Copyright Laws Choking Creativity

In my Media Law class we are discussing copyright and the protection of intellectual property. Lawrence Lessig spoke at TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) about copyright laws "choking creativity". In the video, Lessig who is a lawyer and activist concerning copyright issues, speaks about a "read write" culture versus a "read only" culture. He argues that in our digital world, we are "read write" by nature and copyright laws have become too restrictive and forcing us into a world where we are just supposed to accept and process the information given to us. We are creative by nature and want to make things "our own".
Lessig challenged the Supreme Court against extending copyright protection from 50 to 70 years. Although he lost, he has teamed up with forces such as Napster and Youtube (sites that encourage creativity and mashups of different works) to fight against the choking of creativity with copyright laws. Lessig is chairman of Creative Commons, a free licensing company for individual creators that allows "some rights reserved" as opposed to "all rights reserved". Creative Commons gives people controll over their ideas but tells people they can use someone elses work for creative purposes. Creative Commons allows the creator to tailor the license in a way that allows a "read write" culture while mainitaining some rights on the original work.

TED- Lawrence Lessig Profile

Larry Lessig on laws that choke creativity

Creative Commons

BCS Bites the Dust

There has been an on-going feud between enthusiasts of the current BCS selection process and others who are more supportive of a playoff system similar to March madness.

Currently, the rankings are based on the USA Today Coaches Poll, Harris Interactive College Football Poll and an average of six other computer rankings. Although it seems like an extensive system, the opportunity for problems has made itself apparent over the past few years, and fans have a growing resentment for the system and its flaws.

Recently, the BCS twitter site received flak from critics who disagree with the system as it stands. As a result, they have hired representation by Ari Fleischer Communications, headed by the former press secretary for President George W. Bush. Teams have followed in suit and have began hiring PR professionals of their own to manage their images in light of this situation. It seems like the battle for who is the best is now going to be further displaced, and more under the control of how people feel about teams and their prestige. Its a sad day for college football.

Find the story @http://www.mediabistro.com/PRNewser/

Can the law keep up with technology?

Professor Frank Walsh showed us this article in class yesterday and I found it perfect for the blog.

Musician Courtney Love is being sued for libel by a fashion designer for allegedly slamming the woman on Twitter.

The suit claims that after a disagreement over what Love should pay Dawn Simorangkir for the clothes she designed, Love posted allegedly derogatory and false comments about the designer. Love claimed that she had a "history of dealing cocaine" on her now-discontinued Twitter feed.

Celebrities are not the only victims of Twitter libel.

Amanda Bonnen, an Illinois resident, is accused of using Twitter to tell another user: "Who said sleeping in a moldy apartment was bad for you? Horizon Realty thinks it's okay."

Horizon Group Management LLC, the company that owned the apartment in question, sued Bonnen for libel over the alleged tweet. Horizon is seeking $50,000 in damages.

Legal experts say such Internet-related cases are being watched closely because they confront new and unaddressed areas of American law.

For example, how should a libel case be handled when it comes to social media? How can society balance accountability with free speech? And if information -- from private thoughts to public data -- is so readily available, how do we define what constitutes privacy?

Legal experts said it's difficult for the law to keep up with emerging technology.

There are several reasons why the law tends to play catch-up.

The first is that it's typically difficult to predict or anticipate technology innovations. For example, Napster.

Another challenge for the law is the way the Web crosses state and international borders. If a Facebook user in England sues another user in Australia for defamatory comments posted on the site. Who has jurisdiction over the case, which country's laws should be applied: England's, Australia's or those of the United States, where Facebook is based?

Also, what if one co-worker is offended by something another co-worker said. Do harassment laws apply? Does the company that employs some of the people have any liability?

Another example is of a user of Blogger.com who created "Skanks in NYC."

The blog attacked a Canadian-born model who has appeared in Vogue and other fashion magazines, by featuring photos of her captioned with derogatory terms.

The model sued Google, creator Blogger.com, to learn the name of the anonymous blogger on the grounds that the post was defamatory and libelous. A New York Supreme Court judge ordered Google to reveal the anonymous blogger's name, and Google complied.

