iSponsor Stream

iSponsor Stream http://blog.interactivesponsor.com Creative Interactive Sponsorship Solutions posterous.com isponsorhttp://feedburner.google.com Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:27:00 -0700 What About The Competition? http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/isponsor/~3/8MT41tTx38E/what-about-the-competition-investor-business http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/what-about-the-competition-investor-business <p> <p><img src="http://www.interactivesponsor.com/images/4sqtimessq.gif" alt="" /></p> <p>I apologize in advance if the headline was misleading and you are here thinking you’ll win some sort of a prize. But if you stick around, I assure you that you might come away a winner anyway.</p> <p>It is a sure bet that one of the 10 slides in every business plan presentation to investors is about ‘the competition.’ And more often not, it is assumed the investors would not want to place their money in jeopardy if there is a ton of existing competition; or worse, if your great idea is sure to attract future competitors who will surely be bigger than you and wipe you out.</p> <p>One way to tackle this concern would be to point out that the market is too big and getting bigger, competition is expected, healthy, and in fact would serve to validate your business model as a winning entry.</p> <p>As <a href="http://www.adotas.com/2010/08/foursquare-soars-thanks-to-facebook-places/">Adotas</a> points out, “How come every new technology that comes out has to be a ‘killer’? When Google’s NexusOne was launched, the headlines read, ‘iPhone Killer?’ Eight months later, that doesn’t seem to be the case as the iPhone 4 boasts terrific sales and Google has given up on ol’ Nexus.”</p> <p>Case in point: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/places/">Facebook Places</a> and <a href="http://foursquare.com/">Foursquare</a>. Facebook, with its 500 million users, was going to ‘kill’ Foursquare, or so said the social media ‘experts.’ Instead, Facebook further validated the legitimacy of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Location-based_service">location-based</a> apps. Most astonishing: The day after Facebook launched Places, Foursquare said it received the <a>largest number of one-day sign-ups ever</a>. Just a couple of days ago, Foursquare <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2010/08/29/foursquare-now-3-million-strong/&rdquo;">surpassed</a> the three million user mark. Thanks in large part to ‘the new kid on the block,’ the competition.</p> <p>The lesson here is to not be afraid of competition, but to embrace it. It is inevitable you will encounter some, especially if you have a winner of an idea. Competition may not be a bad thing, especially if you are ready for it, and find a way to not compete against but expand with it.</p> </p> <p><a href="http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/what-about-the-competition-investor-business">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/what-about-the-competition-investor-business#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?a=8MT41tTx38E:CuaSX0qOYYI:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?a=8MT41tTx38E:CuaSX0qOYYI:ANkz6nJbUoM"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?d=ANkz6nJbUoM" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/isponsor/~4/8MT41tTx38E" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/105894/is-logo-metin.jpg http://posterous.com/people/4aGi0gFt4g9z Metin iSponsor Metin http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/what-about-the-competition-investor-business Fri, 27 Aug 2010 14:47:00 -0700 Brands, True Audience Engagement and Interactivity http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/isponsor/~3/DNHSGxprk9U/brands-true-audience-engagement-and-interacti http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/brands-true-audience-engagement-and-interacti <p> <p><img src="http://www.interactivesponsor.com/images/hangingoutwithfriends.gif" border="0" height="592" alt="" width="500" /></p> <p>Some smart brands are already thinking ahead; they are engaging heavily with their younger demographic (considering the youth's obsession with social media), while realizing their younger demographic will grow up soon and head up some of the industries these same brands will interact with one day. But who said social media is just a playground for the young and immature? A new <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/204313/reach_older_users_on_facebook_and_twitter.html">Pew study</a> shows that over the past year the sharpest increase in social networking has been among the over-50 population.</p> <p>Obviously social media is <a href="http://popsop.com/38015">not a fad</a>. And if you can't beat it, you join it. This is the attitude of most brands/businesses who are now shuffling to 'get into' social media. Surely, just having a Twitter account or a Facebook Page alone is not going to cut it. They along with others who have yet to 'jump in' are reevaluating their strategy. Some are actually very intimidated, or have no time, or other excuses given their passive-aggressive behavior.</p> <p>The so-called social media 'experts' are not helping either. Their all or nothing attitude of 'interactivity' at the expense of strictly online campaign/engagement is not really working. Interactive marketing and true audience engagement (or relationship development) need to be treated by healthy doses and the right mix of online and on-site offerings concurrently.</p> <p>And in order to re-introduce these 'helpless' brands to social media, branding and/or sponsorship agents should offer trial runs (with the proper mix of online and onsite events) and present relevant post-trial results, while laying out the the need for an ongoing <a href="http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/social-media-strategy-the-real-one">strategy</a> for them. Just telling them what to do is not enough; you have to do it for them! Any comments?</p> </p> <p><a href="http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/brands-true-audience-engagement-and-interacti">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/brands-true-audience-engagement-and-interacti#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?a=DNHSGxprk9U:tmOw6Bi9fz4:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?a=DNHSGxprk9U:tmOw6Bi9fz4:ANkz6nJbUoM"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?d=ANkz6nJbUoM" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/isponsor/~4/DNHSGxprk9U" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/105894/is-logo-metin.jpg http://posterous.com/people/4aGi0gFt4g9z Metin iSponsor Metin http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/brands-true-audience-engagement-and-interacti Sun, 22 Aug 2010 03:50:00 -0700 Some Brands Don't Care! http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/isponsor/~3/kVtsz5wxaFA/some-brands-dont-care http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/some-brands-dont-care <p> <p><img src="http://images.nymag.com/news/features/2007/airports071112_opener_560a.jpg" border="0" alt="" width="500" /></p> <p>The most valuable brands are usually the most popular and liked. They know who they are, and we know why they are. Successful brands know they must forge an emotional connection with their customers. They don't just give us what we need, they also give us what we want. Even company troubles don't always doom strong brands. Just look at Toyota and their constant push for your love and eliminating the backlash from the recall incident. But as one industry regarded as a necessary evil, the airline market continues to amaze us with their constant need for survival at our expense and without regard to what we want.