PETA, the US animal rights organisation, have created a controversial series of videos which are now going viral. The PETA film, 'Veggie Love' is based around the proposition that 'Vegetarians have better sex' and shows 3 models in a series of sexually suggestive poses with vegetables. PETA submitted one of them for approval for broadcast in Superbowl XLIII, but got a firm rejection letter from NBC that goes into far too much detail, listing all the specific elements of the film that they found objectionable (obviously published in full on the PETA website.)
It is doubtful that PETA ever intended to stump up $3million to air it, but PETA's 'Veggie Love' film is now getting significant viral coverage and a series of further (equally suggestive films) have been uploaded to the official PETA YouTube channel.
Here is the ad (do not play if you are offended by scenes of a sexually suggestive nature):
Last year GoDaddy capitalised on having an ad banned by making a second (approved) TV ad telling viewers that the banned GoDaddy ad could be seen in full on the GoDaddy website - resulting in 2 million website visits against 500,000 the previous year. This year GoDaddy's Superbowl TV ads have not been banned, but continue to be sexually suggestive. Again designed with a view to driving online traffic, they use the strapline 'continued online at GoDaddy.com' (tacky, but probably effective):
It will be interesting to see how many 2009 Superbowl ads drive traffic to websites. In 2008 it was surprising how many Superbowl advertisers did not optimise their web presence to take full advantage of the traffic boost that a Superbowl spot provides. For SuperBowl XLIII various advertisers have already released online teasers telling people to look out for their ad and some have even released the full ad online, have they invested similarly in after game promotion too?
Monsters v Aliens teaser promoting the first 3D Superbowl ad:
New SoBe Water Superbowl XLIII ad - follows the Monsters v Aliens 3D ad, but is already online in full:
Whilst the big news may be about fans having the chance to choose Watford FC's kit for next season, internet users also have the chance to choose the next thing that the Hubble telescope will explore! To celebrate the 400th anniversary of Galileo's observations visitors to the Hubble Space Telescope site can vote on what they would like it to focus on next - and also have the chance to win one of 100 pictures of the chosen destination.
At http://youdecide.hubblesite.org/ there are 6 options to choose from - Star-Forming Region, Planetary Nebula NGC6072, Planetary Nebula NGC40, Spiral Galaxy, Edge-on Galaxy or Interacting Galaxies. There is also a video of a Hubble astronomer giving information and enticing features of the six available choices.
Choose the next target for the Hubble Space Telescope - screengrab from website (click for larger image)
The current leader is the Spiral Galaxy, but as voting runs until the 1st March there is plenty of time for one of the Planetary Nebulas to overtake - another great example of how an organisation can use the internet to open itself up to a wider audience and generate interest outside of a existing (niche) community.
(Though I'm not sure this is as exciting as the 3D galaxy system ride in Tokyo. Also celebrating the 400th anniversary of Galileo, it projects 3D stars and gives google wearing visitors the feeling of actually being in space - just don't go on a Tuesday.)
Watford Football Club have announced a new kit deal with Joma for the 2009 / 2010 season, but while the kit has been designed, the colours have yet to be chosen. Watford have offered their fans the chance to vote for the 2009 / 2010 kit colours and have emailed their fan base to inform them of this opportunity.
There are 3 choices for the Home kit and 3 choices for the Away kit:
Watford FC new home kit colour choice with my vote (click for larger image)
Watford FC new away kit colour choice with my vote (click for larger image)
The choices will also be on the official Watford website shortly, voting will close at 5pm on 5th February and the winning designs will be announced at the end of the season.
New kits always prompt debate, so giving fans some opportunity to influence the design is an interesting way to go. Having a predetermined design and limiting the selection list also tends to be the best way of running these sort of votes. If everything is completely open then organisations can be left with egg on their face if the vote is hijacked, as with the UGC Doctor Marten boots competition or the 'Dietmar Hamann Wembley Bridge.'
So thank you Watford for giving us a choice and if you are a fan feel free to vote (just don't choose all yellow or blue!)
YouTube promoted a 'Barack Obama Paper Scissors Stone' video through their Twitter account yesterday. I clicked on it and fund that there were Ebay listings ads alongside the video instead of the normal display ad (with each listing pointing to a different Ebay item.)
