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

Kristin- Failing to tap the digital world's full potential

I recently read an article that opens the reader's eyes to the idea that the digital world seems to have grown and developed faster than the tools needed to measure it. Today it seems that our almost every move online can be tracked and studied ,from sites we visit to objects we search for. The Internet is the most targetable and measurable medium in history so one would think the Internet would be a marketers dream. While online advertising has proven effective for many companies, marketers are left with the complex job of trying to find better ways to measure the effectiveness of their marketing campaigns. While billions of dollars are used each year by companies promoting their products or services online, companies still rely on the most basic tools to measure effectiveness. Many companies simply rely on "click through rates" to judge how many people are seeing their ads. Companies need to find better ways to convert shoppers into buyers. Without better metrics to measure effectiveness companies may continue to promote misallocation of media budgets which will in turn waste billions of dollars and impede the growth of the industry as a whole.

Connie - Economy Calls For Online Lead Generation

For this week's post, I found an article about the economy and how lead generation might be able to help with marketing.

Right now, budgets are definitely a top priority for marketers. As a result, marketers must make the most of their spend--and they must account for every penny. Any marketing method they choose needs to be extremely targeted, measurable and result in high conversion rates

The ultimate goal for marketers is increasing sales--and it is here where Lead Generation is the fastest and most sustainable of online marketing efforts.

The leads can also be sent immediately after sign-up--which is what many marketers need in a climate where they cannot afford anything less than maximum return on their marketing spend. This flexibility means that OLG is very cost-effective, as marketing managers are only paying for the leads that they use.

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

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=99943

David - Advertising

Advertisement as we all know has changed drastically over the years. I have gone from seeing plain boring billboards, to the first digital billboard I saw which was about 2 years ago in Boston . According to dictionary.com advertisement is a paid announcement, as of goods for sale, in newspapers or magazines, on radio or television, etc. The internet has become very popular and everything is right there in people’s finger tips that many people stop buying magazines, and newspapers because they can see it on-line and see the advertisements as well. Also now you see advertisement at sporting events more than ever and it’s an industry consistently growing because the word needs to get out.

Denis - Beckham Armani Ad

In summer 2008 Armani revealed one of the images from its new underwear campaign with David Beckham. The ad was unveiled overlooking a 6,000-seater amphitheater adjacent to Macy's in San Francisco.

All images from the campaign rolled out online on June 23, and billboards like these will spread to Rome, London, Paris, Tokyo, New York, and more.

In January 2009 Victoria Beckham signed also a campaign with Armani being paid a reported $24.6 million over three years. Her images were also to find on billboards, magazines, blogs...

Shane - Advertising, in your life...

Advertising is not something you choose to be a part of. Whether you like it or not you ARE a part of it no matter where you turn. The television is an obvious one and, if your like me, do your best to avoid it with the wonderful technology of DVR (TiVo) to pass right by them. You'll see the one commercial I think is hilarious from last years Superbowl that still runs occasionally and still have me on the floor laughing.
I think Google is unique in many ways for which I love each and every one. Simply going to Google.com does not flood you with miscellaneous advertisements that make you want to hold down the power button on your computer. It's a search bar on a blank page, plain and simple. Now, once you search it's a different story. The advertisements on the left side of the window still are not as bad as some on facebook and other websites. I must say that facebook is smart in the way they advertise. I've mistaken advertisements as part of my friends profiles because they do such a good job integrating them and relating them to whatever page I may be on.
Billboards are something else you cannot avoid. I almost got into an accident today because I saw a billboard on the highway that looked interesting but I couldn't see what it said. As I leaned over while driving to get a better look starring intently at it I realized my car was leaning with me into the other lane. With advertisements getting increasingly catchy and technologically flashy it is no longer an option to avoid them.

Hilarious Superbowl Commercial

Kristen - Google + Recession = No More Radio Advertising

Google has put an end to selling radio advertising space come May of 2009. With the economy the way it is, the recession has made Google reevaluate where they want to place their company. The change could lead to layoffs at the Mountain View, California, headquarters. The motive behind Google's plan to stop selling broadcast radio advertising space came shortly thereafter their decision to stop selling newspaper advertising space, as that venture did not go as well as planned, either. Although Google has ended their broadcast radio and newspaper advertising, they still intend on placing advertisements on television.