</p> <p>Some airline brands are worse than others. Take this <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/08/18/new.airline.fees/index.html">news</a> about American Airlines rolling out fees for 'choice' coach seats. Or fees for pre boarding. And fees for anything that lessens the annoyance factor of being locked up in the air for several hours with hundreds of strangers. Any airline that offers us any relief is considered the least of all evil, not necessarily the best of its class that a brand would be proud of. I guess they get away with it because we don't have a choice or say in the matter. And they just don't care!</p> <p>Next time you hear the announcement 'we're so happy you chose to fly with us given all the choices out there,' maybe it's time to remind them that the choice was out of necessity, and one born out of economics, not due to the love of their 'brand.'</p> </p> <p><a href="http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/some-brands-dont-care">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/some-brands-dont-care#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?a=kVtsz5wxaFA:ja6E5WLyXBI:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?a=kVtsz5wxaFA:ja6E5WLyXBI:ANkz6nJbUoM"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?d=ANkz6nJbUoM" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/isponsor/~4/kVtsz5wxaFA" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/105894/is-logo-metin.jpg http://posterous.com/people/4aGi0gFt4g9z Metin iSponsor Metin http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/some-brands-dont-care Wed, 21 Jul 2010 13:12:00 -0700 The Truth About QR Codes and Augmented Reality and Interactivity http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/isponsor/~3/dpyXk7y93rM/the-truth-about-qr-codes-and-augmented-realit http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/the-truth-about-qr-codes-and-augmented-realit <p> <div class="posterous_bookmarklet_entry"> <object data="http://www.youtube.com/v/dhCE72ztacY&hl=en_US&fs=1?rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="300" width="500"> <param name="data" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/dhCE72ztacY&hl=en_US&fs=1?rel=0" /> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /> <param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/dhCE72ztacY&hl=en_US&fs=1?rel=0" /> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /> </object> <div class="posterous_quote_citation">via <a href="http://www.siliconprairienews.com/2010/07/pongr-s-zach-cox-talks-about-mobile-tech-expanding-iowa-team">siliconprairienews.com</a> </div> <p>QR codes, the ability to transmit information, content, video, landing page, etc., based on an image of a black and white square, has been getting a ton of press lately. Just take a look at this <a href="http://mashable.com/2010/07/20/qr-codes-mainstream/">Mashable Mobile</a> headline, 'Why QR Codes Are Poised to Hit the Mainstream;' in fact, it has. Check out this <a href="http://blogs.forbes.com/marketshare/2010/07/14/calvin-klein-jeans-billboards-qr-codes-mobile-lauren-indvik/">Forbes</a> article on how "Calvin Klein Jeans Replaces Racy Billboards with QR Codes." Yet I wouldn't be lying if I told you how many times I get puzzled looks from traditional ad agencies when I bring up interactivity and engagement utilizing QR codes.</p> <p>It turns out 'interactivity' is what they may have an unfamiliarity with. According to Zach Cox of mobile tech company <a href="http://pongr.com/">Pongr</a> (twitter: <a href="http://twitter.com/PongrMedia">@PongrMedia</a>), "the creative people in the ad industry don't like QR codes because it messes with the nice artwork in the ad." Say what?</p> <p>Anyway, with Pongr (and other alternative providers who are active or in development), the information is associated with the image itself, not with a 2-D barcode, so there is no need for a special code to slap on the image. Besides, having to download QR readers and their non-standardization are drawbacks of the QR codes currently. Great alternative!</p> <p>Bottom line: People love taking pictures, of things they find visually appealing. Driving traffic through this consumer behavior is where the interactivity comes in to play for brands and sponsors. Linking effective social media campaigns and Augmented Reality are here to stay. Let's see how we can relay all that into creative sponsorship activations.</p> <p> </p> </div> </p> <p><a href="http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/the-truth-about-qr-codes-and-augmented-realit">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/the-truth-about-qr-codes-and-augmented-realit#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?a=dpyXk7y93rM:glv0DcemNBY:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?a=dpyXk7y93rM:glv0DcemNBY:ANkz6nJbUoM"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?d=ANkz6nJbUoM" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/isponsor/~4/dpyXk7y93rM" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/105894/is-logo-metin.jpg http://posterous.com/people/4aGi0gFt4g9z Metin iSponsor Metin http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/the-truth-about-qr-codes-and-augmented-realit Wed, 14 Jul 2010 10:36:00 -0700 Is It Interactive If It Is Ineffective? http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/isponsor/~3/qgRnOOL-n40/new-blog-post-is-it-interactive-if-it-is-inef http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/new-blog-post-is-it-interactive-if-it-is-inef <p> <div class="posterous_bookmarklet_entry"> <p><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4142/4793433424_0df90edd1f.jpg" border="0" height="374" alt="" width="500" /></p> <p>The color of the (Los Angeles) Angels (of Anaheim) is red. Hollywood is also synonymous with the red carpet. So it was fitting that the <a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100713&content_id=12233818">red carpet</a> was rolled out to welcome MLB All-Star Game to Anaheim and Angel Stadium.</p> <p>Also on the red carpet were the major sponsors, some of them usual suspects, and some others just suspect. In fact, there was even a Sponsor Zone setup for fan interaction, games, prizes, and giveaways.</p> <p>It was also good to see that Chevrolet, as well as some of the others, have gone digital. They were using touchscreen tablets to gather information from their prospective audience. In exchange for providing your name, address, phone, and email, along with answers to a few more questions, you were given a free Program for the game, selling next door and several other souvenir stands throughout the stadium for $15. So far so good?</p> <p>The problem herein was the verification process, or its lack thereof. I am not sure what Chevrolet intends on doing with all the fake information it collected, but I am sure the post office will have some undeliverable junk mail in its hands for quite some time, that's for sure. Interactivity gone sour?</p> <p>I overheard so many people boasting how they were able to pick up additional copies for their friends and family just by providing fake information. In fact, some of them were telling others how to do the same, all within an earshot of any Chevy sponsor rep who should've been there, instead of the 'third-party brand ambassadors' wearing Chevy jerseys who were too proud to admit anything for their own good. Do ROI and verification go together anyone?</p> <p><em><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/isponsor/sets/72157624492652462/">Click here</a> if you want to see other pictures from the Sponsor Zone and Angels Stadium at the 2010 All-Star Game fan interaction.