Ebay ads on YouTube (click for larger image)
I have subtly indicated the Barack Obama Ebay listings with a red arrow in the image above. With the recent YouTube 'Click to Buy' additions and now this, maybe the future for YouTube monetisation is Affiliate programs rather than display or CPC models?
According to Hitwise web UK use of Twitter increased by 974% between Dec 07 and Dec 08 (does not include Twitter use through applications like Twhirl or Tweetdeck). However, I think this figure will pale into insignificance when the Jan 08 vs Jan 09 UK Twitter figures are released.
I recently wrote about how Twitter has entered the UK mainstream and detailed some of the newspaper coverage it has had. Over the last week though UK Twitter coverage has gone through the roof - Jonathan Ross had a discussion about Twitter with Stephen Fry on his TV chat show, Phillip Schofield had a discussion about Twitter with Fern on This Morning and Stephen Fry has appeared all over the place eulogising about micro-blogging and his Twitter friends.
Stephen Fry's BBC Twitter interview - video link here (not sure what's happened to his face on my screengrab)
So who are the latest UK celebrity Twitterers? (all verified through links from their official websites, personal promotion in other media or reliable reference - eg Jonathan Ross' approval!)
Under the Twitter ID @schofe, UK daytime TV legend and all round TV nice guy, Phillip Schofield, has started Twittering. Gaining over 9,000 followers in just a few days, Phillip Schofield verified that this is really him by linking back from his official website and talking about his Twitter ID on national daytime TV!
ITV website featuring Phillip Schofield's Twitter chat. See the clip on the ITV site here or on YouTube below:
3) Dave Gorman on Twitter
Googlewhack celebrity and random adventurer Dave Gorman has long had an internet presence, but has also only just joined Twitter - using the ID @dave_gorman. Starting with an initial 'not understanding what I'm supposed to do here' tweet, Dave Gorman is now Twittering with @replies and by his own admission 'using the mobile web for the first time.' Looking forward to following him - and trying to picture how messy it would have been if he'd Twittered whilst trying to meet 54 other people called Dave Gorman!
Dave Gorman on Twitter
4) Andi Peters on Twitter (and being followed by over 2,000 people!) Phillip Schofield has coaxed ex-children's TV presenter Andi Peters to join Twitter too. The great thing (as with all the above examples) is that it is the actual celebrities themselves tweeeting, not just a faceless PR person. Andi Peters joined today and his tweets from the last 16 hours show that he has followed the same learning curve as every other Twitter user (albeit a much more public one!)
Andi Peters' first day on Twitter! (click for larger image)
5) Danny Wallace on Twitter
Writer Danny Wallace has also joined Twitter, again thanks to Jonathan Ross (who verified that this was the real Danny Wallace). Author of Yes Man (the book turned into a film with Jim Carey), accidental cult founder and potential dictator of his own country, Danny Wallace has taken to Twitter to share his experiences of Lawnmower World, Roadchef and hanging out in bars with the Mighty Boosh.
There are a wide range of other UK celebrities with Twitter accounts with the most notable being @Stephen Fry, @John Cleese, @Alan Carr, @andy_murray, @WillCarling, and of course, the now infamous, Jonathan Ross / @Wossy. Unlike Facebook (which requires your 'friend request' to be accepted before content is shared), the appeal of Twitter is the abiility to follow anyone you like, without needing permission to do so. The more celebrities that take to Twitter, the faster it will grow as a service in the UK - especially if, like all the celebrities listed in this post, they are prepared to post 'celebrity tweets' and use Twitter personally.
I have been inundated with follow notifications so far this year (more in the last 3 weeks than I had in my first 18 months on Twitter) and every time Twitter is mentioned on a TV show / in the press, membership seems to grow ever larger! I think Twitter is just going to get bigger and bigger and bigger. However, whilst I see Twitter as complementary to Facebook, if Twitter keeps evolving then I think it could even start to impact / start to supersede IM, email and traditional ways of accessing social networks.
Watch this space, it could just be the start of Twitter adoption in the UK!
