Posts Tagged "Design"
If popular websites were people, what would they look like?
Mashable’s Stan Schroeder recently posted this short blurb and image from comic artist elontirien on deviantART. The image truly captures the essence of these websites… so now you can put a face to the name!
Who’s the Bigger Nerd: Wikipedia or Google?: “If popular websites were people, what would they look like? If you’ve ever wondered, an artist’s rendering gives a really cute answer to the question.
Portrayed in the image, created by comic artist elontirien on deviantART, are Wikipedia (Wikipedia), Google (Google), Facebook (Facebook), Twitter (Twitter), MySpace (MySpace), deviantART and YouTube (YouTube), the last of which brought a smile to my face. Interestingly enough, Twitter is portrayed as a small kid; does that mean it still has a lot of room to grow?
[img property of elontirien; via thenextweb.com]“
Read More8 Key Twitter Networking Tips You Must Know
I’ve been using Twitter, a social networking site, for six months now and have met so many terrific, interesting and business savvy people.
It’s easy to not understand what Twitter is when you happen upon someone’s personal page. The micro posts are a potpourri of replies that don’t quite make sense to the visitor, but that’s okay because you’re not connecting with your visitors, you are connecting with your followers.
Twitter tweets allowance is 140 characters. It may seem short, but you can get in quite a mouthful. No one ever said networking had to be a long drawn out novel. Don’t underestimate the power of short and quick replies because with the right words they can add a lot of punch.
What I have observed over the months is everyone uses Twitter for different reasons, but the majority of people who use it for networking don’t always know how to network properly.
These 8 tips will show exactly how you can get the most out of your networking efforts on Twitter.
- Start by using your real name on your profile, upload a real photo of you and fill out your bio. Your bio is about you and not your business. Your website link will take care of that.
- Follow people that interest you and who can help grow your business. Follow quality people. Quantity is not important.
- People want knowledge, information and resources. It’s always better to give first and then receive. I’m not saying you shouldn’t self-promote, but if the whole time you’re on Twitter and you’re just self-promoting, people aren’t going to care and will most likely un-follow you.
- Networking is about sharing and connecting with others. A person who only has self-promotion on their mind is looked upon and labeled a spammer. People like freebies and tips. Offer your best tips on working from home, on direct sales, web designing, and marketing and even Twitter tips. There are tips for everything so find something in your niche that you think would be valuable information. Throw in a few freebies as everyone loves something for free.
- It’s important to engage in conversations with your new found “friends”. Don’t ignore their tweets. Use it to strike up conversations as you will never know where these will lead.
- If you read an interesting or newsworthy tweet, retweet it. This is a great way to say something if you can’t find anything to say. When you help to promote others, others will help to promote you.
- Don’t abuse direct messaging (similar to private messaging) or use it as a means to spam your followers. Many will not hesitate to use the block feature.
- Expect to spend some quality time and be consistent in your networking. Try to visit daily. Enjoy and be yourself on Twitter and be respectful. Your reputation should always be guarded.
Not enough people take networking seriously because they don’t know how to do it properly. There are many people who do know and can show you the ropes or better yet take the time to learn and observe what others are doing.
When you learn networking is not about sell, sell, sell and me, me, me, you will soon find more people are attracted to you and what you have to offer.
Read MoreGeneration X glued to video media 9.5 hours a day
By Vigyan Arya on Sunday, March 29, 2009
Adults between the ages of 18 and 35 are exposed to as much as 8.5 hours of digital broadcast daily, according to a recently-concluded study by the Council for Research Excellence, a group funded by Nielsen.
The survey conducted by Ball State University’s Centre for Media Design (CMD) and Sequent Partners dispels several popular notions about video media use.
The sweeping study on media habits of people found that Gen-Xers use digital platforms more than previously thought and that consumers under the age of 35 watch more live TV than expected. At the same time, evidence is mounting that traditional TV use is in decline among consumers in advertisers’ favourite age demographic, between 18 and 34.
These figures were a result of $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) year-long video consumer mapping study, in which participants were directly observed throughout the day by CMD researchers.
