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Sport Relief

(I should apologise for bringing you here by illicit categorisation and tagging, but I won’t. You might have wasted just 10 seconds. Hopefully you will make the choice to change someone’s world in less than a minute).

Filed under: 2.0, ACL, Adobe, Advertising, Affiliate Marketing, Analyst, Analytics, Apple, Awards, BBC, Blog, Blogging, Blogroll, Books, Branding, Business, Buzz, CBS, CIM, CRM, Charity, Colour, Computer, Computing, Conversational marketing, Conversion, Cool, Corbis, Customer service, Data, Deloitte, Design, Direct Email, Direct Mail, EMI, Email, Entertainment, Entrepreneur, Events, Experiential, Facebook, Fairchild Semiconductor, Forrester, Fun, Gartner, Google, IBM, IODA, IT, IT Planning, Ideas and Riffs, Illusion, Imagery, Influence, Infrared, Job, Keywords, Knee, MIT, Mac, Measurement, Media, Microsoft, Mobile, Music, News, Online, Online Video, Open Social, PC, PR, Planning, Power 150, Printing, Public Relations, Punchstock, Quotes, RSS, Religion, Remarkable, Research, SEO, SEO / SEM, SPARQL, SQL, Salmon, Scene7, Search, Search Engine Optimisation, Second Chance Tuesday, Second Life, Semantic Web, Sinclair, Social Graphs, Social Media, Social Networking, Software, Sony BMG, Spam, Spectrum, Strategy, Surgery, Survival, TV, Tattoo, The Orchard, Tim Berners-Lee, Twitter, Usability, User Generated Content, Viral, Viral Coefficient, Virtual Worlds, WIFI, WIKI, WOM, Warner Music Group, Web, Web2.0, White Paper, Wired.com, Wordpress, Xerox, Xuuk, Yahoo!, YouTube, ZX, blogs, bob, copywriting, digital, dotcoms, garfield, iStock, ideas, illustration, last.fm, marketing, ogilvy, permission, photography, podcast, sport, startups, stock photography, technology, trust, venture capital, verge, web 2.0, webmasters, wi-fi, word of mouth , 2008, Advertising, Age 5-14, Animals, Anime, Announcements, Answered, Art, Articles, Barack, Basketball, Bible, Big, Big Questions, Blog, Blogging, blogs, Books, Business, Charity, Children, China, Christianity, Church, clinton, Club, Comedy, Commentary, Community, Crime, Culture, Current Events, Daily, Democrats, Design, Economics, Economy, Education, Election 2008, Elections, Eliot Spitzer, English, Entertainment, Environment, Events, Faith, Family, Fashion, Fiction, Film, Food, Friends, Fun, Funny, Games, God, Government, Health, Hillary, Hip-hop, History, Home, Humor, ideas, India, inspiration, internet, Iraq, Islam, Jesus, John McCain, Journal, Kids, Leadership, Life, Links, Love, marketing, Marriage, Me, Media, Misc, Miscellaneous, Money, Movies, Music, Musings, My Life, Nature, News, Obama, Opinion, Parenting, penguin, People, Personal, Philosophy, photography, photos, Physics, Pictures, Poems, Poetry, Political, Politics, Pop culture, Prayer, Projects, Psychology, Questions, Quotes, Race, Ramblings, Random, Rants, Recipes, Reflections, Relationships, Religion, Research, Review, Reviews, School, Science, Sewing, Sex, Shopping, Society, Software, Spiritual, Spirituality, Sports, Stories, Stuff, technology, television, The Page, Theology, Thoughts, Travel, trends, TV, Unanswered, United states, Update, USA, video, Videos, web 2.0, Welcome, Women, work, World, Writing, YouTube

Social Media for Business

It is about time the UK had a decent Social Media conference and now we do. The Social Media for Business conference programme is now online. See which experts will join Yahoo! to guide you through the pitfalls and opportunities of social media.

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how you can leverage the key ideas from social networking to create buzz around your brand and successfully promote your products and services.

Click here to read the conference programme. This is the conference for you if your business is struggling with questions like these:

• How do I integrate social media into my business?
• How do I turn social media into a revenue generator for my business?
• How do I create purposeful social networks?
• How do I monitor our reputation on-line?

Have these questions answered and many more by spending just one day out of the office.

More details here

Filed under: 2.0, Branding, Business, Buzz, Conversational marketing, Events, Experiential, Online, Online Video, Social Media, Strategy, User Generated Content, Virtual Worlds, Web2.0, blogs, marketing, podcast, web 2.0, word of mouth

A Potted History of B2B High-Tech Marketing

A while ago, brands were communicated simply by ‘campaigns’. Blast a message out a gazillion times and the message would hopefully ’stick’, and hey presto…..more sales. A consistent monologue was established. In this era, messages and media were key. Communication was the order of the day. But times change.

A short time ago, brands were communicated via integrated marketing ‘programmes’. Consumers were treated equally across different channels. Messages and creative were executed consistently – and a consistent ‘dialogue’ was established. Channels, dialogue and CRM were key. Building a relationship was the order of the day. But times change.