Another case took place in 2006. Stacy Snyder was a 25-year-old single mother hoping to begin a career as a teacher. She had finished her coursework and was a student teacher. Yet Millersville University, located in Pennsylvania, wouldn't give her a degree.

Snyder filed a lawsuit alleging the school denied her a degree because administrators discovered a photo on her MySpace page that showed her wearing a pirate's hat and drinking from a plastic cup, with the caption "drunken pirate."

She lost her case, but, according to the decision by the court, the school provided alternative reasons for denying Snyder a degree.

Task Force Against Routine Mammograms

According to CNN women in their 40s should not receive mammograms for early detection of breast cancer. This is an updated guideline set up by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.

If a woman between the ages of 40 to 49 feels it is necessary they should talk to their doctor about the benefits and risks of a mammogram.

The recommendation for routine screenings was previously woman above the age of 40 but now only includes women ages 50 to 74. Risks and benefits for women above 75 are said to be unknown.

This task force is made up of 16 health care experts (none are oncologists), they only review medical data and base recommendations accordingly.

"All we are saying is, at age 40, a woman should make an appointment with her doctor and have a conversation about the benefits and harms of having a mammography now versus waiting to age 50," said Dr. Diana Petitti, vice chair of the task force.

Statistics say that only 15 percent of women in their 40's detect breast cancer through a mammogram and others through self examination.

Dr. Otis Brawley debates this new recommendation.

"With its new recommendations, the [task force] is essentially telling women that mammography at age 40 to 49 saves lives; just not enough of them," Dr. Otis Brawley, chief medical officer for the American Cancer Society.

The task force says it isn't against screening women younger than 49, but that it shouldn't be routine.

I personally highly disagree with this new 'recommendation.' I think women should be screened routinely starting at the age of 35. Yes, it's a painful procedure but it takes a small amount of time. And for high risk women, they most definitely need to be screened routinely starting at a younger age as well. Just because the mammogram detects benign and malignant lumps, it would be nice to know what is going on inside my body. Wouldn't you like to know as soon as possible if you had cancer?

Here Wii Go!

A temporary Mario Museum was opened outside the Nintendo store at the Rockefeller Center. The museum is housed in a makeshift tent. The Mario museum was constructed for the launch of Super Mario Bros. Wii. By visiting the store at Rockefeller Center, gamers could buy the new game a day before the rest.

At the event, Mario fans could demo the newest game on multiple kiosks outside the museum. The launch also hosted a tournament where the winner received a free copy of the game.

Visitors could experience a little of Mario’s world for once. The entrance to the museum was a giant green pipe. Inside, some of the earliest Mario memorabilia was also displayed on green pipes. After the museum, gamers had only one thing left to complete their day, buy the Super Mario Bros. Wii.

I haven’t played any Mario game for at least ten years. With that being said, I think I would go see this museum if I lived a little closer to New York. Nintendo did a good job planning the event and holding more than just an early release party for their newest game.

Source.

'Milennials' Tend to Shop Less

A recent Brandweek.com article says that millennial women, in their 20s and 30s, are shopping at the supermarket less frequently yet spend more each trip compared to baby boomers.

A recent study also showed that millennials use less coupons and circulars when shopping. Since millennial usually do not have a budget, they are more prone to impulse buying.

"Millennials also value characteristics, such as a store’s “value proposition, location, user-friendly layout and variety” when it comes to deciding where they’ll shop," the article states.

Marketing and PR practitioners are having to deal with the dilemma that millennials do not respond to advertisements the same way baby boomers do. It's going to be our job to figure out what marketing strategies work on our generation and how we can translate those strategies to a mass audience.

Sarah Palin has launched a PR blitz to promote her new book, "Going Rogue: An American Life." Many think this memoir signals that Palin has plans to run for U.S. president in 2012. The book will be officially released on Tuesday, Nov. 17, but it is already a bestseller based on advanced sales and Palin was paid $1.25 million in advance for the book.

