com. For those of you who don't know...PerezHilton is a blog site created by a man by the name of Mario Armando Lavandeira. On his blog he writes under a pseudonym of Perez Hilton. He has gained an almost celebrity like personality through his blog. He posts gossip items about musicians, actors, and celebrities. For those of you(like me) who are gossip junkies this website is a dream come true. He updates his blog multiple times a day to keep everyone informed on the latest gossip around Hollywood. His blog has garnered both positive and negative attention for its brash attitude, and its role in the increasing coverage of celebrities in all forms of media. It's amazing to me how this man has become a celebrity in his own right just from his blog. Perez and his outlandish styles are often present around Hollywood. Below are just a few of his crazy styles. To check out his site go to...

http://www.perezhilton.com/

Connie - Social networks more popular than email

I found an interesting article on Usatoday.com about social networking and blogging. According to a Nielsen Company report, they are both more popular than e-mailing.

Nielsen Online examined nine global markets. Among these, penetration for social networks and blogs was highest in Brazil where 80% of the online audience visited such sites. That compares to 75% for runner-up Spain and 67% for the USA. As the most popular social network globally, Facebook is visited monthly by three in 10 people across the markets in the report.

To read the article, click on this link:

http://blogs.usatoday.com/technologylive/2009/03/social-networks.html

Kerry- Blogging your way into a Job

I came across this article from Forbes on how blogging could help you get a new job. This article gives you tips on how to become a successful blogger in your profession or industry. If you have the ability to blog it could give you the edge in an interview or in even in your current job. You should keep your blog to about 500 words when commenting on industry news or new trends. It gives you tips on how to get your blog recognized in a search. There are 3 websites that are mentioned in the article to help you start your own blog. The article also gives you tips on how often you should update your blog after you found a new job.


http://www.forbes.com/2009/03/10/blog-jobs-start-leadership-careers-networking.html

Shane - An Apple a day...

I learned from my presentation the other week that very few people in our class do not own an iPod or an iPhone. It's amazing to me that one company could have such an influence on society that they made their product a standard. A visit to any gym would reveal an iPod in almost every gym-goers hand. They have turned a laptop into a "green" attraction by making it earth friendly. Who knew a laptop could be earth friendly! By using recyclable products to produce the laptop and adding a battery that lasts twice as long as its previous version with a life cycle of over 1,000 charges they have managed to come out on top of the market yet again, despite the increasing pressure of caring for the earth. Apple seems to consistently come up with "must-have" gadgets that grab my attention almost every day. I've mentioned before that I am an advertisers dream. If it looks really good on a commercial I can't get it out of my head. My roommate has an iPhone and it amazes me the "apps" he has on his phone. There's an app that he can set to "ring" his phone as if someone is calling that he sets for a certain time should he need an excuse to get out of a situation or conversation. The commercial currently running that turns the phone into a level is a perfect example. Turning a phone into an actual tool. Now that's innovation.

Drew-Despite tough times Apple isn't going anywhere

It would be tough to say that Apple is struggling but with the current economic conditions they aren't doing quite as well as usual. I read a few articles in the WSJ about how they are examining their pricing strategy to stimulate their business. In some respects they do have some good price cuts but for other products it's vastly different experts say. The end of last year for them was not good just like everyone else and it might be a bit tougher because they do charge a premium price and is not so appealing with everyone's wallets hurting. I also read an article that talked about certain speculations of layoffs but is apparently rumors based on a few conclusions drawn. The biggest reason was that according to laws in California they have to report a mass layoff to the state before its done. Both were pretty interesting articles and although they might be hurting a bit, it is evident that Apple isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

Check it:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123609470232119461.html
http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2009/03/03/layoffs-at-apple-unlikely/

PS

I still use my GPS when I'm in delivery mode. And I know I sound old-fashioned, but it is a really good thing to put down the apps and explore the world at least for some part of everyday. you'll never be where you are right now again. Or now. Or now.

Amy & Apple

I am proud to say that I had (and still have -- maybe I'll bring it tonight) a mac from the first year it was available; however, after it chewed-up and spit out my 65 page (without end notes) thesis I switched to PCs, and it's been up and down ever since -- but generally not a disaster.