Paris Hilton has a new show on ITV2 called 'Paris Hilton's British Best Friend.' Starting on the 29th January, Paris Hilton's reality show quest for a new British best friend is being promoted by this huge, pink neon, billboard on London's Tottenham Court Road!
Paris Hilton's big pink London billboard! (click for larger image)
If you want to see for yourself, I have created a Google Map showing where the Paris Hilton billboard is - click here.
The Paris Hilton British Best Friend show also a range of online activity around it. There is a dedicated Paris section of itv.com that gives background to the show, video previews and details of contestants.
Paris Hilton British Best Friend website
However, whilst the online activity features various video content, there doesn't seem to be much opportunity for fans to discuss the show or interact with it in their own social spaces. If you compare the www.itv.com/paris microsite to the MTV microsite produced for the US version of the show this becomes even more obvious. Both microsites are nicely produced and well put together, but the MTV site allows fans to interact with the show via Facebook, MySpace etc and also discuss the show through a range of onsite message boards.
Whilst the size of the billboard and the slick production of the ITV microsite shows that Paris Hilton's British Best Friend has had significant investment to attract viewers, adding social features could have made the content even more engaging for the target audience?
After 5 years I have left Zed Media and joined a new part of Publicis Groupe called the VivaKi Nerve Center, where I will be 'Head of Social Media and Audience Messages.'
The VivaKi Nerve Center is helping the Publicis Groupe agency brands (Starcom, ZO, Zed, Performics and Digitas) continue to develop their digital capabilities and the VivaKi Nerve Center is providing cutting edge tools, platforms and partnerships for use across client business.
I'm really excited about the new VivaKi role and pleased that my move to the Vivaki Nerve Center was reported in a number of places last week - links and screengrabs below:
Brand Republic: 'Publicis hires Burcher for new EMEA role with VivaKi' (click for larger image)
However, the Gorilla remix that really stands out is the version by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (www.ifaw.co.uk). Rather than just adding a new soundtrack to the original ad, IFAW remade the Gorilla film to draw attention to the world's declining Gorilla populations. This is a simple, but effective film - I wonder if anyone can turn the eyebrow dancing into anything as compelling?
In 2000 AOL tried to combine AOL's IM service with TV through a special set top box. Slow dial-up connections made this product unviable at the time, but the idea of combining chat / social features into mainstream TV viewing has gradually gained momentum as connection speeds have increased. I have previously written about Social TV, but the online coverage of the Inauguration has taken things to a new level and could be a defining moment in broadcasting history.
The Ofcom Communications Market Report 2008 detailed that 36% of UK TV viewers have used the internet whilst they are watching TV. This has led to the rise of live blogs around event TV - both around Sports coverage and around shows like The Apprentice and The X-Factor. In the US, CBS have also launched social viewing rooms where viewers can have live discussions with friends / other fans during TV shows and have incorporated Twitter into their News programming.
However, the CNN Inauguration coverage took this idea one step further by linking up with Facebook and allowing Facebook users to discuss coverage with both their Facebook friends and the world at large.
CNN Inauguration coverage - the swearing in, with Facebook Friends comments
CNN Inauguration coverage - the speech, with Facebook comments from around the world
The CNN coverage has produced some mind blowing statistics:
- CNN served 13.9 million live video streams globally with 600,000 Facebook status updates posted through the CNN feed (source: Mashable)
Other sites like Joost and Hulu also streamed live coverage online and Twitter saw a massive uplift (5 times more tweets than usual per second) in usage as internet users again discussed events with their followers and friends.
Twitter statistics around Inauguration (source Twitter blog)
(It was also interesting to see people adapting their profile pictures to feel part of the event. The 'Obama Yourself' / Obamicon application seemed to be getting heavy use yesterday as more and more profile photos became Shepard Fairey-esque.)
However, whilst the online coverage and the interactivity were great, there were still some technical issues.
- Bandwidth. There have long been concerns that the current internet infrastructure cannot support the huge growth in video streaming and with so many people tuning in online, the whole internet seemed to creak yesterday - even loading up simple websites was hard for a period. The coverage generally stayed on, but watching Obama's speech with pauses and jumps in coverage was not great - we all went to find a normal TV at this point.