</em></p> </div> </p> <p><a href="http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/new-blog-post-is-it-interactive-if-it-is-inef">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/new-blog-post-is-it-interactive-if-it-is-inef#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?a=qgRnOOL-n40:QIb4JZA14MY:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?a=qgRnOOL-n40:QIb4JZA14MY:ANkz6nJbUoM"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?d=ANkz6nJbUoM" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/isponsor/~4/qgRnOOL-n40" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/105894/is-logo-metin.jpg http://posterous.com/people/4aGi0gFt4g9z Metin iSponsor Metin http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/new-blog-post-is-it-interactive-if-it-is-inef Wed, 14 Jul 2010 08:39:39 -0700 Blog Hiatus Reversed http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/isponsor/~3/MHTfhuYMEe0/blog-hiatus-reversed http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/blog-hiatus-reversed <p> <div class="posterous_bookmarklet_entry"> <p><img src="http://www.ymailau.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/busy.jpg" border="0" height="430" width="404" /></p> <p>Usually blogs announce they'll be on a leave of absence before they go on hiatus; yet some others don't even let you know they're temporarily offline, and who knows for how long.</p> <p>In a reverse of tradition, I decided to announce iSponsor blog is back and online. I am sure it was missed by the few subscribers whom I am indebted to. Now that I've learned to juggle several things at once, my goal for the upcoming second half of 2010 is to improve the blog and its content, while improving the interactivity, as well as the 'follower' count, those who'll be proud to say they approve.</p> <p>Thanks for your continued patronage.</p> <p></p></div> </p> <p><a href="http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/blog-hiatus-reversed">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/blog-hiatus-reversed#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?a=MHTfhuYMEe0:_Vyt_U73mvc:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?a=MHTfhuYMEe0:_Vyt_U73mvc:ANkz6nJbUoM"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?d=ANkz6nJbUoM" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/isponsor/~4/MHTfhuYMEe0" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/105894/is-logo-metin.jpg http://posterous.com/people/4aGi0gFt4g9z Metin iSponsor Metin http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/blog-hiatus-reversed Sun, 18 Apr 2010 09:05:04 -0700 Never Lose Sight of the Big Picture #Interactive #Sponsorship http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/isponsor/~3/1uMwCTgTrVM/never-lose-sight-of-the-big-picture-interacti http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/never-lose-sight-of-the-big-picture-interacti <p> <div class="posterous_bookmarklet_entry"> <a href='http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/isponsor/ihaqkJmEyIImpwufycoDpDbglmtxDJlBrrBwDrrJJHGyJijjdJspbrEdgzEI/media_httpwwwinteract_HFElc.jpg.scaled1000.jpg'><img src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/isponsor/ihaqkJmEyIImpwufycoDpDbglmtxDJlBrrBwDrrJJHGyJijjdJspbrEdgzEI/media_httpwwwinteract_HFElc.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="500" height="327"/></a> <div class="posterous_quote_citation">via <a href="http://www.interactivesponsor.com/images/isponsor-interactive-bigpicture.jpg">interactivesponsor.com</a></div> <p></p></div> </p> <p><a href="http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/never-lose-sight-of-the-big-picture-interacti">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/never-lose-sight-of-the-big-picture-interacti#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?a=1uMwCTgTrVM:F-VgM2Z4ews:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?a=1uMwCTgTrVM:F-VgM2Z4ews:ANkz6nJbUoM"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?d=ANkz6nJbUoM" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/isponsor/~4/1uMwCTgTrVM" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/105894/is-logo-metin.jpg http://posterous.com/people/4aGi0gFt4g9z Metin iSponsor Metin http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/never-lose-sight-of-the-big-picture-interacti Fri, 16 Apr 2010 06:01:00 -0700 Onsite and Online Sponsorship Distribution Model and Interactivity http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/isponsor/~3/Mp4xouRYPCU/onsite-and-online-sponsorship-distribution-mo http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/onsite-and-online-sponsorship-distribution-mo <p> <p><img src="http://www.interactivesponsor.com/images/isponsor-social-media-roi.jpg" alt="" /></p> <p>I believe in the importance of integrating onsite event marketing with online offerings when it comes to sponsorship activation and the best possible return on sponsor's investment.</p> <p>Online social media tools are great to recruit the audience and create the buzz for the event as well as their engagement with the sponsor and its products. Social media is very critical in what happens during and post-event as this article in <a href="http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/in-depth-analysis/features/one-off-events-reach-out-to-an-online-audience/3012224.article">Marketing Week</a> also points out.</p> <blockquote class="posterous_medium_quote">"Social media is the ultimate tool in recruiting an audience and driving fame for experiential activity before an event and maintaining impact and value after it." <em>Greg James, Experiential Agency Cake</em> </blockquote> <p>Recently, Coke experimented with a <a href="http://atlanta.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2010/04/12/daily9.html">new distribution model</a> at the NCAA Final Four that enabled the rest of the world to see what everyone in Indianapolis was enjoying. Everyone involved including the artist had to give their blessing, and then there were the navigating around the rights issues. But in the end, "this was truly as integrated as you can get for a sponsor, property and event, and the worldwide exposure for it was phenomenal," said Vince Thompson of Coke's agency partner MELT.</p> <p>Social by definition is of or relating to human society. As such, marketers don't have to choose between online and traditional advertising. Remember it's not 'traditional' marketing that's the problem; it's 'traditional' thinking. Coexistence of online and onsite strategies is critical to cross promoting the sponsor's message and maximizing the effectiveness of both efforts. That's true interactivity!</p> </p> <p><a href="http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/onsite-and-online-sponsorship-distribution-mo">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/onsite-and-online-sponsorship-distribution-mo#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?a=Mp4xouRYPCU:IuK8eFPU5A0:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?a=Mp4xouRYPCU:IuK8eFPU5A0:ANkz6nJbUoM"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?d=ANkz6nJbUoM" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/isponsor/~4/Mp4xouRYPCU" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/105894/is-logo-metin.jpg http://posterous.com/people/4aGi0gFt4g9z Metin iSponsor Metin http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/onsite-and-online-sponsorship-distribution-mo Wed, 17 Mar 2010 22:00:00 -0700 Contests, Giveaways, Social Media, and Sponsorship http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/isponsor/~3/X1FuVjzakNU/contests-giveaways-social-media-and-sponsorsh http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/contests-giveaways-social-media-and-sponsorsh <p> <p><a href='http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/isponsor/zqmIErAFadokvqhotCHwhjGIEFeEIGeBksytvJcqduksxJdmDDtqrgHyAimc/media_httpmediaonsuga_IIeew.jpg.scaled1000.jpg'><img src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/isponsor/zqmIErAFadokvqhotCHwhjGIEFeEIGeBksytvJcqduksxJdmDDtqrgHyAimc/media_httpmediaonsuga_IIeew.