What is our future in Social Media Marketing?

If businesses aren't aware now nearing the end of 2010 that they must be highly educated and involved in social media marketing, then marketers in my opinion aren't doing their job! In order for us to be able to leverage technologies for business needs, we must be up-to-date on all the news and social trends around us. Now because of this, this is why some may wonder what the future brings.

A few things to keep in mind are:

Learn from our past history. We are currently seeing the same types of changes as some did a decade ago, and we need to be able to recognize these patterns to learn from them. If we continue to avoid the past and make the same mistakes we will never improve our position with businesses, thus possibly becoming obsolete.

Forget about De-Marketization. As soon as we are able to get people to realize that marketing and communication go hand in hand, and that we are using communication skills that people want to be reached by, we wont ever have this cross our minds again. 

Methodology will never change. Facebook and Myspace are constantly changing, but the way that people communicate within them will always remain the same. They may change things to keep a greater appeal to its users, but marketing is marketing and that will never change. It wasn't that long ago that I remember beepers and faxing were the new top tool!

So can any of you predict what will become of social media marketing? Will it change with its tools or always remain the same?

Funny New Years Resolutions

Here are some resolutions that I have heard from some people, or found on the Internet, in the past few days that put a smile on my face!


I will think of a password other than "password" or "hello".

I will not tell the same story at every get together.

I will stop considering other people's feelings when they so obviously don't consider mine - if that unwashed fellow sits next to me again, I'll tell him he stinks!

I will not bore my boss by with the same excuse for taking leaves. I will think of some more excuses.

I will do less laundry and use more deodorant.

I will avoid taking a bath whenever possible and conserve more water.

I will give up chocolates totally. 100%. Completely. Honestly....

I will try to figure out why I *really* need nine e-mail addresses.

I will stop sending e-mail, ICQ, Instant Messages and be on the phone at the same time with the same person.

I will spend less than one hour a day on the Internet. This, of course, will be hard to estimate since I'm not a clock watcher.

I will read the manual... just as soon as I can find it.

I will answer my snail mail with the same enthusiasm with which I answer my e-mail.

When I hear a funny joke I will not reply, "LOL... LOL!"

I will balance my checkbook. (on my nose).

Start buying lottery tickets at a luckier store.

Remember to brush teeth with bristly end of toothbrush.

Don't eat medicine just because it looks like candy.

I promise to clean my room once a week even though I haven't cleaned it more than once in the last year.

I will always replace the gas nozzle before driving away from the pump.

I will try to drive closer to the speed limit.

I will always wear clean underwear, "just in case".

I will keep an extra safe distance when driving behind police cars.

Read less books. A little learning is a dangerous thing. Too much of it can really wreck your head.

Gain weight, at least 40 pounds. Didn't your mom always say you were bit skinny.

Cut down on exercise. Too much is bad for your health, it can even kill you.

Eat more nice things like candy, Big Macs, popcorn and ice cream. Eat less crap like fresh fruit, vegetables and soy nuts.

Work less. Take it easy. All work and no play can make you a dull boy or girl.

Play more computer games. Scientists say they're good for you and improve your visual skills. But you always knew that.

Take up some worthwhile new habit, like smoking - it helps keep tobacco workers in jobs.

I will drink less beer, last year I drank enough beer to have kept the Titanic afloat.

I will drive more carefully, people are starting to notice the dozens of dents in my car.

I will no longer interfere in a game.

I will never again take a sleeping pill and a laxative on the same night.

I resolve not to see any serial or movie in which any dead character is brought alive.

I resolve to stop poisoning my family with my cooking.

Learn what the hell "resolution" means.

I promise to stick to these resolutions for more than a week (even though I never do).

So what is your new years resolution? ;)

Dusting off your Internship search & starting again

I have been recently researching ways to improve my odds on being chosen for internships that I have applied to. I ran across this information from internships.com that may help you in your search process!


1. Update your resume(s).

The plural is pretty important. Not all internships you apply to will have the same roles and requirements, so your resume is going to have to flexible to give you a stronger chance of landing the position. You’ll save yourself a lot of time and stress later by creating about three versions of your resume right now, each tailored to highlight different aspects of your experience, skills and education. They don’t have to be complete rewrites, but you’ll want to at least have original mission statements for each and make sure the job duties and skills most relevant to each possible internship type are listed prominently.

2. Spiff up your business wardrobe.

After-holiday sales are a great chance to upgrade your work closet on the cheap and keep prepared in the event of an early interview – especially if you recently collected some department store gift cards. Check out some of the major retailers’ websites or hit the mall after the holiday mayhem passes.