The same Tuesday that the book is released, Palin will begin a series of five interviews, starting with Barbara Walters on "Good Morning America." Then, Palin will make the rounds with her fan base by stopping in various working-class U.S. cities to discuss what she thinks went wrong in the McCain/Palin campaign last year and to sign copies of her book.

Palin has launched a Twitter page (@SarahPalinUSA) specifically for promotion of the new book. She will use the Twitter page to keep fans updated on what is going on during the tour and keep everyone updated on the "progress made on the road." She is also using her Facebook page to promote the book tour and to communicate the tour dates with her almost 1 million supporters. Palin also posted a flier for the tour on her Facebook page and encouraged supporters to pass it around.

The book tour starts November 18 and has dates listed through November 24, although, the flier states that there are "more to come."


Reference Articles/Pages:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5ispczA-ZmLxlWisivFJAAu0tdaBg

http://twitter.com/SarahPalinUSA

http://www.facebook.com/sarahpalin

Retailers Spend Extra on Holiday Ads

With the economy in the dumps, retailers are looking to bring consumers' spirits up with some holiday cheer. That means pumping millions of extra dollars in holiday ads and even advertising early.

Companies like Target, Kmart, Gap and Wal-Mart are prepared to dish out a significant amount of money for advertising compared to last year. Although the consumer spending is predicted to remain flat, retailers are jumping to grab "slices of a pie that has shrunk."

The ads are even coming to consumers much earlier than last year. For example, Kmarts commercial has been popular with it's catchy slogan "There's Smart and There's Kmart Smart" that lets consumers know about its layaway plan and benefits of shopping earlier. The advertising push started 30 to 40 day earlier than last year.

Though big conglomerates are taking advantage of the ad time and space cuts, companies like Best Buy are using social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook to market the holiday season. The company will have the regular TV ads starting Dec. 12, but it is good to see big names jumping on the social networking bandwagon to reach consumers.

Here are some holiday slogans to look out for this season:
-Kmart "There's Smart and There's Kmart Smart"
-Sears "More Value, More Christmas"
-Office Max "Dazzling Deals" and "Elf Yourself"

Source

Edelman becomes TweepFriendly with TweetLevel

Edelman released TweetLevel yesterday. The “tweet” should be an indicator this new program is all about Twitter. TweetLevel is a Twitter tool used to measure an individual’s importance and was created by Jonny Bentwood and Alex Parish from Edelman.

I think we’ve all heard debates on how to evaluate the results of Twitter without a measurable component – and as PR college students, we know having a measurable component and facts is the best support during evaluation (Thanks Mrs. Chapa!). So, how does this TweetLevel work? What has been designated as the measurable components?

TweetLevel scores each individual on a scale from 0 – 100, so the higher your score is, the more Tweetastical you are. The score is based off of four different metrics (measurable components): influence, popularity, engagement and trust.

Influence is measured by if what you say is interesting and how many people read it. To increase your influence, it’s encouraged to follow and interact with more people – after all, influence is the primary component. Popularity is solely based on how many followers you have. Engagement scores are based on conversations between Tweeps. And trust? Well, trust is measured by how often a user is retweeted.

With that being said, I plugged my name into the TweetLevel calculator anxiously only to discover my TweetLevel is 21. Ouch. Out of a hundred that isn’t exactly great… though it is the same number as my age, so it does compliment me. (Ha!)

Some of the top Twitter users by influence include: @PerezHilton, @mashable, @twitter_tips, @garyvee and @chrisbrogan.

TwitterLevel has only been up and running for 24 hours and has already had millions of hits. I think this development was a great accomplishment for Edelman and a wonderful contribution to the new Twittersphere.

Check it out, and if you have any suggestions or concerns let Edelman know. Feedback is the most efficient way for TweetLevel to meet its users wants and needs.

The Wall Street Journal will launch its Japanese site on December 15, 2009

The Wall Street Journal will launch its Japanese site on December 15, 2009, and it will be called "The Japan Wall Street Journal = JWSJ."
Until its debut date, it has already started to send out some news in Japanese at http://japan.wsj.com as a preview or trial version.