The recorded consumer exposure to visual content presented on any of four categories of screens: traditional TV, computer, mobile devices and out of home, which include cinema, in-store and even GPS devices.
The study covered more than three-quarters of a million minutes or a total of 952 observed days. The study relied on a core group of 350 participants, but that was supplemented by other groups of candidates.
Overall, live TV usage led all video time by a large margin, followed by consumption of DVDs and then digital-video-recorder usage.
The study emphasised that that younger baby boomers between the ages of 45 and 54 consume the most video media, taking in an average of just above 9.5 hours a day. Of that time, 336 minutes per day, more than five-and-a-half hours, was devoted to live TV. The young boomers also use the web an average of 46 minutes, DVR playback 17 minutes, and e-mail 51 minutes.
Meanwhile, consumers between the ages of 18 and 34 take in an average of eight-and-a-half hours of media overall, with 210 minutes – about three-and-a-half hours – devoted to live TV. The youngest consumers devote an average of 67 minutes to the web, 34 minutes to DVR playback and 20 minutes to email. The findings also established the fact that younger baby boomers (age 45-54) consume the most video media.
The young boomers “adopted the behaviour of two different groups of people – one group that is younger when it comes to digital media and one group that is older when it comes to TV,” Bill Moult, founding partner of Sequent Partners, said during a presentation of the research.
“This landmark research study makes a significant contribution to our understanding of how consumers go about accessing content across all platforms within the context of their daily lives,” said CRE Media Consumption and Engagement Committee Chair, Shari Anne Brill. “It also considerably advances the Council’s thinking regarding audience measurement priorities. Nothing of this magnitude has ever been attempted before and we expect that our entire industry will benefit from this game-changing work for years to come.”
Mike Hess, CRE Chair, added, “The scope of the study was too big and the cost too prohibitive for any one company to undertake on its own. A project of this magnitude clearly required a group effort.”
“Among the things we learned from those experiences is that people generally cannot report accurately how much time they spend with media,” said Mike Bloxham, Director of Insight and Research for Ball State’s CMD. “Some media tend to be over-reported whereas others tend to be under-
reported – sometimes to an alarming extent. Clearly, that kind of variance puts in question one’s ability to draw meaningful conclusions, and it convinced us that the observational method is the only real way to achieve accurate and reliable results.”
Added Paul Donato, Nielsen’s Chief Research Officer, “These new results are consistent with previous Nielsen studies that have found that video consumption has never been higher.”
The study formula
For mapping an accurate survey, observers used handheld smart keyboards equipped with a custom media collector program developed by Ball State.
The observers recorded – in 10-second increments – consumer exposure to visual content presented on any of four categories of screens. They are traditional television (including live TV as well as DVD/VCR and DVR playback); computer (including web use, e-mail, instant messaging and stored or streaming video); mobile devices such as a BlackBerry or iPhone (including web use, text messaging and mobile video); and “all other screens” (including display screens in out-of-home environments, in-cinema movies and other messaging and even GPS navigation units).
The study generated data covering more than three-quarters of a million minutes or a total of 952 observed days. This is the largest and most extensive observational study of media usage ever conducted.
Other findings
The research also found that:
*Contrary to some recent popular media coverage suggesting that more people are rediscovering “free TV” via the internet, computer video tends to be quite small with an average time of just two minutes (a little more than 0.5 per cent) a day.
*Despite the proliferation of computers, video-capable mobile phones and similar devices, TV in the home still commands the greatest amount of viewing, even among those ages 18-24. Thus, in the eyes of the researchers, this appears to dispute a common belief that internet video and mobile phone video exposure among that group were significant in 2008.
*TV users were exposed to 72 minutes per day of TV ads and promos – again dispelling a commonly held belief that modern consumers are channel-hopping or otherwise avoiding most of the advertising in the programming they view.
* Early DVR owners spent much more time with DVR playback than newer DVR owners. At the same time, DVR playback was even more likely than live TV to be the sole medium.
