CGM Voodoo

Change is Inevitable

2009-07-01T11:04:00.001-07:00

You've reached one of MindComet's legacy blogs. We're no longer posting here, but we're definitely still blogging. Visit http://blogs.mindcomet.com to find our current blogs and you can follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/mindcomet.

We've Moved!

2008-02-04T13:22:00.000-08:00

Just a quick note - we have consolidated our blogs, and CGM Voodoo will not be updated in the near future. However, feel free to visit our other active blogs for engaging content. CGM topics will continue to be covered on Viral Voodoo, Gen Y Voodoo, and Online Marketing Voodoo as well as our marketing podcast, Internet Marketing Voodoo.

Host of Your Own Domain

2007-04-17T12:10:00.000-07:00

MySpace.com doesn't understand the term slow down. The latest article from Broadcasting and Cable, reported that the site has a new initiative that will launch soon.

The new service allows users to "host" streams of shows on their home page. This seems like a selfless act by marketers to increase consumer control over media, but it's so much more. It's a one-site stop for marketers to reach a target demographic because MySpace had 64.4 million unique visitors as of February; this is the stuff marketers' dreams are made of.

Media companies are the most likely candidates to team with social networking sites because the nature of the business lends itself to mass marketing, but companies need to stay ahead of the curve and determine creative ways to use social networking sites to their advantage because the connection with users is already in place.

A Secret Worth Knowing About CGM

2007-04-12T11:46:00.000-07:00

It's not a social network per say, yet most social networks have allowed it to be part of them. Photobucket, which is a site that allows users to search, upload and share pictures and videos, is a relative unknown in the social networking world, unless one perused the likes of MySpace or Facebook.

These sites allow users to link photos stored in Photobucket and place them on user pages. The secret to Photobucket's current success of 38 million members is linking, according to a Fortune article. Linking shelters the site from fads because if one social network falls the photos are still stored on Photobucket, and users can just place them on a different social network.

This brilliant business model has allowed the site a niche foothold in the consumer-generated media realm. Instead of competing with mega-sites like Facebook, Photobucket adds value by allowing more freedom to the user. Companies' sites need to find a way, like Photobucket did, to ward off threats of changing consumer preferences.

Seeing Success from Failure

2007-04-12T08:19:00.000-07:00

Facebook.com, which is the No. 2 social networking site, has recently seen a huge increase in the number of users since its stumble in September, according to an article from Reuters.

A comScore report confirms that Facebook.com now has 24.8 million visitors worldwide-- that's 75 percent growth since September. The key to this success isn't something built upon a complex marketing strategy, it's simply learning from the mistakes and moving forward. The site solicited feedback from its users on different features and has implemented that feedback to add and take away features as necessary.

Too often corporate policy ties rewards and promotions to performance; therefore, leaving little room for error. In reality, it is failure that teaches a company the most because knowing what doesn't work will lead to what does. Instead of treating failure as an aberrant event, try using failure as a motivating tactic for employees.

Consumers For Hire

2007-04-03T08:28:00.000-07:00

The newest thing with online media is actually hiring consumers to do the work for advertisers, according to AdAge.

XLNTads is initiating this concept allowing marketers to post concepts and consumers to choose which ones they want to produce. Marketers will save a substantial amount of money with this operation and it will provide a more personalized viewpoint in the ads.

Consumers are already utilizing this media on a consistent basis, so why shouldn't corporations use them? Consumers can easily identify what would appeal to them in online media and will sufficiently target appropriate markets by having this knowledge.

Online Video to the Rescue

2007-04-03T06:59:00.000-07:00

Among consumers aged 12 and older, 44 percent use online video media. That's approximately 100 million people viewing online digital videos. And one in four Americans has downloaded a digital video file.