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="500" height="273"/></a> </p> <p>via <a href="http://www.geeksugar.com/Win-White-BlackBerry-Bold-9000-From-GeekSugar-Twitter-7684744">geeksugar.com</a></p> <p>It's all about contests and giveaways. 'You need to give some to get some' has been a mantra for ages. But now in the social media age, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and other social sites make it easier for consumers/contestants to brag about entering contests, receiving giveaways, and spreading the marketing message further and faster. In a related article, <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704688604575125753339035336.html">The Wall Street Journal</a>'s Joseph De Avila writes, "Giveaways are [also] an inexpensive way for companies to stretch their marketing dollars during the recession."</p> <p>WSJ should know, since it's currently in a battle for the New York market with The New York Times. The NYT campaign (see interactive microsite: <a href="http://www.nytaudience.com/">nytaudience</a>) is centered around, you guessed it, coffee <a href="http://www.mediabuyerplanner.com/entry/49625/ny-times-battles-wsj-with-trade-campaign-coffee-giveaways/">giveaways</a>.</p> <p>For its 10th anniversary, <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-13577_3-20000289-36.html">JetBlue</a> launched an ambitious <a href="http://blog.hellojetblue.com/blog/index.php/2010/03/10/free-tickets-to-be-handed-out-in-nyc-today/">campaign</a> to give away free tickets by telling Twitter users where to show up. That's engagement and interactive.</p> <p>So don't just give away any old thing. Make sure the giveaway itself is 'beneficial' to your audience as well, besides being just a catalyst to attract them to your product/brand. Dual purpose is the key to success.</p> </p> <p><a href="http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/contests-giveaways-social-media-and-sponsorsh">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/contests-giveaways-social-media-and-sponsorsh#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?a=X1FuVjzakNU:AT-vt4kEYZ8:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?a=X1FuVjzakNU:AT-vt4kEYZ8:ANkz6nJbUoM"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?d=ANkz6nJbUoM" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/isponsor/~4/X1FuVjzakNU" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/105894/is-logo-metin.jpg http://posterous.com/people/4aGi0gFt4g9z Metin iSponsor Metin http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/contests-giveaways-social-media-and-sponsorsh Mon, 08 Mar 2010 00:03:00 -0800 I'd Like To Thank The Academy... http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/isponsor/~3/SalOxdfnV6I/id-like-to-thank-the-academy-oscars-fb http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/id-like-to-thank-the-academy-oscars-fb <p> <p><img src="http://www.interactivesponsor.com/images/avatarstiller.gif" border="0" height="434" alt="" width="500" /></p> <p><a href="http://www.toastmasters.org/MainMenuCategories/FreeResources/NeedHelpGivingaSpeech/SpecialOccasions/AcceptinganAward.aspx">Toastmasters</a> posted tips for accepting an Academy Award, but did the 'winners' follow suit? Saying the wrong thing could send you to the hurt locker (pun intended - sorry Avatar), but I didn't think Jeff Bridges' overuse of the word 'man' in his acceptance speech qualified.</p> <p>Just in case, I had prepared my own thank you speech. And as someone I know once said they were "the only one nominated, and still didn't win," I take solace in the fact that at least I wasn't nominated. I knew in advance I didn't qualify for any of the awards handed out, but still had the foresight to keep that folded paper in my jacket pocket; like I said, just in case. Even if I'm unrelated <em>(Six degrees of... Oscar? See <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/movieawards/oscars/2010-02-28-oscar-connections_N.htm">interactive</a> tangled web of nominees)</em>. Who knows, maybe a 'write-in' candidate will one day win over all the pre-announced nominees, and that will be the evening's <a href="http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/03/07/apple_posts_surprise_ad_for_ipad_during_the_oscars.html">real biggest surprise</a>.</p> </p> <p><a href="http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/id-like-to-thank-the-academy-oscars-fb">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/id-like-to-thank-the-academy-oscars-fb#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?a=SalOxdfnV6I:DxZEV_i6FK8:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?a=SalOxdfnV6I:DxZEV_i6FK8:ANkz6nJbUoM"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?d=ANkz6nJbUoM" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/isponsor/~4/SalOxdfnV6I" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/105894/is-logo-metin.jpg http://posterous.com/people/4aGi0gFt4g9z Metin iSponsor Metin http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/id-like-to-thank-the-academy-oscars-fb Tue, 23 Feb 2010 09:22:00 -0800 Crowdsourcing Mecca, Los Angeles? http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/isponsor/~3/aBK1C-ydvUg/crowdsourcing-mecca-los-angeles-branding-devo http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/crowdsourcing-mecca-los-angeles-branding-devo <p> <p> <object height="417" width="500"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/X2AdDPYlVDs&hl=en&fs=1" /> <param name="wmode" value="window" /> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/X2AdDPYlVDs&hl=en&fs=1" wmode="window" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="417" width="500"></embed> </param></param></param></param></object> </p> <p>I came across <a href="http://www.fastcompany.com/1559088/brand-it-brand-it-good-devo-crowdsources-their-new-look">this article on FastCompany</a> about re-Branding, Crowdsourcing, and Devo (The '80s Akron, Ohio art band of the flower pot hats). Most important was the revelation in the YouTube video that Devo's ad agency will use focus groups to help the band determine every decision it makes going forward, including even the vocals, style, and instrumentation on any given song.</p> <p>According to Mother, the NYC ad agency who have 'supposedly' opened an LA office just to represent Devo <em>(Supposedly?)</em>, "The office is very small and experimental in nature, a collaborative experiment ... We're testing a new model, a soup-to-nuts virtual office environment, where people share ideas and unite digitally. <strong>Los Angeles seemed to be the perfect location to do this; not only is it hard city to commute in, and where both the band and Warner Bros are located, it is also a town where it's sometimes hard to tell what's real and what's fake, what's fact and what's fiction</strong>. And this is part of the project."</p> <p>A dose of Los Angeles reality? Yup! Without trying to sound too 'devolved,' I do agree that Los Angeles is the mecca of <a href="http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/blog-post-do-you-practice-crowdsourcing">crowdsourcing</a>. Besides, where else can you find a 'cast' of thousands?</p> <p>Let that be a lesson for those East Coast agencies who should use us as their 'virtual' partner in Los Angeles and Orange County. You don't really need to have an 'office' presence to have a presence. All you need is an audience, albeit one who listens.