Sue--Anheuser's Ad Czar steps down

Bob Lachky, chief creative officer for Anheuser-Busch, is stepping down--and will not be replaced. Anheuser spends about $500 million annually on ad time and space in the US alone. Some of Mr. Lachky's more memorable ads include Spuds Mackenzie and the Clydesdales, as well as the "Real Men of Genuis" campaign. This move may make some on Madison Ave nervous since changes in marketing departments often result in changes to the agencies a marketer uses. Mr. Lachky is most closely tied to Omnicom Group--the relationship between the two is seen as one of the most successful partenrships in the advertising business. Some industry insiders speculate that Anheuser's in-house media arm could be dismantled, however, a spokesman for the brewer says there are no changes planned at this time. Mr. Lachky will not be leaving empty-handed, he will earn 19.5 million from stock options and 1.4m from a severance package.

Ritsa- SuperBowl advertising

Advertising is everywhere and most of the time you don't even notice it. But there is a day once a year when commercials are actually looked forward to and that's SuperBowl Sunday! This year was not a very exciting game (not only my opinion) and the commercials were by far the best part. This year they definitely lived up to my expectations and lets hope they were well worth the multi million dollars that each of the companies paid to have their commercial air during the superbowl.
Among the best were:

• BudLight budget cuts
• Pepsi Forever Young
• Doritos Crystal Ball
• BudLight Conan O'Brien's swedish commercial
• Budweiser Clydesdale (multiple commercials)
• Transformers Trailer
  
• NBC LMAO syndrome

To see more of SuperBowl '09 commercials, check out
http://www.spike.com/superbowl?htv=12

-Ritsa

Kristin- Advertising All-Stars

I was driving from my house in Southington yesterday back to my apartment in Fairfield and along my pretty boring drive couldn't help but notice all the billboards. Advertising is vertually everywhere these days be it a billboard, tv, internet, magazine, or side of a bus. It's hard if not impossible to go anywhere without noticing some type of advertising. My new favorites are the digital billboards along the highways that change every few seconds...what better way to capitalize on space and make the most money! Some research suggest a single person sees up to 5,000 ads a day. Multiply that by 365 days a year and that's a lot of ads! So with people seeing so many ads a day I found it interesting to see which ads stuck in people's minds. I found this very interesting article below which lists the top 100 advertising campaigns of all time. Some of them may suprise you!

http://adage.com/century/campaigns.html

Liz - Google Advertising

What a relief - if I am out on the town and I want a burger, all I need to do is perform a quick google search from my phone and a listing of local burger joints will come up. Google's new service allows just this, placating people on the go looking for immediate answers - it is Adsense for mobile search. Good for the mobile operator and website owners is the ad revenue kickback from Google. This is great opportuinity for local and small businesses - a chance to draw from outside their usual crowd.

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2009-02-09-google-side_N.htm?csp=34


Here is a link to Google's announcement for the service:
http://googlemobile.blogspot.com/2009/02/calling-all-carriers-introducing.html

Drew- Interactive TV

I read an article this week about a TV provider that will bring clickable commercials to Atlanta. The concept behind the service is that during a commercial the viewer can click an icon that will instantly e-mail a link to them that will take them where they need to go. There is a number of reasons why this is vital to television advertising. For one, it helps them compete with Internet advertising but it also eliminates the search for the consumer and also keeps them from forgetting the ad between watching TV and the next time they go online. I had never heard of this but apparently this service is supposed to expand significantly in the next year.
http://www.clickz.com/3632758

Amy: Google Advertising

Google is ubiquitous: with nearly 70% of the digital advertising market sown-up, and their current forays into more traditional advertising, does anyone else even have a chance? They are present in all forms of advertising, they make everything incredibly simple (even I can figure out most of it), and they serve the professional advertising fields as well by providing them with the most up-to-date technology. It's truly amazing. And the worst part: their motto, culture, and attitude toward their customers makes them "feel" innocuous. I wonder if this is what it felt like if you were a German living in 1935? Scares the living daylights out of me. Why? Because once they gain a true monopoly, what then? How will they wield their power? Okay, so I'm a little paranoid; but at age 48, I'm allowed....!