The 2006 biannual digital video study by Ipsos Insight from Motion realized that the primary reason for that number not being higher was due to consumers unwillingness to pay for streaming videos. This presents a valuable opportunity for marketers as they may sponsor these short films and move onto full feature films to subsidize the cost. Marketers may utilize this media by coordinating their name with the sought out video and or include product placements within the sponsored films.

This is such a grand possibility to grow brand awareness and establish the companies online identity that it would be unreasonable not to pursue this avenue. The demand for this media is expanding at an amplified rate.

Measuring the Effectiveness of CGM

2007-03-30T08:08:00.000-07:00

When researching an advertisers biggest problem you will find that measurement tools are at the top of the list. BuzzLogic is helping to relieve some of this frustration. By implementing the four metrics below a company can determine the influential players in social media:

Site's contextual relevance to a topic area specified by the client

Frequency of content publication on the topic

Number of inbound links

Traffic

By using these tools , marketers can successfully target their ads and media toward the proper audience, leading to greater promotion. Consumer generated media executed successfully will identify and market to a firm's consumers in a more efficient manner.

A Milestone for CGM

2007-03-29T10:54:00.000-07:00

March 25th was the day the world changed, at least the online world as it pertains to consumer-generated media, according to a MarketingVox article. YouTube hosted its first video awards and the turn out was a great success! One winner had 13 million consumers trafficking their video.

Online video sharing is something that is accessible to consumers and businesses, so lets wed the two. Marketers can place ads alongside the videos, sponsor the videos and add their own online videos to YouTube.

Demand for this medium is high and marketers need to respond quickly. Advertising content targeted at different segments can easily be applied and should. Some marketers fear openness of content as they think it could compromise the brand's identity, but really what a corporation is doing is building a relationship with its target markets by way of social media.

Retail Dresses up Online Videos

2007-03-22T11:39:00.000-07:00

Online video is taking over! With all the studies on consumer generated media, retail outlets finally realized the impact they can have on consumers by utilizing this medium. Stores like Kohl's are using this medium to target its consumers by allowing its viewers to click on ads to find out product information, like its price and whether or not it is available, according to a MarketingVox article.

These videos are dubbed by Video Hyperlink, a program from Microsoft and its adCenter Lab development group. It is the first program from this group and offers numerous videos by both businesses and consumers. This service is similar to YouTube as it offers news and other consumer generated content, but it should provide great results for marketers as this is the new way of addressing the market. Retailers need to harness this new technology to continue adding value for the consumer.

Corporate Dominance leads to Angry Users of CGM

2007-03-22T11:33:00.000-07:00

There may be a trend forming, when a corporation (with its conservative policy) aquires a start-up the start-up usually has to conform to its new owner. Recently, News Corp. has begun to regulate its social networking site MySpace more, according to a MarketingVox article.

MySpace was designed to provide a community for users to share information whether by way of blogs or music videos; it was meant to provide open communication. Many users have begun throwing around the First Amendment like it was a hacky sack.

Users must realize that there is a balancing act between protecting the company from copyright infringement, which can happen all to readily on a user generated site and allowing users the ability to express themselves freely. As technology becomes more advanced users need to understand the benefits and drawbacks. Let the corporations do what they need to because in the long run it's better for users as a whole.

It's a Man's World (At least Online)

2007-03-22T11:28:00.000-07:00

If marketers are desperately searching for males, they should focus their attention online. Of the study MediaPost conducted, 41 percent consumed online media. That sample also found that men aged 18-34 represent over two-thirds of adults who view YouTube and other user-generated content daily.

That is a lot of consumer generated media being used by this group and marketers need to take notice. Even retailers are targeting consumers with user generated content. It is a fail-safe resource that must be executed to maintain a strong market presence among this group.

Lawsuits may Lead to Policing CGM

2007-03-22T07:46:00.000-07:00

Ethics. A term that, for some, works on a sliding scale. Robert Tur is upset because someone took his video and published it on YouTube, which he found unethical.