My daughters both use Apple computers and swear by them, but it really wasn't until a friend of mine illuminated the incredible benefits of Apple computers that I started to think about a switch. Wilson built and launched his entire website www.eyedit.tv and he's my age....he composed the animation that serves as my website splash page with his "pretty standard" Apple. www.kissutissue.com

These are all business/professional applications, and for that purpose, I might spend the extra hours trying to learn a new machine; but for regular life applications? Let me explain: I had grown to love my GPS. Then one day, it didn't work and I had to use my faculties to get myself home. At first I was panicked, and then I realized I had become lazy and dependent in a way that allowed -- even built -- distance between me and my environment. So I now view all these apps as enablers. They help make us lazy, we no longer have to explore our world, take chances, and we can have whatever we want when we want it, or so it seems.

All these apps? they just make us lazy. And while iPods seem harmless, ask a person who works with teens if they think iPods are harmless. These kids NEVER have to spend time reflecting, dealing with discomfort, or talking with anyone; they can just plug in their earbuds and they're good to go....

Sue H--Amazon to sell E-books for Apple devices

Amazon.com will soon begin selling e-books for reading on Apple's iPhone and iPod touch. Owners of these Apple devices can dowload a free application,(Kindle) from Apple's App Store which will give them full access to over 240,000 e-books for sale on Amazon. All this has happened just 1 week after Amazon shipped the updated version of its Kindle reading device--a move that may signal a growing interest in becoming a retailer of e-books. Amazon, however, has said they feel readers will use the mobile app for shorter periods, they will more readily adopt the stand-alone reading devices for reading complete novels. Amazon will also create bookmarks so that a user can stop reading a book on one device and pick it up on another device in the same spot. All these recent developments also suggest that Steve Jobs has little interest in the market for digital books. Jobs was quoted as saying "the whole conception is flawed beacause people don't read anymore." May industry analysts view Apple's skipping the e-book market as a significant sign....

Denis - Apple Inc.

I don't know about you guys, but I am just in love with apple. If I would have the money, I would buy basically all their products. I don't know if they brainwashed me...but I don't see any argument against their products, except the price sometimes.

Anyways...

There is a really good website to get info about what to expect in the future and current news. A lot is based on rumors, but it is a very serious source. I followed it for a long time now. It is a really good forecast and more.

http://www.macrumors.com/

Kristin-Not In My House!

I was recently browsing some news articles online and came across this one that I found pretty humorous. The article discusses an interview Microsoft founder, Bill Gates gave to Vogue magazine. The article mentions how Gates' house is top of the line with all the latest technology. Gates then goes on to say he absolutely does not allow Macs, iPhones, or iPods in his house. His wife and 3 children often have a hard time since most of their friends have iPods or iPhones. Gates refuses to allow his family to support his biggest competition...Apple. It seems like almost everyone these days has an iPod...guess not!

To read the article:
http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/patterson/40926

Krista - Smartphones

According to NPD Group, a market research firm, 1/4 of all handsets sold in the US during Q4 '08 were smartphones, like the iPhone 3G. This is almost double the amount sold in Q4 '07.

Average prices have dropped for the iPhone- from $216 in 07 to $167 in 08. ($200 seems to be the price consumers are wililng to pay.) iPhone competitors- Blackberry Storm, T-Mobile G1 Nextel are in the same price range. High-speed data services are becoming standard on smartphones, 66% use the 3G wireless network vs 46% last year.

Verizon Wireless is running a buy one get one free special on their smartphone Storm but these deals can cut into carrier's profits. NPD Group suggest selling more accessories to increase profits.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-10187024-94.html

Ritsa- iPhone applications

If anyone has an iPhone, or doesn't, I'm sure you have seen all of the applications that are available for use on the phone. There are millions. Some examples include:

• application to find where your car is parked (in case you totally lose it in the mall parking lot)
• GoodFood- best places to find eats in your neighborhood
• prescription drug search- my friend is a nurse and she has an application on her iPhone that lets her describe the pill (color, shape, size) and figure out what it is
• AreYouSafe DC- lets you know how safe you are at any given time based on your current location within the city.
• SpeedoCheck- turn your iPhone into your own handheld speedometer. like reallllly?
• BudgetCare- control your personal expenses

I guess you get my point. You can do absolutely anything from your iPhone. But unless you really want to know how fast you walk, doesn't your car have a speedometer? duh.