Today, long lasting ‘experiences’ are required for brands to differentiate and lead. And that means that the bar has been raised yet again. Today’s focus therefore? ‘Experience’ is the order of the day.

‘Experience’ is a process of interaction between consumers and a brand that creates new brand meaning.

Experience takes saying and listening and adds a third activity: ‘making things happen‘.

Is you B2B High-Tech Marketing making things happen?

Filed under: 2.0, Advertising, Affiliate Marketing, B2B, Blog, Blogging, Branding, Buzz, CRM, Customer service, Direct Email, Direct Mail, Experiential, Ideas and Riffs, Measurement, Planning, Strategy, Viral, blogs, ideas, marketing, word of mouth

The Debate: “Has digital media usurped traditional B2B channels”

B2B Marketing, in partnership with Mardev, will be hosting its 6th event, as part of the B2B Marketing Great Debate series on September the 18th -  “Has Digital media usurped traditional B2B channels.”

Be part of the new media debate and get inspired insight into current thinking behind the new integrated mix; and then network with your peers, both client side and agency with champagne and canapés.

What’s to debate?

Direct mail has long been the mainstay of B2B communications, but is the combination of a plethora of digital media channels and recent upheavals in the postal system sounding the death knell for this medium?

Is post being marginalised by cheaper, quicker and more versatile forms of online marketing?

Or is mail about to enter a new golden age where it finds new forms of relevance for B2B marketers?

• Listen to the expert panel comprised of the Royal Mail, CommuniGator and Lyris and other industry experts, on the future of B2B marketing channels and then have your say!
• Will traditional marketing be replaced with pure digital, will they work with an improved integrated approach, or will Digital’s ROI diminish over time, with so many messages competing for the one desktop?
• Draw down from expert advice as well as gaining insightful options of the future of the B2B marketing media

The agenda:

16.00 Registration – Tea & coffee
16.30 Welcome: Joel Harrison, Editor, B2B Marketing [Chair]

For the motion:

17:40 Lee Chadwick, MD, CommuniGator
17.55 Andrew Robinson, MD, Lyris

Against the motion:

18:10 Antony Miller, Head of Media Development, Royal Mail
18:25 Nick Martin, MD, Mardev
17:40 Q&A – Debate opened up to the floor
18.15 Champagne & Networking
19.15 Event closes

Tuesday, 18 September 2007, 4pm to 7:15pm, English Speaking Union, Mayfair. £95 per delegate place. Call 020 8652 4569 to book your place

Filed under: 2.0, Advertising, B2B, Blog, Blogging, Buzz, Direct Email, Direct Mail, Email, Events, Experiential, Ideas and Riffs, Measurement, Online, Planning, SEO, SEO / SEM, Search, Search Engine Optimisation, Social Media, Strategy, Viral, Web, Web2.0, ideas, marketing, web 2.0, webmasters, word of mouth

Big Seminar Live – the (Free) Internet Marketing Seminar Podcast

Big Seminar Live – the (Free) Internet Marketing Seminar Podcast

Joel Comm (of My Contact Station) chats with Armand Morin about the “opportunity raining down” in the Internet right now. The dialogue runs from Yahoo Games to the power of Blogs and Blogging, and the REAL value of attending live events. The is a great interview with two great minds in Internet Marketing well worth your time and listen.

Filed under: 2.0, Affiliate Marketing, Blog, Blogging, Branding, Buzz, Events, Experiential, Fun, Online, Social Media, Strategy, Web, Web2.0, blogs, marketing, podcast, web 2.0, word of mouth

Join a private business network for Viral and Buzz pros

The Viral & Buzz Marketing Association have just launched a private business network.

It already boasts representatives from Addictive TV, Advergamer, Ammo Marketing, Anomally, B&O, Bauer-Berens-Belocassi, Boldmouth, Brewtopia, Buzz Paradise, Campfire, Comment UK, CP+B, DMC, Favela Fabric, FogHound, Frank PR, HotHouse, HP, Ice Media, Idiro Technologies, Inbox Digital, i-to-i research, Launch Group, Market Sentinel, Naked, Pod Digital, Poke, RMM, Spheeris, Sneeze, Strawberry Frog, Team Rubber, ViralMonitor, Yooster and many more.

If you’d like to be invited to connect with other viral, buzz, word-of-mouth and social media marketing professionals, AND help shape the VBMA Network at its onset, email ‘update’ <at> vbma dot co dot uk.  And don’t forget to tell them who sent you :-)

Filed under: 2.0, Buzz, Events, Experiential, Planning, Viral, ideas, marketing, trust, word of mouth

FREE Event: Online Marketing 2007

Online Marketing 2007, (26-27 June) brought to you by NMA and Marketing Week, is one of the only UK events to bring together experts and suppliers covering every element of online marketing all under one roof, over two days. It’s now in its third year and the show promises it’s bigger and better than ever, moving to a new venue in the process – the Business Design Centre, Islington, London.

From SEO to PPC, blogging to podcasting, accessibility to analytics, email, affiliate and mobile marketing, online ads and integration, the show tackles all the challenges surrounding online marketing and offers advice on the latest developments. Find out how to make interactive marketing and advertising campaigns work harder for your money.

