8 out of 10 Americans Now Know What A Blog Is.

A new survey released by Synovate Research shows that blogging has hit the mainstream. Conducted online with 1000 US adults, the survey reveals some interesting facts about a topic that very few knew about and was once thought to be a simple online diary. The findings are quoted below.

"Awareness and usage of blogs, along with people penning their own, strongly correlates to age, with younger people being much more active. Nearly 90% of those aged 25 to 34 know what a blog is, compared to just 65% of those aged 65 and over.

Also, more women than men are bloggers, with 20% of American women who have visited blogs having their own versus 14 % of men.

Loyalty to specific blogs is also fairly strong with 46% of blog readers saying that they visit the same blogs regularly versus 54% who instead usually surf for new and different ones.

As blogs have gained in popularity, so has the frequency with which they’re read. Though the majority of blog readers (39%) view them less than once a month, another 28% visit them monthly, 15% visit them daily and 5% read them several times a day.

Of course, while blog usage continues to grow, so does their attractiveness as a potential marketing tool. In fact, 43% of blog visitors indicated that they had noticed advertisements on blog websites, rising to 61% among those aged 18 to 24. Almost one-third of consumers have clicked on an ad while reading a blog."

Interesting statistics to say the least. Some critics of blogs, the traditional journalists, claim that blogs are fraught with problems. They say that paid or sponsored articles written under contract goes against basic journalism and are void of any merit whatsoever. That being said, this is the very reason that disclosure is critical if you are going to be taken seriously as a blogger. Another negative seen by many is the strong opinion that posts convey.

Whether you like blogs or not, they are a medium that you can not discount as a marketing outlet. If a blog, getting 200,000 visits per month, does a review on one of your products, you are going to get some exposure - good or bad. As the younger generation continues to grow up, blogs are going to increase in importance and frequency. Remember, don't underestimate the power of social media, especially the blog and it's circle of influence.

 

What Do People Use The Internet For?

Consumers are using the net for email, entertainment, communication, research and relationship development just to name a few right? Well, according to the Online Publishers Association, it's content that Internet users are seeking. The results of an extensive 4 year study were released earlier this month which charted the amount of time Internet users spent with e-commerce, communications, content and search.

At the end of the study conducted by Nielsen/Net Ratings, almost half of the Internet users were using the web to visit content. This is dramatic increase compared to the 34% content driven use just 4 years ago.

"The dominant role of content is driven by several important factors. The first is the online transition of traditionally offline activities, such as getting news, finding entertainment information or checking the weather. Consumers spend considerable time with social networking sites, which serve not only as places of content but are also increasingly important communications vehicles."

The cliche' phrase, content in king, traditionally refers to how search engines are indexing and viewing relevancy of websites. It now appears that content is clearly more important to consumers as well.

The study identifies the things that are contributing to the increased time spent with content online:

• More access to high speed internet
• Increased popularity of online videos
• Better search capabilities
• Increased total content on the web
• The rise of instant messaging now allows a much more convenient messaging medium versus standard email

The last bullet in the list is the primary reason that consumer Internet use for communications has dropped by an incredible 28% over the last 4 years.

Let's hear your comments. What do you do online? Do you spend most of your time online at work or at home?

 

John Stossel from 20/20 - Graphic Design

John Stossel does a riveting expose' on the global impact of graphic design.

 

Does Google Control The Internet?

"Google is the 800 pound gorilla and is pretty much going to get what it wants until there are legitimate competitors. Being the biggest and baddest has its advantages and allows Google to set its own parameters." - Referring to the current trend in paid link advertising this is a quote from the comments section in Andy Beard's blog post about the FTC and Google.

Scenario:

• Google's share of Internet searches goes from 55% to 90% thus controlling vast amounts of information and how it is viewed.
• Company A does something that Google doesn't like or refuses to pay to be listed in some new directory.
• Company A gets shunned from Google and access to their company information is virtually non-existent on the Internet.

Do you think that it's possible for a company like Google get too big and control too much of the information flow. How would that impact the economy? Some say that this is already happening and are advocating the use of alternate search engines.

Google appears to be on the forefront of Net Neutrality support. However other Net Neutrality proponents are claiming that most proposed legislation for true net neutrality focus around telcos and ISPs and would allow for loopholes with which a search engine could exploit it's position on the web. Someone once told me, "Try googling Google and see what comes up." There isn't a lot of negative karma out there for the big G, even if you go hundreds of pages deep. Is this because Google is that awesome and everyone likes it? Or is it because they control the information?

It's no secret that Google engages in acts of censorship, such as wiping Vice President Dick Cheney’s residence from satellite maps, and bowing to political pressure to eliminate content from sites in different countries. Neutrality?

Claims have been made for years that the media controls information, letting you see only what they want you to. Now, as Google continues to take over market share, will the available information on the net be what Google wants you to see?

Don't get me wrong, I am not an anti-Google person. I've just been reading a lot about this. I am curious as to what you think.

google

 

Britney Spears: Marketing Genius or Moron?

According to Yahoo, in 2005 AND 2006 Britney Spears was number 1 for overall searches. Yes you read that right. She topped out at the "most searched" for both years. I guess I don't know what to make of that. As a brand, the name Britney Spears has a ton of equity. But wait, is it due to strategic marketing or does she simply fall into the train wreck category shared by fellow intellects, Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie and Anna Nicole Smith(God rest her soul.)

