Last semester for my computer-mediated communications class I was required to join the virtual reality world called Second Life. I was less than enthusiastic to begin my "second" life and my experience with the program confirmed my disinterest. I found nothing there to keep me engaged or entertained and found it to be rather boring.
However, according to an article in BusinessWeek, advertisers are still flocking towards this second life virtual world. The article states that more than a dozen large companies are still in the works to create an online presence in Second Life. What is drawing in all these advertisers despite an ever increasing decline in Second Life sign-ups?
According to advertisers, it is the notion of a community that creates this ideal advertising model. The community is supported by users that usually with have the same interests. Because of this, businesses that work well advertising on Second Life are those that attract the same audience in real life.
Maybe it is this lack of my interest in the whole idea of "Second Life" that causes my high level of suspicion when it comes to advertising on second life. I am yet to see a reason for there to be an online presence for any advertising on Second Life and personally think that this whole idea is dead and will disappear in the near future.
Monday, May 5, 2008
Video Game Advertising
Ok, I got to admit I am not into video games at all and rarely play them. I however, did used to be into video games a long time ago and always wondering one thing, why are the ads in the game for fake companies? Aren’t real advertisers missing out on a valuable resource?
Well to my surprise, the video game industry is now infiltrated with ads and is set to increase substantially in the next few years. I was browsing the internet and came across this news article form the BBC highlighting the impact and reach of video game ads.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3727044.stm
According to the article, 30% of the in-game advertisements are recalled by users short-term and 15% are recalled long-term. That is a great percentage and I can only expect the number of in-game advertisers to expand. If a company can get recall rates close to those stated, why not take advantage of a great and booming industry worldwide?
The National Hockey League on Youtube
Ok, I am a big hockey fan and all things NHL. After our class discussion about youtube and the video possibilities online, I decided to check out what youtube had in terms of NHL hockey action.
Well It turns out the NHL has it very own youtube channel where they upload highlights from games across the league each night. In addition, they have a highlight package of the top 10 goals, hits, saves and games of the week for every week of the regular season and playoffs! Let’s just say I am a fan!
The ability to stream video online has increased dramatically the reach and audience that a niche sport like the NHL can now obtain. Viewers in Europe, Asia and Australia can now log on and see exactly what is happening with the NHL and see videos from every team in the league. This is a great promotional tool for a league that struggles to get air time here in America and overseas. I have heard reports that the NHL leads the sports community in online presence and with a great youtube channel I can see why that is.
So if you are interested in hockey at all or to see how a video account can bring together a world wide audience, check out the NHL channel at youtube.com
http://youtube.com/user/NHLVideo
Well It turns out the NHL has it very own youtube channel where they upload highlights from games across the league each night. In addition, they have a highlight package of the top 10 goals, hits, saves and games of the week for every week of the regular season and playoffs! Let’s just say I am a fan!
The ability to stream video online has increased dramatically the reach and audience that a niche sport like the NHL can now obtain. Viewers in Europe, Asia and Australia can now log on and see exactly what is happening with the NHL and see videos from every team in the league. This is a great promotional tool for a league that struggles to get air time here in America and overseas. I have heard reports that the NHL leads the sports community in online presence and with a great youtube channel I can see why that is.
So if you are interested in hockey at all or to see how a video account can bring together a world wide audience, check out the NHL channel at youtube.com
http://youtube.com/user/NHLVideo
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
More Great Podcasts!
Ok, I am kinda stuck on these podcasts, I just think they are a great digital promotion tool. Not only are the podcasts actually video, so technically vodcasts, but they are updated almost daily right on my itunes account.
I have found two other great podcasts that really capture the essentials: The Nascar podcast and the Volcom Volcast.
The Nascar podcast serves as a PR tool and keeps you up to date on everything NASCAR and what took place in the previous weeks race. It is great for the casual fan to stay on top of all the events without having to speed too much time invested in the races each weekend.
The Volcast is a highlight package of the Volcom Rail Jam tour that travels the glove showcasing young talent in both snowboarding and skateboarding. The podcast also informs viewers who is leading the competition after every week and lets you follow your favorite rider.