Mark - Microsoft adCenter

With the company's development of adCenter, Microsft realized that they needed to offer something different to its users to differentiate themselves from Google. Instead of competing directly with what Google offers, Microsoft decided to take a different approach. Such things as displaying more ads in the same screen space, by requiring providers to use less text in their ads have been done. This benefits the advertisers, because more ads have the potential to be clicked on by viewers.

Another interesting date in history was when Microsoft and Facebook joined forces in August 2006, reaching an agreement on advertising on one of the most popular social networking sites today. Microsoft is the exclusive provider of banner advertising on the site. This created great exposure for Microsoft, because Facebook is constantly viewed everyday by its users.

Here's a link to a guy named Don Dodge, and his take on the Microsoft-Facebook merger

Kerry- Google Mobile Advertising

In this article it talks about how Google plans to advertise on mobile phones. If you want to order food from a restaurant all you would have to do is click on a number to order food from a restaurant. The way the ad would show up on a mobile phone would be that the user would type in their search in a box that would appear. Then on the side of your cell phone’s screen another box would show up with the search results. Google’s main concern is having the mobile phone react immediately, so it could populate the consumer’s responses quickly.

I find it pretty interesting to see where technology is taking us now and in the future.

Kerry

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2009-02-09-google-side_N.htm

Krista - advertising

I found a BusinessWeek article on newspapers objecting to the Yahoo-Google Advertising deal. It says that the Paris-based World Association of Newspapers (WAN) states that the deal between the two internet behemoths "will have a significant and adverse effect on all newspaper publishers worldwide." It goes on to say that the deal would "severly weaken" competition, "resulting in less revenues and higher fees for newspapers" and "Google will have an increasing incentive to favor...its chosen parnter sites and divert users away from competing site."

Bloggers on the site don't seem to agree with the article, siting that newspapers are not green and Google shouldn't be punished for their success.

http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/blog/europeinsight/archives/2008/09/newspapers_obje.html

Connie - Google Advertising

I found this article on Online Media Daily about AdWords. Basically, it brings up the question as to whether or not a company can buy an AdWords advertisement on Google using keywords that are trademarked by a competitor.

Here is some of the article:
A court in France has reportedly ordered Google to pay more than $500,000 for infringing two travel companies' trademarks with the AdWords platform.

The court found that Google infringed the trademarks of Voyageurs du Monde and Terres d'Aventure by displaying ads for rivals when users queried on the travel companies' names, according to Out-Law.com. Google was ordered to pay Voyageurs du Monde approximately $256,000 and Terres d'Aventure around $192,000. Google also was ordered to pay around $78,000 in court costs.

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

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=99831

Krista - Drivers License search

Apparently it's a joke but here's the e-mail and link I received. Kinda scary because it looks legit.

Subject: Re: Check your Driver's License> > > Very important!> > Now you can see anyone's Driver's License on the> Internet. I just> searched for mine and there it was...picture and all.> (Thanks Homeland> Security!) You can remove it which I did by going to...> > > > www.license.shorturl.com> <http://www.license.shorturl.com> > > > > ...and entering your name, city and state. When your > license comes on > the screen, click the box marked, " a it.<>

Ritsa- Search

Just like cellphones, a lot of people cant live without the internet today.. including me! Cell phone and internet, thats a great combination. I use my blackberry to google everything. If im out of the house and dont have my computer nearby, I just go on the google on my phone. Especially after reading the assigned book, I realized how important search is to everyone and the logistics behind search.

The book was also helpful for me to understand what I am doing at work. I work with google analytics and webmaster tools to optimize our website and rank higher in search results. To understand how google works behind the scenes, is helpful to me.

Ritsa

Shane - Searching Privacy

Google has become more than a search engine; it is an empire of information. The biggest of which is the marketing side to it. Google's GMail, a free e-mail program offered to the public, searches a users e-mail and places relevant advertisement links in the reading pane. Much debate has arisen about this topic. Some argue it is an invasion of privacy thinking Google is actually reading through the users e-mail. In fact, it is only a database of AdWords that recognize familiarities between the content in an e-mail and current advertisements. One of Google's many programs simply searches through information passing in and out of an electronic mailbox and displays advertisements that may be relevant to the most amount of words matching that topic. Just another ingenious idea from Google. Big brother? I'd say it's more convenient for the user than anything.

