Ruby Pseudo Wants a Word

Social Media in Brazil

2012-02-10T12:00:00.000Z

There has been a rapid rise of social media usage in Latin America, across all age-groups. In Brazil, the social networking site 'Orkut', which reigned supreme for many years, was finally overtaken by Facebook in terms of volume of users. In fact, Facebook is now the dominant social networking site across the region, with approximately 100 million users across the continent, whilst Windows Live Profile is trailing behind with roughly 36 million users. However, the business-related social networking site 'LinkedIn' is making big movements in Latin America. In Brazil, LinkedIn grew by a whopping 428% in 2010, prompting LinkedIn to open an office in Brazil in September 2011. Brazil's development in recent years as a global economic power has introduced a more professional class of workers that are engaging more and more with online entities such as LinkedIn. Brazil is seen as one of the BRICcountries, [ Brazil, Russia, India, & China ], which was an acronym coinedin a Goldman Sachs report in 2003 that predicted that these four economieswould dominate the global economy by the year 2050.

Brazilian internet-users are also growing more and more attached to blogs. The Associacao Nacional de Jornais reported that the readership of blogs of Brazil's most popular journalists is larger than the circulation of the nation's top 10 newspapers. The most popular of these blogs include those by Marcelo Tas & Juca Kfouri.

With the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics both being staged in Brazil, and social media usage rapidly rising, it will be interesting to see how brands integrate social media strategy into their marketing plans in the near future.

Heineken Serenade

2012-02-09T13:22:00.006Z

Heineken's new 'Serenade' campaign encourages us to use their new Facebook app to pursue the lucky object of our affection just in time for Valentines day. Not quite Romeo and Juliet-style...

Log in via Facebook, answer a few simple questions and a personalized video is made and posted on your beau's wall. Just as an FYI they can then either accept your offer of a date or publicly par you by posting a reply on your wall for all to see.

And they say romance is dead huh?

Lynx Attract: For Him and For Her

2012-02-08T13:36:00.008Z

It was pointed out to me that the Ruby Wants A Word Blog was becoming fuelled by testosterone and could do with a female voice; I am going to get on it, I’ve decided. Speaking of gender and such...

Unilever is launching its first Lynx product for females ‘Lynx Attract: For Her.’

Tamika also did some research into what people think of the product:

Smelling like the slightly more feminine version of a spotty, self-conscious, 15-year-old boy who has just discovered the cheapest fragrance possible in a Superdrug aisle? Not really my cup of tea but thanks for offering. The new launch is a really brave move from a brand that has always been associated with masculinity. Playing on becoming irresistible to the opposite sex (whether male or female) via a £2.99 can of Lynx will always be a winner, even if it is only applicable in sweaty high-school common rooms.

Here are some more views on the matter below:

- Andrew, 23, [Male] East London: ‘LOOOOOL. We will all smell the same. It’s an awful idea, especially if they do ‘Africa’ for women. I can’t even begin to explain how that would smell on a woman. It just doesn’t make sense. Lynx has been a male brand for so long, I personally don’t think they will meet the requirement for the female market.’

- Affy, 18, [Female] Essex: ‘Oh yes. My boyfriend smells so good in Lynx excite. I’d definitely buy the ladies version for sure.’

- Jake, 22, [Male] Brighton: ‘Its fine as far as I'm concerned, its a bit strange seeing as they have branded it as such a manly thing before now. I guess it's a step forward for the company... Doesn't bother me in the slightest.’

- Elena, 23, [Female], Southampton: ‘Well, I don’t know if I’d buy it, as it’s always been associated with men. The again, some Lynx things do smell nice so depending on that I may give it a go. Maybe.’

NATIONAL SPORT WEEK + LONDON 2012 WORLD SPORT DAY

2012-02-08T11:23:00.007Z

The 25th June 2012 marks the start of National School Sport Week and World Sport Day backed by Lloyds TSB and the Youth Sport Trust. The event which schools can sign up to be part of, will encourage school children to host their own Olympic opening ceremony and sports day, as well as learn about the other cultures and countries involved in the Olympics. Find out more here.

Over nine hundred school children from London will be chosen over the coming weeks to sing in the actual Olympic opening ceremony.