3. Contact the employers at the top of your list.

Don’t wait until your dream internship appears on a job board. By then, it’s open to many times the competition. Send e-mails to the HR staff of organizations you want to target, stating your goals for the summer and asking to be notified if any relevant positions crop up. Of course, you can’t rely on human resources to warn you early, but expressing your interest ahead of the pack should make your dedication stand out. It may even lead to an informational interview, which gives you a strong opportunity to boost your standing.

4. Look into other cities or university-affiliated internship programs.

If you want a change of scenery next summer, you’ll need to be actively planning for it right now. That’s especially true if you’d like to intern abroad, because passports, housing and travel arrangements need to be secured months in advance. But even if you’re thinking of interning in an American city like New York or Washington, D.C., it’s important to begin researching transportation options, cost-of-living and apartments (if your college doesn’t arrange them).

5. Build a portfolio website (if applicable).

This doesn’t apply to everyone, but for those pursuing fields in which work samples are easily communicated online, a clean and effective website can do wonders for your summer internship bid. If you want a web design job, it’s probably best to code your own from scratch. Otherwise, there are a number of affordable hosting options on the net that include effective, customizable portfolio templates. Check out Carbonmade and Dripbook for visual portfolios, or this (oldie-but-a-goodie) blog post with tons of other options, including themes compatible with WordPress.

Now not all of these may apply to you or even appeal to you but why not give it a shot? You're not going to be any worse off and some of this may even help you land that dream job you talk about all the time!

Need more ideas or help? Visit Internships.com They have been a HUGE help to me!

Cash or Credit?

It has been discovered that many Americans are worried about trying to stay away from going into debt and paying for the upcoming holidays with cash! ABC stated that millions of Americans have actually chosen to cut up their credit cards since last year’s holiday season.

 We are seeing most of this change in behavior because of the fact that card companies have severely clamped down on the availability of credit, but some can't help to wonder if it is because we as Americans are starting to change our ways. Are we finally seeing the damage that has been done and are attempting to use credit cards in a more healthy way?

Now on a twist of that are credit card companies starting to “feel the burn” of these changes? It seems to me that their marketing strategies are changing to try to reel their “best” customers back in. They have promoted new card rewards programs and other incentives to attempt at gaining some back, but they may have to do better than that because it looks like a lot of Americans have learned their lesson.

Smartphones Take over Mobile Browser Use in U.S.

The shift in momentum towards feature phones represents a movement for the mobile content and advertising industry. Marketers should become very aware of this and shift their focus towards creating with these devices in mind.

The boom in smartphone Internet access has started to rise due to the fact of the devices: iPhone, RIM BlackBerry & Android.

Some may wonder is this the reason that Facebook continues their strong international growth? Is this the reason that sites such as Facebook and Twitter are attracting larger, more frequent audiences among U.S. users aged 50 and over? I can say for a fact that traffic to Twitter from mobile devices has grown by 62 percent since April, according to the social network!

If marketers were to focus on this for their future strategies, imagine the possibilities for not only their company, but for us as consumers as well!

5 Signs that you are a Social Media FREAK

Thanks to technology we are living in world where everything that was right is now wrong and up is now down. We have come to the point where we can’t tell the difference between what is real and what is just in our head.

We are constantly connected with people around the world and yet people are saying they feel alone or disconnected from everything around them. Technology has single handedly changed our society and redirected us to follow a new “rule book”. To be completely honest, it is completely turning us all into “Techie” freaks!

SO what are the signs that this is happening to you?...

1. 1.    You spend so much time on Twitter that you have over a million plus followers and over half of them is people you don’t even know and would have no intention of EVER meeting them!
2.   Someone has robbed you and stolen all your money from your Mafia businesses. You become depressed to the point of not wanting to show your face in public, but don’t worry there’s still Farmville.
3.  You spend more time “socializing” online than you do with your real friends.  Who cares if your Tweet followers don’t laugh with you but at you?! It’s what you perceive them to be that really matters. 
4. You wake up in the morning and before brushing of the scum from your teeth, you open your laptop and check your news-feeds on Facebook & Twitter. Finally you turn to check your clock and its 4:30am… your alarm isn’t going to go off for another 2 hours! 
5. You can’t leave the house without your smart phone. It use to be that you cared about your makeup being just right and now your checking to see how many more minutes until you can (stop the car, obviously with laws and all) update your status location.

5.    

Now I’m sure that there are many more that I haven’t covered but these are the ones that stuck out to me. But then again we all should know better, right?! 