- Pre-roll video. CNN's coverage was sponsored by Vestas and they had a pre-roll video of windmills with a message about wind power. However, from time to time (especially during the speech) the CNN coverage would freeze and on refreshing the window you would have to watch the pre-roll Windmills again. I found myself on the verge of shouting 'shut up about the windmills and let me watch the speech'. I'm not the only one who found this frustrating (cue Le'Nise) and if ever there was a sign that we need something other than pre-packaged TV ads for online coverage, then this was it!
However, I really believe this is the way TV and broadcast will develop - as Graeme Wood says 'Welcome to the Future!' The internet has cut distance and allows you to connect with friends wherever they are. Social TV events like the Inauguration allow users to share their thoughts with their closest friends (or the whole world.)
The social integration worked really well for the Inauguration. How long before this format is applied to events like the FA Cup final or Eurovision? Indeed, Rick Liebling at EyeCube suggests that it won't be too long before this format is applied to Superbowl or the Oscars and as Digital Examples says - we want more!
In time I think we will find this social model being applied to standard TV set and not just online video streaming (though they might be one and the same before too long). At CES TV manufacturers were talking about widgets for TV sets, with a Yahoo / Intel initiative, in partnership with MySpace, unveiling plans for bringing social media to the living room.
Yesterday 'Change' happened and it wasn't just in the White House or on the White House website. The Inauguration marked the start of a new era for social media as mainstream coverage became socialised for a mass audience. This is just the start, there has long been acceptance that all media is becoming digital, however yesterday's coverage shows that in the future all media will be social too.
Philips are running a tactical ad in today's UK newspapers (I have seen it in the Daily Mail and the Daily Telegraph.) The Philips 'Power For Life' ad is for the Philips USB charger and uses an image of George Bush with the strapline 'for whenever you lose power.'
Philips George Bush tactical ad - 'Power4Life. For whenever you lose power.'
The Philips George Bush 'Power For Life' ad plays on the idea, expressed by New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd on BBC news show Newsnight last night, that today's celebrations are as much about Obama becoming President as they are about George Bush leaving.
Topical ads always capture the attention and the Philips George Bush ad is a great example of the long tradition of tactical newspaper ads in the UK.
Enter various words in the interface and it generates a speech which might be more to your liking. On the other hand you might end up with a final paragraph that reads:
"Finally, I must thank my soft family, my smooth campaign volunteers, but most of all, I want to thank Watford FC for making this historic occasion possible. Of course, I must also thank you, President Bush, for years of steering the American people. Without your large efforts, none of this would have been possible." (!)
Paste Magazine's website has a feature called Obamicon.me. Obamicon.me allows visitors to upload a photo or use a webcam to create a personal Shepard Fairey style Obama poster.
This was my effort:
Once created, pictures can also be submitted to an Obamicon.me gallery, where other visitors can view them, comment on them and purchase downloads. There is a lot of creativity with these and well worth a look.
Obamicon.me is another great example of how the internet can allow an iconic 'broadcast' message to be remixed and re-invented by an online community. By giving users the tools to create, the output is varied and interesting. Created images cover a wide range of areas from humourous to satirical to topical and brand related.
Silly - Bowie:
Satirical - Lolcat:
Topical - Hudson River aircrash pilot:
Brand - Wii:
The output from Obamicon.me also shows that people are able to express themselves with pictures in a way that they may not be able to do with text. This is an important point to note going forward with using social / internet data for consumer insight, if you are not able to harvest and interpret video and photography as well as text, you might be missing some really important trends / insight for your brand.
There is a presentation I do on social media with an introduction that tries to put current social media trends into context, arguing that a lot of the things happening now are not new.
The main developments around social media have come from the democratisation of the means of production and distribution. People have always been able to create content, but new technology has made it easier (digital cameras, mobile phones etc) and new social platforms like Flickr, Facebook, Blogger and YouTube have made it possible to scale the distribution of user generated content, giving the possibility to reach a far wider audience than before - thus people like the NumaNuma guy can become Worldwide celebrities from their bedrooms! (The development of search engines has also been important in this, allowing users to discover new things or re-find things that they have found previously and messaging solutions like IM, email and Twitter allow content to be easily forwarded to friends.)
