Cell Phones require Internet??

Recently, Verizon Wireless has made it mandatory to purchase the internet plan for your phone if it has internet capabilities. Now, consumers MUST pay $10 a month for phones with internet capabilities and another $30 dollars a month for phones with data plans. Talk about cross-subsidy (shifting the cost from one product to another)! This is also why Verizon can sell their phones for such a low cost. They clearly are making back their profits through the service plans!!

Like expected, consumers are not appreciating this switch, and are not fooled by the drop in phone price. Verizon may have a problem on their hand if more videos like these are posted. This is not good WOM!!

Search Engine Optimization

With so many sites on the Internet, it is important to make sure your site appears in search engines. This will allow your users to easily find your site. In the last couple of years, companies have made their own business out of optimizing a companies for search engines, giving them that desired position on Googles first page. Prime Visibility is just one of the companies doing this. Watch the video below to find out more.

Using the Internet to Market to kids

Companies are not just targeting teenagers and adults through the Internet, they are targeting kids! Many companies have created interactive, fun sites for children to play on, creating an experience with their brand. We all have heard how kids have a huge influence on what their parents buy. Frosted Mini Wheats is juts one example of this trend. I think this site will get some hits that will leave a mark :)

GEICO GloveBox Application

Today, a growing number of Americans are using cell phones as their primary line and dropping their landlines. Companies have started to find ways to profit off of this new media trend by directly marketing to their consumers through cell phones and other mobile devices.

GEICO has created a GloveBox application for IPhone and ITouch users. This application offers many convenient services to both GIECO policyholders and non policyholders and can be downloaded for free from their website or the Apple ITunes store. By branding this application with their name, logo, and well known Gecko spokesperson (which is consistent with their current brand message), they are able to successfully market to their consumers.


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This application offers policyholders the ability to pay their bills through their phone. All the other features are useful for any user, not just policyholders. Users can use the Accident Helper. This feature allows you to type in and save contact information as well as the ability to take pictures of the scene. The Roadside Service feature allows you to find nearby tow services and gas stations by using your phones GPS system or entering in your location manually. The Taxi/Rental Car feature allows you to find a nearby taxi if you need to get home from a repair shop, or even after a night of partying! It also offers contact information to contact GEICO or watch videos of the Caveman and Gecko.

The last feature, that I think is the coolest, is the Auto How To's. This feature offers users step-by-step instructions for different things like how to change a flat tire, jump start a car, or check your tire pressure.

GEICO is not the only insurance company offering this type of application. Statefarm and Nationwide also offer similar applications. All these companies are targeting a younger demographic, especially GEICO. This application is designed specifically for the IPhone or ITouch. Apple's core users are a younger demographic, and they target a younger audience in all their media outreaches. By creating this specifically for these devices, GEICO is targeting this audience. The Auto How To's is also an application that is clearly marketed to this audience. New drivers and young adults often don't know what to do in a new situation, such as a flat tire. If they call their parents, they are going to have to listen to them yell. This application allows them to figure out how to fix the problem without ever calling mom and dad. And the best part is they can then go home, explain to them what happened and say they handled it all on their own!

The GloveBox also has a secondary audience of technology savvy adults and business women/men. These people are also using these types of devices and would greatly benefit from a lot of the applications features. And hey, although they may not want to admit it, a lot of adults may also not know exactly what to do in an accident.

I think this is a very effective marketing strategy and that GEICO certainly made a "hit that will leave a mark". GEICO found a way to successfully use this medium to their advantage. I think it is also very smart for them to allow anyone to use this application, not just policyholders. This allows them to consistently market to the users, keeping their brand top of mind. Then, when they start to look for their insurance providers, they will first think of GEICO. GEICO also uses traditional media outlets to advertise their new application such as TV commercials. This makes sure that people are aware of the application they have. The commercials for the application are also consistent with their overall marketing campaign, making sure they are still delivering one consistent message to their audience. Below is an example of their commercial from YouTube.

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IPAD!!!

IPad! Once again, Apple has done it! They are a marketing geniuses! Whenever Apple releases a new product, they set a date to release what it is, then wait a few months before they actually sell the product. What does this do? It builds up a lot of hype around the product! Watch this one youtube video below where a girl treats the Ipad like a celebrity. This video alone has nearly 1.5 million views! Free publicity? I think those video hits will leave a mark :)



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Google Lawsuit on Italian Privacy Law

As we enter into a new generation of internet based sites, the lines between what is ethical and legal are becoming increasingly thin. Even in the virtual world, companies need to make sure they are not violating any copyright, privacy, free speech, remixing, or culture jamming laws.

Google was not the first type of search engine, but certainly has become the most successful. Google’s methodology allows its search engine to pull information from every corner of the Global Internet. So if the service is free, how have they become such a profitable company? Ads! 99% of Goggle's revenue is from companies who place advertisements on their sites, topping a whopping $100 billion.

A recent lawsuit against Google threatens the way Google has operated for years. The prosecutors claim that Google is no different than any other media company and not just a tool for users. The case, brought on by the Italian law, argues that Google is responsible for all the context its system pulls. The Italians are suing and holding three Google executives accountable for a video posted by a few boys on YouTube poking fun at children with disabilities. The prosecutors state that Google did not remove the offensive videos untill after they were contacted by the police, which occurred nearly two months after the video was posted.