Britney's last album in 2003 initiated her downward spiral making the transition from perky little pop singer to tabloid fodder. I think people have a natural curiosity to view the strange, morbid and abnormally obscene. This is exactly what they are getting from dear ole' Britney. From the shaved head incident and the famous "Britney Spears Giving Birth" Statue by Daniel Edwards to the countless paparazzi photographs of Ms. Spears exposing her naughty bits, our dear girl never ceases to provide material. Countless blogs like What Would Tyler Durden Do, DListed, TMZ, CelebSlam and many others, chronicle Britt's daily blunders and unflattering public appearances. One could even say that Brit keeps them going. Even though she has been in and out of rehab, been in trouble with the law, and continues to be a GREAT mother, she is still worth an estimated 100 Million Dollars. There's no doubt that she has done something right.



There's an old saying that says,"No press is bad press." This is definitely the case for Ms. "Oops I did it again." So continually venturing out, exposing yourself to the paparazzi, and repeatedly giving the celebrity rags exactly what they are looking for, may be a well thought out PR plan. Or is it? The other side of the coin - Brit is proof that you need to protect your brand and make decisions that represent it's virtue. Britney sufferers from the worst kind of brand exposure, as she was released as a “psycho” in the media over the past six months. It goes to show how important reputation management is these days, especially over the Internet.

Stupidity aside, I really think the pop princess has explicitly upheld an image of herself, whether it’s good or bad. She maintains getting her name out to the media with public acts of topless behavior, and annulled mistake marriages. Spears also understands the concept of being flexible and quickly adaptive in the ever-changing world of media. Most celebrities understand that if they are going to survive in the competitive world of entertainment they must evolve and continually re-invent themselves. The public gets very bored with static people and behavior. Staying in front of your consumers, giving them something new or fresh or a regular basis and providing something that they can rely on is the key growing your brand. All this being said...




Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Britney Spears - Marketing Genius.


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The Sale of all Sales

You have heard it a million times. "3 DAYS ONLY" or "1 DAY INVENTORY BLOW OUT" or better yet, "THIS IS THE ONE SALE YOU DON'T WANNA MISS."

Those are all great action words used in scripts and promotional spots for a sale, but with out a true call to action they are worthless.

Let's say that your company is running a "no payment for 2 years" promotion that is designed to drive traffic to your website. The only place they can sign up for the incentive is on your site. But what happens when the prospect gets to your website? What does your sale landing page look like? Have you written compelling copy that elicits a response? Is there a call to action on the page to remind the visitor why they are there?

For most companies in the small business segment, marketing dollars are extremely limited and every day companies across the country are running promotions. Some are effective and some are not. The next time you want toss some dollars into the marketing ring, think about your call to action. Get into the mind of the consumer, do your research and ask yourself if the call to action would motivate your typical customer to act when presented with the promotion. Also ask yourself if you are providing value. If consumers don't see value in your promotion, it will have the same chance of success that the Hindenburg did.

When you need legal help you turn to a lawyer. When you need financial help you turn to a CPA or a financial advisor. Handle your marketing the same way. Surround yourself with professionals that understand marketing and people that can help you responsibly allocate your marketing dollars.

 

Mad Men: The Advertising of Yesterday

"Blow in her face and she'll follow you anywhere." Oh my. The face of advertising sure has changed. From gender rolls to activities that are now seen as undesirable, this ad shows us where we were, in relation to where we are now.

This ad reminds me of the new AMC television series called Mad Men. The show being about an advertising agency in 1960, portrays numerous topics and ideas that are now off color or unacceptable. Children playing "spaceman" with plastic bags over their heads, kids jumping around the car as it is moving, driving down the road with glass of scotch, doctors smoking while giving a pelvic exam, and other images of yesteryear that are seen as taboo in our current society are all part of the show. The directors and the set creators have done a fantastic job with this series. Try to catch it the next time it's on. Even if you are not in the ad game, you will enjoy the show tremendously.

 

Iowa's Busiest Pattern Shop Releases Their New Site!

American Pattern and CNC Works has launched their new website. American Pattern is a full service pattern shop and short run foundry. Located in Cedar Falls, Iowa American Pattern specializes in:

• Renboard and Wood Pattern Making
• Prototype Tooling
• Production Tooling
• Prototype Castings
• Gray Iron, Ductile Iron, Aluminum, Austempered Ductile Iron, Steel and Steel Alloy Castings
• CNC Machining
  

Since 1994, American Pattern and CNC Works has been serving top manufacturers and delivering the only finest quality products to the agricultural, industrial, consumer, transportation and plastic industries.

 

Viral Marketing Part 2

Yesterday I wrote about the basics of viral marketing. There is some new information regarding the older generation of online users and shoppers. There is a certain segment of online consumers that has been identified as brand advocates. Findings are showing that over two thirds of brand advocates do their product research online. This niche group of online users are identified by their purchase behavior and their elevated rate of online use. A brand advocate's online use is characterized by their tendency to leave product reviews, and their inclination to leave more negative reviews than most online shoppers. Typically, a brand advocate is someone who will only make a purchase after extensive research has been done. Brand advocates are also more likely to be a subscriber of Consumer Reports.

According to Jupiter Research, this high level of online use suggests that the influential brand advocates should be at the forefront of brand promotion. To the contrary, instead of promoting brands through the use of social media, they are using their online time to do research.

"This group is more likely to read a blog for information rather than create their own; advocacy toward a product or service is most likely to be generated by word-of-mouth. Marketers will have an easier time of attracting more brand advocates if they target this group with the right tactics," said David Schatsky, President of JupiterResearch.
Behavioral and content targeting are likely to attract brand advocates, since more than half of this segment is likely to pay attention to online ads that fit their interests or current activity."

Emily Riley at Jupiter Says, "Brand advocates should not be considered catalysts for a viral campaign or a brand awareness campaign..."

