1 octubre 2012 – Gabriel Catalano®

Technology Will Only Solve 1/3 of Your Social Business Problem

I’m behind on writing a bit as I’ve just returned from Norway and before that, Dreamforce in San Francisco. It was my first time attending and speaking at Dreamforce and to be honest, I was completely taken back by the extravagance of it all. With Keynotes from heavy hitters such as Sir Richard Branson, Jeff Imelt and even Colin Powell, not to mention entertainment provided by the Red Hot Chili Peppers—I can only estimate that the event cost tens of millions to produce.

Salesforce also made good on what many observers were already suspecting—it has begun to package and consolidate acquisitions of social platforms Radian 6 and Buddy Media into what’s now known as «Marketing Cloud» moving forward. Shel Israel shrewdly views this as a pivot to catering to CMOs as part of the strategy to convert an enterprise to «social enterprise» and in short follow the money trail as companies grapple with how to integrate social at scale.

But amid enjoying some of my favorite tunes belted out by the Peppers in an outdoor venue filled with well over thirty thousand people complete with free beer and wine I couldn’t help but think this:

«all this money—and companies will only be solving one third of their social business problem»

The problem with social technology solutions—even really great technology is that it’s incomplete. It’s no wonder why Salesforce is making a killing, because I’ve seen first hand how a business will freely invest in a technology platform thinking that they have purchased a turnkey solution only to realize shortly after that they’ve possibly invested in the wrong solution and most definitely underestimated the other two areas which require investment (people and process).

The Three P’s of Social Business >>>> Continuar leyendo «Technology Will Only Solve 1/3 of Your Social Business Problem»

What Designers Can Learn From “Gangnam Style” | Onextrapixel

Onextrapixel

«Gangnam Style» is an extremely popular music video produced by South Korean singer and rapper Psy. The video has rapidly gone viral, and is being posted on all sorts of social media. In just two months, the original video has received over 290 million YouTube views and over 2 million likes.

It has been a trending topic on Twitter, and is posted on Facebook many thousands of times daily. When any video, image or trend goes viral, no matter how ridiculous, it benefits anyone who wants to learn the basic principles of marketing to observe why exactly a video like this might become so popular.

What’s Your Style?

It is very important that designers lead rather than follow, using creativity as a driving force rather than relying on overdone styles and designs. The uniqueness of «Gangnam Style» is part of why it is so popular both in Korea and in international markets.

If you haven’t yet seen the video and would like to see for yourself how your web design can be inspired, here is the video.

The same principles that drive trends to go viral also draw people to products and encourage them to make purchases.

What Designers Can Learn From «Gangnam Style»

The «Gangnam Style» video features Psy singing and rapping in a variety of scenes. He travels from the beach to the parking garage, the elevator, the sauna and, weirdly enough, the stable. The accompanying music has slick beats and a repetitive chorus including the chant «Hey, sexy lady,» aimed at female extras cast in the video.

Absurd occurrences, bright colors and attractive ladies are interspersed throughout the video. The tone maintained throughout the entire piece is one of silliness and frivolity, which connects with the concept of Gangnam style as the artist sees it.

The song and video are largely satirical of a sub-sect of Korean females who scrimp on basic needs like food in favor of more expensive luxury items like expensive coffees, makeup, handbags and similar items.

Humor of «Gangnam Style»

There are a number of ways in which the «Gangnam Style» video catches the eye of those who see it and makes them want to share it with other people, a key aspect of viral marketing. One of the main aspects is the humor of the video. The costumes worn by Psy and the absurd scenes in which he appears, like a disco tour bus and a toilet, are humorous and strange.

The viewer does not need to have a specific intellectual connection with this video. The fact that it makes them laugh is enough to make them want to pass it on and share it with their friends. This is one reason that Gangnam Style has gained so much popularity on humor websites and blogs. Continuar leyendo «What Designers Can Learn From “Gangnam Style” | Onextrapixel»

Yes, Social Does Impact Sales | social.ogilvy.com

Recent research from Forrester suggests that social media has an insignificant impact on sales. While this may be true within the specific context of the study, the study’s methodology makes it impossible to draw broad conclusions around the impact of social on sales across all of the “buyer journey.”

