Rob Gonda - Marketing, Technology, Innovation

The dumbest way to fight showrooming: Charge customers $5 just for browsing

Rob Gonda — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 22:45:28 +0000

While some bricks-and-mortar chains are trying to curb showrooming — using a retailer to check out an item in person before buying it online — with price-matching or store-exclusive brands, one business has come up with a possible solution… charging a $5 fee for shopping without buying. According to the person who posted the above [...]

Hot Topics

Rob Gonda — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 06:41:01 +0000

Strategy: Strategic Innovation / Experience Innovation Databases: PG + Redis Neo4J Front End: Yeoman Backbone + PhantomJS SEO Jekyll Octopress Performance: Varnish Design: Anti-Responsive Design

Viral Video Friday: GoDaddy Superbowl Ad – Bar Refaeli’s Big Kiss!

Rob Gonda — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 17:54:15 +0000

Official GoDaddy.com Commercial just went live, featuring Smart meets Sexy with Bar Refaeli kissing some nerd dude. The video will go viral, but it’s such as lame advert … GoDaddy is giving their ad agency way too much power …

Viral Video Friday: Google – Real World as Irritating as the Internet

Rob Gonda — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 18:14:52 +0000

Google Analytics has put together a series of videos demonstrating what poor Web design can do to an online commerce site – situations we’d never put up in real life. Produced by Google’s in-house video agency in the UK, all the spots have the absurdity of a Monty Python skit. It seems weird for Google [...]

10 emerging technology companies to watch in 2013

Rob Gonda — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 17:26:31 +0000

Lux Research has put together a group of cutting-edge emerging technology companies to watch in 2013, mostly energy tech. 1). Beta Renewables: A $350 million joint venture between Gruppo Mossi & Ghisolfi and TPG, Italian company Beta Renewables is scaling up a commercial cellulosic ethanol factory, which it began operating in the fourth quarter of 2012 in [...]

3D printing vending machine automates the invention process

Rob Gonda — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 18:08:19 +0000

The popularity of 3D printing has exploded, but even as prices for the devices have fallen, not everyone is prepared or able to shell out the cash necessary start experimenting. But what if there was a 3D vending machine that made experimenting quick and easy, without the printer investment? Well, now there is. Created at Virginia Tech’s [...]

Startup, Technology, and Innovation in South Florida

Rob Gonda — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 17:10:43 +0000

There is a growing startup community and ecosystem in South Florida. Developers, entrepreneurs, investors, incubators are all present, trying to get organized and kickstart the local innovation culture. There’s also the added benefit of the tropical lifestyle and international culture that defines South Florida. Below are some resources to get you started and get you [...]

7 startup trends for 2013

Rob Gonda — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 16:47:15 +0000

Lately I’ve been following heavily the start-up community, getting involved in the Miami startup movement, advising and mentoring – but ultimately, it’s a lean/mean innovation machine, indicator of future experiences, and there are great opportunities to marry the start-up and agency world :: innovation + story telling + brands. Here’s a shortlist of trends to [...]

Turkish Airlines: Kobe Bryant And Leo Messi Compete For A Little Boy’s Attention

Rob Gonda — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 17:52:50 +0000

Today’s ad of the day features two greats from the sports world: Lakers player Kobe Bryant and Barcelona soccer star Lionel Messi. The Turkish Airline spot shows Bryant and Messi trying their hardest to win the attention of a little boy looking for an autograph. For those who know me, I’ve been a Barça fan [...]

Archiving Amazon S3 Data to Amazon Glacier

Rob Gonda — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 16:30:07 +0000

AWS provides you with a number of data storage options. I’ve been using S3 with Arq for persona backups, and with AWS CLI tools all my servers. I have a rotation policy to keep 7 days, then a weekly backup for 4 weeks, and a monthly backup for 3 months … all working perfectly, but [...]