So how do you attract this market segment that neither contributes to, nor is influenced by social media and viral marketing? Jessica Tsai from CRM Magazine says:

• "Given that 53 percent of brand advocates respond to online advertisement that fit their interests and 29 percent on ads that fit their current activity, behavioral and content targeting are highly valuable.


• Purchase search keywords that match brand messaging and link to rich product information.


• Continue to use traditional forms of database marketing such as sweepstakes (response rate of more than 50 percent by brand advocates) and email newsletters (more than 33 percent)."

Even though this market segment can't be considered catalysts for viral marketing, you should never discount the power of an educated brand loyalist. Caution - Opinion Ahead. Whether researchers are willing to admit it or not, brand advocates DO spread information about goods and services that they view as valuable. They may not convey their opinion online, but they spread their knowledge nonetheless. People commonly ask others in their circle of influence when they are considering a purchase. Family and friend's opinions DO contribute to buying decisions.

Again, how do you market to such a niche segment? Because value and quality are big for brand advocates, you should focus your marketing efforts in the arenas of professional product reviews, awards, certifications and dedicated product micro sites that can be viewed as authoritative.

Hmmm, this sounds like some of the commonly accepted strategies that you implement to increase your conversion rate doesn't it?

 

Viral Marketing Part 1

Defined by Dr. Ralf F. Wilson as: "...marketing that describes any strategy which encourages individuals to pass on a marketing message to others, creating the potential for exponential growth in the message's exposure and influence. "

OK fine, "So what does this mean to me?" you ask. Viral marketing or traditionally "word-of-mouth" advertising, basically means creating awareness through modern forms of mass communication. Word travels fast in our "ever-connected" society through email, text messages, and other forms of electronic communication. These electronic connections combined with the rapidly growing social media phenomenon, have resulted in ideas and concepts communicated faster than we have ever seen.

A simple tag at the end of your email with a special "give away" that directs a person to your website can be considered viral marketing. IF this email gets forwarded to a friend or co-worker the snowball begins or the virus begins it's multiplication.

Take your company's newsletter for example. Let's say you send out a bi-monthly e-newsletter. It has some very informative "how to" tips. This message may get forwarded to your recipient's circle of influence. As a result, 25 people sign up on your website for your newsletter. The real circulation of the information can be ten times more than what your recipient list actually reflects.

Hotmail has largely been recognized as the first example of viral marketing. All email sent via Hotmail was tagged with the simple message, "Sign up for your free email account". Hotmail grew to unprecedented success in the 90's which may have contributed to the spawning many other free email services like Yahoo and Gmail providing expanded services.

So how do you do it? Send an email to your customer base informing them of a "buy one, get one free" special that you are currently running. If the special is of real value and has a true call to action element, it will get disseminated to others.

How many times have you heard someone say, "Hey, ABC company is giving away X if you go in on Saturday"? This is a true example of viral marketing and in most cases can be a low cost/no cost form of advertising.

There you have it. Now you know what some one is talking about when you hear "its gone viral."

Check back tomorrow for Part 2 on viral marketing and the influence that "brand advocates" have on this type of marketing.

 

The Impact Of The Internet On Newspaper Advertising

How the Internet has hurt newspaper sales and advertising revenue continues to pepper the press. Back in May I wrote an article about the decline in newspaper advertising dollars and again just a few weeks ago I referenced the falling percentages of newspaper advertising revenue in a post called "Rate Card Woes."

A very interesting study was released this month from Harvard. Funded by a grant from the Carnegie Corporation, this new report contained information that describes the increase in website traffic for major brand newspapers and other major online news sources. The report also studies small to mid-sized city newspaper websites. Findings indicate that online news seekers are neglecting the local newspaper websites in favor of major newspaper and television websites.

Nationally known newspaper Web sites such as the New York Times, Washington Post, and USA Today are attracting a larger audience. On average large newspaper site traffic increased by 10 percent over the past year. In comparison Web sites of most other newspapers of large, medium and small cities are losing their audiences. This isn't the most interesting finding though. The biggest traffic gains are being seen by non-traditional news sources. It was found that Google, Yahoo, AOL, and MSN had significant increases in traffic over the past year with social media sites and news aggregators seeing an 800% gain in site traffic.

The study also found that the Internet is a bigger threat to local news organizations because it decreases the influence of geography on user's choice of a news source.

For me, the biggest surprise in the report were the findings for commercial radio station web traffic. Large commercial radio station saw a huge increase in web traffic and mid-size radio station saw a slight increase during the term of the study.

At the bottom of the heap was national and local public radio with their stats plummeting sharply over the last year. NPR alone lost 20% or 400,000 of their unique visitor from April 2006 to April 2007.

Brand name, large market and local television websites all saw increase traffic from people seeking new during the study.

So what does this study tell us?

• First and foremost - People are seeking news on the internet
• People are seeking news on large, brand name websites
• People are getting their news from non-traditional and social media outlets

Does this mean that people are caring less about local news? Not at all. You can get your local news from an aggregated feed on Yahoo Local News can't you?

The most significant quote from the study:

"The Internet is redistributing the news audience in ways that is threatening some
traditional news organizations. Local newspapers have been the outlets that are most at risk, and they are likely to remain so. If our trend analysis is borne out, many newspapers are going to have difficulty even holding onto their online readers. Brand-name newspapers’ sites, as well as some others are growing, but a significant proportion of newspaper sites are stagnant or losing visitors. This development was perhaps inevitable. The problem of newspapers is compounded by the fact that they cannot succeed simply by replacing their hard-copy readers with online readers. On a person-by-person basis, the sale of hard-copy newspapers is vastly more profitable than drawing people to the paper’s website. It is estimated that a newspaper needs to attract two or three dozen online readers to make up for—in terms of advertising revenue—the loss of a single hard-copy reader. When people go to the Internet for news, they can just as easily navigate to a source outside their community as one within it, bypassing a local site in favor of a known site elsewhere. Therein is a primary reason why brand-name news organizations, like CNN and the New York Times, have large Web audiences."

