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01 August 2008
Amazon launch ecommerce platform
Amazon is extending further into the service space, launching two new services in the US that let smaller retailers use its ecommerce systems and payments technology on their own sites.
Amazon Simple Pay is a set of payment-only products that allow customers to use payment information stored in their Amazon.com account as a payment method on other retailers' websites, allowing the consumer to get through the checkout more quickly.
Checkout By Amazon is a more complete shopping cart solution, featuring 1-Click ordering, order management, shipping and sales tax calculations — all in a highly familiar to the customer format....
Is this a case of the big boys claiming to be helping the little people, or on a conspriacy basis, is this just another chance to reach deeper into retailers pockets at the same time having a good look at trading patterns and dare i say it..steal the odd customer???...
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31 July 2008
Cuil. Is this the beginning of the search revolution...
Cuil was launched just earlier this week, and from their initial figures, things are looking good. Within the first day they received 50 million search requests, figures which places them in the Yahoo! and Microsoft Live search territory.
But will it last?
Although these numbers are promising for Cuil, the real test will begin once the public start using it on an everyday basis. They are up against the web giant, Google who are currently unrivalled at the top of the search engine dynasty.
After having a look on the site, they certainly do things in a different way to what we are used to. With many new features not used by Google and the like, they may have a shot at global domination after all. Here's how they explain their approach,
"Size matters because many people use the Internet to find information that is of interest to them, even if it’s not popular. Existing technology can’t keep up with the increasing volume of Web pages. If a search engine is incapable of indexing the Internet properly how can it hope to provide accurate search results? Imagine if the phone company decided to stop listing infrequently called numbers in the phone book. Maybe no one phones your grandmother much, but if her friend from the old neighbourhood wants to get in touch, shouldn’t her number be in the book? Cuil lists all the numbers, even the ones that aren’t called much. Because one day someone will need that number."
So is it Viva la revolution? or Viva la - i'll be keeping Google as my homepage for now thanks!
See it for yourself: www.cuil.com
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25 July 2008
Becks.....Tom Price... Charlotte Barcegridle... Riitta Ikonen... Simon Cunningham... The artists
Giving something back ... From 1st August until Christmas, bottles of Beck's beer will be adorned with the work of four emerging artists – thanks to a new scheme called Beck's Canvas, a collaboration between the German brewery and London’s Royal College of Art.
Beck’s has supported contemporary British art over the years and has previously persuaded artists such as Gilbert & George, Damien Hirst, Rachel Whiteread and Tracey Emin to create label artwork for limited edition bottles. However, this year Beck’s Canvas will be mass producing and distributing a whopping 27 million of the special bottles - making this one of the largest ever public art commissions.
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18 July 2008
The Friday question of the week...
If the credit crunch were a breakfast cereal, how would it be marketed?
Are you nuts about the crunch?
Maybe it it would be a dieting breakfast,
"The Credit Crunch Diet... It's time for some serious belt tightening".
We challenge you to come up with your own titles... ...
2 comments
14 July 2008
Socks on Knox and Knox in box. Fox in socks on box on Knox.
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie celebrate birth of the 'Brangelina' twins.
The girl and boy, named Vivienne Marcheline and Knox Leon, mean that the couple, dubbed “Brangelina” in the media, now have a total of six children.'The new age Brady's!'
Exclusive rights to the first photographs of the babies have been sold for $11 million (£6 million) to an unnamed US magazine..... are we really that keen to see these new little ones?
The couple intend to give the money to charity.
They really are the goodie goodie couple are'nt they ?!?!?
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10 July 2008
.bank.bet.sport.shop.sex.where will it end...
With the announcement that the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (Icann), has voted unanimously for the introduction of a new set of "top level" website addresses, is it time for your business to extend your web presence? and will it cause problems by encouraging cybersquatting?
Thomas Herbert of Hostway, one of the world largest hosting companies believes that, "If the domain name system is completely relaxed, cybersquatting will turn into a far greater problem, with companies struggling to protect their websites and intellectual property,"
"For example, Amazon would have to register many more domain names including Amazon.amazon, amazon.shopping, amazon.electronics. The list is practically endless, and the net result would be a much more chaotic and disorganised web."
A factor that may minimise this happening is the fact that buying one of this new generation of website addresses will not be cheap, indeed some could cost as much as £250,000 with application needing to be approved by Icann.
The web address world is now wide open, we're off to register .cotton.
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2 comments
03 July 2008
Faceless figures cause a stir ...
Two mysterious faceless figures have appeared in the crowds of the most high-profile events this summer, including Wimbledon, Henley Regatta, the Harrods sale and Elton John's White Tie and Tiara Ball.
In what looks like a scene from a horror film, the two sit almost motionless among spectators, their facial features totally obscured by a flesh-coloured membrane.
