Social media extends the shelf life of advertising
What happens to an advertising campaign after magazines come off the shelves, billboards are redone and television spots retire from network TV? Cue Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
An article in Monday’s New York Times highlighted how companies such as Burger King and CareerBuilder have extended the life of past advertising campaigns by hosting them on their Web sites and promoting them via social media activities:
MADISON AVENUE is coming up with a digital variation on an Irving Berlin standard: The campaign has ended, but the advertising lingers on.
Years after its introduction, a chimpanzee-themed e-mail service for CareerBuilder, Monk-e-mail, is still going strong.
Thanks to Internet staples like YouTube, Facebook and the special Web sites known as microsites, consumers can still see ads after the completion of the campaigns of which they were part — not unlike satellites that remain in space, visible to the eye, long after they have stopped being tracked.
The ongoing online presence for ads is different from how campaigns conclude in the traditional media, when television commercials and print advertisements cease appearing or billboards and signs in stores are taken down.
Photo Saturation Drowns Real Skill
In our age of constant photo uploading, instant gratification video and whirlwind citizen journalism, it’s hard to remember what made photography so popular in the first place.
Hank Klibanoff of The New York Times shares beautiful memories of where photojournalism originated. Even now in our over-saturated world, these photos still stand out.
Are amateur citizen journalists drowning out the traditional artistic talent of photojournalism?
Magazines Gear Up for iPad
In a new PaidContent article, “Taking the Tablet: 15 Ways Publishers Are Re-Imagining the Magazine”, 15 magazines are highlighted showing how the publishers are re-imagining the layout for tablet devices such as Apple’s iPad, which hits store April 3. The article is pretty neat, listing the different magazines then providing a video that goes through the whole layout.
The ones that struck me were Sports Illustrated, Marie Claire and the New York Times, with each taking a different approach to delivering content.
SI has focused on developing an interactive and breaking news model that will allow subscribers to see live scores and developing stories. Although I’m definitely a fan of the model, I wonder how this will differ and compete with the current SI Web site. Marie Claire and The New York Times have stayed true to their original layouts, but added features that allow a more interactive experience.
Check out the full article and demos.
FourSquare Tools for Business
The New York Times blog, “Bits” announced that FourSquare, a well known location-based social network, will soon provide free analytics tools for businesses. As the use of location-based applications continues to grow, the analytics will offer valuable information for businesses about their customers.
Some of what the analytics will provide:
- Who has “checked-in”*
- When they arrive
- Male to Female Ratio
- Most active times of day
- Option for instant promotions to engage customers
*Note: There will be an opt-in, opt-out setting in the privacy panel that will give Foursquare users the ability to keep their information private.
