Category Archives: web and tech

news and events relating the web and tech development

don’t count email out yet

email will remain as a constant in web connectivityYesterday’s anticipated iPad intro was a major step towards a future imagined by Ben Parr over at Mashable, a world where we stay in touch by bypassing typing in favor of voice-to-text, where we’re surrounded by web connectivity via t.v., cars, and uncomputer like computers, where content evolves from text-driven to video-viewed and where social media becomes the driving force, not the passive voice.

Well. That’s quite a list, and will probably arrive sooner rather than later. In a disapointing Harris poll, two out of five adults no longer read a newspaper. Forty percent, if you’re keeping score. Worse, fewer than 25 percent of 18-34 year olds read a paper. And most readers say they won’t pay for online content.

According to Folio, magazines lost nearly $20 billion with a B in ad revenue last year. Yet despite dismal numbers for traditional mass media, teens and tweens are spending what many see as an unhealthy amount of hours online – by one study, over seven and a half daily spent surfing, gaming, texting and in general being connected.

How’s the mundane notion of email fit into the web world just around the corner? It’s not going away, it’ll just be interpreted differently. Professionally, you’ll still need an address that communicates authority. That’s the topic I tackled in my January newsletter. Read how to build a better trust score with an individualized account of your own.

google likes us – they really like us

google ranking's the goal for search engine optimizationTwo aspects of internet strategy have consistently made headlines in the year just passed: social media and search engine optimization.

We’ve been working hard in both areas and we’re pleased to see our efforts pay off with an earned number three page one ranking for the search term “powersports advertising” (minus the quotes). This is significant because neither “powersports” or “advertising” are part of the site URL.

What’s it mean? That anyone looking for powersports advertising help online will see us in the top five.  Meanwhile we’ve just rebuilt the site and are looking forward to adding new content and interactivity over the next few months. And we’re taking aim on the top spot.

the gorgeousness of dakar/argentina

down a dusty road - with rocks, boulders and bridge trollsThanks to Robin Hartfiel’s forward of powersports photog Joe Bonello’s link to some stunning images at the Getty collection of this year’s Dakar coverage posted at Boston.com’s sports section. Big thumbs up for their rally listing, as well as other magnificent sports photography under the Big Shots general heading. Big indeed. Check them out.

Photo info: Manuel Jamett of Chile rides his Yamaha motorcycle during the sixth stage of the 2nd South American edition of the Dakar Rally 2010 from Antofagasta to Iquique January 7, 2010. REUTERS/Jacky Naegelen (CHILE – Tags: SPORT MOTOR RACING)

volkswagen me a tune

Volkswagen Sweden’s gotten plenty of attention for their DDB created spot featuring a Stockholm subway, an escalator, and a giganourmous set of stairway piano keys ready to be trod upon.

This is just plain good stuff, showing – again – how much a role creativity plays in shaping and directing behavior. If you haven’t seen it yet, go ahead. Smile at your inner self. And thanks again to advertising for contributing to the best that’s in us.

brammo badging blows up with bogusky…ooopsy

unique styling and top notch engineering set Enertia apartStartup electric motorcycle manufacturer Brammo’s hit a bit of a rough patch as they roll out their instore marketing effort. The Ashland, OR bike builder set out to travel the road less traveled, yet the uproar over the latest wrinkle from the South Florida ad shop charged with making their market is not what’s needed in a struggling channel.

Background: Swoopy machine with state-of-the-art content; aluminum frame, lithium ion fuel, quirky – quirky? – naming strategy. Nicely interactive work-in-progress web site. Looks like a well constructed, well thought out machine that, if not ready for the masses, is certainly intriguing, albeit pricey, for some of us who already ride. So far, so good. Continue reading →

living in the truman show

ehsan maleki is a tehran photographer and bloggerI entered “iran election photos” to get a sense of how, in a little over two decades since the collapse of the Soviet Union, communication technology has changed the face of the world.

The first page of hits included Ehsan Maleki’s appropriately title Iran Election Photos, which led me to his wonderfully entertaining self-titled photo blog.

Just two weeks ago I posted new content that attempted to parse the world of emerging/social media in terms readers would find relevant in a tumultuous business climate. Nothing could better demonstrate the incredible gulf between old and new media than the events surrounding the Iranian elections – and the cellphone driven technology (twitter) that’s responsible. Continue reading →

j-school diary: day one, hour one, lesson one

the third rail of headline writingYesterday’s fleeting Yahoo! “most popular” roundup alerted readers to the newest fetish sweeping the country: muggers in need of relief by band instrument. Takeaway: if you can deal with the swelling, the intensity is supposedly worth the humiliation.

This is People’s Exhibit “A”, the dreaded headline faux pas el supremo taught in every college of journalism as the prime example of the unintended consequences of an unintended double entendre, caught in authentic screen shot mode as distributed by AP. We mostly don’t make this stuff up – but are thankful when it happens right in front of us.

PS – NPR’s rewrite: “High School Band Member Thwarts Muggers”

it’s in the bag – right?

from crumpler (uk) this stylish accessory stands outWe don’t think of ourselves as being in the bag biz, and Lord knows in this industry there’s no shortage of backpacks with which to haul your remote office to the middle of the desert and back.

On the other hand, sometimes you’ll find yourself in a public venue that doesn’t particularly value the Explorer scout image of a pedestrian hiking a trade show’s endless aisles in search of stuff to haul home and one more badge in the process to appreciate the role style plays as we all engage in individual brand management. Put another way, dork equals dork in every language.

Crumpler’s a British outfit with a really nifty line of accessory sacks and packs of all colors and sizes. Stylishly ergonomic, the multiple lines are just the thing for breaking from the pack and finding a better solution at the same time. And we can say without fear of contradiction, they’ve got one of the more intriguing Flash driven sites – heavy on the overkill maybe, but a definite step up and great to explore if you’ve got a day or two to kill.

chrome bags has a distinctive line of purpose-built backpacksCloser to home, and a bit more edgy, is the spec-design line of hard core messenger bags from San Fran’s Chrome Bags shop out West. Form follows function as you’ll discover – built for urban messengers and quickly finding a new following amidst folk who don’t dodge inner city taxis for a living, Chrome delivers edge and purpose at the same time.

Their smart site is a primo example of dual content commercial/social integration, great for trekking around in to see what else is going on in the universe.

physician, heal thyself

Ad Age reports today that automotive site edmunds.com has embarked on a self-styled industry PSA to kick start the moribund car market.

The quasi-campaign, which dots the car buying site’s hundreds of thousands of pages with banners pushing consumers to buy now, right now, is internally valued at $10-mil plus.

Why? According to Edmunds own ceo, it’s time to “give back,” with car sales the worst since 1992 and predicted to slump even lower.

Could the same concept work for the powersports channel? Could powersports media run their own version of in-house creative designed to motivate consumers? Worth a try is all we’re saying.

obama marketer of the year

To paraphrase, marketing makes strange bedfellows. The Assoc. of National Advertisers named presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama Marketer of the Year at their annual meeting in Orlando, FL two weeks ago.

Though not unanimous, Obama’s 36-percent of the votes cast by the 750 CMOs in attendance eclipsed runner-up Apple’s 27-percent. Nike, shoe retailer Zappos and Coors were also in the mix, while the McCain campaign managed a 4.5-percent showing. (One thing’s for sure: after this election you’d better have a grasp of e-mail knowledge and computer literacy.

Continue reading →