However, this is not all new. Six Degrees was arguably the first social network (founded in 1997), but the principles of UGC go back a lot further. 'Letters to the Editor' is a well established form of UGC, whilst America's Funniest Home Videos / You've Been Framed are long established parts of the programming schedules. Tony Hart though was arguably the first to bring UGC to a mass audience on TV.
Tony Hart presented a series of manic childrens art shows (Take Hart, Hartbeat etc) on the BBC from the 1960's through to the late 1990's and he aimed to make art accessible and fun for children. One of the consistent pillars across all of his programmes was 'The Gallery' where viewers could send their ('user generated') pictures and paintings into the show, with the best entries showcased on TV in The Gallery.
Take Hart's Gallery - a full 10 minute video clip can be seen here
I, like many others, grew up watching Tony Hart's shows and images of the Gallery have long featured in my 'history of' / 'what is' User Generated Content presentations - this ability to create something yourself and then have a platform (The Gallery) to showcase it to a large audience essentially being the key principle behind social media today.
(In his later years Tony Hart still found people were sending him their pictures and in 2005 he launched an online gallery through his website here!)
It was therefore sad to hear that Tony Hart has passed away. I will leave it to other sites to write full obituaries, but in my eyes Tony Hart is a 'founding father' of UGC and I wanted to recognise his role in this by saying goodbye here.
Barack Obama refused to have a headline sponsor for the Inauguration. However, the size of this event means that the Inauguration offers advertisers a great platform / opportunity to associate products with the positive messages of 'Hope' and 'Change' on a historic day for America.
Here are the 10 best examples of Inauguration marketing that I have seen so far:
1) The IKEA Oval Office
After taking over a Japanese subway train last year, IKEA have taken things to a new level at Union Station where they have created an IKEA Oval Office.
IKEA also have a mock motorcade driving around Washington DC for 2 days and have created a virtual Oval Office online at www.embracechange09.com. Online users can add virtual IKEA furniture to the Oval Office and can then send their suggestions to both their friends and the White House!
Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau are taking a mobile beach to Washington DC for the inauguration. The beach is on an flat bed truck, has already toured various US cities (even going abroad visiting the North of England recently) and advocates "a change of weather, a change of scenery!"
3) Dunkin Donuts Inauguration "Stars and Stripes" Donut
"During inaugural week, Dunkin' Donuts customers can enjoy a special new "Stars & Stripes" donut, a frosted donut decorated with red, white and blue star-shaped sprinkles. The new donut is available at participating Dunkin' Donuts shops nationwide for $0.89 from Saturday January 17 to Friday January 23."
4) Silver Diner's Obamalette and Memorial Meatloaf
In Autumn 08 Silver Diner's in the Washington area introduced the 'Obamalette' to their menu. To celebrate the Inauguration they are taking this further and adapting most of their menu to coincide with the big day - 'Barack & Biden Bacon Cheeseburgers' for everyone!
Silver Diner Inauguration menu - view the full menu here
5) Facebook and CNN are joining up to present 'live social coverage'
CNN / Facebook inauguration day - taken from the CNN Facebook Fan Page
6) Pepsi - Refresh Everything
Pepsi have launched a major re-brand with new logo and new slogan. The re-brand is being supported with significant ad expenditure and the Inauguration is being heavily targeted with Pepsi marketing. The 'Refresh Everything' slogan has a good fit with Obama's message of 'Change', so Pepsi will break new ads in Inauguration coverage and Pepsi sampling teams will have a significant presence on the streets of Washington DC over the next few days.
Pepsi have also taken the 'Refresh Everything' idea to the web. Pepsi have been using the internet to co-ordinate a number of real world debates, check the Refresh Everything symposium here, and for the Inauguration Pepsi have created a User Generated 'Dear Mr. President' area, where consumers are encouraged to upload a video telling Barack Obama what he should refresh.
Pepsi 'Dear Mr. President'
7) Honest Tea - Barack Forest Berry
Last year 'Honest Tea' (iced-tea drinks) got a boost when Obama was seen drinking their product whilst on the campaign trail.