Kerry- Apple iPhone

The success of Apple continues to grow everyday. Apple not only has laptops and i-pods but they have made their way into the mobile business. Their mobile industry has taken off in a whole light. In the below article it shows how popular their mobile industry has come about. The iPhone has generated more web search to beat out their competitors. The Apple iPhone beat out Google Android and the Blackberry even when these mobile phones have their market shares increasing rapidly. After reading this article it made me put into perspective the growth of Apple with their increase in success. Apple is going to continue to invent new things and will somehow in some way beat their competitors. When Apple comes out with a new product they go all out.


http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Mobile-and-Wireless/Apple-iPhone-Tops-Mobile-Web-Searches/

Mark - Apple + Mac Mini

I saw a commercial for the mac mini this morning, and it jut re-emphasized how innovative Apple is and why they continue to gain more market share. Especially with today's "green-goers", the mac mini directly targets these type of customers. Apple claims that this is the company's, as well as the world's most efficient desktop computer on the market today. It uses less than thirteen watts of power when it is sitting in idle mode, which is very beneficial because how many of us just leave our computers on when we're not in the room? I know I do all the time, because it takes so long to boot up after being shut down. These thirteen watts is about ten times less than a conventional personal computer. Again, to attract the "green goers", Apple advertises their computer with the fact that the company uses many recyclable materials, while wasting less materials on shipping, because less is used than normal. This is such a smart business strategy because Apple is doing their part to make the world more environmentally friendly, which will catch the attention of many potential customers. I have never had an Apple computer, but this is definitely a great reason to buy one.

Here's more on an article I found about the Mac Mini

Liz-Apple application

I thought this was pretty funny - you can buy a card counter application from iTunes for your iPhone or iPod Touch. The application is supposed to assist with learning and playing blackjack on the phone and also teaches you how to count cards in your head so you can "count legally ...and have a lot of fun..." Apple can say the app is for their phone all they want, but let's face it, someone (or many) is bound to try it at a casino. (they already have) Ethical business?

The Nevada Gaming Control Board issued a warning to the casinos about iPhone's card counting application, issed after gamblers in California were caught using the counter at an Indian casino.


http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/02/17/iphone_card_counter/
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601204&sid=aCg5OXOia80U

Connie - Why the Japanese Hate the iPhone

I thought this was an interesting article about how not everyone likes the iPhone:

Apple's iPhone has wowed most of the globe — but not Japan, where the handset is selling so poorly it's being offered for free.

What's wrong with the iPhone, from a Japanese perspective? Almost everything: the high monthly data plans that go with it, its paucity of features, the low-quality camera, the unfashionable design and the fact that it's not Japanese.

In an effort to boost business, Japanese carrier SoftBank this week launched the "iPhone for Everybody" campaign, which gives away the 8-GB model of the iPhone 3G if customers agree to a two-year contract.

To read the rest of the article, click on this link:

http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2009/02/why-the-iphone.html

Amy & Alibaba

Alibaba is the service I used to find both a factory and a shipper for my product. There were many leads -- in fact I continue to get inquiries -- and I found that the ones who responded to my I follow-through panned out; that is, they were legitimate companies with legitimate facilities to produce my product. I found this to be almost magical.

I was a sole member of a none-company, that is not I wasn't not listed on D&B, with a small product that hadn't even been consumer tested, and yet I could engage legitimate companies to produce my product without getting ripped off. Now this last comment may sound a bit jaded, and perhaps living in NYC for so long has jaded me some, I was completely leery of business as an institution and business people as a group. SHU and alibaba have changed that perception for me. I would recommend its both this institution and alibaba to anyone who was looking for the services they provide.

Ritsa- Booking Buddy

I recently came across Booking Buddy which is an online vacation comparison website. Instead of going to the direct site of airlines or sites like priceline.com, Booking Buddy lets you fill in the details of the trip you are planning and then allows you to choose from among many online ticket distributors.

For example, after filling in the departure and arrival information such as destination and dates, Booking Buddy allows you to choose whether you want to check prices at expedia.com, or priceline.com, or cheap tickets.com, or a dozen other ticket sites including airline sites such as jetblue.com.

Like the pricegrabber.com, an online comparison site of almost anything, Booking Buddy lets you compare prices of all flights and vacations (i.e. cruises, hotels, car rentals) in order for you to find the cheapest price.