I am extremely pleased with both of these podcasts and they allow my to keep up with two of my casual followings, NASCAR and snowboarding.
I think that podcasts are only going to continue to grow in popularity and reach as the technology behind the video quality they run on continues to grow, and I will be waiting with anitciation!
I have found two other great podcasts that really capture the essentials: The Nascar podcast and the Volcom Volcast.
The Nascar podcast serves as a PR tool and keeps you up to date on everything NASCAR and what took place in the previous weeks race. It is great for the casual fan to stay on top of all the events without having to speed too much time invested in the races each weekend.
The Volcast is a highlight package of the Volcom Rail Jam tour that travels the glove showcasing young talent in both snowboarding and skateboarding. The podcast also informs viewers who is leading the competition after every week and lets you follow your favorite rider.
I am extremely pleased with both of these podcasts and they allow my to keep up with two of my casual followings, NASCAR and snowboarding.
I think that podcasts are only going to continue to grow in popularity and reach as the technology behind the video quality they run on continues to grow, and I will be waiting with anitciation!
Hulu.com
One of the great resources available online now is streaming video. A new website, http://hulu.com, offers popular TV shows as well as movies.
Shows like The Office, The Simpsons and It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia are just a few of the many shows on hulu.com. In order to support the site, advertisements are run at certain intervals during the show. I feel that this is a great way to reach a specific target audience. A company will already know the content of a show and the demographic who watches that program and will be able to deliver their message to their targer audience with great effiency.
I would not be surprised to see major networks like NBC, CBS and Fox creating their own online streaming channels with all the programming that is currently being broadcast over the air. I think that online is going to be an increasing opportunity to deliver content and that is where the eye balls are going.
Its time for the major newtorks to take a cure from hulu.com and offer all of their content online and give advertisers something worthwhile to spend their money on in this age of DVRs.
Shows like The Office, The Simpsons and It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia are just a few of the many shows on hulu.com. In order to support the site, advertisements are run at certain intervals during the show. I feel that this is a great way to reach a specific target audience. A company will already know the content of a show and the demographic who watches that program and will be able to deliver their message to their targer audience with great effiency.
I would not be surprised to see major networks like NBC, CBS and Fox creating their own online streaming channels with all the programming that is currently being broadcast over the air. I think that online is going to be an increasing opportunity to deliver content and that is where the eye balls are going.
Its time for the major newtorks to take a cure from hulu.com and offer all of their content online and give advertisers something worthwhile to spend their money on in this age of DVRs.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Podcasts!
Hello!
I have found a cool new podcast that deals with adobe Photoshop. The podcast is called "Photoshop Killer Tips." Each podcast is actually a vodcast where each day a new photoshop tip is taught to subscribers.
The podcast is sponsored by the national association of photoshop professionals and offers great time saving tips or advanced techniques.
This is a great podcast for anybody looking to improve their photoshop skills or is wanting to learn how to use photoshop in the first place. I recommend subscribing to this podcast, I found it on itunes under the "design" option.
I have found a cool new podcast that deals with adobe Photoshop. The podcast is called "Photoshop Killer Tips." Each podcast is actually a vodcast where each day a new photoshop tip is taught to subscribers.
The podcast is sponsored by the national association of photoshop professionals and offers great time saving tips or advanced techniques.
This is a great podcast for anybody looking to improve their photoshop skills or is wanting to learn how to use photoshop in the first place. I recommend subscribing to this podcast, I found it on itunes under the "design" option.
Facebook as a promotional tool
Every knows what facebook is and what it has to offer. But now, companies and organizations are catching on and creating their own "pages" to promote themselves.
One example that I think takes this idea of the social network site and really puts it to good use is the (red) initative.
(red) uses facebook to create awareness of how important it is to fight AIDS in Africa. Through their "page" fans can see what (red) products to buy, where (red) got its start, they can view videos for the cause and members can discuss the importance of this issue on the (red) message board.
I think that using a social networking site, like facebook, is a great way for organizations like (red) to reach a younger audience.
One example that I think takes this idea of the social network site and really puts it to good use is the (red) initative.
