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There are dozens of viral videos on the web right now spawning a growing list of “cewebrities.” The team at Cakke have put together a video that runs through all of them in about 4 minutes. Consider it a viral video primer:
- Chad Richards
MoveOn.org launched a new campaign today against Facebook. The advocacy group is concerned that Facebook’s new advertising system, Beacon, violates users’ privacy.
Via Beacon, members’ friends are notified of purchases they’ve made and items they’ve auctioned on partner sites across the Web.
MoveOn claims the program violates users privacy by requiring them to “opt out” instead of “opting in” and is buying ads, organizing a “protest group” and circulating an online petition to pressure Facebook to change its methods.
Several other groups have also expressed concern over Facebook’s tactics. The Center for Digital Democracy has asked the Federal Trade Commission to step up scrutiny of what they call the “increasingly invasive marketing practices” of Facebook.
To view MoveOn.org’s petition, click here.
- Chad Richards
Received some questions over the last few weeks on Twitter. Although I signed up early - I've not been a power user. My friend Tim who uses it a lot (and has it feed into his Facebook profile as well) says this:
Q: In as few words as you can, Tim, what is Twitter?
A: One to many messaging
Q: How do you use it?
A. Keeping up to on activities and whereabouts of friends, coworkers, and lovers.
Q: What do you like best about it?
A. Feeling connected to people. SMS (nice for international people)
While this technology has won some awards, I'm not convinced its useful for me. While I love keeping up with Tim, I am over communicated. Email accounts, instant messaging, mobile phone messages and calls, and other social networking messages - leave me with the distinct impression that I don't need several updates a day on what a friend in India is doing. So it seems like a cool proof of concept - but what is the real business model or application? It's like very basic blogging - with no subjective meandering - maybe like existential snapshots in 140 characters or less. It does seem that there is an application for this. More to come on this as we continue to evaluate Twitter.
- Duncan Alney
A few weeks ago I said goodbye to Safari and have been surfing the Web with Flock - "the social web browser." The browser, heavily based on Mozilla Firefox, features total integration with Facebook, Flickr and YouTube. What this means is that it has a sidebar that lets you keep tab on your Facebook account without even having to go to the Facebook website and a horizontal media bar that lets you browse (and even upload to) your favorite Flickr or YouTube streams. Flock also contains blogging capabilities and an RSS reader that lets you organize your feeds into folders. The browser will also automatically save your "favorite" sites to del.icio.us. Sometimes it can all a bit distracting (and I was disappointed with its lack of Myspace integration), but for someone to develop a social browser is not so surprising when you consider the heavy social emphasis on the Internet these days.
- Chad Richards
I can’t tell you how many times this has happened: I check out a company online, and then I visit their office – and I’m amazed at the disconnect. Hmmm all those models and the cool office – where are they? Oh wait – you used stock photos (read royalty free disk that everyone else has access to) and so there is a total disconnect between reality and brand image. How does that play into the sales process? When I’m buying – it’s a huge issue. This tells me that the brand isn’t honest. Harsh? Yeah for sure. But you know – if I can’t rely on people I work with and pay for their services to be honest – I’m in trouble.
So before you think you’ve got an idea that nobody else had – remember this. When you’re thinking about extending your brand’s values – at least be honest with the stock photography. Preferably, hire a good local photographer to capture your company’s people doing what they do. That’s authenticity. What kind of mileage can you get? Think of it this way – the credibility that you establish with a visitor to your site will be validated when they visit you in person. Plus it’s an unique extension of what makes your brand unique to begin with. That is invaluable and makes for good branding. Remember authenticity doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg.
This subject of authenticity gets me fired up – so expect more from me on this. We’re not here to be cool. We’re here to tell you about things that we experience and can talk knowledgeably about. Experience-based expertise.
- Duncan Alney
I’ve been getting a lot of questions lately about Google’s standards or guidelines regarding web sites. Interestingly enough, Google will not hesitate to ban sites for non-compliance. BMW’s German site (bmw.de) was temporarily banned for keyword stuffing and other infractions earlier this year.