It’s a good event to meet exhibitors from the entire online market – an invaluable opportunity to discuss your needs with leading suppliers and industry experts, face to face.  And offcourse there is a (paid for) educational conference programme.  This is often where there is real value.

Here’s some quick links:

• Register Now!
• Conference
• FREE Workshops
• Google University (Want to know more about the Google missions and how it can help your business? Book to attend the free Google University and hear from Google staff in the know!)

You can also attend free workshop sessions at the Search Arena, NMA Arena and Online Advertising Arena……perhaps even getting dedicated advice to suit your specific needs in the process?

Its always good to take a day out of the office once in a while.  Perhaps the 26th or 27th June is the ideal time?

Filed under: 2.0, Advertising, Affiliate Marketing, Analytics, Blog, Blogging, Branding, Buzz, Customer service, Design, Direct Email, Direct Mail, Email, Experiential, Fun, Measurement, Online, Online Video, PR, Planning, Public Relations, SEO, SEO / SEM, Search, Search Engine Optimisation, Social Media, Software, Strategy, Usability, Viral, Web, Web2.0, ideas, marketing, web 2.0, webmasters, word of mouth

RSS and WIKIs in Plain English

Here are two great videos describing RSS and WIKIs in plain English.

Struggling to get your CEO or MD to get to grips with RSS or WIKIs? Send them the videos. If they still don’t get it, they never will. And your most likely in the wrong job.

Thanks to Rob De Lorenzo for providing the link and CommonCraft for the content. Great stuff.

Filed under: 2.0, Buzz, Experiential, Fun, Ideas and Riffs, PR, Public Relations, RSS, Social Media, Strategy, Viral, WIKI, Web, Web2.0, ideas, marketing, web 2.0

Anamorphic illusion

Interesting live artwork found at Cardiff Bay barrage.

A photo set can be found here

Filed under: Advertising, Buzz, Design, Experiential, Fun, Ideas and Riffs, Illusion, Social Media, Viral, illustration, marketing, word of mouth

The conversation economy

What a great diagram.

The conversation behind it is here.

Filed under: 2.0, B2B, Buzz, Experiential, Ideas and Riffs, Measurement, Online, Social Media, Strategy, Viral, Web, Web2.0, marketing, web 2.0

252 Paintings

Readers of this blog will remember that I acquired a painting from the ‘One Thousand Paintings‘ collection by Sala, a young artist living in Zürich, Switzerland.

I bought the painting, not as an investment (although I won’t lie and pretend it didn’t cross my mind) but because I fell in love with the idea behind the painting series – and the fact that what I bought was going to be forever unique and remarkable.

It is fascinating to see that despite the sale of paintings slowing down, the long tail of the internet is ensuring that sales aren’t stagnant.  Interesting too, that a second market is beginning to develop.

To date 748 Paintings have been sold.

252 Paintings remain available.

The lowest number available is 82.

The latest number sold is 307.

Filed under: Buzz, Design, Experiential, Ideas and Riffs, Online, Strategy, Web, marketing

Emerging Media in B2B: “The times, they are a-changin.”

Jeff Ramminger is executive vice president of KnowledgeStorm, an Atlanta-based company that helps B2B technology vendors reach technology buyers through online lead-generation and brand-awareness programs, including online content distribution of white papers and product and service information, targeted e-newsletters, webcasts, and online advertising.

His perspectives are always worth reading – and in this piece for Brandchanne.com his writes under the title ‘Welcome to the Evolution’.

Filed under: 2.0, Advertising, B2B, Buzz, Experiential, Ideas and Riffs, Online, PR, Public Relations, SEO, SEO / SEM, Search Engine Optimisation, Social Media, Strategy, Viral, Web, Web2.0, marketing, web 2.0, webmasters

Is the Long Tail wagging the dog?

Johnson King has produced a white paper covering the changing media landscape and the rise of social media.

The white paper is written by Ken Young, a journalist with 20 years experience in the technology industry. Ken has edited prominent technology publications as well as writing for The Financial Times, The Guardian and numerous consumer IT titles. He is a leading expert on the changing media landscape.

Filed under: 2.0, Advertising, Experiential, Ideas and Riffs, Online, PR, Public Relations, Social Media, Strategy, Viral, Web, marketing, web 2.0

Drawball

Tomorrowsplayground points us to Drawball

This is so visual and classically viral. Show off your skills on the enormous circle of potential art.

The challenge for all you B2B IT marketers out there is to be equally visual and viral in your marketing efforts. Not difficult. But never easy!

Filed under: Experiential, Ideas and Riffs, Social Media, Viral, marketing

Paul Marsden Interview

The VBMA has an exclusive interview with the opinion leader Paul Marsden – a marketing research and product seeding trials expert who has a PhD in social contagion.

Paul discusses the science of influencer marketing and makes practical recommendations on how to seed, what to seed and to whom in order to ignite consumer conversations. He ends by discussing the economics of buzz and how consumer advocacy has been proven to drive business growth. Well worth listening to.

Filed under: Buzz, Experiential, Ideas and Riffs, Strategy, Viral, WOM, marketing