Starbucks "juicy" typo

At the opening of Starbuck's first Evolution Fresh juice bar in Bellevue,Wash., there was a sign that read "Most fruits and 'vegatables' are fat and cholesterol free." Unfortunately this little typo has been said to have made the premiere an impact for all the wrong reasons. The intent for the whole event was to reveal Starbucks' new product line of fruit smoothies and drinks which was supposed to help the company seem to appear healthier, but it actually only hurt the company by appearing to have been rushed and launched prematurely. Marketing and public relations specialists are hoping this flaw doesn't mean the product itself is flawed. I think this only goes to prove how important it is review all aspects of a new campaign early, because if a company as big as Starbucks can make such a little BIG mistake, it could happen to anyone. In the early stages of promoting a new product, the last thing you want to do is fumble so soon, first impressions last the longest and can set the tone for the whole project.

Article & Picture

Pinterest Under Fire

For all you loyal Pinners out there, Pinterest may not seem what it’s all cracked up to be. Last month attorney and photographer Kristin Kowalski delted her Pinterest inspiration boards. Kowalski explained in a blog post following the deletion of her account that the site's terms of use stipulate that people who pin photos to the site agree that they are the owners of the photos or have permission from the owners to post them.
We all know that every time we pin something we are not getting the copyrights from the owner of the photograph. We just look at the picture and repin.
For now, Bruce Johnson, attorney, suggests users should shield themselves by contacting copyright owners before posting images. But by doing that it would take the fun out of what Pinterest is all about, quickly looking at an image and repining the image. And who has the time to contact everyone owner of an image?
Pinterest founder, Ben Silbermann is aware of the problems. Silberman said he knows there are issues Pinterest and the fear of claims of copyright infringement, and he wants to figure out a way to make 'his little Web page' … work within the confines of the law and in a way where photographers and every user feels comfortable.

Article

Why the new iPad is not called the iPad 3

"Apple doesn't want consumers to buy tablets, it wants them to buy iPads."

According to an article published in CNET News, Apple's reason for not naming the new iPad "iPad 3" is so that Apple can take "ownership of the category." Apple's ideal world is for people to refer to any tablet as an "iPad", just like most do when talking about an MP3 player, they refer to it as an iPod.

By keeping the name just iPad also gives leeway to add different versions like with the MacBook (i.e. MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, ect.), and moving away from the numbers following the name of every new iPad shows that it's basically the same product with less changes from the previous model.

This type of branding has proven to be successful for Apple in the past, so I see no reason it shouldn't continue to do so.

 To read the full story, click the link below:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57393576-37/apple-wants-ipad-to-be-the-kleenex-of-tablets/

"Pink Slime" Beef En Route To American Schools

The USDA announced that it is picking up 7 million pounds of beef containing ammonium hydroxide-treated ground connective tissue and meat scraps and serving it up to America's school kids.
This is the same meat product that was recently banned from McDonalds and Taco Bell Menu's. The concoction was originally introduced in 2002 after a salmonella outbreak, and its approval was made by scientists with minimal care and normal protocol. Pink slime," which is officially called "Lean Beef Trimmings," is banned for human consumption in the United Kingdom. It is commonly used in dog and chicken food. ammonium hydroxide, a chemical that is used to kill pathogens such as E. coli. The FDA considers it safe for human consumption but a 2009 expose by the New York Times questioned its safety and efficacy.
With this being said, the obvious question now arises, of how good of an idea is it to serve this food product to our children.

"Pink Slime"

Bank of America is walking into a PR buzz saw

Last year, Bank of America announced plans to charge a monthly fee for debit cards. But the amount of backlash caused them to pull the plan. Bank of America's PR team attempted to salvage the establishment's reputation. Now, word has come out that they're "exploring" different monthly fee options. I feel sorry for their PR team, but I guess that's the nature of the beast. We don't get to make the big decisions, we just have to deal with the repercussions. 

Article

Kony 2012

“KONY 2012 IS A FILM AND CAMPAIGN BY INVISIBLE CHILDREN THAT AIMS TO MAKE JOSEPH KONY FAMOUS, NOT TO CELEBRATE HIM, BUT TO RAISE SUPPORT FOR HIS ARREST AND SET A PRECEDENT FOR INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE.”

WASHINGTON — A campaign to bring accused war criminal Joseph Kony, the fugitive head of Uganda's Lord's Resistance Army rebels, to justice has gone viral on the Internet. The hashtag “#stopkony” was among top.

The following was taken from socialmediatoday.com by someone who thinks it will help prove that social media is a spiritual awakening:

"But before you do, let me add a disclaimer. I'm not a particularly political person, but this video will certainly move you. I think it will effect you even more profoundly if you're a parent, I felt as if I had been kicked in the stomach while watching it. This video articulates beautifully that this social media animal is a spiritual dance. That together, "many littles" can do great things through our collective digital connections."

"If Jen and Mike hadn't shared the video with me, I wouldn't have shared it with you, and you wouldn't have been able to share this post with your social network, and perhaps this movement would die on the vine. Thank you to Jen and Mike for being brave. I think the rest may be up to you."

This campaign exploded over night and I think it proves just how powerful social media is. This morning I saw Ryan Secrest tweet about it. It will be interesting to see if it works or not.

WATCH AND SHARE

IF THE WORLD KNOWS WHO JOSEPH KONY IS, IT WILL UNITE TO STOP HIM.

IT STARTS HERE.

KONY 2012 IS A FILM AND CAMPAIGN BY INVISIBLE CHILDREN THAT AIMS TO MAKE JOSEPH KONY FAMOUS, NOT TO CELEBRATE HIM, BUT TO RAISE SUPPORT FOR HIS ARREST AND SET A PRECEDENT FOR INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE.

A new, high-definition iPad from Apple

On Wednesday, Apple announced a new high-definition iPad will be available with a faster processor, a better camera and a display screen that promises to be dramatically sharper than the current model, the iPad 2.

The new iPad will be available in the United States and 9 other countries March 16 and cost the same as the iPad 2, from $499 to $829 based on storage capacity and Wi-Fi capacity. Pre-orders were opened at Apple's online store on Wednesday. The new iPad will be the first to run on a 4G wireless network and doesn't have an official name yet such as "iPad 3."

The price on the iPad 2 will be slashed $100. So, a 16GB, Wi-Fi-only model will sell for $399, making it more competitive with the lower-end tablets.

This is really annoying because I got the original iPad two Christmas' ago and it has the medium data plan so it cost about $800. I also pay 25$ a month for unlimited 3G access. Newer and better is always coming out, and now the prices are significantly cheaper which is really really aggravating. I don't want a new one because I paid so much for the one I have and I feel like it should still be new! I never win.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/07/tech/mobile/ipad-3-announcement/index.html?hpt=hp_t2