Introducing the ultimate Facebook on the go for the masses (and it’s a little scary!)

11 05 2008

It is being billed as the ultimate Facebook on the go! Instead of logging on to search for friends, mobile phone Bluetooth technology alerts people to other users logged on nearby. In other words, profiles, pictures and background flash onto the screen so users can decide if they want to strike up a real conversation.

 

The system piloted in Berlin, called aka-aki, can also reveal whether a stranger is a friend of a friend and even if you share the same interests to break the ice. Fear not, the system also allows you to screen out any undesirables. Pheww!

 

I don’t really see this service working in the UK the Brits love privacy, and in all fairness I find the whole concept a little scary! Although one obvious use for the service is dating, I think I would be a little scared of anyone randomly approaching me and knowing my name and lots of info about my life.

 

What do you guys thing about this service? Is it the next big thing or am I being paranoid?

More about aka-aki in English right here




A confession…

6 05 2008

Photo: The cans Festival, London

 

 

Remember the cutie with an impressive spec? Yes, I am talking about the Xda Orbit 2. Well I have a confession to make… whilst I think it is a brilliant phone with lots of cool and useful apps, I have actually started using my old Samsung E900 again. Don’t get me wrong, the Xda Orbit 2 is a fab phone but I am a texter and I missed having a keypad. I found it really hard to text on the go… yes I am a girl and I multi-task!

Go and check the Xda Blog for more info about the applications that can be downloaded onto the phone.

UPDATE: Steve from VCCP left me a comment to ask whether I had tried to download the resco keyboard. The answer is yes, I have… it is easier to text with the resco keyboard however it is not the same as pressing buttons…




Damn fucking tasty!

2 05 2008

Dutch Pizza chain New York Pizza, one of the Netherlands fastest growing pizza delivery chains, has launched an integrated advertising campaign with three short ‘mafia style’ films featuring flour, tomato sauce and a pizza delivery boy, to prove that New York Pizza makes the best tasting Pizza around with an unrivalled passion for the best quality ingredients.

Don’t you love the Netherlands? I cannot help but wonder how they always manage to get away with everything! Oftcom would probably choke on their pizza at the sound of the F-word!

The flour ad is my favourite – you really wouldn’t know that they are advertising pizza. The tomato on is a little bit too gruesome in my liking and I don’t really get the third one… Pretty damn good!

 

 

 




Goodbye landlines, hello dongles!

23 04 2008

   The folks at 3mobilebuzz recently sent me a new mobile internet dongle to play with, and I have to say that I have been very impressed!

 

The dongle is very simple to install – just whizz it out its box, plug it in and within minutes you’ll be online. I travel a lot around the UK for work and it was a pleasure being able to send emails during my London-Manchester train journey. I did get disconnected at times, but overall I was quite impressed with the signal strength.

 

I think there is a massive opportunity to market this product to Londoners. If you pick up a free London paper on your way to/back from work, you would probably have noticed quite a few ‘3’ ads for the dongle.

 

As a flat sharer, moving into a flat without an Internet connection can be nightmare and being tied to a 12 months contract for both a landline and broadband is both expensive and daunting if you’re not sure how long you are going to stay in that flat.

 

Why not advertise the dongle as a cheaper alternative to landlines and broadband and the bonus of being able to move out without having to worry about where your broadband/landline is registered? I am sure this would appeal to quite a few consumers emotionally. Fair enough, it’s not as fast a home internet connection but it certainly does the job for emailing and browsing the Internet…

 

My only criticism would be that 3 introduced too many different formats of dongles too quickly. My flatmate bought a ‘matchbox’ modem last year and wanted to have my dongle as she saw it – like a lot of customers, even though both dongles do the exact same thing, she wanted the latest one out! I think that offering different colours is a great idea – there seems to be a trend for pinks as far as mobile phones are concerned – why not dongles? At least they’ll certainly stand out from the competition!

 

3 currently have the cheapest tariffs out there and will even offer you a discount if you are already have a mobile phone contract with them. I think that ‘3’ could try to kill two birds with one stone by using their dongle offer to get consumers to switch mobile network… ‘3’ could also talk more to the very large Aussie community in London to sign up as ‘3’ is also available in Oz – and I am sure no one would say no to free calls back home with a Skype Phone!




Sharp photo taken with my Orbit 2

21 04 2008

Street Art in Camden Town

 




London vs. New York - Can London be sexy?

