The Euros are Coming

Recently I was walking down the block and came across this interesting sign advertising an available condo. Now if I was in…let’s say Italy, and saw this I would not of thought it strange because the cost is displayed in Euros. However, I was not in Italy – I was not even in Europe – I was walking in downtown Manhattan.



Appealing to the European consumer is nothing in New York as many retailers in the Hamptons – New York’s posh weekend destination – have been accepting Euros.

Today, the power of online marketing eliminates distance as a major obstacle in reaching the international consumer. As the dollar continues to decline, American companies that do not have a strong international presence should look towards the internet to drive growth in a difficult economy. There is tremendous opportunity and you don't have to sink huge dollars into a program to see whether it works.

Using Video To Sell

A few weeks ago I wrote about the You Tube Annotations and how it transforms video into an interactive medium. Just as I was thinking about the tool and how I could potentially use it to foster relationships, a friend of mine sent me a link to Mobile Media Now and their Hot Click Concept pages. The idea is to allow a viewer to purchase products seen within the video with the simple click of a button.

Now some - I've already heard it a few times - may think you are compromising the content and over-commercializing it and yes, that could be a possibility. But, in the end you are providing a better user experience - think about how many times you watched a video and saw something you liked and then racked your brain trying to find it online. I know I've done it countless times.

You Will Be Missed

To some he might have been a raunchy comedian, but George Carlin just said what was on your mind. I never realized how influential he truly was until I was sitting in Journalism School and my professor put on his 7 Dirty Words skit during one of our lessons about indecency. In memory of Mr. Carlin I leave you with his infamous 7 Dirty Words skit.

News Media Hits a New Low

I was directed to this article in the New York Times via The Huffington Post today that talks about how networks are putting the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan on the "back burner" - Click Here For Article.

The piece goes on to say that CBS News no longer keeps a full-time correspondent on the ground in Iraq. I guess now they can get back to hard-hitting journalism by covering Amy Winhouse's crack addiction and more Brittney Spears addiction.

Generation Y Will Change the Face of Marketing

The other day I was listening to the podcast "Six Pixels of Separation" with Mitch Joel, which I highly recommend, and an interesting topic was brought up by his guest Douglas Rushkoff. Basically they began discussing the importance individualized branding has become, especially among the millennials. I then started thinking about how we are affected by the always increasing brand messages that we encounter on a daily basis and what the impact is.

After much thought I came to the conclusion the constant bombardment of brand information makes us smarter consumers and forces marketers to step up their game to become noticed. It's like the teacher who has been around since the beginning of time and has heard every excuse for a student not having their homework. With the information at our finger tips we have the ability to see through the trickery and see those brands that are genuine and those that are not.

As this new generation matures and plays a larger role in society you will see a substantial change in the way marketers will be approaching consumers. Instead of a gimmick they will go back to the basics and develop relationships with their customers and listen to them. It is the beauty of the internet, it is the unique ability that can humanize a brand and allow customers to associate faces and personalities to it.

CNN GOES CRAZY OVER FLYING PIGS

So the other day I was looking through the news and noticed something pretty interesting on CNN.com - they had video set up to play on their home page. I've never seen them do this and I think it was a great way to integrate video into their normal content, which ultimately led to increased traffic.

Unfortunately, they used the video to follow a bunch of pigs that were stranded on the roof of a barn. Don't get me wrong, I love animals just as much as the next fella, but aren't there bigger issues with this flood than a couple of stranded pigs.

This is a perfect example of the news media taking a great idea and screwing it up.

Don't Be Ashamed of 80's Pop

I'm waiting for the day Rick Astley is either on a reality series or in a commercial. It's truly amazing, this guy is all over the web and it has gotten to the point where you can't get away from him...not that it is a bad thing, it's actually kind of interesting. With the addition of the Rick Rolling phenomenon - which happened to get Never Gonna Give You Up the New York Met's Theme song this year (You Guys Rock) - makes him a marketers dream.

Can Kobe Really Jump a Car

Could one of this year's most popular viral videos really be fake?



You decide. Either way this low-budget video jumped from YouTube to almost every major network.

Next Generation of Video

Today, while I was developing a presentation I came across the You Tube Annotations, which allow the audience to interact with video.  AMAZING! (see below)

* If you are unable to interact with the video go to the following link

Interactive Shell Game

We're Back

Ok, so it has been a little over two years since I've been blogging, but it is time to come back and ignite conversation regarding the online marketing world.  There is so much potential out there and the possibilities to find new ways to engage audiences are endless.  So here we go.