Are you a Social Media Freak,… like me?

The Digital Age Arises

The digital age arises from the massive growth in recent technology thru computer communications, digital information and other technologies. This has proposed a major impact on the way that companies are constantly trying to being value to their customers. Things have changed to meet the “now now now” demand. Once we lived in a world where it took a few days after major events for the public to learn about them, where as now we can learn about these events almost simultaneously.  It also would take up to weeks to be able to contact family or friends when they lived in distant places, where now we can chat, send emails, call their cell or even chat face to face with a web camera.

With this type of digital shift and how major it has been it creates a mixed array of emotions for marketers. This shift has allowed marketers to learn about new and exciting ways to obtain information about consumers and how to track and create products that are specifically tailored to their personal needs. It also made it easier for marketers to communicate in a fashionable manor whether it was with a large group of customers or whether it was on a one to one basis. One of the main things that helped marketers save money while still being efficient was web chatting. Marketers were able to use this new tool to be able create and manage focus groups without the expenses of traveling across state lines.

Not all of the changes with the new technology spike were good for marketers. This new shift means that marketers cannot expect consumers to be able to seek out and find marketers or have the control they once had with their conversations about marketers’ specific brands. The marketers no longer have the ability to control who they target to as much as they use to because consumers now have the ability to bring advertising with them to share with their friends.

I can’t imagine a world without the technologies we have had throughout my generation! I have an IPhone and aside from school I never use a computer anymore because practically everything can be done on my phone. When growing up I remember people always talking about a cool advertisements they saw on T.V. or in a magazine, now all I hear about is the new app that apple has out to be able to “simplify” yet another life task on our hand held smart phone.

Commercials and Their Emotional Appeal

When I first saw this commercial the word that came to my mind was, Desperate. This commercial is trying to explain the fact that fructose syrup is not bad for you in moderation. At first I couldn’t tell if they are trying to advertise for the juice the actors were drinking or if it’s a diet commercial. I would’ve never imagined that someone would try and attempt to create a commercial about Fructose syrup and then on top of it challenge people to believe that it can actually be good for you. The fact that these commercials exist means that profits from high fructose corn syrup are dropping due to a bad reputation and they are trying to use commercials to combat that.

The biggest emotional appeal and the only one I feel I found was the fact that it would be good for you. Everything nowadays is coupled with dieting or being healthy and people constantly being concerned about these concepts. That would make complete sense when creating this commercial, except for the fact that Fructose Syrup is not good for you. They try to slip in the fact that they say only in moderation, so that they can be held accountable for lying to consumers.

Overall I am not a very big fan of this commercial so far. Then to top it off they use their call to action as “Get the Facts”. Because this is going to intrigue people to purchase items with Fructose Syrup in it now, let alone visit the website they provided. I agree with the idea that they need to have a call to action that intrigues people to know more about Fructose Syrup, but they could have thought of something stronger. I would have suggested possibly “Dare to know… Dare to try”, or something like that. I feel that would show people that the more they know about the facts behind Fructose Syrup the more they may be inclined to eat/drink foods with it on the ingredients label.

Commercial located at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EEbRxTOyGf0

In Love...

Yes indeed, I'm alone again.
And here comes emptiness crashing in.
It's either love or hate,
I can't find in between,
'cause I've been with witches and I've been with a queen.

It WILL work out everyday, everyway.
but now it's just another lonely day.
Further along we just may.
But for now it's just another lonely day.

Wish there was something now I could say or do.
I can resist anything but the temptation from you.

It WILL  work out everyday in everyway.
but now it's just another lovely day.
Further along we just might go.
But for now, it's just another lovely day.

Yesterday seems like a life ago,
'cause the one I love today, I feel like I hardly know,
You I hold so close in my heart, Oh dear,
Grow closer to me with every fallen tear.

It WILL work out everyday in anyway.
but now it's just another lovely day.
Further along we just may.
But for now it's just another lovely day.

This is love, that much I know

Because if and when I ever let go,

I always know that some day

You will come back to me, this time to stay! 

I LOVE YOU!

Traditional Christmas Tree

        A Christmas tree is a real life symbol that most place in the home after Thanksgiving and decorate it with lights, ornaments, garlands and tinsel. An angel or a star is often placed at the top of the tree as well, but do you really know what the tree and its items symbolize?

        The tradition of decorating a tree during Christmas started back in the 16^th century in Germany. One meaning that was established by Martin Luther as a Protestant was the tree was a part of the Catholic Nativity scene. He established the Christmas tree as a symbol of the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden. In some cities, the decorating and display of Christmas trees is organized as charity events.