Barack Forest Berry Honest Tea
To commerate the Inauguration Honest Tea have created a limited number of bottles that have Obama's image on the label and the flavour changed to "Barack Forest Berry". Honest Tea 'Barack Forest Berry' samples will be given out around Washington DC throughout the Inauguration.
The Inauguration flavour is also featured on the Honest Tea Facebook Page here.
8) Microsoft Photosynth to be used in CNN coverage
Microsoft Photosynth is technology that allows the 3D virtual recreation of places and spaces. CNN are planning to use Photosynth as part of their coverage and the Inauguration will see it brought to a mass audience for the first time.
CNN state:
"We'll take your photos from every angle, combine them with CNN's professional shots, and produce what we hope will be an amazing experience that will be shown live on CNN. And you thought the Jessica Yellin hologram was cool! The synth will also be available for everyone to see on CNN.com."
For more on this and links to online demos of the software check Adjoke here.
9) QVC running the auction at the Inauguration Night Ball
QVC.com showcase their Inaugural Ball involvement on their website
The TV shopping network has paid a fee to broadcast live on from the Creative Coalition's Inaugural Ball.
QVC will sell even more Obama election memorabilia (over 100,000 items to date) and presenters will join in the spirit of the evening by wearing ball gowns. Coverage will include the auctions as usual, but will also include live ball coverage too.
10) Kodak Obama Book
Kodak homepage - dominated by Obama
Kodak Obama Photo Book
Kodak are using Search to promote an Obama Photobook through their website at www.kodak.com - the homepage is dominated by an image of Obama!
Have I missed anything? Let me know in the comments if anything else should be on this list!
12)Marvel comics release an Inauguration issue of Spider-man
The Spider-man comic has released a special Inauguration issue and inside Spider-man meets Barack Obama! The issue was put together after Marvel learnt that Obama is a Spider-man fan and the Inauguration issue sees Spider-man trying to prevent the Inauguration ceremony being disrupted by one of his 'oldest foes'. Full details on the Marvel website here.
Announcing the Coldplay Twitter profile in their latest Coldplay Messenger email, they say:
"STOP, TWITTER TIME If it's good enough for Barack Obama, Stephen Fry and MC Hammer , then it's good enough for us. Yes, we've joined the twitter revolution by setting up the official Coldplay twitter feed at www.twitter.com/coldplay. Pop over there to read little Coldplay updates at regular intervals (which, for those unfamiliar with it, is essentially what twitter is for). "
However, whilst Coldplay have been one of the most forward thinking users of digital in the music industry, they may be missing the point a bit with their Twitter usage. The attraction of MC Hammer and Stephen Fry is that it is actually them using Twitter to record their thoughts and actions. The Coldplay Twitter is not being used by Chris Martin et al, it is being used by a PR person to give updates on the band and latest news. Coldplay Twitter use may evolve into something more interesting, but at least they are there and being so will further drive Twitter uptake across the board.
Since being uploaded in April 2006, 'Evolution of Dance' by Judson Laipply has become one of the most watched videos on YouTube. The Evolution of Dance view count currently stands at 110,372,689 and 282,126 comments have been left.
Evolution of Dance
Judson Laipply has now created a follow up - Evolution of Dance 2. This has just been uploaded to YouTube and is also featured through an Evolution of Dance 2 website at http://www.eod2.com.
Evolution of Dance 2
Whilst Evolution of Dance 2 uses the same formula as the first Evolution of Dance video, the big difference is that this time it is sponsored (and with $80,000 needed to cover the song rights, this was the only way a sequel could be made!)
Evolution of Dance 2 has been uploaded through a PeopleJam YouTube channel and is featured on the (self-help site) Peoplejam.com with Saveology.com the other headline sponsor:
Evolution of Dance 2 on the PeopleJam website
There are also a number of other properties that have been built around the new Evolution Of Dance video, including an ElfYourself type opportunity for users to upload a photo and 'dance with Judson':
Evolution of Dance 2 'Dance with Judson'
Through IBeatYou.com/eod2 there is also a UGC video competition where users can participate in an 'Evolution of Dance Off' and have the chance of winning $5000:
Evolution of Dance 2 - Dance Off competition
This is not the first time that a viral internet celebrity has been engaged by advertisers though:
- Dr.Pepper used Tay Zonday to remake his 'Chocolate Rain' hit as 'Cherry Chocolate Rain' to launch a limited edition Dr.Pepper product (gaining over 7 million views):
As advertisers try and find ways of bringing their messages to the ever larger audiences on YouTube, it is no surprise to see companies trying to engage YouTube celebrities. If successful this sort of messaging can be very powerful, but anything created needs to be authentic and fully in touch with the audience. The right processes also need to be in place to ensure that content can be effectively seeded / optimised and audience engagement can be measured.