In Asia, the Wall Street Journal already has its site for China, which launched in 2002, and Japan is picked as the second country in Asia. At the web site, Japanese translators and reporters will pick up the Japan-related topics/articles that approximately 1800 reporters contribute from all over the world, and translate them, and post them on the web site.

Since the President Obama will officially visit Japan for the first time on November 13th, JWSJ staffs have been updating a couple of its related articles a day so far.

Even though some does not understand the purpose of having Japanese version of Wall Street Journal, I think it will become very useful site for Japanese business people who have business overseas if the articles will be translated correctly. I expect that JWSJ will stimulate other Japanese-English newspapers such as Yomiuri, Asahi and Japan Times to provide us the most current and correct information about the world.

http://japan.wsj.com
Resource:

• http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20091111-00000007-oric-ent
• http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20091111-00000023-fsi-bus_all
• http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20091111-00000560-san-soci

Clothing tags becoming new communication medium

Goodwill found a way to increase donations without having to spend a lot in the process. The company and its pro bono agency, BBDO West, approached clothing manufacturers with the idea to use their care tags as a communication medium to send its message out to donate unwanted clothing.

Levi Strauss was the first to sign on to the campaign to create “A Care Tag for Our Planet”. Its tag suggests rather than trashing unwanted jeans, to donate them to Goodwill, so someone else can wear them and less material will end up in our landfills. The tag also focuses on conserving household energy by washing them in cold water. It reads, “donate to Goodwill when no longer needed and care for our planet.”

Goodwill and Levi's will be promoting the campaign through viral and in-store communications.

Goodwill is no stranger to helping the environment, “166 community-based Goodwills in the United States and Canada collectively divert more than 1.5 billion pounds of clothing and textiles every year from landfill by recovering the value in people’s unwanted material goods. In addition to funding community-based services, these landfill diversion programs create job-training opportunities for more than 1.5 million people a year.”

Other clothing manufacturers have recently signed on to participate in the campaign and will be creating care tags to promote Goodwill.

This is a creative idea. Goodwill does not have a big budget, so teaming up with companies that can help them increase donations is smart. Not only will it help Goodwill increase donations, but it also helps the environment as well.

I don’t think people look at the care tags that often, but if the message is clear and stands out in the consumers mind, I think it will be successful.

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=116645

Tecate Doing Largest Promo Campaign to Date

Mexican cerveza Tecate is doing its largest campaign to date, involving both Mexico and the U.S., with another promoter, Top Rank. The effort supports this weekend's mega-fight between Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto in Los Vegas. It will ncludes ads, promotions, point-of-purchase and grassroots events. The fight will be broadcast on HBO Pay-Per-View.

Tecate will offer a $25 mail-in discount for the HBO PPV event with the purchase of an 18-pack of Tecate or Tecate Light in Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington.

"We decided some years ago to build our association with boxing both in Mexico and the U.S.," says Cuellar, adding that traditionally, the company works with Top Rank for its promotional activities in its home country and with Golden Boy for U.S.-market activity.

Daniel Cuellar, sponsorship and media director for Tecate in Mexico, says the on-packaging offer of a discount on the PPV fee has been a hit. "We have been having great results. And every time we have those promotions in different markets, we found retail sales go up 20% or 30%," he says. Tecate is sponsoring the fight broadcast and even giving fans a chance to come to the fight. "I could say it is the biggest campaign we have done around boxing," he says.

I think this is a great team up for Tecate and Top Rank & Golden Boy. It's a great way to promote the beer and the boxing fight. Any kind of sport can almost always be associated with some sort of alcohol so this was a smart campaign decision on Tecate's end.

Same Goals, Different Priorities.

Prior to the execution of any campaign, communicators must solidify their understanding of management’s expectations and definitions of success.

PR News identified the following as management’s view of the purposes served by PR:
•Getting the organization’s name in the media (traditional, social or both): 23 percent.
• Maintaining or rebuilding the organization’s reputation: 22 percent.
• Conveying the organization’s essential story to the media: 21 percent.
• Generating sales leads, donations, etc.: 16 percent.