16 04 2008

 

I recently got involved in a proposal on the topic of country branding which immediately got me thinking about London vs. New York. Both cities are so similar yet so different…

 

The principles behind branding a country are not significantly different to the strategies applied to branding a corporation for e.g.

·         Ireland – With help of Hollywood, Ireland creates ebullient images of a windy, green island full of freckled, red-haired children along with award-winning, creative advertising of a unique product like Guinness.

 

·         Croatia - In the aftermath of the Balkan conflict, war-torn Croatia was left with a very negative international image. The chosen strategy was one of re-branding and aggressively promoting  one sector that would prove the easiest win – upper market tourism. Croatia is now seen as a country of lovely beaches and picturesque towns for the more experienced traveller. Based on this attractive image, investors and tourists brought much-needed revenue to the economy, in turn raising its international profile

I love both London and New York for different reasons. New York is where I aspire to live, New York is appealing and sexy! Think Sex and City!  

Despite being nicknamed (some may disagree with this and that’s fine!) the Capital of The World, London is cosmopolitan but not sexy  – the Big Smoke’s most famous icons include Beefeaters protecting the Crown Jewels, Her majesty the Queen, Big Ben, Eastenders

 

[Click here for a snippet of Eastenders]

 

In your opinion, what makes London so charming? And how could we make London sexy without losing its cosmopolitan side?  J




Age of Conversation vol. 2

11 04 2008

 

Did you miss the conversation in the blogosphere last year about The Age of Conversation - the collaborative book project that brought together some of the leading names in blogging and social media?

Well this year, ‘The Age of Conversation: Why Don’t People Get It’ has some 275 authors contributing covering the following subjects:

  • Manifestos - Declarations, up front, on the Age of  Conversation and why don’t people ‘get it’
  • Keeping Secrets in the Age of Conversation – With everyone talking so much, why do we need secrets and what is the role of privacy?
  • Moving from Conversation to Action - The practical steps that businesses and brands can take  to move from conversation to something more valuable to their business
  • The Accidental Marketer - What is the attraction of marketing and are there company’s or brands that happen into marketing success? 
  • A New Brand of Creative - With the changes in the way  that people communicate and collaborate online, marketing and advertising  companies are needing to reach out and work with a new type of creative team.  What do these “creatives” look like and what are the challenges that they face?  
  • My Marketing Tragedy - covering projects that have failed and what was learnt from the failure?
  • Business Model Evolution - Just as the markets and  people are changing, so too are the business models around both clients and  agencies - this chapter will explore the implications of the new business model 
  • Life in the Conversation Lane - Bringing it all back to  the individual and  how is life in a digitally connected, social world impacting us all?

The authors of the Age of Conversation 2.0 are:

Adam Crowe, Adrian Ho, Aki Spicer, Alex Henault, Amy Jussel, Andrew Odom, Andy Nulman, Andy Sernovitz, Andy Whitlock, Angela Maiers, Ann Handley, Anna Farmery, Armando Alves, Arun Rajagopal, Asi Sharabi, Becky Carroll, Becky McCray, Bernie Scheffler, Bill Gammell, Bob Carlton, Bob LeDrew, Brad Shorr, Bradley Spitzer, Brandon Murphy, Branislav Peric, Brent Dixon, Brett Macfarlane, Brian Reich, C.C. Chapman, Cam Beck, Casper Willer, Cathleen Rittereiser, Cathryn Hrudicka, Cedric Giorgi, Charles Sipe, Chris Kieff, Chris Cree, Chris Wilson, Christina Kerley (CK), C.B. Whittemore, Clay Parker Jones, Chris Brown, Colin McKay, Connie Bensen, Connie Reece, Cord Silverstein, Corentin Monot, Craig Wilson, Daniel Honigman, Dan Goldstein, Dan Schawbel, Dana VanDen Heuvel, Dan Sitter, Daria Radota Rasmussen, Darren Herman, Darryl Patterson, Dave Davison, Dave Origano, David Armano, David Bausola, David Berkowitz, David Brazeal, David Koopmans, David Meerman Scott, David Petherick, David Reich, David Weinfeld, David Zinger, Deanna Gernert, Deborah Brown, Dennis Price, Derrick Kwa, Dino Demopoulos, Doug Haslam, Doug Meacham, Doug Mitchell, Douglas Hanna, Douglas Karr, Drew McLellan, Duane Brown, Dustin Jacobsen, Dylan Viner, Ed Brenegar, Ed Cotton, Efrain Mendicuti, Ellen Weber, Emily Reed, Eric Peterson, Eric Nehrlich, Ernie Mosteller, Faris Yakob, Fernanda Romano, Francis Anderson, G. Kofi Annan, Gareth Kay, Gary Cohen, Gaurav Mishra, Gavin Heaton, Geert Desager, George Jenkins, G.L. Hoffman, Gianandrea Facchini, Gordon Whitehead, Graham Hill, Greg Verdino, Gretel Going & Kathryn Fleming, Hillel Cooperman, Hugh Weber, J. Erik Potter, J.C. Hutchins, James Gordon-Macintosh, Jamey Shiels, Jasmin Tragas, Jason Oke, Jay Ehret, Jeanne Dininni, Jeff De Cagna, Jeff Gwynne, Jeff Noble, Jeff Wallace, Jennifer Warwick, Jenny Meade, Jeremy Fuksa, Jeremy Heilpern, Jeremy Middleton, Jeroen Verkroost, Jessica Hagy, Joanna Young, Joe Pulizzi, Joe Talbott, John Herrington, John Jantsch, John Moore, John Rosen, John Todor, Jon Burg, Jon Swanson, Jonathan Trenn, Jordan Behan, Julie Fleischer, Justin Flowers, Justin Foster, Karl Turley, Kate Trgovac, Katie Chatfield, Katie Konrath, Kenny Lauer, Keri Willenborg, Kevin Jessop, Kris Hoet, Krishna De, Kristin Gorski, Laura Fitton, Laurence Helene Borei, Lewis Green, Lois Kelly, Lori Magno, Louise Barnes-Johnston, Louise Mangan, Louise Manning, Luc Debaisieux, Marcus Brown, Mario Vellandi, Mark Blair, Mark Earls, Mark Goren, Mark Hancock, Mark Lewis, Mark McGuinness, Mark McSpadden, Matt Dickman, Matt J. McDonald, Matt Moore, Michael Hawkins, Michael Karnjanaprakorn, Michelle Lamar, Mike Arauz, Mike McAllen, Mike Sansone, Mitch Joel, Monica Wright, Nathan Gilliatt, Nathan Snell, Neil Perkin, Nettie Hartsock, Nick Rice, Oleksandr Skorokhod, Ozgur Alaz, Paul Chaney, Paul Hebert, Paul Isakson, Paul Marobella, Paul McEnany, Paul Tedesco, Paul Williams, Pet Campbell, Pete Deutschman, Peter Corbett, Phil Gerbyshak, Phil Lewis, Phil Soden, Piet Wulleman, Rachel Steiner, Sreeraj Menon, Reginald Adkins, Richard Huntington, Rishi Desai, Beeker Northam, Rob Mortimer, Robert Hruzek, Roberta Rosenberg, Robyn McMaster, Roger von Oech, Rohit Bhargava, Ron Shevlin, Ryan Barrett, Ryan Karpeles, Ryan Rasmussen, Sam Huleatt, Sandy Renshaw, Scott Goodson, Scott Monty, Scott Townsend, Scott White, Sean Howard, Sean Scott, Seni Thomas, Seth Gaffney, Shama Hyder, Sheila Scarborough, Sheryl Steadman, Simon Payn, Sonia Simone, Spike Jones, Stanley Johnson, Stephen Collins, Stephen Cribbett, Stephen Landau, Stephen Smith, Steve Bannister, Steve Hardy, Steve Portigal, Steve Roesler, Steven Verbruggen, Steve Woodruff, Sue Edworthy, Susan Bird, Susan Gunelius, Susan Heywood, Tammy Lenski, Terrell Meek, Thomas Clifford, Thomas Knoll, Tiffany Kenyon, Tim Brunelle, Tim Buesing, Tim Connor, Tim Jackson, Tim Longhurst, Tim Mannveille, Tim Tyler, Timothy Johnson, Tinu Abayomi-Paul, Toby Bloomberg, Todd Andrlik, Troy Rutter, Troy Worman, Uwe Hook, Valeria Maltoni, Vandana Ahuja, Vanessa DiMauro, Veronique Rabuteau, Wayne Buckhanan, William Azaroff, Yves Van Landeghem.

Stay tuned!