Here are three key reasons why:

More comprehensive tracking of content engagement paints a very different portrait. The Forrester study tracked social as a driver of sales only if someone clicked a link on a social property and made an online purchase within 30 days. In fact, brand social strategy is about engaging people with the brand with the intent to increase sales in the future — both online and offline. In a quick service restaurant study we did with partner ChatThreads last year, exposure to social media was a significant drive of sales increases. And, when combined with other media (for example, editorial and billboards) social exposure resulted in a 1.5-2x higher likelihood of purchase across all 5 restaurants in the category. Further, two more studies support a social-sales link: Edison Research’s study last year showed that 28% of social media users cited social networks as influencers of their purchase decision. And in a 2011 ROI Research study, just over 50% of respondents reported they would likely purchase a product after following the brand on Facebook or Twitter. Continuar leyendo «Yes, Social Does Impact Sales | social.ogilvy.com»

Best Of Web And Design In September 2012 | creativenerds.co.uk

creativenerds.co.uk

A great round-up of the best design tutorials, and articles published on the on-line design community. The perfect resource every designer needs to further develop there design skills. I hope you enjoy the round-up , and would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section.

Photoshop

How To Create Your Own Judge Dredd Badge Design

One of the biggest movies at the moment is the Judge Dredd remake, which is obviously the inspiration for this tutorial. Follow this step by step guide to create yourself an awesome judge’s badge design with Adobe illustrator and Photoshop. You’ll create the basic artwork in Illustrator before moving over to Photoshop for colouring and texturing.

Abstract Photo Manipulation in Photoshop CS 6

It’s amazing to see that such amazing images are most of the times done by simple techniques. This tutorial will show you how to achieve similar effect using Photoshop with Masks and Layer Effects. It’s an intermediate tutorial but I am sure you will have so much fun doing as we did.

How to Create a Cassette Tape Illustration from Scratch in Photoshop

You will learn how to create a cassette tape illustration from scratch in Photoshop.

Quick Tip: Create a Neon Text Effect in Photoshop

In this tutorial we will show you how to make a neon text effect in Photoshop using layer styles and textures.

Illustrator

Create a Quick and Easy 3D Type Effect

Clean and modern 3D type is a cool effect, and it’s surprisingly quick and easy to create. With the combination of Photoshop and Illustrator, this effect is can be created in minutes. Continuar leyendo «Best Of Web And Design In September 2012 | creativenerds.co.uk»

NFC technology proves popular amongst university students

qrcodepress.com

NFC technology being used for more than commerce

There are many uses for NFC technology that extend beyond the world of commerce. Before the technology became the backbone of mobile commerce, for instance, it was used in marketing to provide consumers with engaging experiences. Now, the technology is becoming more popular in the world of security because of its uses in access control. Ironically, NFC technology is currently surrounded by controversy concerning its security and how it can be easily exploited. The security industry has only ever seen these concerns justified in regards to commerce, however, meaning that the technology may be well suited for other purposes.

NFC-enabled sleeves serve as new form of access control

Both the University of San Francisco and the Villanova University have launched pilot projects concerning NFC technology and access control. These projects make use of NFC-enabled sleeves for an iPhone, developed by Ingresoll Rand. These sleeves are meant to provide students with access to certain areas of a campus as well as allow them to make use of some of the amenities that can be found therein. Thus far, students have shown a great deal of support for the NFC-sleeves now donning their smart phones and want to see more NFC services pop up around campus.

Sleeves currently only available for iPhone device Continuar leyendo «NFC technology proves popular amongst university students»

Twitter SEO Tactics To Attract Attention

Succeeding online today is all about attracting the attention of people. However, this is not a very easy thing to do since there is so much content out there today. Even in your particular industry in niche you probably have hundreds or even thousands of competitors online. Among the best ways to attract attention online is by using Twitter. A good Twitter strategy can help people notice you and improve awareness about your brand.

Let’s take a look at simple Twitter SEO tactics that can go a long way when it comes to attracting attention.