Then, when asked how PR practitioners would like management to view PR’s contributions, the following answers were identified:
• Maintaining or rebuilding the organization’s reputation: 22 percent
• Conveying the organization’s essential story to the media: 20 percent
• Offering strategic advice to senior leadership: 20 percent
• Getting the organization’s name in the media (traditional, social or both): 19 percent.

Clearly, the top priorities are similar, but the orders differ slightly. Therefore, it is critical to go into a communications program with a clear understanding of management’s perception of success relative to your own.

“Focus on the business of your organization,” said Johna Burke, VP at BurrellesLuce, “Make sure that your communications goals are explicitly aligned with the objectives of strengthening your organization’s position and influence.”

http://www.prnewsonline.com/news/Mainstream-to-Tweetstream-The-Future-of-Integrated-Measurement_13407.html

Christmas Comes With A Cause

This year, due to the economy, retail stores are not only starting their advertisements early, but also stepping it up by joining with a major cause-related initiative.

Macy’s is continuing last year’s “Believe” campaign, based on the “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus” editorial. The letter-writing “Believe Stations” donates $1 per letter to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The television commercials, starring Queen Latifah, are set to launch Nov. 6.

J.C Penny, partnering online with Salvation Army, and Wal-Mart Stores, partnering with Feeding America and Meals On Wheels, has decided to jump on the bandwagon and pull at retailer’s heartstrings.

Although I disagree with the idea of Christmas before Thanksgiving (like when people decorate their houses at the beginning of November), this is a great strategic PR plan by Macy’s, J.C. Penny and Wal-Mart retail chains. The early PR and sentimental connection starts solidifying the store name and brand when people are starting to purchase gifts, focuses on what these stores are giving back to the community and also what some of the consumer’s money is going to. Around the holiday season, people start thinking about giving more than receiving and everyone wants to be part of something good.

Holiday Cheer: Major Retailers Launch Cause Initiatives

Myspace Traffic Decline Risks Google Buyout

A 2006 buyout agreement of Myspace by Google listed the terms of keeping a minimal amount of traffic for a certain period of time before a $900 million buyout would be executed. However, recent traffic declines on Myspace have put the deal in jeopardy.

Weaker traffic means the News Corp division is now expected to receive about $100m less from a deal that had underpinned investors’ confidence in the MySpace acquisition, executives revealed.

Myspace still claims that they are hanging on and have a strategy to increase traffic before the buyout is fully executed, but investors still have yet to see it. Myspace's low traffic and ad sales decline is the bane on News Corps otherwise successful fiscal quarter. This may explain why they are trying to get rid of it.

Mountain Dew cuts out the PR crew

So Mountain Dew is currently coming out with three new flavors of the product, but they are trying to change the way they are marketing the product by getting rid of traditional agencies and approaching it in a complete different manner.

They have set up a web site @www.12seconds.tv where any agency, independant film company or individual can submit a 12-second video clip with their ideas for marketing the three new lines. This is a huge opportunity for those striving to get their clever ideas heard because this over a $100 million dollar business.

Users will be responsible for making the choice, and lets see how that works out. It will be interesting to see the response generated from such an involving campaign. Open-source advertising seems like a good idea, but it may just come back to bite them bad.

See the article @http://www.mediabistro.com/prnewser/stunts/mountain_dew_crowdsources_agencies_pr_need_not_apply_141972.asp

Dumb ol' Baby Einstein

In an article from the New York Times in October, it was announced that Disney is being made to refund Baby Einstein games for not making babies geniuses.

Parents who purchased the popular Baby Media but saw no change in their infant or toddler's cognizance or coordination felt lied to. They must also think that the years of extensive research into early childhood T.V. viewing is a big fat lie.

How dare Disney falsely market a line of DVDs promoting baby intelligence and infantile independence. Disney and corporations like it have been babysitting young children for decades now. But only now do parents feel the detriment, a huge $15.99 hole in their wallets.

Never mind the social awkwardness at age 7 created by electronic babysitting at 9 months, or the lack of confidence and resourcefulness from an infancy of not being held and played with. These parents feel cheated that their babies aren't smarter. The box said Einstein, and Albert E. himself was expected.