However, whilst Evolution of Dance 2 is one of the most ambitious projects to date, there is little subtlety about the advertising tie-ins. Will be interesting to see how consumers respond to this and marketers will be watching to see the extent to which the creation of Evolution of Dance 2 benefits the brands involved.
Burger King have been running a Whopper promotion on Facebook. A Facebook application called 'Whopper Sacrifice' encouraged Facebook users to defriend 10 people and get a free Whopper in return.
However, Facebook have now disabled the application under their terms about privacy (according to TechCrunch Facebook don't want users being told that they have been defriended.)
Whopper Sacrifice Sacrificed
The Whopper Sacrifice website at http://www.whoppersacrifice.com now carries the message that the 'Whopper Sacrifice has been Sacrificed', but also states that 'love for the Whopper sandwich proved to be stronger than 233,906 friendships.'
Although this is an unfortunate end, the volume of defriending that this campaign encouraged is a great validation of how engaging Facebook can be for advertisers!
In Doerentrup in Germany local residents are now able to use their mobile phones to turn on local street lights!
Dial4Light® is running in a number of German towns with ‘licht per anruf’ (lighting by calling) saving up to 25% of local street lighting energy bills and improving the carbon footprints of Lemgo, Dörentrup, Kalletal and Rahden - in these towns all street lights are turned off at 9pm.
After registering with a central database, local residents can then choose to light up selected routes by dialling a number and entering a pre-configured route code or codes for individual lights (codes are posted on lamp posts as well as on the internet.) When a call is received a modem is activated and the relevant street lights come on automatically. (Dial4Light users can also set up a personalised profile called MyDial4Light that keeps an archive of personal journeys and maps, making it easier to use the service.)
Each street light will normally stay on for around 10-15 minutes, however 2 months after installation there is enough data for ‘Glow time optimisation’ to be implemented. Glow time optimisation is the result of data analysis that allows illumination duration of individual lights to be optimised to the ideal time length, something that I think should be referred to as GTO henceforth (I love the idea of data fuelled optimisation being applied to real world things like street lights!)
and more discussion can be found on the ixda forum where there are a number of interesting ideas to further develop this service: http://www.ixda.org/discuss.php?post=36707,
including: - Use Bluetooth proximity sensors to switch on lights as you walk towards them (from Tamlyn) - Use either WiFi with a transmitted beacon from your mobile and have the lights come on automatically (from ‘Mark’) - Light up via motion sensors – “of course if there are no horses or cows running freely on the streets” (Bengi) - Phone call activation utilising voice recognition of street names – instant solution and in a small town the chances for mis-interpretation are small (Mark) - Allow sending an SMS of the first few letters of a street's name - would either result in all the lights for that street to be turned on, or a list being returned. (Mark)
If successful, Dial4Light becomes a great example of how lateral thinking can create new uses for established technology (in this case mobile phones), whilst benefiting the environment at the same time.
On Jan 20th Facebook and CNN will combine to offer the first 'social inauguration.' 'Social TV' is developing quickly, from CNN using Twitter in news bulletins to CBS offering social viewing rooms to live blogs around popular shows and the Facebook / CNN partnership for Barack Obama's inauguration will further develop social TV - many predict it could be the biggest live video event in the history of the web!