</p> </p> <p><a href="http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/crowdsourcing-mecca-los-angeles-branding-devo">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/crowdsourcing-mecca-los-angeles-branding-devo#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?a=aBK1C-ydvUg:Usva0xJU84c:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?a=aBK1C-ydvUg:Usva0xJU84c:ANkz6nJbUoM"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?d=ANkz6nJbUoM" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/isponsor/~4/aBK1C-ydvUg" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/105894/is-logo-metin.jpg http://posterous.com/people/4aGi0gFt4g9z Metin iSponsor Metin http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/crowdsourcing-mecca-los-angeles-branding-devo Thu, 18 Feb 2010 08:49:00 -0800 Wrist Bracelets at the Airports http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/isponsor/~3/Dns1GqE48g8/wrist-bracelets-at-the-airports-blog-post-tsa http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/wrist-bracelets-at-the-airports-blog-post-tsa <p> <p><a href='http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/isponsor/GBlIdqpnriBmHFBvCbvvsbpctztoGEEdBubmHgGbnjfFqdpfHmJobJdeAtBA/media_httpwwwwebdonut_EnDmI.jpg.scaled1000.jpg'><img src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/isponsor/GBlIdqpnriBmHFBvCbvvsbpctztoGEEdBubmHgGbnjfFqdpfHmJobJdeAtBA/media_httpwwwwebdonut_EnDmI.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="500" height="419"/></a> </p> <p>I've been around plenty of events to assure the general populace that wrist bracelets do work. Imagine trying to get into the backstage area if you're wearing a dull yellow one instead of the cool purple. You'll have so much security tackling you so fast even if you happen to be an A-lister. And try ripping one of those off. Can't be done. Once you've been branded, it's impossible to transfer it to your twin sister.</p> <p>So it comes as no surprise that health care providers are using it, complete with <a href="http://www.thenewstribune.com/topstories/story/1060474.html">embedded barcodes</a> to offer better service to patients. Which brings me to why TSA does not think about using them for security clearances? Once you've been <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/item.aspx?type=blog&ak=79379.blog">stripped, swabbed, and poked at,</a> you'll have one of those stapled on your wrist, all covered in codes to confuse any hacker. It sure would beat airline-issue gowns we might be required to only wear while being processed at an airport.</p> <p>And it would also not require evacuating the entire airport whenever someone at the TSA falls asleep. Besides, it might even get sponsored by the airlines. They could even embed the flight number, your seat assignment, whether or not you get peanuts, and even charge your credit card if you dare ask to converse with a flight attendant more than twice on most flights. Heck, why not make it interactive, and throw in a unique code that consumers can use to visit your microsite and register for prizes, while you're collecting their data and frequent flier habits.</p> <p>I am sure one day this will all come to fruition, and I'll be able to say 'Why didn't I think of that!</p> </p> <p><a href="http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/wrist-bracelets-at-the-airports-blog-post-tsa">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/wrist-bracelets-at-the-airports-blog-post-tsa#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?a=Dns1GqE48g8:UJk1FsDktUo:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?a=Dns1GqE48g8:UJk1FsDktUo:ANkz6nJbUoM"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?d=ANkz6nJbUoM" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/isponsor/~4/Dns1GqE48g8" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/105894/is-logo-metin.jpg http://posterous.com/people/4aGi0gFt4g9z Metin iSponsor Metin http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/wrist-bracelets-at-the-airports-blog-post-tsa Mon, 15 Feb 2010 14:46:00 -0800 I'm a Mayor and a Friend: Define Me http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/isponsor/~3/sBPRSF_Gr9w/im-a-mayor-and-a-friend-define-me-new-blog-po http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/im-a-mayor-and-a-friend-define-me-new-blog-po <p> <p><a href='http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/isponsor/FqbGHvjfgGBljlCiqHwvqfxdgHCehqhnplDrznDHHexfkGftAnGIvhbqkCff/media_httpcaglecomnew_wqBqF.jpg.scaled1000.jpg'><img src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/isponsor/FqbGHvjfgGBljlCiqHwvqfxdgHCehqhnplDrznDHHexfkGftAnGIvhbqkCff/media_httpcaglecomnew_wqBqF.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="500" height="313"/></a> </p> <p>There are new words being added to the dictionary each year, mostly as a result of our digital, technological, and 'social' advances. No need to go over them here, but I've also noticed we're starting to change some of the 'definitions' of the words we've grown up with.</p> <p>Wouldn't you agree that some of our so-called 'Friends' are not really friends per se. But Facebook is too lazy to come up with several options for us to identify them with, as in acquaintances, admirers, and morons better known as stalkers.</p> <p>'Followers' is another one. 'I am following you' used to be reserved for those who wanted to follow in their leaders' footsteps or those who wanted to mug you in a dark alley or find out where you lived so they can 'follow' your every move. Sounds like Twitter, doesn't it?</p> <p>Then there's the status of 'mayor' for the <a href="https://twitter.com/foursquare">foursquare</a> addicts. If they've been to my Starbucks more than I care to, they can oust me as the mayor, and even get a sense of <a href="http://blogs.forbes.com/velocity/2010/02/12/waldo-envy-the-newest-sharing-syndrome/">Waldo Envy</a>, enough to announce to the whole world their achievement no matter how short lived, usually reserved for politicians who would die to get elected without being selected.</p> <p>Take for example, the recently <a href="http://www.asianjournal.com/dateline-usa/15-dateline-usa/4562-la-mayor-wants-1000-city-workers-laid-off.html">not so popular</a> Mayor Villaraigosa of Los Angeles. Some have even <a href="http://blogs.laweekly.com/ladaily/city-news/villaraigosa-la-bankruptcy/">likened him</a> to another 'popular' Mayor, John Lindsay of New York. Not too many Mayors with Friends these days given the state of the economy I presume. I wonder if enough Mayors screw up and become hated, would foursquare then think of changing the term 'mayor' to define an aspired 'status' symbol, no pun intended?</p> <p>By the way, have you too noticed 'social' networking is now best done alone and in front of a computer, where 'engagements' are measured not in carats but in carrots offered to clients and those who simply choose to 'subscribe' to our 'feed' frenzy.</p> <p>Whatever happened to the good old days, when 'checking-in' was not allowed before 3PM, and the 'buzz' referred to things that didn't involve Google's latest goof, or 'unfollow' was considered bad grammar?</p> <p>Now we encourage dismissing wovels just so we can say what we mean in under 140 characters or risk not getting too many 'hits' by a new cast of characters.