JUMPOFF TV UK DEBATES

2012-02-08T10:48:00.003Z

Jumpoff TV is a hip-hop site that has recently started posting video debates, where a panel of industry "experts" and insiders discuss the hot topics of the day. Videos like the one below are interesting if you'd like to learn what the "urban" demographic think of the social media network twitter, which more and more young people are using everyday. Whilst on the Jumpoff the topics are mostly music related I'm looking forward to seeing other video discussions and debates online this year like the SBTV Battlefront DB8 at Westminster last year.

SOCIAL MEDIA EXPLAINED

2012-02-07T17:34:00.002Z

We're not sure where this is from. But it's spot on.

Diddy's Ciroc Superbowl Ads

2012-02-07T16:09:00.002Z

One man brand and marketing mogul, Sean Combes AKA P Diddy unleashed four new ads for the Ciroc vodka brand during the super bowl the other day. Check them out below:

Young, Unemployed & Willing To Work

2012-02-07T15:25:00.007Z

After looking back at an article from the Guardian supplement from November 2011 on youth unemployment, we reached out to some of the young people from our network to find out their thoughts. The majority of responses were negative, it would seem that for some young people, finding a job is harder than ever.

I'm not exactly sure what the government is doing to alleviate this situation, although David Miliband has just announced that he is backing a scheme to target 600 hotspots of youthe unemployment in the UK.

Tottenham Riots Citizens Enquiry

2012-02-07T13:48:00.003Z

A report produced by the Citizens Inquiry into the Tottenham Riots, will conclude that they were partly caused by high youth unemployment and poor community relations with local police.

The study which interviewed more than 700 people including 270 rioters has highlighted a number of factors in being instrumental in causing and spreading the disturbance:

-hostility toward police, especially over excessive stop and search

-high levels of youth unemployment

-criminal opportunism

At the time of the Tottenham riots there were 10,000 unemployed in the Haringey borough but just 367 vacancies. A shocking statistic, which reinforces the suggestion that unemployed, unengaged youth may be more likely to indulge in criminal activity.

Tottenham MP David Lammy is supporting efforts to reinvest in the area to curb unemployment and make relations between the community and the establishment stronger.

This week, there are several community events throughout the country where the riots will be discussed in greater detail. Find out more on The Guardian.

Social Media In Universitys

2012-02-07T10:04:00.004Z

The rise in the usage of social media has meant it's use has been considered for education to provide a richer and fuller experience however with this idea comes issues regarding privacy and safety especially at a primary and secondary schooling level. However with higher education, the story is different. When used as an educational tool, colleges and universities have found that social media enhances the learning experience by enabling students and teachers to connect and interact in new ways beyond the classroom. Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and other social sites promote collaboration and discussion, and students have embraced them as a means to ask questions and exchange ideas.

Universities have fully embraced social platforms to recruit athletes and vet students who have applied for admission. Whilst Social sites, especially Facebook, are also used for marketing and branding.

OnlineUniversities.com has done some research about the pros and cons of social media in higher education, and they summarized their results below. It examines which platforms work the best and the challenges schools face as they try to learn how to manage their social media presence. Check it out...

HERE [Zoom in to view]

FB in India

2012-02-06T12:54:00.003Z

India is now the second largest nation in terms of Facebook users, behind the United States.India recently leapfrogged Indonesia in the volume of users. According to Forbes, India has a total of 43,497,980 Facebook users compared to 43,060,360 in Indonesia, as of February 1 2012. There has been a staggering amount of growth in the past year; On January 1, 2011, India had a total of 16,915,900 Facebook users and the total exceeded by 144%, by the end of 2011.However, this growth may be stunted as censorship laws in India may prove to be difficult obstacles to overcome. The Delhi High Court has ordered Facebook, Google, Yahoo and other Internet companies to remove material considered offensive. This would pressurise sites such as Facebook to monitor the content on their sites a lot more.

Side Kick Studios - DoJunior Coding Work Shop

2012-02-06T12:07:00.003Z

This Thursday the clever people at Side Kick Studio's are running a workshop aimed at getting young people into the art of coding. Their aim is to inspire a new generation of people in to App building and wed-design and hopefully redress the current shortage of skilled coders.

As they put "Coding isn’t always taught at school, college or uni and meeting up with experts is a quick and fun way to learn. Meeting other programmers helps you find out about jobs and opportunities in the industry."