To check it out, go to www.bookingbuddy.com

Shane - Netflix

Last time I was at Blockbuster it cost me five bucks to rent a movie. If you talked to any one of my friends you would know I'm far from cheap. I usually waste money on stupid stuff that has cool advertisements. i.e. I'm an advertisers dream. The aftermath of me asking myself why I purchased that has yet to prompt a return. Blockbuster just took me away, however, by charging so much money for one movie that I am only allowed to have for 48 hours. I've been a member of Netflix for about two years now and I couldn't be happier. For $12 a month (which equals about two and a quarter movies if I was renting from Blockbuster) I get a movie at a time sent directly to my house with a prepaid envelope for return, and as many rentals as I want in that month. On top of all of that I get unlimited movie streaming directly to my computer or xbox 360. What do I get from Blockbuster again? Oh that's right... late fees.

Ok, so I don't always take advantage of all Netflix has to offer that is included in my plan. In fact, I received a movie in the mail a week ago and have yet to watch it. So, this month I may end up only watching two movies. That still equals the amount that Blockbuster would give me for around the same price. Depending on where the nearest Netflix shipping facility is in relation to my house at the time, it usually takes no more than three days turnaround to send and receive a movie in the mail. It could be the bright red envelopes that are hard to miss that assist the post office in the speedy delivery or maybe a bargain Netflix made with the US Postal Service that all mail workers get Netflix service as long as they move quick to process others. Whatever it is, they do it well. Now that Netflix streaming has become so popular through the use of xbox 360 and LG tv's along with TiVo, Netflix has come up with plans that offer streaming only usage.

To learn more click here for the full article.

Drew-Dell's Identity Crisis

In the tough times of this unpredictable economy many companies are redifining how some things are done. Shifting trends can also mandate a change in a company's strategy. At the moment Dell is seeing a bit of both contributing to a reevaluation. According to an article I read, much of their sales is attributed to servers and PCs. With the demand for these products going down they need to realign some things. Close competitors such as IBM and HP are more diversified because they're sales can rely heavily on software, services, and printers. On the other side is Apple who has a lock on innovation and is tough to compete with. Dell needs to find a way to keep from falling between the cracks and maybe reinvent themselves a bit. A recent effort for them is a super thin laptop that can be ordered in a number of ways including artists' designs on the outside. They say they want to put some more effort into the design of their products. As they move away from their traditional ways to make money they say the next big market will be mobile.
check it out:
http://money.cnn.com/2009/02/26/technology/dell.fortune/index.htm?section=money_latest

Liz - online shopping

EBAY, Pricegrabber, netflix, etc...online shopping has changed our world. I am sure there are additional reasons, but the Trumbull mall has a number of vacant stores. There will always be your mall-goers, but I think retail stores take a hard hit with increased online shopping. Online prices are better, you can get exactly what you want and large or small, it is delivered to your front door. I do most of my work related shopping for equipment online - I can find everything online as opposed to going to 5 different stores and traveling all over the state. And it is cheaper! A dozen of softballs can cost upwards of $60-$70; pricegrabber has them for $49. I found it interesting that Pricegrabber.com has links to competitor sites selling similar products (Eastbay, eSportsonline, Target, Modells). I took a look at Eastbay and a recreational level basketball went for 59.99 while the exact same ball goes for 35.19 on pricegrabber.

Mark - Pricegrabber

With today's economy, no one wants to spend more money on a product than they have to. Many people turn to online shopping and shopping agents such as pricegrabber to find the cheapest prices on products so then can keep some extra money in their pockets as well as save gas by not having to drive to the store. I was reading an article about pricegrabber for my final paper for this class, and it discussed how pricegrabber's UK site has launched their new site theme of 100% free shipping on all products on the site. The site is http://freedelivery.pricegrabber.co.uk, and customers can use the sites comparison tools to evaluate deals on thousands of products from so many different retailers. Hopefully this free delivery option will spike customer spending and leave them happy by leaving some extra money in their wallet.

To view the article, you'll have to sign in using your SHU id since it was found in the SHU library resources database.

More on this article.