Tur is pressing charges saying "that You Tube is encouraging users to violate copyright law," when in fact it is a service that complies with all Digital Millennium Copyright Act provisions. This law offers protection to web service providers, which limits their liability when a user infringes on copyrights.

YouTube has user-generated content in the form of online videos and trusts users to make the best judgment concerning copyright laws. Taking that trust away and pre-screening videos for content is a descent from the original mission of YouTube, which is "empowering people to become the broadcasters of tomorrow. " There is a delicate balance that must be kept, but as the pendulum swings toward censorship and more lawsuits arise, social networking may be forced to change its practices indefinitely.

Building Loyalty Through Relationships

2007-03-12T07:01:00.000-07:00

Building affinities with consumers is key to maintaining a long-lasting relationship and Enclave Affinitive has developed the components to establish that contingency. The site provides a community where consumers can research and educate themselves on everything from advertisements to products, and give their feedback. The site also allows consumers to develop their own content, using videos, reviews, banners and icons.

By providing such a range of self expression, viral marketing takes off. Users can invite others to this site, which creates buzz around the site's abilities. Enthused users will remain loyal and build their trust with one another and the various brands discussed.

The benefit of sites like Enclave to other businesses is all the consumer-generated media it provides. Consumers share their likes and dislikes while providing an abundance of information on themselves. Businesses can then use this information to better target these groups through modified products and advertising.

A Sporty New Social Netowrking Site

2007-03-07T08:40:00.000-08:00

With the popularity of social networking sites like MySpace increasing, many new competitors have entered the market trying to achieve the same success. However, as many have found, it is not easy to generate a following. MySportvideos.com, which is the first online social networking site dedicated to sports, knew this when it decided to create a site for an untapped market.

This unique site allows children from ages 8-18 to track and share their sport videos and stats with friends, family, team members, coaches and fans. The site can be a great resource for professional and college recruiters looking for their next major player. And marketers can see which sports are popular and which are not.

The site dedicates a different category for each sport and plans on having a sponsor for each group. According to an article from emediawire the sports site just signed a 2-year contract with MLB great Tom Glavine of the NYMets, who will head the baseball category.

This site is definitely a refreshing idea and it opens up the social networking industry to many new avenues. Just another example of how creativity leads to connectivity with consumers.

USA Today Joins the Social Networking Craze

2007-03-06T11:26:00.000-08:00

Although the creation of social networking sites brought about many new services for consumers, it created an enormous challenge for current information services. Consumers found it was much more entertaining to view news through message boards, blogs and friends rather than having to look at newspapers outdated Web sites.

This consumer revelation is why USA Today has just relaunched its site with all the fun and attention-grabbing aspects that social networking sites offer. According to Media Post, the new site has added blogs, videos, content sharing and recommendation tools. To create the new social network feel for the site, USA Today recruited the proprietary social media services of Pluck Corp.

The Austin, Texas based company manages the new site's blogs, photo-sharing, reader comments and forums. Jeff Webber, the site's senior vice president, feels that with the services of Pluck the new site will be able to help create a community around the news and will enable readers to become engaged and informed. There is no doubt that this change will benefit USA Today. It's listening to what consumers want and delivering its content in a new and entertaining way, which will hopefully increase circulation.

Presidential Candidates and YouTube

2007-03-05T07:36:00.000-08:00

With the 2008 election fast approaching, candidates are trying to find ways to reach constituents, especially the enormous amount of influential young voters.

In an unexpected move, candidates have decided to use social networking services to promote their campaign, a new and unfamiliar medium for most of them. According to a recent Media Post article, YouTube has launched a new online hub showcasing 2008 presidential runners, and bringing together each candidate's individual video channels.

However, the hub is much different than the standard videos YouTube usually features. Every candidate has veto power over what appears on his or her channel, eliminating the chance of any embarrassing or incriminating recordings being revealed. Because of this, the channels mostly feature professionally produced videos or televised speeches. Michah Sifry, executive editor of Personal Democracy Forum, noted that candidates still don't understand the concept of video online and "treat it like television on a smaller screen."