Read MoreBig Fuel Names Holly Pavlika as Executive Creative Director
Award-winning Creative Visionary Joins Top Consumer Engagement Agency
NEW YORK, Feb. 9 /PRNewswire/ — Big Fuel, the consumer engagement agency, today announced that noted marketing industry guru Holly Pavlika has joined the company as its executive creative director. She’ll work closely with Big Fuel President Ian Baer and company Founder and CEO Avi Savar, as well as the rest of the creative team to develop consumer engagement programs that take brands from Content to Commerce.
As Big Fuel’s first-ever executive creative director, Pavlika will both set the vision and drive the process for creative concept development and execution at the agency. Pavlika will also utilize her passion and enthusiasm for her work and her team by playing a critical role in new business and mentoring others within the creative department. A well-known and accomplished creative director in the industry, Pavlika brings her award-winning creative style and builds on Big Fuel’s solid foundation of audience-driven strategic leadership, brilliant project execution across the whole media spectrum and the ability to cost-effectively deliver content to the audiences that demand it.
“Having known Ian from within the industry for a number of years, I was excited at the prospect of finally being able to work with him, and after meeting the rest of the partners at Big Fuel, I felt like I’d entered creative heaven,” Pavlika said. “This agency really is all about the big idea, and everything the company does reflects that. The energy, enthusiasm and drive at Big Fuel are contagious, and I can’t wait to be a part of the team.”
Among her creative notches, Pavlika has developed campaigns for leading brands like Xerox, Kraft, Crown Royal, BMW MINI, 3M, Sotheby’s, Bloomberg Radio, SunTrust, JPMorgan Chase, Bloomingdales and Rite Aid. Prior to joining Big Fuel, Pavlika served as the executive vice president and executive creative director at G2 Direct & Digital, where she managed a 45-person creative team and oversaw the agency’s new business team and production department. During her time at G2, Pavlika was also directly responsible for developing and building the pharmaceutical practice and creating award-winning campaigns for companies like Proctor & Gamble, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb and Pfizer.
Read MoreCampbell’s adDress’s Your Heart
Campbell Soup Promo Invites You to Vote for Your Favorite Dress and Protect Your Heart
The Campbell Soup Co. has teamed up with television, film and Broadway star Jane Krakowski of NBC’s “30 Rock” and runway designer Nicole Miller in the “AdDress Your Heart” promotion with a goal to help raise funds and awareness for the American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women movement. Heart disease is the number one killer of women today. Campbell Soup, who has been increasing the variety of their heart-healthy soups, beverages and sauces, seeks to encourage people to protect their hearts with this promotion.
Nicole Miller has designed and created three dresses exclusively for people to “AdDress” their hearts and vote on their favorite at CampbellsAddressYourHeart.com. A $1 donation to the American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women movement will be given for each vote on the promotional website (up to $275,000). The date the voting ends, Feb. 6, also coincides with National Wear Red Day, when people wear red clothing to remind others of the cause.
Jane Krakowski will then reveal the winning dress by wearing it at a red carpet event in February to celebrate American Heart Month. Jane, who typically portrays the cute and bubbly blond woman character takes this role as a long-time advocate of heart health very seriously. “Knowing that more than 44 million women are affected by heart disease, makes me realize how important it is to take steps, such as eating right and exercising, to help protect your heart” she said in this statement. “I hope my involvement will raise awareness for the cause and help educate women of all ages about the importance of knowing their risk factors and living a healthful lifestyle.”
Nicole Miller is also dedicated to the fight against heart disease and has been a long-time supporter of the cause. “In my work, I find inspiration from many things, including my passion for helping people live well, feel good and, of course, look great,” said Nicole. “Each of the designs I’ve created for this program comes from my heart to inspire women, in a fun and fashionable way, to be and stay healthy.”
Campbell Soup is contributing a total of $1.8 million to the American Heart Association and in addition is marketing a wide variety of their heart healthy products. On the promotional site Campbell is promoting a number of these products such as Healthy Requests Soups, V* Low Sodium Vegetable Juice, Prego Heart Smart Italian Sauce and Premium Chunk Chicken. They have also included a “Tell A Friend” link that enables visitors to invite others to vote for their favorite as well.
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About Me
Proud father, devoted husband, Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Big Fuel, a full-service marketing and communications company based in New York that takes brands from Content To Commerce.
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