That being said, could it be possible that we will witness the death of a media in our generation?
I still have a few 8 track tapes, I think.


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Those Sneaky Graphic Designers

Going about my daily browse on Digg, I ran across a site featuring their "Phallic Logo Awards". This section of B3TA's site is dedicated to logos that have some sort of, perceived or real, phallic symbolism I can't help but think that some of these were intentional. I mean seriously, look at this example.



I think this type of thing is done by graphic designers more often than we know. Take for example the cover art from the Little Mermaid. There is well defined image of something that could be considered phallic. Even though the urban legend has been debunked, it claims a disgruntled artist intentionally put this in as a way of getting back at Disney. Whether or not anyone is willing to admit it, this has to be intentional.



Another prime example is Disney's The Rescuers. A quote from Snopes sheds some light on the issue - "January 1999, Disney announced a recall of the home video version of their 1977 animated feature The Rescuers because it contained an "objectionable background image." Approximately 38 minutes into the film, as rodent heroes Bianca and Bernard fly through the city in a sardine box strapped to the back of Orville...the photographic image of a topless woman can be seen at the window of a building in the background in two different (non-consecutive) frames...The two "topless woman" frames have reputedly been present in the film ever since its original 1977 theatrical release." I have blotted out the naughty parts but you can see the examples below.






The list goes on and on. From Who Framed Roger Rabbit to Disney's Aladdin, there are many examples of sneaky artists or animators. Take a look at this mid 80's Australian Coke ad. Snopes confirmed that, "The graphic artist who designed the picture put this in as a joke, and it went through unnoticed until someone spotted it on the back of a Coke truck. The artist lost his job and was sued..."




Of course, you have to differentiate the workings of one person trying to slide something in as a joke and well executed or planned hidden imagery. Modern advertising incorporates all kinds of covert imagery and symbolism designed to illicit a response. Then again, people can also see something where there may be noting at all. The infamous "Camel Man" on the front of a pack of Camel Cigarettes and numerous other examples in pop culture are often a stretch, but create conversation and product discussion nonetheless. So how much is intentional? We can only wonder.

 

Another "Sometimes on Saturday" Post

Domain Name News just posted an interesting bit of history on their site. The post, called "The first 100 Domain Names on the Internet, lists the first 100 domain names ever registered. Dating back to March 15th of 1985, the list contains some companies that were obviously thinking ahead. Missing from the list are some names that have recently sold for millions. In a June post, I reported on a domain name that sold for $9.5 million and another one that sold for $12 million.

It's actually pretty amazing to see what is NOT on the list. But then again, domain name speculation wasn't a concept back in the mid 80's. Listed below are the first 30 names from the list and the dates when they were registered.

1. 15-Mar-1985 SYMBOLICS.COM
2. 24-Apr-1985 BBN.COM
3. 24-May-1985 THINK.COM
4. 11-Jul-1985 MCC.COM
5. 30-Sep-1985 DEC.COM
6. 07-Nov-1985 NORTHROP.COM
7. 09-Jan-1986 XEROX.COM
8. 17-Jan-1986 SRI.COM
9. 03-Mar-1986 HP.COM
10. 05-Mar-1986 BELLCORE.COM
11. 19-Mar-1986 IBM.COM
12. 19-Mar-1986 SUN.COM
13. 25-Mar-1986 INTEL.COM
14. 25-Mar-1986 TI.COM
15. 25-Apr-1986 ATT.COM
16. 08-May-1986 GMR.COM
17. 08-May-1986 TEK.COM
18. 10-Jul-1986 FMC.COM
19. 10-Jul-1986 UB.COM
20. 05-Aug-1986 BELL-ATL.COM
21. 05-Aug-1986 GE.COM
22. 05-Aug-1986 GREBYN.COM
23. 05-Aug-1986 ISC.COM
24. 05-Aug-1986 NSC.COM
25. 05-Aug-1986 STARGATE.COM
26. 02-Sep-1986 BOEING.COM
27. 18-Sep-1986 ITCORP.COM
28. 29-Sep-1986 SIEMENS.COM
29. 18-Oct-1986 PYRAMID.COM
30. 27-Oct-1986 ALPHACDC.COM

 

CD's - Has It Been That Long?

Today marks the 25th anniversary of the CD!

"On August 17, 1982, an assembly line in a suburb of Hanover, Germany began pumping out a modest collection of laser-encoded palm-sized discs, officially paving the path for what would later become the most popular album format."

Happy anniversary!

 

What Has George W. Bush Done Wrong?

I know this is a bit off topic but I really want to know. Normally I tend to stay pretty neutral on topics like politics and religion but, for me, this has been a burning question for quite some time. Can someone provide me with specific, and documented, examples of what exactly you feel George W. Bush has done wrong during his term as President of these United States.

This is a sincere question. In light of the poor economy that GWB walked into at the beginning of his term and how the economy is now, 9/11, Afghanistan and Iraq, I want to know the details and the reasons that his approval rating is so low. GWB has went from the highest approval rating (90%) of any president, following the 9/11 attacks, to being tied with Jimmy Carter and having one of the lowest in history, at 28%, according MSNBC. The only President to have a lower "end of term" rating was Nixon at a reported 24%.