The session are Thursday nights 6 - 8.30pm Fortnightly, starting 9th February 2012. For more info click here

Linguistics 101 on Megan Fox Island

2012-02-06T11:52:00.002Z

To be multi-lingual in Brazil has never been so important. With the 2014 World Cup and The 2016 Olympics both being held in Brazil, there will be a major influx of tourists, and thus a significant number of jobs available for young Brazilians that can speak the English language. Oh, and being able to speak other languages can also get you girls. Attractive girls. The term 'sex sells' is rather prominent in the advertising world, and the lovely Megan Fox is depicted as the 'prize' for learning a new language as she has teamed up with Brazilian language school CCAA to promote their cause. There is also an extra motivation to learn a new language, if you don't, Mikey is coming for ya'.
Enjoy!

Red Bull Headquarters by Sid Lee Architecture

2012-02-02T15:48:00.002Z

The new European Red Bull headquarters, just north of Amsterdam has recently been completed. This video explaining the the design and architecture of the complex is a good look for the drinks brand.

Redbull New Headquarters / Sid Lee Architecture from ArchDaily on Vimeo.

The Full Monty Plan

2012-02-02T12:47:00.002Z

T- Mobile have come up with this Full Monty Plan, where for a fixed price [although ranging from £36 to £61] customers who sign up to this 2 year fixed rate will enjoy unlimited calls, unlimited texts and unlimited internet access.

The plan has been developed on the back of increased sales and demand for data-hungry smartphones. "Over the past two years we have seen a rise in mobile internet use of over 250%, which reflects the consumer trend of being 'always on' wherever they are. This sounds like alot of my friends and my little sisters if im honest who is constantly fixated on her iPhone.

Customers on the Full Monty will also be able to use their phone for tethering (using it as an internet connection for a laptop or tablet) at no extra cost. T-Mobile say the Full Monty plan has been designed for customers who want the peace of mind that there are absolutely no limits placed on their allowances, whilst also knowing they're getting market leading value for money.

This sounds like good news for young people who just want to be able to stay connected no matter what and for parents who are often footing the bill, as they know its going to be a fixed rate. Kudos T Mobile , i think k this is going to go down particulkarly well...

Google Science Fair

2012-02-02T11:52:00.002Z

Google have recently announced their second online science fair competition, an initiative that allows youngsters between the ages 0f 13 to 18 year old to submit their projects by 1 April, with a chance to win fantastic prizes.

In partnership with CERN, Lego, National Geographic and Scientific American, Google is providing a platform that allows youngsters to explore curiosity and display their scientific ingenuity.

Check out last years winners here.

If you're interested in entering check out the video below...

New Lynx Advert: Unleash The Chaos

2012-02-01T15:58:00.004Z

New advert from the deodorant brand Lynx, made by the creative agency BBH and the director Tom Kuntz, who's previously made ads for Cadbury & Old Spice.

This ad cleverly follows on from previous Lynx campaigns, where the fragrance is seen to have similar effects, causing those who catch a whiff to behave irrationally.

President Obama's Virtual Interview

2012-02-01T11:27:00.002Z

Last night the US President Barack Obama made history, by undertaking the first completely virtual interview hosted by YouTube & Google +.

Depending on what you think of his answers, this groundbreaking interview could earn Obama a few more supporters. Hopefully such interactions between politicians and the public could inspire other governments around the world to be more transparent and engaging.

NASA FACEBOOK GAME

2012-02-01T11:15:00.005Z

The American Space Agency NASA have just launched a Facebook quiz game. 'Space Race Blastoff' that allows social networkers to compete against their friends to find out who is the most clued up on facts about the cosmos.

NASA, have utilized social media before, inviting 150 of their twitter followers to a spacecraft launch event. This game is an excellent promotional tool, that will inform as well as entertain.

Have a go here.

Tropicana Sun

2012-01-26T16:23:00.003Z

Juice brand Tropicana, have installed a large fake sun in Trafalgar Square. The sculpture by 'urban artists' Greyworld provided Londonders with two hours of extra sunlight on January 23rd, apparently the most depressing day of the year. Bright idea.

Image courtesy of Dexter Navy.

Converse Rubber Tracks

2012-01-26T15:57:00.003Z

Promotional video from the Converse youtube channel. Rapper Black Spade passes through the Converse Rubber Track Studios. In a similar vein to the Red Bull Music Academy, the brand are facilitating the recording process of good music in order to produce high quality and culturally relevant content. Rather than pay a musician to write and record a song for the brand, Converse are allowing musicians to use their studio, in return the brand (hopefully) become associated with the cool musicians they endorse.