(red) uses facebook to create awareness of how important it is to fight AIDS in Africa. Through their "page" fans can see what (red) products to buy, where (red) got its start, they can view videos for the cause and members can discuss the importance of this issue on the (red) message board.
I think that using a social networking site, like facebook, is a great way for organizations like (red) to reach a younger audience.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Podcasting
Podcasts can be a very effective tool to reach a younger audience that is more technologically advanced. I found an interesting site that will create podcasts for you and will be able to send them digitally to all your clients.
Neopodcast.com offers their podcasting services for a relatively cheap price and allows you to communicate with your clientele and keep them updated.
In my future blogs, I will be reviewing some podcasts and judging how effective they are at promoting their company on the digital front.
Neopodcast.com offers their podcasting services for a relatively cheap price and allows you to communicate with your clientele and keep them updated.
In my future blogs, I will be reviewing some podcasts and judging how effective they are at promoting their company on the digital front.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
E-mails as a Promotional Tool
Over the past few weeks, I have received numerous emails regarding sales and discounts. I know that I probably opted-in to these e-mails, but I have to wonder how effective this is. I have received e-mails from the Rockies, the National Hockey League, and MLB just to name a few. Most of these emails are promotional offers such as save 20% when you purchase today. I guess if you were in the market for the their products, those emails would be beneficial. But for me, I have no interest at the moment for any NHL, MLB or Rockies gear and find these repeated emails annoying. I would opt-out of the email list, but then I risk the chance of missing out on great deals. I guess that is the price you have to pay to be on an email list...
Well, here is to hoping I don't miss out on a great offer!!
Well, here is to hoping I don't miss out on a great offer!!
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Click Throughs
An interesting statistic to me is the low rate of click throughs that can still be considered a success. As the representatives for the Coloradoan stated, a click through rate of .04 is considered a success for that ad. To me, I find that very intriguing. Either the rate of purchase after the click must be extremely high, or the amount of simple brand awareness that is made by placing the ad must be significant.
Direct mailings aim to get around a 2 to 4 response rate, and that would be an amazing rate for an online advertisement.
For me personally, when I ever I do click on a sponsored link or advertisement, it is usually by mistake. I rarely click on a banner style ad, mainly because I don't trust an ad that relies on flashing text and blinking light but lacks a brand name or identity.
But, they must work, or else we wouldn't be seeing them.
Direct mailings aim to get around a 2 to 4 response rate, and that would be an amazing rate for an online advertisement.
For me personally, when I ever I do click on a sponsored link or advertisement, it is usually by mistake. I rarely click on a banner style ad, mainly because I don't trust an ad that relies on flashing text and blinking light but lacks a brand name or identity.
But, they must work, or else we wouldn't be seeing them.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Welcome!
Hello, welcome to my blog! I will be discussing all things involving digital promotions.
To start out I would like to dive right into the world of digital promotion, but by using a more traditional advertising model. Companys have been using NASCAR cars as a means of advertising for decades now. But recendently, the brand they are promoting has shifted. Take for instance the Cheerios/Hamburger Helper car. Instead of just promoting the brand name on the car, the sponsors decided to but a URL for one of their mircrosites as the main sponsor on the car. Myhometownhelper.com is the main advertisement you see while watching the car race by on the track. I find it interesting that companies are realizing the potential that NASCAR gives them for digital promotions. While using an offline promotion, Hamburger Helper is opening to build attendance to their site and boost promotions that way.
So go ahead and check out a NASCAR race and see if you spot the digital promotions that companies are begging to use on the track!!
To start out I would like to dive right into the world of digital promotion, but by using a more traditional advertising model. Companys have been using NASCAR cars as a means of advertising for decades now. But recendently, the brand they are promoting has shifted. Take for instance the Cheerios/Hamburger Helper car. Instead of just promoting the brand name on the car, the sponsors decided to but a URL for one of their mircrosites as the main sponsor on the car. Myhometownhelper.com is the main advertisement you see while watching the car race by on the track. I find it interesting that companies are realizing the potential that NASCAR gives them for digital promotions. While using an offline promotion, Hamburger Helper is opening to build attendance to their site and boost promotions that way.
So go ahead and check out a NASCAR race and see if you spot the digital promotions that companies are begging to use on the track!!
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