I realize that there is a growing division between liberals and conservatives and the issues that divide them seem to be based on morality issues. I can say one thing for sure (this may get me in trouble), and no one can argue to the contrary, that over the last 30 years we have seen a sharp decline in societal morality. I do understand the opposing argument; through whose eyes do we measure or gauge morality.

What do you think about GWB as a man vs. your thoughts of him as the President? Who, in your opinion, was the best President?

Again I know this is not a typical post on the Big Bald Blog, and I have probably opened a HUGE can of worms, but I do want to know what YOU think about all this.

Let me know your comments.




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Internet Ad Spending

According to the IAB, "Internet advertising revenues for the first quarter reached $4.9 billion, representing a 26% increase over the first quarter of 2006..."


Jupiter Research says that it is estimated that online advertising will reach $35.4 billion in 2012.

There is no doubt in my mind that this growth will continue until online ad spending surpasses all other forms of media. Is your company being proactive in your Internet marketing efforts? What is your action plan for advertising in the new mass media?

 

Win A Complete Blogging Package

For those of you thinking about starting a blog to veterans that want to take their blog to the next level, have I got a contest for you. If you ever wanted to know how to make money blogging, this contest is right up your alley.

The owner of the Blogging Experiment has an aggressive goal. He wants to go from $0 in income to a full time job blogging. I don't know how many times this has happened in the past, but it will be interesting to track the results.

If you win, you can learn everything you need to know about blogging, from creation to promotion. Check out the Blogging Experiment , it's definitely worth a look.

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The Internet Used For Health Care Information

We all know that consumers are becoming more savvy on just about every topic under the sun. Consumers, in their continuing quest for knowledge, are turning to the Internet for information on Health Care information.

According to Harris Poll #76, in 2007, 160 million online users have turned to the web for Health Care related information. This new data reflects a dramatic increase over 2006 where a reported 136 million used the Internet for health related information. In this poll the term "cyberchondriacs" was coined to describe users that repeatedly turn to the Internet for health related information. Here are some other interesting statistics that the poll uncovered:

• "On average, a cyberchondriac searches the Internet almost six (5.7) times per month
• Fully eighty-six percent of cyberchondriacs say that the health information they found online was reliable (26% "very reliable" and 60% "somewhat reliable"). Of special note, the percentage of those who indicate that online medical information was "very reliable" has declined substantially from 37 percent in 2005 to the current 26 percent.
• Two thirds (66%) of adults online say that they have looked for information about health topics often (26%) or sometimes (40%), an increase of five percentage points from 2006 (61%)
• The number of U.S. adults who have ever gone online to look for health or medical information has increased to approximately 160 million up from about 136 million last year. The reasons for this increase are that the total number of Internet users has increased somewhat and the percent of people online who have looked for information has increased as well. Cyberchondriacs now represent 84 percent of all online adults, up from last year’s 80 percent, and 72 percent in 2005
• Cyberchondriacs are not only using the Internet to educate themselves, many are also using it to assist in their conversations with their physicians. A 58 percent majority of adults who have gone online to get health information say that they have discussed this information with their doctors at least once in the last year."
  

This last bullet indicates just how much impact the Internet has had on the patient-doctor relationship. For years patients have been encourage to ask more questions during a medical encounter, now more than ever, consumers are armed with readily available information allowing them to better evaluate their choices and make better decisions regarding their health care. There's no question that this trend will continue as the younger generations move into the stage of life that require increased medical services.

 

John Chow Contest Time!

John Chow dot Com is holding another evil blog contest. He’s giving away a 24″ wide screen LCD monitor and a signed copy of the best selling book, The 4-Hour Workweek! Find out how to enter here. The contest is being sponsored by The Million Dollar Wiki. Use coupon code JohnChow to save $10 on a page.

I just bought 2 pages from The Million Dollar Wiki, "wireless" and "content management." It's only $90 per word for the life of the site (till 2022). Who knows, the site may take off. There are still a lot of good keywords availble for purchase. Make sure you read the full story here.

 

How People Use The Internet

"Woa, they have the Internet on computers now." - Homer Simpson

The rest of the world may be a tad bit ahead of Homer. In taking a look at how people use the Internet and what consumers deem as most influential in their information gathering, the Internet continues to climb the charts. An Edison Media research study conducted by Arbitron in January and February of 2007, revealed that over a third of consumers saw newspapers as "least essential."



Larry Rosin of Edison Media Research said, "It is not a stretch to say that the Internet has become just as important as television as an important source of information and entertainment in the lives of Americans."

In a release from the Center for Media Research, broadband Internet users are spending almost HALF of their free time on the Internet pursuing activities related to entertainment and communication. Just to give you an idea on the numbers, more than 90 million Americans have broadband connections. These people are using half their free time surfing the Internet.

But TV is still the strongest player right? The simple answer is yes with some qualifications. When you see an ad on television that references a website, do people write that down and check it later? Well, according to eMarketer research, 25-30% are "multitasking." This means that they are on the Internet while they are watching TV. An increasing number of consumers are viewing several media sources at once.



Why would anyone find these results shocking? After all, directing consumers to the web has been the goal for most advertisers for quite some time. Does this cause a problem for advertisers? Not any more than TIVO or a DVR's, which are estimated to climb to 50% of subscribers by 2010 (this is a whole other topic to be discussed at a later date).

A good friend of mine has a computer tied right to his TV and accesses it with a wireless keyboard. When the need arises, browsing is instantaneous and as a result, some of the commercials are missed.

So where does this leave advertisers? It leaves them with the understanding that a direct and aggressive approach to online advertising is critical. Keep your online message clear, clean, authoritative and integrate a clear call to action.