The new Nokia Tube is creating a lot of buzz but…

9 04 2008

My blog stats yesterday were out of control and it seems that the Nokia Tube is creating a lot of buzz  (see stats below)

 

HOWEVER, this post was about an ad I saw on the Tube (London subway!) not the new Nokia Tube! The stats are fascinating - sounds like the iPhone has found a challenger at last…

To be continued…




It’s been a long time…

8 04 2008

 

 

Life has once again been a little hectic which has left me with no time on my hands to write anything, but I promise to come back with some fresh, interesting stuff soon!

I picked up a link courtesy of Spinning Around containing a list of the top UK blogs taken from AdAge. Based on the AdAge Power 150, the top UK bloggers on all things advertising and marketing on 1 April 2008 (with no comedy additions what with it being Fool’s Day and all).

If you feel that you should be included, you can get in touch with AdAge here, who will add you to the list.

 

UK

Global

Blog

1 (=)

25 (+4)

David Airey

2 (=)

46 (+6)

Blogstorm

3 (=)

55 (+5)

NevilleHobson.com

4 (=)

61 (+1)

russell davies

5 (+1)

90 (+5)

The Engaging Brand

6 (-1)

107 (-22)

adliterate

7 (=)

114 (+8)

PR Blogger

8 (=)

128 (+7)

Crackunit

9 (+1)

139 (+9)

Modern Marketing

10 (+1)

143 (+17)

Only Dead Fish

11 (-2)

147 (-2)

Welcome to Optimism

12 (+2)

173 (+15)

A PR Guy’s Musings

13 (+2)

178 (+12)

Crenk

14 (-1)

182 (-2)

Fraser’s Affiliate Marketing Blog

15 (+1)

186 (+9)

PPC Blog

16 (-4)

189 (-16)

Make Marketing History

17 (+1)

248 (+11)

Hobo SEO UK

18 (+2)

251 (+25)

greenormal

19 (=)

263 (+9)

Life Moves Pretty Fast

20 (-3)

278 (-33)

Simonsays

21 (+3)

308 (+13)

Interactive Marketing Trends

22 (+3)

309 (+13)

mediations

23 (-2)

317 (-25)

Drew B’s take on tech PR

24 (+2)

329 (+5)

50-Plus Marketing

25 (+4)

336 (+11)

Wadds’ tech pr blog

26 (+1)

344 (-3)

Raw Stylus

27 (+1)

345 (-3)

The Way of the Web

28 (+2)

348 (+11)

Faster Future

29 (-7)

354 (-51)

Beyond PR

30 (+4)

355 (+37)

livingbrands

31 (-8)

356 (-52)

Blog Till You Drop

32 (=)

372 (+9)

…the world’s leading…

33 (+2)

399 (+10)

The Friendly Ghost

34 (+2)

408 (+12)

(Almost) Always Thinking

35 (-4)

419 (-39)

Lewis 360

36 (-3)

429 (-38)

Brand Strategy Magazine Blog

37 (+4)

464 (+23)

A Mountain Dweller in the Thames Valley

38 (-1)

469 (+2)

Tell Ten Friends

39 (+1)

470 (+15)

[Bluurb] stuff and things

40 (-2)

474 (-1)

Nick Burcher

41 (+3)

483 (+32)

Simon Wakeman

42 (-3)

484 (-2)

Brandgym Blog

43 (-1)

504 (-3)

Unleashed on Marketing

44 (-1)

507 (-4)

The New Marketing

45 (+3)

511 (+26)

Pudding Relations

46 (-1)

515 (+1)

PR Voice

47 (=)

525 (+2)

Living in a digital world

48 (+1)

538 (+3)

Offer and Acceptance

49 (-3)

548 (-29)

All Things PR

50 (=)

552 (+2)

PRwordSmith

51 (=)

567 (-2)

Indolent.com




Sacrebleu!

13 03 2008

I read in the Metro yesterday that France’s language police have launched a drive to stop a glut of English invading their native tongue. No messing with the French! Terms including ‘email’, ‘blog’ and ‘fast food’ should be banished from the French language… well apparently there are a full 65 pages of banned words on the ministry’s new website launched this week! If anyone happens to have the URL, I’d love to take a look! 

Here are a few examples – looking at the length of the French translation make me feel tired! I wonder how many hours were spent brainstorming French translations…

Click image to enlarge

capture.jpg

Chers amis français, j’aimerais vraiment avoir votre opinion sur le sujet! L’Académie Française va-t’elle trop loin, ou a t’elle raison de protéger notre belle langue ? J