Here's the list of Google guidelines:
1) Avoid hidden text or hidden links.
2) Don't use cloaking or sneaky redirects.
3) Don't send automated queries to Google.
4) Don't load pages with irrelevant keywords.
5) Don't create multiple pages, subdomains, or domains with substantially duplicate content.
6) Don't create pages that install viruses, trojans, or other badware.
7) Avoid "doorway" pages created just for search engines, or other "cookie cutter" approaches such as affiliate programs with little or no original content.
8) If your site participates in an affiliate program, make sure that your site adds value. Provide unique and relevant content that gives users a reason to visit your site first.
- Duncan Alney
When it comes to search engine marketing, it is still amazing how many firms, including some global corporations, don’t have good content. At then end of the day, content is still king. When visitors find your site, they are looking for solid information that is germane to your business. Messaging is important, especially in an age when traditional media is being used to drive traffic towards the web.
In addition, installing decent analytics on your site and reviewing them on a monthly basis (at least) will help decide what content is proving to be popular (and useful) and what keywords are being used in organic search to find your site.
- Duncan Alney
When I first watched the preview for Beowulf I remember saying, “What exactly is going on here?” I couldn’t decide if the movie was computer animated or if the makeup was just really intense. They sure had me fooled.
Of course I now know the movie uses cutting edge technology to capture the faces, body language and emotions of real actors through digital effects. While I can appreciate the great progress Beowulf is making in this genre, I’m not convinced this is something I can get into. As a former actress I tend to believe nothing can compete with or capture the rawness or realness of live humans. Some people may fear that “digital actors” will one day replace real ones, but I’m pretty confident that this type of film will appeal to a small niche market- who will love it, live it, breathe it, and eventually deem it a cult classic- but will never captivate the masses.
The movie, which stars (the likeness of) Angelina Jolie, Anthony Hopkins and John Malkovich, opens tomorrow.
-Margaret Henney
This morning I (like millions of other Facebook users that use iLike and have indicated they are fans of U2) received a message from Had Partovi, co-founder of iLike. FYI- iLike is one of the killer applications on the Facebook platform.
The message indicated that U2 had posted an amazing video clip on iLike , which turned out to be a video clip with a personal message from Bono. In it he is singing and talking through “Wave of Sorrow,” a previously unreleased track from The Joshua Tree album. Apparently Bono has just laid down vocal tracks and the song will be released in the re-mastered deluxe 20-year anniversary edition of The Joshua Tree album.
As if this wasn’t enough, Hadi’s brother recorded the video clip on his camera phone. Keep in mind that U2 has nearly 1.3 million fans on Facebook and the numbers indicate that Facebook users actually use their accounts quite frequently (unlike the over-hyped Second Life). Most online apps don’t give me warm fuzzies, but this one does.
The Joshua Tree is one of my favorite albums. It could perhaps be called the soundtrack of my freshman year in college. I didn’t know it had been re-mastered and I’ve never really felt a personal connection, but this combination of camera phone, heartfelt message, and Facebook distribution definitely feels authentic to me.
Watch the video of Bono singing "Wave of Sorrow"
- Duncan Alney
When I want to find a product or service, I go online and type in some key words that best describe what I’m looking for. I usually check out the options in the search result and either find what I want or I’ll modify my search by using different keywords. This is typical behavior for people looking for anything from a restaurant to a high-end million- dollar machine. We don’t live in a world that is sales driven. Instead, it’s the Internet-based user driven marketing paradigm.
Here’s the question: Do you know what keywords people are using to look for your company’s website?
If you don’t your website will not show up when people search for companies in your space. So your competitor will get the business because they know what keywords people use to search for them. All you have to do is figure out what keywords people are using.
If you are using keywords, install a web analytics package so that you can verify that the key words you’re using correlate with ones that people are actually using in their searches.