 

What's in a name? Building Brand Equity.

Brand Equity. Defined as the value your brand has in mind of a consumer and is measured by the awareness of your brand.

How much is your company name, logo, product or service worth in the mind of a consumer?
If you don't know, should you?

Take for instance the Nike swoosh. A cross platform brand that instantly conjures up elements of loyalty, endorsers and notions of quality. This little icon cost a mere $35.00 to develop and is now worth just a little bit more than that.

OK, so how do you develop brand equity? It takes time, patience, perseverance and it starts with developing brand loyalty. This is accomplished in many different ways.

Product quality, product satisfaction, price, value, exclusiveness, and promotion all play an important part in your brand loyalty. Once consumers have bought into you and your product(s), keeping them satisfied through followup and continual delivery of quality will build your brand loyalty and ultimately it's equity. However brand equity can have a negative impact.

Take Pennzoil for example. In the 60's, it got a bad reputation being knows the oil that sludged up engines. Most mechanics told people not to use it. Still today, if you ask the older generation of "oil changers" this stereotype continues to exist. This is not the case today as most motor oils are extremely well designed. Nonetheless it had an impact on Pennzoil's sales well into the late 80's and still gets a lot of discussion on automotive boards.

Bottom Line - Build your brand on quality and value. Before you know it, you will be enjoying the fruits of brand loyalty, and as a by-product, brand equity is grown.

 

The "Sometimes on Saturday" Post

Just for fun on a hot Saturday afternoon. JibJab has a new video creator called "Starring You." You can upload a photo of you or your friends, crop it with an easy to use flash tool and publish a custom JibJab type video. Below is a quick one that I did with a couple of people from the office.

Enjoy.

 

Bad Logos And The Mistakes That Made Them

I just read a really good post on a design forum from 2004 by Craig Fraser. The author wrote about common mistakes when you are designing a logo and how you can avoid them. Granted this information is 3 years old and there are some things that I don't agree with, but I think the author does have some extremely valid points.

"The Clipart Logo - Most clipart images are widely distributed. Anyone who is familiar with the software providing the clipart will very likely recognize your ‘borrowed’ logo. This is a poor way to build credibility for your business."

"The Special Effects Logo - Strip away all of the special effects to get at the heart of your design. Special filters such as glows, drop shadows, and bevels are great for creating graphics and manipulating photos, but they can be very distracting when applied to a logo. A great logo should be able to stand its ground in black and white, without any effects. You may like to consider drafting your concepts on paper first. You should think more about what is being presented before you decide how it is presented. When you are pleased with a one-colour concept then go to the computer and recreate it digitally. At this point you may or may not like to add a subtle effect to enhance your logo for web use. Eliminate any effect that does not add value to your design. "

I agree with some elements of his second point like the need to design in black and white first. But I disagree with his condemnation of treatments. This may have been the school of thought 3 years ago but today logos can incorporate "glows, drop shadows, and bevels" with little or no detriment to the design. Do you like apples?



"The Banner Logo - A logo is not a web banner advertisement. You are doing yourself more harm than good by forcing your logo into a banner shape, especially if the content is crammed to fit the entire rectangle. Our eyes are trained to avoid these shapes, not read them. "

"The Integrated Logo - Professional logo designers occasionally integrate graphic elements directly into the text to create one unified logo. This process is difficult and risky. Executed poorly, your logo can easily look ‘tacky’ and illegible. (i.e. using the letter ‘O’ in the company name to create a globe, eye, magnifying glass, etc.) If you are new to graphic design, stick to a top centered or left graphic layout. "

"The Text-Only Logo - A text-only logo severely restricts the ability to express your company’s uniqueness and memorability. Larger, more established businesses can pull off text-only logos with exorbitant marketing budgets. One test of logo's effectiveness (marketing budget's aside) is to alter the letters and see if your logo is still recognizable. If not then you need to seriously consider a visual element. If you just can’t resist a text-only logo, consider a strong, unique typeface – preferably custom made. "

I am going to have to disagree with him on this one. There are plenty of well know, extremely successful companies that have "text only" logos. Toshiba, Panasonic, The New York Times, Time Magazine, Google, Cannon, Mobil, Wells Fargo, Sony, and HBO - just to name a few.

"The Monogram - Monograms (company initials) are very difficult to use effectively. It will take a long time to build credibility with a monogram logo. Similarly, logos consisting of several overlapping letters generally do not work well. They may be fun to construct, but the end result says very little about your company and your products/services. "

"The Complex Logo - Detailed illustrations, photos, and complex layouts make poor logos. Each additional detail is an extra detail that your (potential) customer has to remember. A simple, unique logo with solid shades and minimal lines will have greater impact and memorability. "

I couldn't agree more with his last statement . Case in point:

 

The 3000 Mile Oil Change Myth Revisited.

In a May post about the 3000 mile oil change myth, I wrote about the frequency that you should actually change your oil and how the 3000 mile rule was actually a well executed marketing plan by Jiffy Lube.

USA Today recently published an article about how the automakers have extended the recommended interval between oil changes. Below is a chart from the article listing the various automakers and when they recommend you change your oil.



The balance of the article called "Automakers extend intervals between oil changes" outlined why this trend is happening. Improvements in motor oils combined with advancements in car engines allow the oil to last longer between oil changes. Now here is the kicker, according to the article, "Shell Lubricants, which owns the Quaker State and Pennzoil oil brands and operates the Jiffy Lube oil-change chain, long ago abandoned its corporatewide 3,000-mile oil-change message. " To this I say; NOT TRUE. If you go to any Jiffy Lube establishment, they will still put a sticker on your window that tells you to get your oil changed in 3000 miles or 3 months, which ever comes first.