        Along with charities and the Nativity scene, some people use Christmas trees as a symbol of the cross at Easter. Both Ezekiel 47:12 and the Book of Revelation 22:2 use trees as a symbol of new fruitful life, compared to the Tree of life denied Adam in Genesis 3:22-23. Paul makes the link between Adam and Christ clear in Romans chapter 5.

        I believe that in the same way the Christmas tree can be seen as mirroring the tree of life, a symbol of the crucifix which brings redemption. So when setting up your tree this year, real or fake, take a second to think, why is it that you have a Christmas tree set up in your house this year?

Black Friday Craze

This year's bargain shoppers brave the freezing weather throughout the wee hours of the night to get their hands on the best deals of the season. It has been said that there were more shoppers out purchasing items this year than there was last year when such indulgences were limited. It is an encouraging sign for retailers and for the economy.

Traffic was fast and furious even when talking about advertising for the few hours the day after Thanksgiving. Companies started creating attraction earlier with more TV commercials. Marketing analysts monitoring stores said many people were paying with cash and were focused. They had done plenty of research before venturing out into the hustle and bustle of the sales.

Although when surveyed many of the shoppers were not shopping for deals on presents for the holidays, but for deals on items for themselves. Most said that they would still keep an eye out for present ideas, but the main event was to purchase merchandice for personal use. Retail analyst Cohen, who had a team of consultants monitoring 11 regions, estimated that 15 percent of purchases so far on Friday were items for the shoppers themselves, up from about 9 percent last year on the same day. On Black Friday 2008, he estimated it dropped to about 5 percent. "In good economic times, such purchases run about 26 percent," Cohen said.

At the Walmart store customers came in waves, with a big rush at midnight when toys and clothing went on sale and then another surge just before cut-rate electronics were hauled out at 5 a.m. Parking spots were in short supply and shopping carts were even more scarce. Companies averted the dangers of years past by keeping its doors open all night to head off potential stampedes. Shoppers instead lined up for tickets entitling them to heavily discounted TVs and computers and then camped out in cordoned-off aisles. While the system kept things orderly, some shoppers didn't appreciate it. Some where upset that when trying to purchase small items that were on sale, the had to literally step over people laying in the middle of the aisles.

The fierce battle for shoppers' wallets promises savings for those willing and able to buy amoungst an economy that is still worrying many. Still, nearly 15 million are unemployed, and concerns about job security cloud consumer confidence. Spending may be picking up yes, but that has not returned to pre-recession levels. No matter the situation a person is in, Tis the season for giving, and I intend to take advatage of these sales and do just that!

Banana Bread - the best ever made

The best recipes come tried and true from friends. That's the wonderful thing about sharing recipes, we don't all have to go through the trials and tribulations to get the best results. This recipe is the best out there when it comes to banana bread! I have never had a more moist bread than this recipe. Try it and let me know what you think!


Banana Bread Recipe
INGREDIENTS
3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup sugar (can easily reduce to 3/4 cup)
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

METHOD
No need for a mixer for this recipe. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last, mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 4x8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.

Technology in Restaraunts on a RISE

I have recently read about new Restaurant Technology that I am finding to be truly fascinating. Usually when a restaurant wants to gain better customer satisfaction they change their decor, or sometimes even their layout, but not anymore.

    In Atlanta, a restaurant is using iPads to replace their wine list because of the fact that they have an extensive list of more than 1,300 wines. This will provide them with solutions to menu options and questions that the consumers may have to allow them to order with ease. Not to mention in New York there is a new restaurant where customers can order their food online for pickup or delivery, they can also order via an iPad in the restaurant, or even view recent tweets by and about the restaurant!

    Technology seems to be single handedly supporting restaurant managers’ efforts to increase sales and profits through revenue management. By subdividing meals into their component sections, a manager can figure out what provides the greatest revenue benefit for that particular restaurant. Correctly implemented, technology can more than offset its cost with increased revenue.

    So what if we get to the point where every restaurant changes their style to using constant technology, to increase sales and revenue? Are we also going to decrease the ability to become personable with customers? What is going to be restaurants game plan to ensure that they can involve the ease of technology with the feel of a family environment?