Kerry- Alibaba

In this article it discusses how Alibaba merged with 8 Chinese banks to help small business owners obtain loan funds. All of the banks that merged with Alibaba were mentioned in this article. Alibaba has entered into the world of e-commerce. Yahoo surprisingly is closing their China site at the end of this month.

http://www.brandrepublic.asia/DigitalMedia/newsarticle/2009_02/Chinese-e-commerce-giants-unveil-recession-initiatives/34242

Here is the website for Alibaba: http://www.alibaba.com/

Kristin-"The Disneyland of Dairy" Stew Leonards

If you're from the Connecticut area chances are you have been to, or at least heard about Stew Leonards ( I myself go to one their locations almost once a week). Stew Leonards is a famous grocery store that is run on simple principles and has seen great success even as the economy spirals downward. So what makes Stew Leonards so successful? Product, price, and distribution all come into play in the independent dairy stores success.

Stew Leonards offers more than just shopping. Shopping at Stews is more an experience than a chore due in large part to its in store theatrics and fresh, upscale selection of products. Stew Leonards offers more than just food. Parents bring their children, and Stews doesn't disappoint in keeping the kids entertained while the parents shop. There are animatronics adorning the entire store where kids (or adults who act like kids) can press a button and see a show.

Stew Leonards has landed its 8th consecutive year on Fortune Magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work For" and prides itself on the concept of you can't have a great place to shop without first making it a great place to work. Stew Leonards is the highest grossing grocery store per square foot. While it may seem risky, Stews offers roughly only 1,000 different items opposed to a normal grocery stores 15,000-20,000 items. Stews also doesn't have multiple aisles to walk up and down like a normal grocery store, instead customers walk a single 20 foot wide aisle that is almost like a labyrinth. The approach seems to have worked...by buying only one brand direct from manufacturers in huge quantities Stew Leonards is able to pass savings on to its customers. Also, the labyrinth concept allows customers to come face to face with every item sold. The store also prides itself on free samples and fresh foods. The company strongly believes the customer is always right and is constantly striving for new ways to keep the customers happy and coming back.


To read the full article...
http://www.freeenterpriseland.com/BOOK/STEWLEONARD.html

Denis - priceline.com

Priceline is one of the biggest online travel agencies. Besides the good deals, they are know for their funny commercial with William Shatner aka the price negotiator.

In this tough recession priceline does outperform its competition. The share price increased by 16% after the 4th quarters earnings result got published.

The key to their sales success is a NO-FEE charge!

http://community.investopedia.com/news/IA/2009/Priceline-Soars-Above-The-Competition-PCLN0225.aspx



Mahaney (Citigroup analyst) says Priceline is one of the most defensive Internet stocks because more than 60% of its bookings/profits are in Europe and counter-cyclical U.S. hedges. He thinks the company has travel segment's best management team.

http://www.businessweek.com/investor/content/feb2008/pi20080215_847523.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index_investing



The output of US transportation services, which is a driver for travel agencies and services, is forecast to grow at an annual compounded rate of 4 percent between 2008 and 2013. Data Sourced: December 2008



The First Research Industry Growth Rating reflects the expected industry growth relative to other industries, based on INFORUM's forecasted average annual growth for the combined years of 2009 and 2010.

http://www.hoovers.com/priceline.com/--ID__58847--/free-co-factsheet.xhtml




But who is the cheapest travel agent. I ran a price-test of a round trip to germany over this summer.

New York to Hamburg - July 1st / Hamburg to New York - August 10th

Priceline: $ 951

Expedia: $ 989.60

Orbitz: $992

Travelocity: $ 993

Sue H---Future of Netflix

A great debate is raging about what the future of movie distribution will look like. On one side of the debate are those who claim the physical discs(ie; DVD and Blu-ray) will always be the superior choice. The other side---with a growing support base--claims online access or streaming video is the way to go. Netflix CEO, Reed Hastings, is siding firmly with the latter camp, and it appears Netflix is gearing up to move it's production from mail distribution to online streaming. Hastings indicated that sometime late this year or early next year, Netflix will offer online-streaming-only subscription plans. Hastings goes on to explain that in order for Netflix to be able to add more available online streaming content, it needs to pay for that content with new customers--many who will be signing up with the traditional DVD-by-mail service. Netflix has over 10 million paying customers, with 718,000 signing up in just the 4th quarter of 2008. Of the current 100,000 DVD titles available for rental-by-mail, only about 12,000 are available as streaming video. Hastings was quoted as saying " We've got one singular objective, which is 'Be successful in streaming'..If we do that, that's a homerun. The key to the company's success with the streaming video offer, will be it's ability to offer the service on devices other than computers. Currently Netfli has streaming options on Xbox 360,TiVo HD DVR, and Roku Digital Video Player. Although the service is not yet available on mobile devices--will the iPhone application be far behind?