"Whatever the owner's manual recommends should be a starting point for service intervals on oil changes," says Jack McDonald, training development director for Pep Boys, a 593-unit auto-service chain in 36 states. But he says many drivers may fall under the shorter interval of the "severe driving schedule" for stop-and-go, hot weather or heavy-load driving. Oil change indicator lights are designed to take higher-demand driving into account. "It keeps track of how you drive," says Bob Lee, a Chrysler vice president. "

For most people, the "severe driving" condition doesn't apply. People are commuting more and spending more time on the highway. This can't be considered severe. Delivery vehicles and trucks that are towing large campers and construction trailers on a daily basis could definitely fall into that category.

I drive a Chevy Silverado 1/2 ton pickup. I rarely tow anything and most of my driving is done on city streets. I am completely comfortable with the current information available and opt to change my oil every 5000 miles. My truck's computer doesn't tell me to change the oil until well after the 5000 mile mark.

Reduced need for oil changes and engine tuneups come as cars are lasting longer. The median age of cars last year was a record 9.2 years, up from 8.1 years in 1997, R.L. Polk reports. Owners also benefit from reduced maintenance costs for other items. Ford estimates owners can save up to $600 over five years by following the current oil change interval recommendations.

In light of the current information, I guess the myth has been debunked.


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Bloggrrl Has a New Contest

If you're interested in winning a $50.00 gift certificate to Victoria's Secret check out Bloggrrl's Blog. I've been reading her blog for several months now and usually there is some pretty interesting posts covering a ton of off the wall topics. The first contest she ran was the Cow Patty Bingo promo. Seriously how funny is that? Anyway, one of my favorite posts is an updated version of the 3 Little Pigs story. Oddly enough, this is where I first came across a reference to the big bad blog and have been a daily reader ever since.

 

A Blogging Union?

I have finally heard it all. Hovering around the blogosphere, there is a growing movement to form a bloggers' union. Yes, you read it correctly, A BLOGGERS' union.

I guess I don't get it. What do bloggers need with a union? To what end would collective bargaining serve and who would they bargain with? Google? :)

Jason Lee Miller says that blogging "...has grown from geeky obscurity into a direct challenge to the journalism industry, even with bloggers' reputation for being unruly, unvetted, grammatically and syntactically insufficient, and above all, a disorganized mess. "

So yes, people are making a living at blogging. Some are making VERY good money at which some people respond, "you do what for a living?" But this is an individual crusade for most and a means to an end for the rest. Either way, I still don't understand why the concept of a bloggers' union was even brought up. Some say it is a way for blogger eligibility for group health. Others claim that the blogosphere isn't defined enough to even consider some kind of union.

Now for the controversial part. Stop reading now if you are union supporter. All this being said I am not a big fan of unions - of any kind. I think that unions had their place in history, but today it is a different story. Just so you know, I am not an outsider looking in. I worked for a union shop for 4 years and religiously paid my dues. What did that get me. NOTHING.

Here's my rant. It is my belief that unions take away the employer's ability to reward hard working empoyees at the same time contributing to a lower standard of performance. A friend of mine almost lost his business because of the union's negotiation to raise wages and provide a more comprehensive level of health insurance. He simply couldn't afford it. He was being held hostage by his employees and there was nothing he could do about it short of shutting down and opening under a new name.

Yahoo reports: "In a move that might make some people scratch their heads, a loosely formed coalition of left-leaning bloggers are trying to band together to form a labor union they hope will help them receive health insurance, conduct collective bargaining or even set professional standards. The effort is an extension of the blogosphere's growing power and presence, especially within the political realm, and for many, evokes memories of the early labor organization of freelance writers in the early 1980s. Organizers hope a bloggers' labor group will not only showcase the growing professionalism of the Web-based writers, but also the importance of their roles in candidates' campaigns."

Controversial point #2: Regarding the above quote, I kind of figured as much. Most of the union advocates I know are staunch democrats and left thinking individuals concerned about how they can get more without having to perform to a higher level. My opinion - Unions drive up operating costs and lower productivity. OK, there it was, the cat's outta the bag. I did it now right? So let me have it in the comments section, your posts will be welcomed regardless of stance.

 

Perspectives on Creativity

Post contributed by
guest blogger Jen Williams; media
consultant and marketing professional.

"I have my best ideas alone.

Yes, I’m all for teamwork and brainstorming sessions. I’m all for taking those great ideas, bouncing them around the conference room, and seeing where they land. But when it comes to coming up with something truly inspired – whether it’s as simple as a name for a promotion or as complex as a new business idea – I do my best work solo.

Everyone has hers or his own opinions about creativity and where it comes from. From Thoreau and Walden Pond to musicians and their muses, art has historically been known as a solitary pursuit. But as art and business have merged into commercial media, many agencies, marketing departments, newsrooms and editorial boards began modifying the creative process to fit popular business models.

So, amid team-building initiatives and group brainstorming sessions, a lot of individual creativity is lost. Research has shown that, despite its popularity, the concept of teamwork is overrated. Team members, one study showed, tend to work about half as hard on a team than they would work on their own. (http://www.info-arch.org/lists/sigia-l/0606/0097.html; http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06164/697891-28.stm)

Sure, great ideas sometimes hit me out of nowhere, when I’m in the shower or on my morning commute. There’s a lot to be said for the freedom of an open mind, allowed to wander behind a background of white noise. But for me, those random ideas tend to be abstract. Rarely do I have an actual “eureka moment,” when I’m compelled to pull over on the highway’s shoulder to write down that perfect new slogan for the project I’ve been working on.