The prosecutors state that Google uses user content to generate revenue through advertisements. Because they are using someone’s personal data with intent of harming them to make a profit, it breaks Italian privacy laws. If the case goes through, Google will be expected to monitor all content it hosts in Italy. A Google Spokesman, Mr. Echikson, claims that this is nearly impossible with 20 hours of video going up every minute of the day.

Alfredo Robledo, one of the prosecutors, argues that Google should be able to easily monitor its content, and should not be allowed to make a profit by advertising on content that violates privacy laws.

Yet Google feels the complete opposite. “If company employees like me can be held criminally liable for any video on a hosting platform, when they had absolutely nothing to do with the video in question, then our liability is unlimited,” said one of the three executives, Mr. Fleischer.

As seen below, Bill Echikson, spokesperson for google, was quotes saying this case was simply "astonishing"

This privacy case has caused a lot of buzz. Google executives are being held responsible for content posted by its users. They themselfs had nothing to do with the video in question, and with so many videos being posted everyone minute on Youtube, probably had no idea of the videos existence. Before Web 2.0, a case like this would not have ever been possible. Now, with so many sites having user generated content, the big question is who is responsible for monitoring the content?

This case shows how interconnected the web has become. When I read this case my first reaction was “well isn’t that YouTube’s responsible to monitor its own videos?” But the reality is that because the web is so connected, a 3rd party site such as Google can also be held responsible. If this case goes through, Google’s business model of pulling information from every corner of the web may be in jeopardy. What does this mean for the freedom of expression in the digital age? Will sites like Itunes be resonsible if they sell a song which later is accused of being copied?

If countries, such as Italy, keep restricting sites content due to privacy issues, sites such as Facebook, Youtube, and Google may no longer offer there services to its people and these sites won't be able to “leave a mark” in those countries. The “global internet” of Web 2.0 may no longer be so global.

Contests Contests Contests!

With so many advertisements on the web, a banner ad just simply does not do it anymore. In order to reach their target market and "leave a mark" in the consumers bind, companies need to think of new and creative ways of reaching them. How? Well canon has created an webpage that hosts a contest they are having called "the story behind the still." Each cycle a famous photographers photo is chosen and people can sumbit videos of how they interpret the picture. This whole contest is to promote one of their new cameras and purpose is to get the more involved with the product. Click here to visit the site and enter yourself!

Social Netowork Changes Everything!!

It is amazing how easy it is for advertisers to segment their audiences when advertising on social networks. Every ad that appears on my Facebook is in some way tailored specifically to me.

As seen below, through my Facebook profile they are able to know 1) I live in Ithaca for school, and 2) I am 21 years old!

NikeID vs. Puma Mongolian Shoe BBQ

Before the Industrial Revolution, small shops were able to deliver their customers a personal experience. With only a small number of customers, it was easy to know what they like, and design a product to fit their needs. After the Revolution and mass production was introduced, products were being created cheaper and faster. Yet in order for this process to be successful, standardization had to be introduced. Every product produced was the same and customers lost that personal feel. Consumers accepted this because of savings it presented them with. Well, we are no longer in the Industrial Age!!

Today people want things personalized; they don't want a product that looks exactly the same as what everyone else has. Luckily, the Digital Age has allowed this customization back into the market. Different companies are now using technology to employ mass customization strategy. They are able to still produce and sell large quantities of products, but now are able to do so in a way that does not require every product to be the exact same!

Nike and Puma are both currently using this strategy to sell shoes. Both companies have created an site in which you can "customize" and create your own personal shoes. I decided to look at both of these sites, create a shoe, and see which site is offering customers the best experience.

On NIKEid you are brought to a home page where you can either select a range of colors that you want your shoe to have, or a style.

Once you select a shoe as your starting point you can then being customizing your own. You can change the color of the base, sides, panels, laces, tong and more. The cool thing about NIKEid is they also let you add a personal ID to your shoe, insuring that your shoe is truly one of a kind!

Puma Mongolian Shoe BBQ is based off the same concept. You select a style shoe that you want to work with. Then you are able to customize the shoe. One cool thing about this site is that they don't only allow you to select different colors, they allow you to select different patterns and textures!

Puma also took their customization a step further. When arriving at the home page, you enter a restaurant where you are greeted by a chief who tells you to "Grab your chief hat and preheat your creativity" and daily specials are displayed. The site also tells you it is grabbing "your own ingredients." This aspects of the site really adds to the experience. It makes it stand out and in my opinion, made the site more memorable.

Overall, I liked both the sites a lot. Both sites gave customers the ability to create a shoe of their own. And, the process of creating it was actually kinda fun! The Puma site seemed to have more options for designing your shoe. Yet, NIKEid took the personalization a step further and actually allowed you to create your own ID and print it on your shoe. After doing further research, I also found out that both brands have selected retail stores that allow you to come into the store and create your own shoe, which is also a great idea.

Puma's site was really creative and eye catching. NIKEid site was more basic. Yet, when on the NIKEid page, I knew I was at a Nike site. The site had Nike in the corner, and had the same design elements that they always use. When on the Puma site, it is not really clear where you are. All over the site it says "Mongolian Shoe BBQ," not Puma. The site design and layout does not match Puma's at all. This poses a big risk to the company. Consumers may remember the site and their experience, but not the brand. So although Puma is creating an overall more interactive, fun customer experience, I think this lack of brand recognition will make their site less successful.

So what does this mean for other companies? Well the fact is that pretty soon every company is going to need to personalize their customers experience if they want to be competitive. A company is not going to be able to get enough "hits" to "leave a mark" on their websites unless they start customizing their customers experiences!