Unless candidates are willing to let their guard down and display a sense of informality on theses channels, they might as well not even have them. The reason social networking users prefer this medium is to avoid the formality and that the usual campaigning methods enforce. If users wanted to view the videos candidates pre-approved they could do so by watching television.

Although candidates use of YouTube may be a step in the right direction, they still have a long way to go before they will truly understand how to reach this new demographic.

Social Network Garners Reputation for Advertising

2007-03-05T06:49:00.000-08:00

Although television and print are the usual advertising media that companies use to spread the word about their product or services, many companies have turned to less recognizable but more innovative methods to deliver their message. According to an article from Media Post, Anheuser-Busch is one taking this route, opting to promote its "Here's to Beer" campaign on the new social networking site MingleNow.com.

Although partnering with a new start-up site is risky, the youth of MingleNow will actually provide a benefit for A-B. Since the partnership began at the start of the site's development, A-B's campaign can be completely integrated into the social networking service. A-B will be the only brand to appear directly on the site. The idea behind this exclusive campaign will be to ask visitors to post pictures of friends toasting with beer bottles or mugs.

NBA Partners With Social Networking Site

2007-02-27T12:17:00.000-08:00

With millions of people visiting YouTube daily it is not surprising that the National Basketball Association would want to partner with the social networking site, according to a techshout article.

To create another advertising platform for the organization, the NBA has decided to work with YouTube and create a branded channel on the video-sharing portal. The new marketing tool will provide fans with highlights of past NBA games and behind the scenes footage. In addition the channel will allow users to upload videos of their own skills to the site. Every week the uploaded videos will be judged by NBA experts, and the winners will be featured in "NBA Top 10 on YouTube."

This is yet another example of marketing shifting its focus from telling to showing. This new interactive tool is the future of marketing and companies, sports related or not, need to understand that allowing users to partake in the experience solidifies the promotion in the vast expanse that is the consumer's mind.

There's a new kid on the social networking block

2007-02-26T07:47:00.000-08:00

It is obvious that consumers are enamored with the ability to create and post personally created videos on the web for everyone in cyberspace to see. However, just when consumers thought sites like YouTube and MySpace where the newest form of user generated media, a new, unpredictable option was unveiled.

In an article from mediapost,a new site called Stickham has taken the idea of social networking and morphed it into something not even the CGM giants imagined. The site is based on allowing users to connect with others through webcams. Users post profiles and go online to chat with anyone from anywhere with the added benefits of being able to see them.

The site also provides users access to live video feeds of celebrities, musicians, and many other popular personalities. On a recent live chat with comedian Jamie Kennedy an astounding 10,000 members watched. This interest shows consumers approval of the site's new services. However, there are some pitfalls to the added fun and freedom provided by this site.

The site's webcam component makes the job of filtering out obscene or indecent behavior rather difficult. Even though Stickham bans offensive material, with live feeds, it is impossible to enforce. With more freedom comes more danger. Users will have to decide if they are willing to deal with the possibility of viewing obscene content. Either way, it seems that the options this site offers definitely have the potential to surpass the success of sites like MySpace and Youtube. This site may be the beginning of social networking evolution with consumers reaping the benefits of improved communications.

YouTube: no longer sole soucre for CG video

2007-02-19T10:42:00.000-08:00

The popularity of YouTube has continued to grow with millions of Internet viewers visiting the site daily. Although several other video sites have tried to compete with this well-liked giant the sites enormous consumer appeal has yet to be matched.

To date, no other company has had the originality, or experience required to go head to head with this untouchable enterprise. However, last September, Microsoft decided to start the process of making a Web site that would attempt to squash YouTube, according to a MarketingVox article. Its new video-upload site named MSN Soapbox, has finally arrived for all of the public to see.