Moral: intelligent use of keywords can help people find your website and increase your business.
-Duncan Alney
America’s Next Top Model is “going green” as well. How is Tyra contributing to the cause? The Top Model bus is run on 100% bio diesel fuel. Impressive. But Tyra may want to take this “natural” theme one step further and lose that synthetic weave.
- Margaret Henney
Ever since An Inconvenient Truth took America by storm, it seems the concept of “going green” has seeped into every part of our culture. Politics, work, education, you name it. But the entertainment industry has undoubtedly been the driving force that has taken this phenomenon to a whole new level, making going green…well…fashionable. Like wearing the latest trend or being able to quote all the lines from the newest Will Ferrell movie, you ain’t cool unless you’re green.
For example, last night I was watching the newest episode of Scrubs and the entire show was centered around environmentally-friendly habits. Actors Zach Braff and Donald Faison even made a PSA-ish announcement during the commercial break encouraging viewers to use energy efficient light bulbs and walk or ride their bikes to work.
The episode was part of NBC’s Green Week, during which NBC has been airing an entire week of “green-themed programming aimed at entertaining, informing and empowering Americans to lead greener lives.” Green Week is helping to kick off an even bigger project: NBC Universal’s “Green is Universal” campaign. The campaign’s website includes a blog, tips on going green and a place for people to share their “green” stories. Check it out at:
http://www.greenisuniversal.com/
Bravo Hollywood. Way to use your powers for good. Now if only they would bring back Captain Planet…
- Margaret Henney
Yesterday, a broad alliance of leading tech and wireless companies came together to announce development of Android, the first truly open and comprehensive platform for mobile devices. And check it out – its not a list to be taken lightly: Google Inc., T-Mobile, HTC, Qualcomm, Motorola, and a host of others are collaborating on the development of this device. The group is known as the Open Handset Alliance and their common goal is to bring innovation to mobile devices and improve the overall user experience. Their hope is to provide developers a new level of openness that will enable collaborative work. Our opinion is that people are sick of clunky Treos and Blackberries – the success of the iPhone validates that.
Can you believe that there are nearly 3 billion mobile device users worldwide? It’s the most personal and commonly found communications device today. Hopefully, the result will be better new products delivered at a faster rate and at a lower cost. And the benefits of Android will extend beyond customers to developers and manufacturers as well.
What does that mean for us in digital marketing? My thoughts today:
• Developers will access to handset capabilities and tool that will enable them to build more compelling and user friendly services – bringing the internet developer model to the mobile space.
• People all over the world will be able to have more meaningful mobile experiences, better internet applications (read: the end of Microsoft world domination), and easier-to-use interfaces.
• It will mean we will have the opportunity to be more creative and compelling with the way we communicate with people, and more importantly how they communicate with us.
-Duncan Alney
I’ve recently been reading about several major magazines (Country Living, Esquire, House Beautiful, O: The Oprah Magazine, Redbook, and Smart Money) that have partnered with Netflix and Philips for a cross-promotional campaign. Here’s how it works:
• The magazines run ads in the form of red envelopes (like the ones from Netflix)
• The ads then direct readers to special websites
• Each of these special web sites list 10 movies chosen by editors from each magazine and include 10 trailers provided by NetFlix
• The players embedded on the sites demonstrate the look of the Ambilight screen on the Phillips TV set (which casts a glow on the wall behind the TV that complements the color on the screen)
• Netflix users can add movies they want to watch to their lists – known as queues
• AND Phillips will pay for a 2-week trial of NetFlix for people who aren’t already members of the program
I can draw a couple of conclusions from this campaign. Firstly– it seems clear that offline marketing is now being used to support online marketing. Secondly – it’s being used across multiple platforms. Interesting stuff…
-Duncan Alney
She has her own television show. She has her own magazine. Now Oprah has her own YouTube channel. I'd post her video greeting here, but "embedding has been disabled by request." You can still check it out at:
On her show tomorrow she will have YouTube founders Chad Hurley and Steve Chen on as guests, in addition to the people behind some of the most popular videos on the Web.