The anonymous figures have provoked much speculation... what they are trying to achieve ???
Could it be performance art? Or a ploy to advertise a yet unnamed brand?
Are they a couple of celebrities keen to avoid the glare of the paparazzi lens. Indeed, they seem to have access to some of the most sought-after A-list events.
But for now, the real identity and purpose of these faceless figures remains a mystery....
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25 June 2008
It sounds good on paper...
Business buzzwords are just one of the continuing adaptations of the English language heard in the work environment. Mixed metaphors and confused idioms are an altogether different kettle of worms!
Some of the Pomegranate favourites include:
Beating around the wrong tree,
We'll burn that bridge when we come to it,
A breeze in the park,
Like water off a cats back...
Lets hear your favourites......
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25 June 2008
Business world is awash in overused buzzwords...
Maybe you've seen some of those obnoxious "motivational" posters hanging around your office, or you've heard them ad nauseum in meetings.
Presenters seem to think these terms make them appear "in the loop" and well-read. But while the temptation is great to use these words and phrases as shortcuts, they have become the subject of water cooler and e-mail jokes ("Buzzword Bingo" was the polite name for one of them) and even websites on the game and the language itself.
This list is not comprehensive, but avoidance of these terms will help in designing a presentation that is fresh and interesting instead of tired and humdrum.
But really .... Is it possible to find better alternatives to these overused buzzwords ? ...
5 comments
19 June 2008
Who has downloaded Firefox 3.0...
Well the answer according to Mozilla (the creators of Firefox) is that they had more than eight million downloads within the first 24 hours of release.
If this proves to be accurate then Firefox 3.0 will set a new download record.
Statistics from the download servers are being scrutinised to produce an official figure that will be passed to the Guinness World Record organisation.
These are pretty impressive figures but what are your views on the new version?
Does it live up to the hype?...
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11 June 2008
The Wii fit girl... spoof or genuine...
A clip of a woman gyrating in her underwear on the wii fit has recently emerged on youtube with a conspiracy theory brewing as to its origins!
The video titled 'Why every guy should buy their girlfriend a Wii Fit' shows a girl playing on the Wii Fit Hula Hoop game, and it has attracted accusations of spin for Nintendo because the man who posted the video works in the advertising industry.
Giovanny Gutierrez, a marketing executive from Florida, is the man in question, as he posted the footage of his girlfriend Lauren Bernat playing on the Hula Hoop game in just a T-shirt and knickers! Which for obvious reasons has attracted quite an impressive audience of over 2 million.
The clip has caused quite a stir in the media with many top name newspapers featuring the video. Nintendo has denied giving Gutierrez a secret brief to market the game, claiming that it is "absolutely, 100% nothing to do with Nintendo", adding that Nintendo did not create it and was not aware of it until it was brought to their attention.
Gutierrez filmed his 25-year-old girlfriend, who also works in advertising, without her knowledge and he said that she was furious when she first found out, but has since calmed down.
Click here to view the video and determine for yourself if it is a form of gorilla advertising or not?!...
1 comments
06 June 2008
The impossible brief...
The Gruen Transfer (TGT) is a new show on ABC1 about advertising, how it works, and how it works on us.
Check out 'The Pitch', where agencies compete each week to fulfill an impossible brief. This week, promote Baghdad as a fun holiday destination.
See the results and give your opinions here, http://www.abc.net.au/tv/gruentransfer/thepitch.htm ...
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05 June 2008
Are community sites getting boring...
All i hear is facebook, bebo, you tube...blah blah what happened to going down the pub and talking to your mates or calling them..? not any more you hear about your mates escapades quicker on facebook than they even know themselves!
Give me a fun site, somewhere where i can may be talk to some new people or exisiting friends but discuss something cool, something new and adventurous, not simply who snogged who and what they had on their pizza.
Any ideas on where the next generation of community site is coming from?...
1 comments
28 May 2008
Vent your feelings about a brand..
Check out this link, it takes you to brand tags, where you are asked to quickly put down 1 word that comes to mind when seeing the brands logo...
http://www.brandtags.net/ ...
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28 May 2008
A clever tactic or simply an annoying jingle...
Audio branding has been evolving for years and many of the big boys have tried all sorts of theories, to infiltrate our psyche and ensure we retain one brand over another.
From Intel to BT the brand signatures have been very effective, all be it with intensive exposure, however there are more subtle and appreciated approaches, as adopted by brands such as T-mobile with their use of the identifiable 'floating without a care in the world' style.
The question posed, is does it work and on what level? Do brand sounds and styles actually endear and create the recognition and ultimately produce the sales they are designed for? Or do they just provide a talking point at the water cooler in creative agencies?...
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