Recently the site went live and the test to see if this site can stand against its rival begins. Like YouTube the site allows users to upload, tag, and categories videos to the website; however, it has another advantages that makes it standout.

Unique to MSN Soapbox is the capability to watch and browse videos simultaneously on the same screen. This is an enormous competitive advantage for the new site. This small addition will allow users to utilize their time and prevent them from becoming bored between video searches and leaving the site. It also allows Microsoft to put pressure on YouTube.

Microsoft saw an opportunity for improvement and exploited it, other companies should do the same. Shortly, you may hear about Microsoft being the new consumer-generated site to compete against.

New Restrictions on CGM

2007-02-05T08:39:00.000-08:00

Many individuals frequent the popular video sharing site, YouTube, to view outrageous and funny video clips that are posted from all around the world. Although this practice is what the site is known for, users can also download any television shows. Until recently YouTube users had access to television episodes from networks like MTV, BET, Nickelodeon and other Viacom properties.

However, according to an article from MarketingVox, negotiations recently broke down between YouTube, Google, and Viacom, and the site is being forced to remove more than 100,000 clips. In the past, this popular content represented more than 1.2 billion video streams on YouTube.

Viacom's dissatisfaction with the site stems from the fact that Youtube and Google retain all the revenue from using the material yet they have failed to provide compensation to the people who actually worked on creating the shows. Viacom also claims YouTube failed to provide promised filtering tools that would let Viacom and others know when copyright-infringing videos were being uploaded.

This evolution of CGM was bound to stir up ethical and legal questions. It's important for all parties involved to know the laws and adjust their practices online accordingly. For now, with this impending restriction the users lose more than the powerful corporations.

Clinton Posts Ads on Blogs

2007-01-29T09:36:00.001-08:00

With the 2008 election not to far in the future many candidates have begun their campaigning. In what some might call an innovative move, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, purchased ad space on several conservative and liberal blogs. Surprisingly the ads provoked criticisms from both sides, however for different reasons. Many right-wing bloggers felt Clinton needed to accept their stance and leave them alone. In fact there was so much distaste with Clinton's ads that her campaign decided to pull them from the right-wing blogs. The campaign was even willing to continue paying for the ad space just to get them removed. Clinton also felt disapproval from some of the left-wing bloggers. Several criticized her campaigns decision to advertise on the opposing party's blog because she was failing to assist her true supporters. Some felt she should have made a broader buy and included small businesses that count and could have used her assistance. Eric Porres, co-founder of online political advertising firm Pericles Consulting, says whether the blogs were positively or negatively received really doesn't matter. He believes the exposure from the incident outweighs the created commotion. I guess we will find out how truly helpful Clinton's tactics were during the upcoming election.

Source.

Consumer Created Ad to Play During the Super Bowl

2007-01-29T08:42:00.000-08:00

Although many individuals have become accustomed to placing their homemade movies on popular sites like YouTube to display their talent, they are now going to actually have a chance for an even larger audience to view their ideas. Frito-Lay is holding a contest for the best homemade Doritos commercial. Currently there are five remaining finalist and the winner will have their ad run during the Super Bowl. Not only will 90 million viewers watch this ad, but Frito-Lay will also be paying $2.6 million for it to run during this Sunday's game. This is a large risk for Fritos-Lays to take when all of their competitors have spent millions to perfect their much-anticipated Super Bowl ads. However, maybe it's not such a bad idea. Some of the finalist's commercials only cost a mere $150 to make. It's quite a savings for a very original commercial. I wonder how many more companies will continue this new idea at next years Super Bowl.

Source.

Chevy Uses User Generated Content Again: This Time for Super Bowl

2007-01-26T16:06:00.000-08:00

This Super Bowl, Chevy will feature ads based on winning students' entries from a the "Chevy Super Bowl College Ad Challenge." Video clips are posted on the Web along viewers may vote on as well as brief descriptions featured on the promotion's blog.