</p> </p> <p><a href="http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/im-a-mayor-and-a-friend-define-me-new-blog-po">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/im-a-mayor-and-a-friend-define-me-new-blog-po#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?a=sBPRSF_Gr9w:HDT61qKA49Q:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?a=sBPRSF_Gr9w:HDT61qKA49Q:ANkz6nJbUoM"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?d=ANkz6nJbUoM" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/isponsor/~4/sBPRSF_Gr9w" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/105894/is-logo-metin.jpg http://posterous.com/people/4aGi0gFt4g9z Metin iSponsor Metin http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/im-a-mayor-and-a-friend-define-me-new-blog-po Wed, 10 Feb 2010 09:25:00 -0800 In-Game Advertising and Marketing ROI http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/isponsor/~3/EycfSdocVEQ/in-game-advertising-and-marketing-roi http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/in-game-advertising-and-marketing-roi <p> <p><img src="http://www.interactivesponsor.com/images/fifa2009.gif" border="0" height="352" alt="" width="500" /></p> <p>According to TNS Global Market Research's <a href="http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/study-shows-in-game-advertising-maximizes-marketing-dollars-in-sports-category-84019197.html">ESPN Sports Poll</a>, the average Sports Fan follows six to eight different sports, and is an "Avid" Fan of two to three sports. National Football League has the largest avid fans at 85 million, followed by College Football (64 million), and Major League Baseball (53 million). Furthermore, half the households in the U.S. own a gaming console, and of those 69% of the avid sports fans own at least one sports video game. And "38% of sports video game players say they spend as much or more time playing a sports game as they do watching that same sport on TV during its season."</p> <p>Given all of that, it's easy to understand why the Executive Director of the ESPN Sports Poll would state, "Today's interactive entertainment enables fans to engage with their favorite sports on a platform that looks incredibly close to the real thing. When a person is engaged in the video game, there is no channel surfing, and the game is paused only for necessity. This is a terrific way for real-world advertisers and sponsors to develop incremental affinity for their brands."</p> <p>Obviously this represents a great opportunity for sponsors to take advantage of, especially those who have integrated <a href="http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/interactive-sponsorship-explained">'real' interactive</a> methodology in their approach. The report also emphasizes that IEG Sponsorship estimates about $12B, or 68 cents of every dollar, is spent on sponsorship that is sports related. Those sponsorship investments require activation to be effective. And this is where your sponsorship and/or interactive agency can create, develop, and convert into action a successful campaign that's sure to guarantee a positive ROI and ROO.</p> <p>Considering professional sports teams generally like to have about 100 sponsors on their roster, why wouldn't the major league franchises themselves get into the playing field and kick off their own 'games' with the help of their own sponsors? Win-Win!</p> <p>Of course as with any interactive campaign, the sponsors should be engaging not annoying. Let me know if I can be of any help; I love those 'you-can't-lose' challenges.</p> </p> <p><a href="http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/in-game-advertising-and-marketing-roi">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/in-game-advertising-and-marketing-roi#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?a=EycfSdocVEQ:82hcIibwLLY:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?a=EycfSdocVEQ:82hcIibwLLY:ANkz6nJbUoM"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?d=ANkz6nJbUoM" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/isponsor/~4/EycfSdocVEQ" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/105894/is-logo-metin.jpg http://posterous.com/people/4aGi0gFt4g9z Metin iSponsor Metin http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/in-game-advertising-and-marketing-roi Mon, 08 Feb 2010 08:02:00 -0800 My SuperBowl 2 Cents: Beginning of Something New http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/isponsor/~3/afcFWXdGXFw/my-2-cents-on-the-super-bowl-beginning-of-som http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/my-2-cents-on-the-super-bowl-beginning-of-som <p> <p> <object height="300" width="500"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-KSKkmypTZM&hl=en_US&fs=1&" /> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-KSKkmypTZM&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="300" width="500"></embed> </param></param></param></object> </p> <p>The game was alright. The New Orleans Saints won despite popular support. And Peyton Manning proved he's just Eli's older brother. The Chargers vs Saints or even the Jets vs Saints would've been a better 'rated' game. But as some people and non-NFL fans always say, "We went to watch the ads, and a game broke out."</p> <p>I didn't think this year's ads were up to expectations, at least mine. Yes, some were good, maybe even great for some, but they were predictable. No ooh aah factor. With the exception of the Letterman-Oprah-Leno ad of course. How did they ever convince NBC to approve a CBS ad for Late Night? Is this a trend that we'll see more of? Can you imagine Virgin's Richard Branson starring in a Jet Blue commercial? Or Justin Long (the Mac guy in the Apple commercials) pitching for Windex ('windows' cleaner ... get it?) or handling the Google phone in one of those myTouch commercials with Bill Gates (or better yet Steve Jobs)?</p> <p>I still think there was something missing from the Late Night ad. Conan O'Brian. He would've made the ad perfect and complete. The door bell keeps ringing. And we get a shot of Conan outside freezing his butt off, screaming 'Let Me In!' to deaf ears. That would've been funny!</p> </p> <p><a href="http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/my-2-cents-on-the-super-bowl-beginning-of-som">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/my-2-cents-on-the-super-bowl-beginning-of-som#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?a=afcFWXdGXFw:E7j_EktuNcE:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?a=afcFWXdGXFw:E7j_EktuNcE:ANkz6nJbUoM"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?d=ANkz6nJbUoM" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/isponsor/~4/afcFWXdGXFw" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/105894/is-logo-metin.jpg http://posterous.com/people/4aGi0gFt4g9z Metin iSponsor Metin http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/my-2-cents-on-the-super-bowl-beginning-of-som Mon, 01 Feb 2010 14:09:00 -0800 and the GRAMMY goes to: Product Placement/iPad http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/isponsor/~3/BCSoFAv4kDc/and-the-grammy-goes-to-product-placement-ipad http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/and-the-grammy-goes-to-product-placement-ipad <p> <p><img src="http://metin.typepad.com/interactivesponsorblog/images/52ndgrammyposter.jpg" border="0" alt="" width="500" /></p> <p>It was a night of firsts for The Recording Academy. Last night's event marked the first time a Twitter dress <a href="http://mashable.com/2010/01/31/grammys-imogen-heap-twitdress/">(twitdress)</a> was worn. Taylor Swift became the youngest artist to win the Album of the Year award. Beyonce was awarded a record-breaking six Grammys. And last night's telecast on CBS had a 35% increase over last year's, with almost 26 million viewers. It was also the first year the GRAMMY pre-telecast was shown in its entirety via the web.