Denis - Google Latitude

"Google Latitude lets you see your friends on a map on Google Maps for mobile and iGoogle. Use Latitude to plan an impromptu meetup, see that a loved one got home safely, or just stay in touch with ..."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-Oq-9enE-k

Denis - What would we do without Google

Whenever i look for something, Google is the first step in my procedure of gathering some information. Why? It has the greatest data collection, it is very simple, quick and I can search whenever I want and wherever I want (as long as I am connected to the internet, but with the iPhone for example is that no problem)
If i want to go on vacation, have do research for a paper, get the latest...name it, I use Google.

In 2003, Internet wonk Jim Ayson observed that the word “Google” (as a verb) had begun creeping its way into common usage, as in, “Why don’t you Google it?”
So instead of looking of searching for something, you "google" it! It is like the Kleenex that over the meaning of the tissue.

Kristen - Google/GMail

First, I'm in complete agreement with Liz in the thought that Google is taking over the world. I'd say 9 out of 10 people you poll on a day-to-day basis when asked what search engine they use would say Google. Do people even still use Yahoo? I digress...

I use a Gmail account in addition to my Sacred Heart email (which is my work email address) and I love Gmail. It gives me the option to store about 2 gigs worth of email without forcing me to delete, or even worse, without deleting it for me with no notice. Gmail basically makes it possible to do all of the little things you do on your computer in one Internet window. Recently, with many of my friends now living abroad and working, my new thing is video-chatting with them on Gmail chat. With the click of a button (it is very much like Skype) I got a whole video tour of my friend's flat in London. Gmail also gives you options such as linking all of your email addresses to Gmail and it will deliver all of your mail to that address, audio chat, different contact lists, etc. You can also access the Google search engine through being in your Gmail inbox.

Google is definitely taking over the world. If not the world, then definitely the Internet world. I even Googled 'Gmail' to blog about Google. That's got to say something.

http://lifehacker.com/5103016/top-10-things-you-forgot-gmail-can-do

Liz-Google

I am convinced that Google is taking over the world. It is already the #1 search engine used plus it wants to...
- categorize all the information in the world
- give users access to satellite pictures of anywhere on earth and in the sky
- take every existing book and post it online
- be the lead distributor of online video through YouTube

It has a hand in everything; it is investing in mobile technology, email, spreadsheets and other software programs. This article from the NY Times elaborates on Google's advances.

http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/news/business/companies/google_inc/index.html

Even our terminology is affected by Google. When asked about something I don't know, I don't say "search for it," I say "google it!" So I did just that; I googled Google. I found: Google maps, Google news, Google reader, Google video, Google.org, Doodle for Google, Google groups, Google blog, Google image search, Google Adwords, Google Toolbar, Google Earth...even Google in Francais.

It is really impressive to watch Google's growth and see society's dependence on the online search engine. I don't know how any other company could or will compete.

Sue H. Tracking Friends with Google

There is a new mobile device from Google called Google Latitude which tracks a user's movements through location-based technology. Once downloaded onto a mobile device the application will display the user's location on a map, allowing friends and family to know your every movement. Latitude is an opt-in only feature--meaning permission is required before your whereabouts are revealed. Along with location, friends can share other info by updating a status line or changing their picture. Google has incorporated several privacy settings--locations can be manually entered or completely hidden from other people. Users can also adjust the level of geographic info they are willing to share--exact street location for a close friend, city-level information for a boss or associate. Latitude users can also allow their location to automatically update every several minutes while they are moving. A Friends list appears with the map-- users can send text messages or call friends directly from the list, or even find local restaurants and theaters by utlizing a search box.

Mark - Search History

Being able to use a search engine opens up doors to anything imaginable. Almost anything you type into the Google or Yahoo search bar has some result. The internet search tool is something that we did not have 20 years ago, and today, I could not picture my life without it. In John Battelle's book, he discusses how Piper Jaffray estimated that internet users conducted about 550 million searches per day in 2003. That's only per day! Not to mention that Battelle then goes on to say that the search rate is growing at a 30% increase per year! I could not imagine what that total number would be over the course of a few years. There is just so much information available at our finger tips, and the fact that search has become part of our daily lives shows how this tool has given us the ability to find information on almost anything that we can think of, making the internet a main source of knowledge and information for its users.

One great way to track your viewers if you have a site or blog, is to use Google Analytics. This site provides information about where viewers are viewing from, what part of the site they search, any many other things. This can help improve site visability and help the creator see where adjustments need to be made throughout the site.