CNN / Facebook inauguration day - taken from the CNN Facebook Fan Page
The idea came from the volume of Facebook usage around election day:
- 1.7 million Facebook users donated their status to support a candidate - 5.4 million people declared that they had voted - 1.5 million mentioned Obama, McCain, Palin, Biden or Election on their Facebook wall - 2 million people gave election gifts - 2.4 million joined the spread the word Facebook Election Day event
The inauguration is during the working day in the US so CNN and Facebook are assuming that Facebook chatter around the inauguration event will be significant:
Facebook users will be able to update their Facebook pages directly from the CNN.com live stream meaning they won't have to leave the live coverage to discuss it with their friends. As users make comments while watching the inauguration on CNN.com, their profiles on Facebook.com will be instantly updated. A mini-Facebook window on CNN.com will also show updates from friends in real time.
CNN therefore promote Facebook and in return Facebook will promote the CNN coverage, as all Facebook updates made from the CNN widgets will be appended with the phrase “via CNN.com Live.”
CNN are also publicising the event on their Facebook Fan Page and so far 280,155 Users have declared themselves as 'attending!'
Tune in on January 20th for the first ever social inauguration!
Social networking continues to grow and mobile phone use is a significant contributor - Facebook have particularly benefitted and mobile Facebook usage is increasing. This comes from a combination of improved mobile access to the internet (eg free Facebook access included in mobile packages), improved handsets making access easier (iPhone, N95 etc) and improved social network products for mobile (see x.facebook.com or m.facebook.com.)
It is therefore no surprise to hear that mobile Facebook use is increasing quickly - according to moconews, Facebook's COO Sheryl Sandberg announced at last week's Palm Keynote that Facebook has 20.8 million users accessing the site through the mobile internet. Sandberg also declared that those who access Facebook from mobile are more active than Facebook internet users.
Mobile internet use could push social networking to the next level in 2009. Facebook has just passed 150 million users and increased mobile internet use will further drive Facebook usage and user base!
Citizen Journalism is not new concept (NMA published my letter about it in Oct 06) but there are some new developments that I think are interesting - Joe the Plumber going to Gaza, Das Bild in Germany selling cameras (which readers can use to participate in Das Bild news coverage) and umakethenews.com, who aim to 'modernise print newspapers' and 'structure the conversations that matter most.'
PJTV - Joe the Plumber in Gaza
PJTV announce that Joe the Plumber is going to Israel to cover the Gaza conflict
Joe Wurzelbacher found celebrity under the moniker of 'Joe The Plumber' after publicly challenging Obama's tax plans during the Presidential campaign. However, not content with his 15 minutes of fame, Joe The Plumber has volunteered to participate in a PyjamasTV (pjtv.com) scheme to send a Citizen Reporter to the Middle East to cover the current Gaza conflict.
Joe has said he will spend 10 days covering the fighting in order to explain why Israeli forces are attacking Hamas. Joe says that "being a Christian, I'm pretty well protected by God I believe." "That's not saying he's going to stop a mortar for me, but you gotta take the chance."
Will be interesting to see the results of sending an 'ordinary citizen' abroad to be a war correspondent!
Das Bild 'reader-reporters'
At the same time Das Bild in Germany have launched a scheme that could take Citizen Journalism to another level. Germany's biggest selling newspaper, Das Bild, is selling cameras to its readers through a partnership with German supermarket Lidl.
The cameras have an inbuilt 2GB memory, cost €69.99, can take pictures and video. They also have a USB port which allows for direct uploading to Das Bild, where editors can review the efforts and consider them for publication.
UMakeTheNews.com
uMakeTheNews.com screenshot
"uMakeTheNews.com brings blogging, forums, and online discussion together to create a modern replacement of the newspaper. The website merges the largely disconnected blog networks into organized, threaded, discussion forums; creating a communications media outlet on the Internet."
UMakeTheNews.com seeks to combine the principles of blog aggregation and forums in one site. On the one hand this takes the conversation away from individual blogs and centralises discussions, on the other hand it gives individual content creators a platform where they can potentially reach a much wider audience.
As social media develops and 'citizens' produce ever more content, traditional news organisations are being forced to re-evaluate their way of producing news. It is interesting that the German Journalists association is not enamoured by Das Bild's initiative whilst less surprising that eyebrows have been raised about Joe The Plumber's 'Gaza adventure.' Regardless of the good points and bad points of the above, it is more evidence of how consumer generated content is helping to reshape news output.