</p> <p>But in an age of embedded product placement, Apple's iPad became an instant hit (at least as exciting as Lady Gaga's outfits) as <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mZiCSYPoYQ">Stephen Colbert</a> pulled one out while announcing the winner of Song of the Year. Contrary to Colbert's tease of Jay-Z, I can assure you iPads were not included in the gift bags. At least as the <a href="http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/ipad-and-dangerous-branding">brand Apple named its device</a> a few days ago.</p> <p>After the show, the attendees had more than a few after party options around Los Angeles. The official GRAMMY Celebration by The Recording Academy was held at the Los Angeles Convention Center right next to Staples. This year's theme was modeled after a <a href="http://216.213.87.98/losangeles/content/editorial/17579_recording_academys_grammy_after-party_is_dark_mysterious_circus_spectacle_for_5_500.php">three-ring circus</a>, no doubt very interpretive of the entertainment industry.</p> <p>Ne-Yo, later joined by Jaime Foxx, entertained the invited guests at the main stage. In one of the adjoining rooms, MasterCard sponsored Jazz Lounge was among the winners of proper sponsor integration.</p> <p>Overall it was a fun day and night for me as it always is. Obviously it was a ton of work but very successful and self-gratifying. Everyone seemed more organized than ever before this year. And it showed in all aspects of what went on behind-the-scenes.</p> <p>The Internet is already buzzing with more than enough articles, videos, and photos of yesterday's event; the show, and the artists. Instead, I posted a tiny glimpse of the not so usual side of what I came across during my time there <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/isponsor/sets/72157623328417570/">(Flickr link)</a>. In the meantime, what did you think of Apple's attempt to promote the iPad to the 'cool' crowd?</p> </p> <p><a href="http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/and-the-grammy-goes-to-product-placement-ipad">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/and-the-grammy-goes-to-product-placement-ipad#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?a=BCSoFAv4kDc:ZdIUf82NsXs:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?a=BCSoFAv4kDc:ZdIUf82NsXs:ANkz6nJbUoM"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?d=ANkz6nJbUoM" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/isponsor/~4/BCSoFAv4kDc" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/105894/is-logo-metin.jpg http://posterous.com/people/4aGi0gFt4g9z Metin iSponsor Metin http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/and-the-grammy-goes-to-product-placement-ipad Thu, 28 Jan 2010 12:09:00 -0800 From iBad to iRad: What We Want from Apple in the Next Version of iPad? http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/isponsor/~3/YJtZK0uHGuY/from-ibad-to-irad-what-we-want-from-apple-in http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/from-ibad-to-irad-what-we-want-from-apple-in <p> <p><a href="http://www.apple.com/ipad/gallery/"><img src="http://images.apple.com/ipad/gallery/images/hardware-04-20100127.jpg" border="0" alt="" width="500" /></a></p> <p><em>Please join the following <a href="http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=7679606613&topic=13184">Facebook Discussion</a>:</em></p> <p>Since we have the power to change the iPad from iBad to iRad, and 'pad' its features (Would the next version be called 'iPadded'?), what would you like to see added on the next generation of these hybrid mobile devices Apple has now ventured into?</p> <p>While keeping in mind that Apple has created this device for content consumption, not content production.</p> <p>Thanks for your input!</p> <p>Besides the obvious of course; camera, TV interface, phone...</p> </p> <p><a href="http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/from-ibad-to-irad-what-we-want-from-apple-in">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/from-ibad-to-irad-what-we-want-from-apple-in#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?a=YJtZK0uHGuY:DmvadSoEKS4:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?a=YJtZK0uHGuY:DmvadSoEKS4:ANkz6nJbUoM"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?d=ANkz6nJbUoM" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/isponsor/~4/YJtZK0uHGuY" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/105894/is-logo-metin.jpg http://posterous.com/people/4aGi0gFt4g9z Metin iSponsor Metin http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/from-ibad-to-irad-what-we-want-from-apple-in Wed, 27 Jan 2010 14:36:00 -0800 iPad and Dangerous Branding http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/isponsor/~3/PX8uKK11Q2s/ipad-and-dangerous-branding http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/ipad-and-dangerous-branding <p> <p><a href='http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/isponsor/ctlqjcDxyJqkJAkchAtzGEfHzHbdducdprkmGbqlBbesmGJCHHBvHxbJEhpk/media_httpimagesapple_efqcJ.jpg.scaled1000.jpg'><img src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/isponsor/ctlqjcDxyJqkJAkchAtzGEfHzHbdducdprkmGbqlBbesmGJCHHBvHxbJEhpk/media_httpimagesapple_efqcJ.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="500" height="291"/></a> </p> <p>Admittedly, Jane Wells of CNBC <a href="http://twitter.com/janewells/statuses/8296380393">tweets</a> "forget my pathetic attempts at cleverness" as she points you to her post entitled '<a href="http://www.cnbc.com/id/35103428">Ummm ... the iPad?</a>'</p> <p>Apparently, the Apple folks did not consider the word 'pad' as "it conjures up visions of, well, you know, woman-y thingies."</p> <p>Considering 'iTampon' is at the top of Twitter Trends as I pen this blog post, Jane may be right in her premonition, "Prepare for the jokes, folks."</p> <p>I guess the people who breathe office supplies, or web browsers when they came up with 'tabs' as well as the folks at NASA with their launch 'pads' (or IBM's ThinkPad) must all be men or include some women with a keen sense of humor.</p> <p>Why the jokes then? Could it possibly be for some that they are Apple bashers who were looking to find something amiss with the product and picked on its name instead ... when clearly the product needs at least two more revisions to include some of the necessities it's still missing? Like a camera or cameras, or a phone, or television connection, or even multitasking capabilities. But at $499 at its lowest price point, it will still kindly (no pun intended) kill the Kindle. Heck, it might even kill Apple's own MacBook Air.</p> <p>By the way, Apple and AT&T have teamed up to sell you a month-to-month data plan for the iPad. Like someone jokingly suggested, you'll know when to pay as it will be that time of the month. Unless of course you're beyond menopause. By the way, did you all come to a pause as you noticed the word 'men' hidden cleverly in menopause.</p> <p>Bottom line: If you're among the branding geniuses, consider your 'brand' name wisely. Consult politicians who know a thing or two about negative ads, and correspondents who'll write funny things about you, and jokesters who'll have fun at your 'brand-new' brand name.</p> </p> <p><a href="http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/ipad-and-dangerous-branding">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/ipad-and-dangerous-branding#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?a=PX8uKK11Q2s:WyocrPDm-II:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?a=PX8uKK11Q2s:WyocrPDm-II:ANkz6nJbUoM"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?d=ANkz6nJbUoM" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/isponsor/~4/PX8uKK11Q2s" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/105894/is-logo-metin.jpg http://posterous.com/people/4aGi0gFt4g9z Metin iSponsor Metin http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/ipad-and-dangerous-branding Sun, 24 Jan 2010 15:17:00 -0800 Apple to Announce Verizon iPhone? http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/isponsor/~3/rWl2S3vXKPA/apple-to-announce-verizon-iphone http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/apple-to-announce-verizon-iphone <p> <p><img src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/isponsor/wmzAebootrIfofiwIzvnDlAFoprrGIrxzwkwgHuhgrJBErlmsJetqdikkGfJ/media_httpwwwgadgetre_zmdDx.