Set Up a Professional Profile

Your profile should stand out and show your personality. However, it should also be professional so that people will take you seriously. Use a professional looking picture or logo of your company. Make sure that people will immediately recognize your name or brand. This is one of the top Twitter SEO tactics that can help you attract people’s attention. This is your opportunity to give a great first impression that will last.

The Indirect Mention Continuar leyendo «Twitter SEO Tactics To Attract Attention»

How To Create Your Own Formula For Success

Written by Steve Houghton-Burnett | PickTheBrain | Motivation and Self Improvement

Do you have a saying or ‘mantra’ that you use to guide some of the more important decisions in your life? If you do, then you’re not alone, you have something in common with some of the top achievers in the world.

President Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt, for example, believed that you should always “Speak softly and carry a big stick”. Whilst this may not be the most positive fall-back position to have in life, it did serve him, and his nation, well when the tough times came. A more positive example is, believe it or not, Justin Bieber. In 2011 he released a film about his concert tour called ‘Never Say Never’, which reflects his view on life. Whilst you might argue that the young Mr Bieber is not the most intellectually challenging of individuals either on stage or off, you certainly can’t argue that in his world he has had significant success and he attributes his own success to his mantra.

So what are the key components to these types of sayings? After twenty years of informal research in this area I have come up with the following four core characteristics:

Characteristic #1: It can apply to the ‘lows’ and the ‘highs’ >>>>> Continuar leyendo «How To Create Your Own Formula For Success»

This Week’s 10 Most Talked About Viral Videos | Simply Zesty

href=»http://www.simplyzesty.com/»>Simply Zesty

>Another week and another set of brilliant viral videos that people have been talking about in huge numbers. Rather than sifting through the billions of videos that people have uploaded we share the 10 best virals every week form the world of marketing and advertising. This week we have a couple of classics from brands like Coca Cola and Old Spice as well as one of the best bits of marketing we have ever seen from a Belgian bank. Sit back and enjoy the best virals from the past week…

Call Me Maybe – for Choir and Orchestra

Just when we though we were all bored of “Call Me Maybe” cover versions and the whole marketing world had moved onto “Gangham Style” videos, along comes what is probably one of the best cover versions of this year’s most talked about song!

The Wrong Way To Save The Rainforest

Feeling guilty about not getting behind good or worthy causes? Don’t worry as The Rainforest Alliance created this slick vid which shows how easy it is to help its cause, with particular emphasis on what you shouldn’t do. It creates a brilliant narrative about the things you shouldn’t do to save this ecosystem, mainly leave your job, travel to the Amazon and use your knowledge of Hollywood movies to stage a revolution.

Coca-Cola Launch The “Happiness Table”

Coca Cola is known for marketing that aims to make people “happy” all over the world. We’ve covered its campaigns on numerous occasions as it is a theme that they love to share in different countries around the world. The latest is Italy where, as you might have guessed, the focus is all on food. Continuar leyendo «This Week’s 10 Most Talked About Viral Videos | Simply Zesty»

Construya un excelente lugar para trabajar

“No se trata solo de beneficios y ventajas, sino de que hay que considerar toda la propuesta de valor”. — Jennifer Mann, vicepresidente de RR. HH., SAS, empresa en la posición Nº1 del ranking de Las Mejores en Estados Unidos en 2010 y 2011.

greatplacetowork.com.ar

En los excelentes lugares para trabajar, sucede algo que trasciende las políticas y prácticas. No es qué están haciendo las empresas, sino cómo lo hacen sus líderes. Uno no puede predecir que las organizaciones con las prácticas más creativas, con las mayores ganancias, que ofrezcan los trabajos menos estresantes o los paquetes de compensación más atractivos, sean las que los empleados más aprecien.

Sí, las políticas y prácticas son esenciales: son herramientas que los líderes y jefes utilizan para crear de manera sistemática un excelente lugar para trabajar alineado con el negocio de la organización. Sin embargo, es la selección e implementación de estas prácticas lo que hace que estas inversiones se conviertan en activos o por el contrario, impacten en forma negativa en la cultura organizacional.