Krista- edressme for the oscars

Many people watch the Oscars to see who the celebrities are wearing-including myself. The celebrity dresses (sorry guys) ranged from vintage to over $100,000! Average ladies want to look and dress like movie stars and there is a website that helps them. edressme.com (http://www.edressme.com) sells imitation gowns like those worn by celebrities (I like the red one) so everyone can look redcarpet ready. I find the most interesting part about the site is there is a link to Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/New-York-NY/Edressme/21882055065 where the customer can write on edressme's wall and recieve responses directly from the company. This is a great marketing idea to support online shopping.

Connie - Newegg, Amazon, Netflix lead e-tail customer satisfaction; eBay hits all-time low

According to their website, you can buy and sell electronics, cars, clothing, apparel, collectibles, sporting goods, digital cameras, and everything else on eBay. And many people do. But according to a recent American Customer Satisfaction Index, online customer satisfaction for eBay fell 5 percent to 78 in the fourth quarter.

The decline in customer satisfaction appears to be related to complaints about its system, prices, seller defections and the fact that its auction-based business model seems to have lost some of its luster. Revenues fell 7% in the fourth quarter, marking eBay’s first ever negative year-on-year quarter, and stock price declined almost 60% in 2008.

Amazon, Newegg and Netfilx had strong satisfaction scores.

To read the full article, click on this link:
http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=12974

David- Bank Bail Out

As we all are aware of the economic crisis the US is going through and how many jobs are being lost, mortgages not being paid, and people getting in debt because they can not live within there means. But did you know it’s also affecting the world as a whole? I did some readings on the bail out for the banks, mainly because I have to build relationships with them through what I do for work and noticed that some big banks have started to let people go because there is no money. Banks are being cautious with loans now more than ever before and they are not making money. It’s kind of crazy how you saw the automotive industry come to Congress for help, and now you see that the banks are hitting rock bottom as well and unpaid mortgages defiantly doesn’t help. I won't bore you with my input on the issue, but check out the link below and see how the governments not only here in the US but governments across the world are helping these financial institution bounce back on their feet.

http://useconomy.about.com/od/criticalssues/a/global_bailout.htm

Shane - Lead Generators

Why do all the work when you can get leads sent right to you? Ok, Google Analytics may be much more cost effective and more "do it yourself" but if you have the resources you can actually purchase leads of any kind. Working for a health insurance broker we purchase leads from various sources that we turn on and off at our demand. Demanded by our sales people, if any sales representatives would like more calls to make or more activity for them to act upon we open up the virtual doors of health insurance leads and in they come.
Here's one of many websites: http://www.healthleads.com/

Denis - All Brand Advertisers Are Not Created Equal: Attracting and Retaining Brand Advertisers Online

"Despite the Internet’s huge audience gains and innovations in technology and social media, it still lags far behind traditional media in attracting and retaining high-value brand advertisers. Join Nielsen Online CEO John Burbank and VP of Media Analytics Jon Gibs for an in-depth look at the state of brand advertising online today—and what publishers and marketers can do to maximize their online ROI."

Watch the presentation:

http://nielsen-online.com/emc/0901_wb/reg_preso.jsp

Kristen - Marketing Metrics and Buzzwords

Marketing metrics are elements that measure marketing efforts within email and the internet. Among the most popular marketing metrics are the Top 10: churn rate, clickthrough, cost per lead, customer acquisition cost, customer life cycle, impression, interstitial, lead generation, opt-in, and RFM. In the link below, each of these is fully explained and interpreted as to their importance in the marketing world.

http://searchcrm.techtarget.com/generic/0,295582,sid11_gci1249444,00.html

Liz - number crunching: Facebook vs. MySpace

It will be interesting to see what My Space and Facebook will do in the next few years to become (or stay) the # 1 social network in the US. ComScore, TechCrunch and Pingdom are all traffic firms crunching numbers and watching the race between the two social sites. ComScore's numbers show that MySpace is still #1 in the US but Facebook is catching up, while TechCrunch says Facebook will overtake MySpace in 2010. Besides the race, these firms also watch for global ups and downs and the competition with international social networks (Friendster is big in Asia).


http://news.cnet.com/the-social/?keyword=ComScore&tag=mncol;tags

Ritsa- Is Google Analytics Inaccurate?