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="500" height="339"/> </p> <p>image via <a href="http://www.gadgetreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Apple-Come-see-our-latest-creation.jpg">gadgetreview.com</a>.</p> <p>Here's a sure thing. Apple is having a major press event on Wednesday. And it sounds like an iTablet (or iPad or some other i-something) will be announced. But the <a href="http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/patterson/64100/could-apples-one-more-thing-next-week-be-an-iphone-for-verizon/">rumors</a> are that AT&T will lose its exclusivity of the iPhone, and Verizon will add the iPhone to its lineup. It's a 50/50 prediction. Not that it will happen, but that it might be announced on Wednesday.</p> <p>This is good news for Apple as it will no doubt gain new iPhone buyers/users from Verizon who held out all this time, for whatever their reason, including the 'perceived' notion that Verizon has <a href="http://hothardware.com/News/Will-ATT-Lose-Their-iPhone-Exclusivity-On-Wednesday/">better coverage/quality</a> than AT&T.</p> <p>Some of the unanswered questions remain. For one thing, AT&T is GSM, whereas Verizon is built on CDMA technology. Will this mean the Verizon iPhone will not be a true 'World Phone'? I am assuming the AT&T iPhone will not work with Verizon, and that there has to be a new version, a Verizon iPhone, which may or may not be available right away? Also, will the new Verizon iPhone be a 4G version, or is that still some time away?</p> <p>I am not sure why this hasn't been tried: Why not incorporate the cost of the iPhone into the 24-month contract, like they do in Europe, at say $15 a month? If AT&T does that, they may at least prevent some of their own consumers (like me) to switch.</p> <p>Bottom line: Competition is good. By having more options, the consumer will probably win in the end. So, let the games begin!</p> </p> <p><a href="http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/apple-to-announce-verizon-iphone">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/apple-to-announce-verizon-iphone#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?a=rWl2S3vXKPA:t-VJMogoHnw:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?a=rWl2S3vXKPA:t-VJMogoHnw:ANkz6nJbUoM"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?d=ANkz6nJbUoM" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/isponsor/~4/rWl2S3vXKPA" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/105894/is-logo-metin.jpg http://posterous.com/people/4aGi0gFt4g9z Metin iSponsor Metin http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/apple-to-announce-verizon-iphone Wed, 20 Jan 2010 15:16:00 -0800 Golden Globes Aftermath http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/isponsor/~3/7-WLgWcq1JI/golden-globes-aftermath http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/golden-globes-aftermath <p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/isponsor/4285268714/in/set-72157623235449540/"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4052/4285268714_43459ca6be.jpg" border="0" height="375" alt="" width="500" /></a></p> <p>It appears NBC was able to turn the tide around; not the anti-NBC sentiment surrounding <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704320104575015043347580222.html">Leno vs Conan</a>, but the declining ratings pattern of recent broadcasts of Golden Globe Awards. According to <a href="http://www.rbr.com/tv-cable/tv-cable_ratings/20244.html">Radio/television Business Report</a>, The 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards presented NBC with the highest 18-49 rating in its three-hour Sunday time period in five years, excluding sports telecasts, and awarded the network its biggest non-sports viewership in the slot in six years.</p> <p>And it wasn't NBC's fault that it started raining as the first celebrity arrivals occurred around 2:30PM Los Angeles time. It was, however, Dick Clark Productions' and Hollywood Foreign Press Association's collaborative miscalculation not to tent the red carpet driveway into The Beverly Hilton on Sunday.</p> <p>Chrysler's brand CEO donated his own <a href="http://twitpic.com/ynrxc">300C</a> for the Haiti Earthquake Relief. The car was signed by many celebrities and was to be auctioned off with the hopes of raising $1M. Celebrities were handed red, yellow, and blue colored ribbons as they stepped off their limos and stepped onto the red carpet. During the telecast many celebrities mentioned Haiti either <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/world/news/e3id3e0b71b5f1a6df4b1a7fc36c468bf26">directly or indirectly</a>, and some of them donated either their dresses or actual cash, <a href="http://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/Movies/2010/01/19/Bullock-donates-1M-to-Haiti-quake-victims/UPI-88731263922587/">some as much as $1M</a>.</p> <p>But the show must go on, and it did. After the winners were revealed, the <a href="http://www.bizbash.com/losangeles/content/editorial/17537_more_photos_from_golden_globes_parties_lionsgates_old_hollywood_style_foxs_jewel_tones_summits_colorful_lighting.php">after-parties (see pics)</a> became the center of attention. For many, it made sense to hang out at The Beverly Hilton and attend one of several, rather than wait outside for their limo to show up. The Beverly Hills Police Department made sure you had no more than 10 seconds to find your ride, otherwise the 'turn-around-the-block' lasted as much as 45 minutes, as Sophia Loren and his son found out not so happily. I know because I helped them fend off the autograph and picture seekers and let them have the use my umbrella.</p> <p>Speaking of <a href="http://www.huliq.com/8059/90545/golden-globes-red-carpet-2010-umbrellas-are-big-fashion-accessory">umbrellas</a>, The Beverly Hilton provided tens if not hundreds of red and white umbrellas, at no cost to anyone who needed them. And they had plenty in their inventory. I guess they were prepared. Great use of logo, branding and subtle sponsorship by the way, at little cost. Great ROI. Way to go The Beverly Hilton.</p> <p>For some (different) pictures, as you've probably already seen all the 'red carpet posed' pictures on every publication, legal or otherwise, please visit the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/isponsor/sets/72157623235449540/">iSponsor flickr site</a>. Now I am off to get ready for the GRAMMYs.</p> </p> <p><a href="http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/golden-globes-aftermath">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/golden-globes-aftermath#comment">Leave a comment  »</a> </p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?a=7-WLgWcq1JI:Y4ulVXBzDug:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?a=7-WLgWcq1JI:Y4ulVXBzDug:ANkz6nJbUoM"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/isponsor?d=ANkz6nJbUoM" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/isponsor/~4/7-WLgWcq1JI" height="1" width="1"/> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/105894/is-logo-metin.jpg http://posterous.com/people/4aGi0gFt4g9z Metin iSponsor Metin http://blog.interactivesponsor.com/golden-globes-aftermath