Google Billboards Google is going to start selling billboard ad space in its street views portion of Google Maps.
I'm curious... since Google typically specializes in animated internet ads, will the ads on the billboards be static to imitate real life? Or animated, as a continuation of the physical to digital transition/balance? [via PC World]

Labels: Billboards, Digital, Google, OOH

  ¶ 10:40 AM 0 Comments

  Sweethearts, the popular Valentine's day candy, has added "tweet me" to their conversation hearts this year. This seems appropriate, as both are known for saying so much with so little [via].

Labels: Candy, Twitter, Valentine's day

  ¶ 1:36 PM 0 Comments

  Ice Cream and Behavioral Targeting Israeli food giant Tnuva targeted their new chocolate dessert to only the recently single. By signing a deal with JDate, its ads are only showed to those returning to their accounts after an absence of several days. The idea was that people who logged into their profiles after time away had presumably been dating, but the relationship had since ended.




I wonder how many of my friends were served this ad [via].

Labels: Behavioral Targeting, Comedy, Ice Cream, Israel

  ¶ 11:14 AM 0 Comments

  Crystal Ball Panel: What's Next in 2010 This week is Social Media Week in New York, San Francisco, Toronto, Sao Paulo, London and Berlin, and I was asked to guest blog for...


Panelists: BL Ochman, Howard Greenstein, David Berkowitz, Brian Simpson.


What expectations, measurements and results do we plan on seeing in 2010? There is a lot of buzz surrounding the way Social Media will shape the business and communication landscape. Addressing these speculations, the panel outlined expectations, measurements and results we can hope to see in 2010.

Expectations: "Big companies need to take it seriously."

As explained above, one reason why big companies don't engage in Social Media is because they are scared.

In 2010, the panel unanimously agreed that many more big businesses will realize how valuable of a communication tool Social Media can be. Not only is it challenging, interesting and fun, "but it has the potential to be very lucrative.

Every client wants long-term strategies, and the panel predicts that in order to achieve this, clients will begin investing 5-7 figures into social media campaigns.

Less about what we do, and more about the reason they talk. A good business practice uses social media as means for proliferation, not an improvement to the service/product. It's easy to get carried away, but a successful business model has a truly quality offering, while providing the means with which to share the experience it provides. Social media allows others to talk about how great business-x is.

Measurement: "Social Media should come at the beginning."

• Traditional measurement will have to change, as Social Media carries different weight. For instance in the old model, 20 impressions were no big deal. However, now whenever 20 impressions are served through Social Media, they are each an invitation to interact and communicate with one another.


• Each social media channel holds different weight. A YouTube video response has different implications than a retweet.


• For more information, visit David Berkowitz's blog post - http://bit.ly/100ways

Results: "Social Media should come at the beginning."

• Ideally, an increased focus on social media will result in an increase of sales. Howard Greenstein brought up an example of a local barber shop that, through social media, was able to successfully increase its customer base for next to nothing cost.


• David Berkowitz explains the 4 major social media necessities for producing results: Goals, Assets, Rules and Volume.
  

Labels: 2010, SMW, SMWNYC, Social Media

  ¶ 8:50 AM 0 Comments

  Women in Social Media Answer This week is Social Media Week in New York, San Francisco, Toronto, Sao Paulo, London and Berlin, and I was asked to guest blog for...

The panel of strong, successful women featured those who, after spending time with traditional and realizing that digital is the future, have found their niche in the digital space. Their entrepreneurial spirits and experience provided insight into the two biggest issues addressed: "Why go social?" and "What is the right way to do it?"

Why: “Bloggers just get it.”

One issue addressed was that of the FCC's new restrictions on bloggers, essentially mandating that they issue full disclosure whenever gifted or paid to create content. The panel agreed that this is completely in line with the informal blogging code: be honest. Bloggers should give full disclosure regardless of the FCC, as they owe it to their readers.

Have fun: Blogging should be a safe, fun space in which like-minded individuals can express themselves.

Whenever a blogger posts about an item, readers can immediately click through and potentially be moved to purchase. This immediate response truly separates traditional from digital, allowing for faster and much more effective ROI.

How : "What is the right way to do it?"

• Before starting anything, either business, blog, or any other type of venture, it's important to make sure you talk to others. If you have friends who have done this before, ask them for guidance, or "learn the expensive way."


• In order to gain traffic to your blog, try getting your name out there. Try guest-posting on a blog that you like. If readers like your style and content, they'll want to read more.


• Take calculated risks, and go exploring in the digital realm. "Buying domain names is like a 21st century landgrab."

Labels: SMW, SMWNYC, Women in Social Media

  ¶ 1:10 PM 0 Comments

  The Law in Times Square The FBI has partnered with Clear Channel Outdoor, an outdoor media vendor, to launch an electronic billboard in Times Square to publicize their Most Wanted. This billboard is one of 1,500 billboards in 40 states. Since 2007, the FBI has used billboards to catch criminals and solve ~30 criminals as a result of these publicity efforts.

Since OOH / traditional media is on the decline, donating Billboard space makes sense... but what I don't understand is why they gave up such valuable real estate. Times Square placements go for a a pretty hefty sum, and the intended audience is generally tourists. Is it worth it to give this highly valuable placement to an ephemeral audience, who will barely be in the city long enough to catch / spot these criminals? Or would it be more efficient to donate a spot in a more residential neighborhood?

Labels: FBI, New York, OOH

  ¶ 10:39 AM 0 Comments

  Social Suicide


"My internet life is dying, my real life is starting."

Labels: Digital, Social Media

  ¶ 9:10 PM 1 Comments