General Electric is Prepared for Octopus
Is it even possible to stand out and get noticed through advertising campaigns anymore? Of course, but in an age where almost literally everything you could ever want to know about anything is available with a few keystrokes, you may need to use octopuses raining from the sky and threatening to destroy our way of life to get attention. At least this was the idea that ad agency BBDO had for their client GE in an ad that hit various online and social channels earlier this month, and it seems to be a hit. The 60 second spot is called “Raining Octopuses” (of course), and launched March 11 as a paid spot on NowThis News and GE’s social channels. “The idea was that it would be raining something so unique and different, but it had to rain something really bizarre, and it had to disrupt,” said Andy Goldberg, chief creative officer at GE. So, an octopus. As in disrupt the kinds of things that GE holds together, such as the power grid. This ad is a great idea and tackles what GE is all about from a different and unique aspect, which is how they are attempting to reach a new…
Could the Sale of Yahoo become the Next Google
When we think about who the next Google or Facebook might be, we’re usually considering startups, fledgling companies, or even ideas that haven’t been properly translated into businesses yet. It’s not often that “the next big thing” is actually an old thing that just still exists. The proverbial phoenix from the ashes. And if someone said that the sale of Yahoo could become this phoenix yet to rise, I would have laughed out loud. Until recently, anyway. Yahoo has been in steady decline for years, and even though Marissa Mayer seemed a promising savior for the floundering former online king of the hill, she wasn’t able to bear the weight of the sinking ship. Okay, maybe not sinking, but Yahoo isn’t exactly gaining in popularity either. It’s floating around with its head above water, unable to figure out how to move forward. Working at Yahoo is still considered prestigious, but not like working at Google. Customers aren’t leaving in droves, but they are leaving. They have assets and infrastructure, what they need is a vision and some guidance. So it wasn’t a huge surprise when Mayer announced back in February that Yahoo would be laying off 15% of the jobs at Yahoo and auctioning…
Customizable Digital Advertising Displays that look Great on your Feet.
So have you read MediaJobs most recent article from Roy Weissman about skipping on trying to make money on the ads and just going straight to selling products? What would you say if the product being sold WAS the digital advertising outlet? Lately we’ve been going in-depth on the wearable technology front like the LED fabrics we covered and most of us have already become aware of the strides that have been made with flexible electronics, so check this out. Presently a company called ShiftWear is working hard seeking funding for their miraculous product on Indiegogo. The product being promoted is a prototype pair of shoes that have screens incorporated into them. The screens are made from flexible E-Ink color displays, a type of super-thin digital screen that mimics the appearance of paper. Digital shoes, well, what are the implications for advertisers? On the screens you can display two types of images, static or moving, and the image presented can be customized and selected by Bluetooth communication (jobs for Bluetooth communication) via a smartphone app or tablet. You could even display photographs. The idea is to let users browse, download, and program designs for the shoes. Art can be created…
Which Video Streaming Providers will Survive in the Next 5 Years?
There are many more OTT providers than you realize. One service offers to provide you with 600 channels. A Mashable article promises 33 Ways to Watch Free TV Online and of course there are the usual suspects; Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Prime, CBS, Crackle and the list goes on and on. By the way the industry term for Video Streaming is OTT for over the top. But Which Video Streaming Providers will Survive and Why? In Secret Formula to Win the OTT Race Keith Zubchevich talks about the importance of quality over quantity. But how do you measure quality? In our data crazed world most surely the algorithm masters will find a way. Some would say that quality programming only comes from experienced directors and producers. Some of the most successful shows like House of Cards and Homeland are created, written and produced by seasoned professionals. It’s difficult to guarantee the creation of lots of successful shows. OTT providers will employ different strategies to accomplish this objective. Perhaps some OTT providers may opt to buy cable networks and/or a cable company. Perhaps Amazon will buy Comcast. Are YouTube Stars Professional? Would you consider Michelle Phan, one of the longest sustaining YouTube stars…
Why Amazon will Buy Comcast
The concept of world domination used to be relegated to science fiction movies however Amazon may yet become one of the first to make it a reality. Their recent addition of the Streaming Partners program could be the start of Amazon as the world’s first global OTT (over the top) programming provider. With 83.5% of Facebook users and 79% of Twitter users coming from outside the US, companies today must be globally focused to truly compete and grow. Comcast business is limited to the US. With cable systems passing about 44% of all US homes and 22 million subscribers it has a strong presence but only in the US. Amazon is a global company; According to Mark Mahaney, analyst at RBC Capital Markets, 37% of its 80 million Prime subscribers are from outside the US and is growing quickly. But Why Should Amazon buy Comcast? Amazon’s foray into OTT is the precursor to the separation of the programming platform from the wired cable. I believe that sometime in the next 3 to 5 years most cable companies will sell broadband access only and the program offerings will be spun off into separate companies which will have lots of competition…