I found an article online that describes the inaccuracy of Google Analytics. It describes that even though Google Analytics is probably the most popular analytics tool on the web today, it cannot be 100% accurate.

One of the problems and inaccuracies is counting visits. According to all the web analytics standards, a "visit" only happens when someone reads more than one page on a site. It's considered a "bounce" if a person looks at one page on the site and then leaves, not a "visit." (Read the article for a good analogy). Google counts bounces as visits, but its not really considered a visit is it?

Other problems with the inaccuracy of Google Analytics include visit counts, conversion rates, exit rates, and AdWords.

http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/21144.asp

Amy: Advertising measures

So much of advertising success depends upon what you are trying to sell. Consider, for example, the different approach you would take if your were selling rare-stone jewelry made by an up-and-coming designer vs. a new version of a wetwipe. Different products breed different approaches and with different approaches come different measures. Digital measures are clearly one of the easiest to track and quantify because of the nature of the beast, and IAB presents the guidelines for quantifying; but digital advertising is not always necessary, as in the case of the new wetwipes.

Success is always calculated by your profits, profits are achieved by getting your product out there, and where out there is depends upon your product.

Mark - Breaking through the clutter

In the aggressive and cut throat industries that are out there today, companies need to do all they can to make themselves standout and promote their products/services to consumers. With the use and influence of technology in today’s society, it is crucial that companies do all they can to influence and entice users to view their websites and to click on the ads that are provided on the web site. The article I found discusses the impact that the internet has had on marketers, especially in the B2B field. The need to create these leads is a crucial step to break through the clutter in any given industry. The article is outdated by a few years, but it talked about how marketers were going to use such lead generation tools as podcasts, free trials and blogs to get users involved. The tool that made the most significant impact though is web analytic software, because of the information it provides for users. By defining who your targeted demographic is and then seeing who is actually viewing your web site is very useful because if you are not reaching your targeted audience, you can make the necessary changes that are needed thanks to this software. The reason I picked this article is because of how relevant the subject still is, and how powerful of a tool the internet is in the market place.

The article covered many different topics, but here’s the link for more on this article.
Article

Kerry- Metrics

In this article it gives you four key metrics in order to help a start up entrepreneur grow. The following are the 4 key metrics to follow: leads generated, leads converted, average dollar per transaction, and average number of transactions per customer. The article goes into depth of each key metric in order to gain success in your business.

http://www.usnews.com/articles/business/small-business-entrepreneurs/2009/02/17/4-metrics-for-managing-success.html

Krista - Research and metrics

It seems like more than ever metrics, statistics and numbers are being used to emphasize the economic crisis our nation is in - from the number of jobless to those in foreclosure to the amount of goverment bailout. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29157886/ When looking at the data provided "consider the source" because with some research you can find statistics to support any viewpoint. In my job we use statistics in our marketing materials, however we find it does not motivate buying, in fact sometimes it turns customers off. We've recently changed some of our pieces to reflect consequences if something happens rather than the chance of something happening in an effort to appeal to more customers with less number crunching.

Drew-Performance-Driven Ads

An article in the WSJ earlier this month gave some insight into how companies are moving the direction of their marketing to some of the venues we covered in class. Marketing budgets are being cut back, so more efficient ways to market are becoming increasingly important. As a result, services similar to AdWords are seeing growth. They call it "performance-driven advertising" because not only does it improve how ads perform but also measure that performance. In class we talked about some of the tactics involved such as with bidding on search words. This article went a bit further discussing the use of links in the middle of articles or offering coupons to certain consumers simply based on info gathered by mouse clicks. Choicestream is a good example, comparable to AdSense, that is seeing growth due to companies need for a more efficient means to maintain the same returns from ads. Ultimately, these services can determine a more exact worth of each ad which is far more measurable than other forms of advertising.
heres the article:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123379182761749823.html