While I don't think the global command of Disney is healthy, I think all children should have the opportunity to laugh, eat well and be hugged and played with by adults. Maybe the fact that a product sold their child short will make these parents take their babies to the park or Mac Donald's for some nuggets. Maybe they can even find their favorite childhood Disney movie and pop it in for a good old fashioned movie night.

Either way, Disney isn't losing a dime reimbursing these families and it is a positive PR campaign.

Furthermore, parents have the option to buy a different game in place of the defective one. Maybe a second time around will provide the same benefit as singing to your baby or making them laugh hysterically.

Thousands flock to Facebook group

An Australian man found a camera at a bus stop in Greece and created a Facebook group to try and identify the owner. He started out by posting the pictures that were on the camera in hopes of someone recognizing one of the people in the photographs.

The group started out with 40 people and has grown to over 180,000. Unfortunately, the owner of the camera has not yet been identified.

I know that lots of people joining a Facebook group isn't a new thing, but I still think it's incredible that that many people have heard about the group in such a short amount of time. Even if 99 percent of people joined just for a laugh, that still leaves almost 2000 people that are actually trying to help find the camera's owner.

This just reinforces the power of social media websites as an effective way to advertise and conduct public relations campaigns.



http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2009/11/02/Facebook-group-seeks-cameras-owner/UPI-13091257204858/

Oasis of the Seas - Grand enough to launch during a recession?

Friday, November 20, Royal Caribbean will be unveil its masterpiece - the Oasis of the Seas - on ABC's Good Morning America. Many are pondering if the launch of this giant of a cruise ship (planned six years ago) will flop, considering the downturn in the economy and loss of American spending on luxury items.

Royal Carribean is taking steps to promote the unveiling of the cruise ship that is 40% larger than any other and identify the occasion as a historic event. Traditional and new media is also being used successfully to document the voyage. People may visit the cruise ship's web site where they can watch nightly webisodes featuring staff on board, track the Oasis of the Seas voyage through Google maps and watch as the seconds tick away to the Oasis of the Seas arrival at Fort Lauderdale. Royal Caribbean also has a Facebook fanpage with over 75,000 fans and a Twitter account with over 2,800 followers. Royal Caribbean will also host an official naming ceremony for the Oasis of the Seas in partnership with the Make-A-Wish Foundation to benefit the nonprofit.

With tactics like these, I think that the launch of the Oasis of the Seas will be a success. Its longeivity is more of the question. With environmental concerns and the squeeked-by clearance of the Danish bridge, it may be choppy waters ahead for Royal Caribbean.

Features of the Oasis of the Seas include:

Seven "neighborhoods"
- Central Park, the Royal Promenade, the Pool and Sports Zone, Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Center, Entertainment Place and Youth Zone

2700 cabins

16 decks

theme park

original handcrafted carousel

9 deck open-air atrium with a thrilling zip line

ice rink

golf course

750-seat outdoor amphitheatre

For more information:

Oasis of the Seas web site

Clears Danish Bridge

Royal Caribbean's PR Tactics

What Consequences Ensue for Deadspin Airing ESPN's Dirty Laundry?

It has been recently discovered that ESPN baseball analyst Steve Phillips consented to an extramarital affair with a 22-year-old production assistant who then allegedly stalked his family. Deadspin, a popular sports blogging site, reported on the story, but when the New York Post broke the story, Deadspin felt they had received misleading information about the affair from their ESPN employee source.

Another blogger said that Deadspin's editor A.J. Daulerio is just mad because "the New York Post did his job better than him."

What did Deadspin's editor A.J. Daulerio do in retaliation? He took it upon himself to "unload the inbox of all the sordid rumors received over the years about various ESPN employees," which he posted on the Website. Basically, Deadspin has concocted a cesspool of gossip based on rumors about ESPN employees that may or may not be true.

Among these rumors are allegations of more sexual relationships and crude behavior between employees with some names included.