Youtube Education

2012-01-26T14:30:00.004Z

Remember that post about the iZone in New York, and the attempts to reform the nature of schooling to bring it up to date with today. Well I spotted this over on BNTL , youtube is an excellent tool in the class room as just a library archive, but when specially tailored for teaching it could take things to a whole new level. Have a watch ...

The F.C.U Via Galaxy Note

2012-01-23T15:50:00.003Z

Samsung stepped up the comedy factor in their ads. First there was ad where they went for the iPhones jugular and embellished on certain characteristics of iPhone consumers which definitely got my attention and made me chuckle. Now they've commissioned a series called the Fact Checkers Unit. Centered in a "trendy" magazine office around the exploits Dylan and his side kick Russel, who are charged with task of researching every and any type of obscure fact. Of course they are aided by their Galaxy Note mobiles but this still doesn't stop the pair get into some odd situations in the quest to check.

There's a whole lot more of this short shows/skits on the channel, and you can tell by the views that these things are pretty popular.

Goodbye Megaupload

2012-01-20T10:49:00.002Z

File sharing site Mega Upload has been shut down by federal prosecuters in Virgina, after accusations that the site is liable for more than $500 million worth of copyrighted material

Two of the companys co-founders were arrested in New Zealand, while others remain at large. In response to these prosecutions the hackers group Anonymous targeted a number of big websites including the FBI, Universal Music and the Motion Picture Association of America and others.

Many Americans are against the controversial SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) and PIPA (Protect Intelelctual Property Act), saying the acts will damage the web's architechture and restrict innovation. Yesterday Google managed to collect over 7 million signatures for a petition against SOPA & PIPA.

Although Megaupload has closed down what about the numerous other sites that do exactly the same thing? I doubt law enforcement agencies will be able to work at a speed that makes the web a place free from copyright infringement. My generation has grown up enjoying music and video content online for free it would take a great deal of change to shift this behavior.

Instagram

2012-01-18T15:34:00.004Z

The mobile photo-sharing app Instagram has turned into a social-media phenomenon, accumulating 400 million uploaded photos and 15 million users since its launch in October 2010, and brands are increasingly taking notice.

Early-adopter brands on Instagram -- which currently only runs on Apple devices -- include Starbucks, which joined in 2010 and now has 202,000 followers, Red Bull (95,000 followers) and Burberry (151,000 followers); media properties such as NPR and The New Yorker; and major events like the Oscars. Nike and President Barack Obama's re-election campaign just joined within the last month... and when the President of the USA jumps on you know its not a joke.

A common use of the platform is to show consumers what's happening behind the curtain at a company similar to the way twitter and tumblr can be used. A recent image posted to General Electric's account shows a technician working on an engine in an aviation facility in Peebles, Ohio, for example, and Tiffany & Co.'s account photos shows the inside of a jewelry workshop in the store's flagship Fifth Avenue location.

Brands are also using Instagram to run contests and source images. Levi's is currently running an open casting call for models by asking Instagram users to tag their photos with #IAmLevis for consideration, and in the case of General Electric, which has roughly 34,000 followers on Instagram. The intent is to showcase the company's impact in areas like energy and transportation by appealing to enthusiasts with photos of engines, turbines and locomotives, according to Linda Boff, executive director of global digital marketing. In addition to its regular account, the company just wrapped a campaign on the platform to find an "Instagrapher" who will be flown to Wales to photograph an aviation facility. Nearly 4,000 Instagram photos were submitted with the hashtag #GEInspiredMe and then posted on Facebook, where fans voted for the finalists.

Amy Cole [head of business operations at instagram] said brands that use Instagram are generally looking to forge a more personal connection with their customers. "Photos can be so emotional," she said. "It's a great way for users to really connect with a brand in a way that's different from text post

Instagram has nine employees in San Francisco, and like many early-stage social startups, hasn't publicly articulated its plans for revenue. It launched with $500,000 in seed funding and closed a $7 million funding round last February. While it doesn't officially partner with brands, the company are aware of roughly 200 brands and organizations (including celebrities such as Justin Bieber and nonprofits like Charity: Water) on the site.

It'll be interesting to see the changes that take place as thing platform for shared content grows and develops... there seems to be tremendous scope to involve a captive audience of consumers..