More often, I’ll be in a meeting during which the team will conclude that this such-and-such needs a new tagline, and six people will look at me expectantly as if I’m going to pull something brilliant out of thin air. Instead, I’ll write down the task assigned and tell them to give me some time.

Then I’ll go in my office, set the phone to go straight to voicemail, turn off my email program, turn up the volume on the radio, close the door, stare at my blank screen a while, and start writing.

Free writing really works for me. When forced to be creative on demand, I find a blank screen especially daunting. I will put whatever words pop into my head on that page, just to have something there. Then I will start making lists. Lists of words I might use in the particular name or jingle or slogan or tagline or print ad. Yes, I’ll even tap into my handy dandy desktop thesaurus (Mac Users: I love Widgets!) and make lists of synonyms for words already on the list. Then I’ll try a
hundred different combinations of all the words on my various lists until something sounds good.

It doesn’t work every time. There are days when I can’t write anything worth a crap to save my life. If I’m at it for more than an hour or so, and the voice mail light is furiously blinking and people are lining up outside my closed office door waiting to talk to me, I’ll probably call it quits for the day and try again tomorrow.

But more often than not, I come up with something not half bad. And maybe, I’ll bring it to the next meeting, and someone on the team will think of some small way to improve it. Or a graphic design to illustrate it. Or a music bed to emphasize it. And then, team creativity kicks into gear and real brainstorming can happen.

But when you create for a living, the real idea has to come from inside you. On your own. It’s not some sort of muse-inspired work of art. It’s your job, and the designer or printer or producer or client doesn’t really care what you were thinking about in the shower this morning. You’re on deadline. Now get to work!"

Whether it is a collaborative effort or a force of one, the bottom line is; great creative is the key to a successful campaign. Without it, your message is just another meaningless diversion in the eyes of a consumer. Thanks for the post Jen.

 

Problems with the iPhone Battery?

Why does the iPhone bashing continue? I don't know but here is the latest. The battery.

Not only can you not replace the battery yourself, it is estimated that it should last about a year or roughly 300 charges. This isn't sounding good. I know some people that have to charge once a day or more because they are on their phone all the time.

SO, after spending $600.00 on the darn thing, half way through your contract with AT&T , you will have to send your iPhone to apple to have THEM replace your battery. This will cost $79 for the battery + $6.95 for shipping. AND for those people that can't go without a phone for 3-5 days, they will rent you a phone for $29.

Good planning or poor planning on the part of Apple? I say this is a well crafted and planned obsolescence move to gain some residual dollars on the back end.

In releasing quarterly earnings last month, Apple said it expected to sell a million iPhones by the end of the current quarter, and 10 million within the first 12 months.

Maybe you don't always "get what you pay for."

 

Rate Card Woes.

David Honig, WebProNews contributor, made one the best statements I have read in a long time.

Referring to the big decline in newsprint advertising, he says; "Do not weep for the rate card, for it has enjoyed a long and prosperous life, arbitrarily plundering from advertisers without providing any meaningful value."

I have been saying this for years and it is now becoming painful to everyone including the big boys.

"The Tribune Company, owner of the Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune, posted a 5% drop in advertising revenue in their first quarter of 2007. Gannet Company Inc., owner of USA Today, and the New York Times Company both posted a 3% drop in national advertising revenue. This is all according to the most recent quarterly reports filed with the SEC."

Long live the ink and pulp.

 

Bridge Falling in Minnesota

Fox News just posted surveillance footage of the bridge collapsing. Scary to think that I was going to be driving over that very bridge just 6 hours from now.

 

Elton John Wants to Close Down the Internet

Sorry, I couldn't resist. I really can't stand this guy. Yes it is true, Elton John wants to kill the Internet because it is "destroying music." This is being said in the aftermath of iTunes topping the 3 billion download mark.

But wait there's more. "...the flamboyant singer has embraced the web in other ways.
The 60th birthday concert Sir Elton played to a 20,000-strong crowd at New York’s Madison Square Garden was streamed live over the Internet.
The singer also announced earlier this year that his entire back catalogue of albums would be made available for digital download."

OK, so what it is Elton? Embrace it when it can make you money?

Sorry for the digression. A post that actually means something will be coming soon.

 

3 Billion Songs on iTunes

According to Apple's latest press release, iTunes has sold over 3 billion songs. This is just one of many ways for you to get your music online. It is no wonder the recording industry is struggling with their hard music products. Record albums are reportedly having trouble going gold or higher. Don't get me wrong, I am not feeling sorry for the recording industry, they make their money as evidenced by the lifestyles of top recording artists.

This leads us to the illegal downloading of music from file sharing sites. Searchviews reports that, "A survey released today by Entertainment Media Research correlates social media sites to the growth of illegal music downloading. The 2007 Digital Media Survey credits social networking sites like MySpace and Bebo for allowing more people to discover music online rather than via television or the radio. Like other industries that deal with the 13 - 30 demographic, the music industry is inevitably changing with the growth of social networking online."

My thought on downloading of music are this: Pay for it! This is what these people are doing for a living, its their creative work and if you are a fan, you should want to support them.

This is just another example of how Social Media is having a HUGE impact on the way people interact online. From music and videos to social interaction sites, participation in social media will continue to grow exponentially. To put this growth trend into perspective, iTunes has 5 million songs online, they just hit the 3 billion download mark. This means, for example, that 10 million people have downloaded over 300 each. To give you an idea on how fast this is growing, iTunes surpassed its first billion in February 2006. January of this year they broke 2 billion and this week it is over 3.

Bottom Line? If you are not proactive in the way you market to this new generation of consumers, you may be out in the cold.


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