More on Google Analytics

Kristin- How far will search go?

While reading John Battelle's book The Search it really got me to thinking about how far search has come in the past ten years and where it will be in say another 25. I really enjoyed reading this book because the author really gets you thinking about how much our world already has changed because of search and how much more it is going to change within our lifetime. The part that really struck me was his vision of being able to walk into a grocery store, scanning an item's UPC on ur cell phone, having your phone pull up information on the item, and having the consumer be able to compare prices and read reviews on the item all within seconds. This made me really start to think about the endless possibility advertisers have and how specific and targeted their marketing is getting to each individual consumer. While the whole idea is quite thrilling to think about it can also be a little scary. When is it simply too much or pushing the line?

Krista - Search / Google

Google is introducing new software, "Latitude" that can track where users are via Google maps. It has the ability to pinpoint where the user is within a mile or city. Google promised not to keep any information about its user's whereabouts, only the last location tracked. A version is being created for PC's. The article seems to position this feature as something parents might use to monitor where their kids are. "Analysts believe knowing a person's location eventually will unleash new marketing opportunities."

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29012946/

Kerry- Google

When looking at Google as a search I came to the conclusion that it has a lot to offer someone who is in need of a search engine. It seems as though Google is keeping up with the change in technology these days.

One of the interesting things that Google has is a site that lets you explore the earth. You get a 3-D image of the Earth and you could also get a close up on your house! They added a new feature to Google Earth where you could now view the oceans. Google also implemented a teaching tools so it could be used in the classroom. Google really knows how to pick their target market for this website. Check it out!

http://earth.google.com/

Drew-Search for a Search Engine

Have you ever hunted for a hunter? or painted a painter? What about searching for a search engine? After learning a great deal about Google with the book and case study I started to think about the competition between search engines. I have always used Yahoo with my email and homepage but Google has done much better since their emergence. So I searched Google, using Yahoo. This was the first result:

You could go to Google. Or you could stay here and get straight to your answers.

Hmm..Thank you, I think.
The results for searching Yahoo on Google were vastly different. Nothing tried to redirect me to Google. Any and all of the resources of Yahoo were available in the search. This could make for some good discussion as there may be some very logical reasons for these findings but it is nothing short of interesting.
-Drew

Amy: Blog 3/Google

Google provides an invaluable search tool, it's true; but at what cost? Is it really oay that one company has access to all persoanl information, all academic interests as well as perosnal interests, and to the contents of your computer as well (through Google desktop search tool). Is there any way for someone to "turn over a new leaf?" or more seriously, change identity thorugh the witness protection program? Can't Goolge figure out who even those people really are? And what are the alternatives? We either trust Google or we join those who are tryong to rein-in Google.

Google-Watch.org has the following choices:

Google v. copyright Big Broother is well-connected Creepy Gmail Rotten cookie Mozilla evades taxes Subpoena silliness Noncommercial links get buried How bloggers game Google Google must be stopped Spooks on board PageRank sucks googling Valerie
Printing more billions Google ♥ Wikipedia Our letter to Playboy Privacy at Google Drug problem Personal search: Holy Grail or crock? Google's China censorship High time for opt-in Is Google God? Your search terms end up in logs That's a lot to worry about. Google collects and maintains a storehouse of information about each of our computers with the ability to trace everything back to that computer, and so to each of us. Google Watch asks all of us to consider these questions at the heart of their concerns: Questions: Why was Google the first engine to use "maximum" cookies that expire in 2038? Why generate unique cookie ID numbers at all? Why is it that the only data retention policy Google appears to have, is to collect everything that can be collected about the searcher, and store it indefinitely? How does this help Google improve its engine? How can anyone at Google guarantee the future of all this data? Wouldn't Google better serve the public interest by retaining only the data it needs, and only for as long as needed, and then purge it on a regular schedule? Why does Google have to keep all this information about each of us? I think it's because they can; and because they can, they do; and since they do, they might as well play around with it to see what new things they can come up with by using it in different ways. At the heart of this accumulation of information, then, is a creative instinct that asks: "here we have it, what can we do with it." And because they have it, they needed a tag line like "Do no Evil" to remind Google employees that they have this info to play with, not destroy with. In the end, they could do either -- and that's what unnerves me.