-Chad Richards
In case you haven't already heard, Hollywood writers have staged their first walkout in nearly 20 years. Why? Because the WGA and TV/film producers failed to come to an agreement over royalties for programs distributed over the Internet. As of now, writers do not receive extra compensation when ad-supported programming is streamed online for free.
Late night talk shows are expected to be the worst hit because they have no one to write skits and comedy monologues. Re-runs are expected to air throughout the week. This has got Amy Winehouse fans up in arms as she is to make her SNL debut this Saturday.
John Stewart, on the other hand, is not letting the strike put the brakes on his Daily Show or Colbert Report, which he produces, by paying his writing team out of his own pocket for the next two weeks. I always knew I liked that guy.
-Chad Richards
On October 23, the New York Times reported that the United States Postal Service will revamp its image with the new campaign slogan “Today’s Mail.”
While I applaud the Postal Service’s efforts in attempting to reinvent itself, I’m not sure the new branding will be enough. After all, its primary service is something that has become commonly known as “snail mail.” But what many people may not realize (myself included before reading the NY Times article) is that they have greatly diversified and updated their services to include customized postage stamps, automated postal centers and “eco-friendly” packaging to name a few.
Call me old fashioned, but I can’t help but find regular, old mail sending and receiving to be the most attractive thing about the U.S. Postal Service. Alas, it seems the days of “snail mail” are all but over (which is too bad as I find nothing more romantic than a hand-written letter). Personally I wish they could have found a way to create a slogan that incorporated the nostalgic tradition of letter and card writing, with an updated twist.
An ad featuring old friends writing silly notes back and forth, or grandmothers sending corny birthday cards or lovers creating passionate love letters would certainly prompt me to pick up a pen and dig out my best stationary. In fact, I think I will….
-Margaret Henney
Paste magazine is following in the footsteps of the English band, Radiohead, with a “pay as much as you want” approach for a one year subscription. I love this magazine and usually pay the cover price whenever I see it at my favorite record store, Luna Records. But with this new development, I see myself being a regular reader hooked on the great music, films, and culture.
So basically Paste is buying my business at $20 a year for the next 20 years. That’s like paying $20 for $400 of business, not including price increases. So what’s in it for them?
• Buzz!!
• Increasing its readership
• Increasing ad revenue from increased readership
• Mo’ money, more readers, everybody happy!
If you’re interested in signing up, visit www.pastemagazine.com.
-Duncan Alney
Many of you may know that the English rock band, Radiohead, recently released its latest album, In Rainbows. The album, which will not get an official standard CD release until early 2008, is available exclusively through the band’s website- an emerging trend in the music world.
But here’s the kicker-fans can download the CD from the web at (get this) whatever price they feel like paying! You can actually enter zero and get the album for free – although I’ve heard about people going back and paying $6 -10 to assuage their guilt.
According to reports that I’ve seen referenced (but not read myself), the album was downloaded illegally 500,000 times in the first week. Hmm, not surprising really. BUT, this is where it gets interesting – another site reported 1.2 million legal online downloads.
So why are people stealing stuff that is already FREE?
Perhaps its because people are more familiar with the site that they use to illegally download music from on a daily basis. I didn’t know there was a separate site for downloading the album myself. It’s the power of human desire – if someone wants it badly enough, they’ll find a way to get it free.
So, what’s in it for Radiohead?
• More money – all the revenues, not $1 an album.
• Buzz!- much more than they’ve had in recent years
• Using a new channel to distribute
• Innovative trailblazers- you’d think the record labels would get the idea – iTunes, now this!
-Duncan Alney
The Firebelly Marketing crew is focused on sparking conversations online. We are a collective of thinkers, designers, and technologists. Our work is witty, emotional, and deeply aware of pop culture. But most of all it’s authentic – that’s where the excitement and the ability to compel comes from. 
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