Author: Angelo Fernando

Quotes for the week ending 24 May, 2008

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“Hillary against the machine.”

Headline of an article by syndicated columnist, David Brooks, who also wrote “The long defeat,” in March ’08

“Talk of Hillary exit engulfs campaigns.”

Drudge Report.

“Pundits declare the race over.”

International Herald Tribune

“Hillary pulls race card…”

Bloomberg.com

Hillary: This is nowhere near over.”

CNN, Political Ticker

“A cable operator buys a social network. Hmmmm.”

Catherine P. Taylor on the news that Comcast has bought Plaxo.

“Microsoft is like a bad restaurant – no matter what the incentive, you don’t want to eat there. Their product isn’t working and their share of the market proves that.”

Om Malik, on Microsoft’s attempt to woo online shoppers with a cash back incentive on online purchases via its Live Search.

ValleyPRBlog launches new site

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It’s black & white –and read all over, to use a cliche. It’s the new look to ValleyPRblog!

It’s got a very cool look from Forty. But it’s not just the skin we’re excited about, but the functionality and how things are laid out. Based on the traffic we have been getting over the past year, we have a RESOURCES section that’s packed with information about agencies, the media and best practices. For job seekers, we link to national and local organizations.

Give it a try, especially if you’re in the Phoenix area, or plan to be. It may be 98 degrees outside, but it’s where you could come and connect with some really cool folks in PR, marketing and social media.

Social media extends our reach

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Having been involved in a pandemic flu exercise here at the Decision Theater, this lede about avatars coming down with a flu, flagged my attention.

But the story in the Canadian Press is more about how social networks and other online tools are being used as an extension of (rather than a replacement of) our communication efforts in social spaces. Where as we once relied on traditional surveys and expensive campaigns, we now have Facebook, virtual worlds and something called ‘proximity marketing.’

Characteristics of bloggers

/ Angelo Fernando / 1 Comment

I came across this good evaluation of the “12 traits of successful bloggers” from Darren Rowse.

Creative and Playful, Innovative, Connectors, Community Enablers, Information Mavens, Communicators, Interest, Entrepreneurs, Originality, Perseverance, Focus, Curiosity. Worth a read.

We all have a different set of traits. I am sure my list will be different, with a  few overlaps.

Quotes for the week ending May 17, 2008

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“One of the worst earthquakes in decades struck central China on Monday, killing…”

Sad news of China’s deadliest earthquake i decades, on Monday 12 May.

“You want some wind because you want them to travel.”

Francisco Guerra, a former magician who came up with ‘Flogos’ – foam filled soap bubbles shaped like giant logos.

“CBS to acquire CNet Networks in $1.8 billion deal.”

News this week of CBS attempting to find nee distribution to a digitally connected audience.

“I liken running Windows in dual boot on the laptop as exactly what Apple did on their machines.”

Nicholas Negroponte, on introducing Windows XP to the One Laptop Per Child that had previously only run on Linux.

“Brief exposure to Apple’s brand logo drives higher levels of creativity than exposure to IBM’s logo.”

Story on CNet, about a study on the subliminal effects of logos, by Duke University and the University of Waterloo.

Stopping the phone books

/ Angelo Fernando / 3 Comments

Is there a universal number to be on a ‘do not deliver’ list for phone books?

I just called Yellow Book and asked to be taken off their list. Tel: 800.373.3280.

I understand there is a business model behind the catalog business, and I would hate to see people lose jobs over this, but isn’t it time for regulation to reduce the number of unwanted phone books? What’s wrong with a system where the phone book company asks us to opt-in to receive one?

I notice that two cities are already considering a law to reduce phone books.

The Direct Marketing Association has DMAChoice.org. Isn’t it time the phone companies got their act together?

Avoiding product, hiding logos gain vogue

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There used to be a backlash against showing the huge ugly logo of a company in the ad …in the late eighties, I believe. That was a reaction to the ‘branding’ mantra.

Now there’s a return to stealth branding, thanks to YouTube and viral distribution.

This ad –if you can call it that — for Levi’s features no close-up shot of the label. Just a few guys doing stunts, diving into their brand, that make it extremely watchable. It has been viewed over two million times todate.

Gawker makes an interesting comparison between Levis and Ray-ban about how the stunt is such a formula for going viral today.

Looks like the idea of hiding the logo has gained vogue, telling us something: People are tired of logos masquerading as ads. A logo is nothing, if it does not give you a reason why to buy or subscribe. I don’t use Skype over Google talk because of the cool blue logo. They can hide it from my call interface for all I care. (It’s so tiny, I don’t even notice it is there.) They have made the experience worth coming back to, and paying for, in my case.

Book reviews on Twitter

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Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff, authors of the new book, Groundswell, are asking readers to send in short reviews via Twitter.

“We love bloggers reviewing the book, but you may not have a blog, or have time to write a few paragraphs. So why not make it easy. Twitter your review,” they urge.

With Craig Newmark (Graig’s List), Steve Rubel and Guy Kawasaki already endorsing the book with their ‘mini reviews’ that could be a bit daunting…

Quotes for the week ending 12 May, 2008

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“Steve Jobs doesn’t need sa sales force because he already has one: employees like the ones in my company.”

Mark Slada, CIO of a company in Johannesburg, in a Businessweek story about how more businesses are demanding Macs in the workplace.

“Journalistically, going alomng with such an arrangement would be completely inappropriate. I agreed immediately.”

E.J. Montini, columnist in the Arizona Republic, on not mentioning the name of someone selling T-shirt with the name of each soldier killed in Iraq, with the words “Bush lied, they died.”

“Pardon Our Dust“

Brian Lusk, Manager of Corporate Communication, at Southwest Airlines, on the relaunching of the blog Nuts About Southwest, this week.

“The final piece in the digital jigsaw.”

ITV chairman, Michael Grade, on FreeSat, the free digital television service from ITV and BBC, launching this week.

“It’s becoming clearer that paper is holding news delivery back in other ways … I’m about ready to admit that the Web isn’t just another outlet for newspapers; it’s becoming better than print.”

Seth Grimes, an analytics strategist, commenting on The NewYorkTimes.com use of a new form of visualization to show relationships in a graphic that’s interactive.

“The Internet is the shortest, hardest wall against which your voice will echo back.”

Stephen Colbert. Enough said!