Advertising & Teen's close relationship

                Teens are currently the most studied culture in America. To win their demographic loyalty the companies throughout the world must study what they want and what they think is trendy at that time. To do this most companies use the tactic of a culture spy or also known as a correspondent. This person will search and document teens and their structure in ways that would not be accepted by them if a large organization were to attempt it. They study the 20% of teens who are the trendsetters, and will be able to show the others what is chic. Once they obtain this way of life they present their findings to companies who will then portray it in their advertising.
                MTV is an example of how the media is reflected directly off the culture of teens. They transformed advertising by incorporating it into its actual television programming. MTV launched a commercial concept to show record company’s promotional videos in the form of creative TV programming. They also used set on shows that would portray trend in clothes, to appeal to the viewers as the now trend in fashion and products that they should have.  They learned within the past few years though that they have to continue to change to stay with the demographic culture of teens. They immersed themselves in research to learn what teens really want to hear and see, and then also used those findings to portray their advertising in actual television programming to constantly stay on top of the style.  
                I believe that advertising and teens do share a symbolic relationship, but to stay on top of the fad there is a fine line between research and affecting the lives of those they are studying.  If we are using correspondents to interview and screen kids to see who is normal and in the trend, then who is really deciding what that is? Marketing groups are looking on how to make money and that is understandable but looking at a different side, we don’t need a weatherman to tell us if it is raining outside or not. I believe a lot of advertising and marketing is too close to the demographics they are trying to target. I don’t think we should stop researching how teens live their lives but take an indirect approach about it rather than involving them to the point where they are unaware the feedback of the advertising is and indistinct copy of themselves.

411 on Thanksgiving!!!

I am thankful for:
My family, your family, and all the food im going to get to eat from your family!!!

Enjoy Thanksgiving and be sure to let the people who you appreciate know that you... that you oh ya.. That you really appreciate them. Many of them are old and probably won't be around a long time. Please remind them of this while you are expressing your appreciation! Ask them what they think you could get for their wedding ring or their truck. This way, they'll realize that yes, there was a reason that you attended their dinner for this holiday.

Remember, they love you and want you to be happy so feel free to give them your list of must have, most expensive things, that you would need for Christmas. No need to tell them thanks in advance, as they already know how much you appreciate the gifts they give you that never fit, and they'd only be embarrassed.

Please remember to stay out of the way during the preperation of Thanksgiving Dinner. Everyone knows you'd like to help out with making squash or slicing the turkey. But if you ask if they need help, they'll only say yes to be nice to you since that's what family does. Don't make it all about you. Sit down and let them feel good about serving you. Same goes for clean-up. You're better off keeping your eyes on the deserts to make sure those youngsters don't eat all of your favorite pie. Besides like I said before, they are getting old and like their space, especially when doing dishes.

Also... Don't let little cousins win all the games that they drag you into playing. They will appreciate the opportunity to finally play a fair game. Convince them that winning isn't everything. They're about to enter the real world and need to learn that it's tough out there.

With that all being said enjoy your TURKEY DAY!

Visceral Shock - horrific advertisements

Barnardo’s ads try to provide light for those who may be living in poverty. To me some of their ads have gone too far and have been lawfully banned from public viewing. Barnardo's use shock tactics to tackle child poverty, but this strategy rebounded and they were reported to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) after hours of viewing. The first in the series of newspaper ads from Barnardo's shows a new-born baby with a cockroach crawling out of his mouth. Another illustrates a baby with a silver spoon in its mouth and the third campaign features a baby with a mentholated spirits bottle in its mouth while the final one shows a baby with a syringe. If the images are too shocking to look at, the threat to this advertisement is that we become too uncomfortable to look at all. This shouldn’t be what the company wants to be trying to get across.

 I believe that this is a clearly depicted visceral shock advertisement and personally I am glad that it was stricken from being placed in any future advertisements but unfortunately those pictures weren’t the only type of ad that was complained about coming from Barnardo’s.

A TV ad for children's charity Barnardo's featuring a girl being repeatedly hit about the head by her father has been cleared by the advertising regulator despite almost 500 complaints that it was distressing and offensive. The commercial aims to show how a lifetime of abuse leads a young girl into a cycle of drugs, jail and poverty. The ad shows a looped sequence of five scenes that speed up to exaggerate the repeated character of abuse.

I don’t agree with either of these forms of advertising from this company. I think that both of these are degrading and horrific types of advertisements. However I have a feeling that this company chose to do these ad and commercial, possibly knowing they would have this negative reaction to it, but then also presenting a more widely broadcasted advertisement. If I think about this in the opposite, I think that these ads were shown more now than they probably would have been because of how many complaints and stories were distributed after the initial viewing. Were these ads effective? I would say yes, but that doesn’t mean that I agree with the vividly detailed way they were shown.