ESPN is rightfully enraged. What makes it right to write potentially libelous material just because it's on the Internet and not in a newspaper? Right now the only preceding case that governs whether or not the material published on Deadspin is libelous is the 1964 New York Times v. Sullivan case. The argument is that material published on the Internet works differently than hard copy print.

Many people, including Gawker founder Nick Denton, say that stories published online are a "work in progress." He actually urges his employees to publish material that may or may not be confirmed as long as it is indicated that the information is still up in the air. He justifies this practice by saying that the Internet is a completely different medium than newspaper which operates on a different timescale.

"The Web has obviously changed journalistic standards," he wrote in an e-mail response to TIME. "It demands faster turnaround for news stories; exposes the stiflingly cozy relationships between many media outlets and the organizations they cover; and it also allows us to correct and expand on our stories as we go."

So what will happen now? If Deadspin's allegations are true, there is no case. If they are, it will be interesting to see if any leeway is given in conjunction with the New York Times v. Sullivan standards. Only time will tell: as of now, ESPN has not commented on any legal action against Deadspin.

http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1932286,00.html

How social media has affected brands

I read an article on www.prdaily.com that talks about how social media has opened up the public to the inner workings of many companies and how that is scary for them to have their business open to the public.

"Companies are used to do everything behind a wall, but these times are over. Openness and transparency are hallmarks in a digital age," said Candace Kuss, the director of planning at Hill & Knowlton. "Customer service, for example, is definitely public today."

The article also talks about what consumers are now expecting from these companies; As several creative consultants reported, the common trend among brands was last year to ask for an iPhone application, while this year the hot new thing is the social media engagement. It was Richard Baker, the twittering general manager of Liverpool & North Wales Coast, Virgin Trains, who reminded everyone that social media is not a jack-of-all-trades device: "I don't think every customer cares if you have a personality as a brand. Some customers just want information."

To read more visit; http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/pda/2009/oct/27/digital-media-socialnetworking

Microsoft's Bing Won't Give Up!

Microsoft confirmed it has made deals with Twitter and Facebook at the Web 2.0 Conference in San Francisco in regards to the Bing search engine.


The deal will allow Bing to integrate Twitter and Facebook status updates in the search engine results. Microsoft's VP Yusurf Mehdi stated Microsoft will have access to all the public Twitter information in real time and all the public-available data from Facebook which will make this possible.

For example, Mehdi demonstrated the new "Bing Wave 2.0" product in a basic search in Bing for the name of a celebrity. During the product demo, Bing pulled up the most popular, relevant and useful tweets on the subject. The results displayed the most recent tweets about the specific celebrity, the most re-tweeted tweets and even the full URL of the shortened links contained in the tweet.

According to Mehdi's demonstration, it is now possible to view entire Twitter feeds from inside Bing - therefore there is no need to go back and forth from search engine to Twitter. Wait a minute... isn't Twitter becoming a search engine itself?

No companies involved in the deal would comment on terms of the agreement, but the New York Times reported Microsoft paid Twitter for the right to integrate tweets into Bing. Also, Microsoft confirmed it's deal with Twitter is non-exclusive - meaning Google, or any other search engine, can jump on the "Deals with Twitter" band wagon and begin integrating tweets in it's Web site as well.

Taking that into consideration, was it a smart choice for Microsoft to PAY Twitter for permission to integrate tweets into Bing? Even if any search company can strike the same deal? Will people want to use Bing, or will they be "status-update" overloaded?

Only time will tell if this deal was smart for Microsoft - for their sake, let's hope so!




Check out the Bing/Twitter development at www.bing.com/twitter

What's the marketing value of real-time search?

By Rich Cherecwich

When news happens, consumers flock to the web, but they often eschew major news outlets and turn to Twitter and Facebook for the latest developments. Recognizing this, both Google and Microsoft reached deals with Twitter last week to incorporate users' real-time discussions into search results.

Search advertising is still a major earner for online media, and dire economic conditions have marketers focusing on it now more than ever. However, neither search engine has plans to sell advertising on its Twitter searches, and Microsoft's focus is on driving user value with its Twitter search, according to The New York Times.

Right now, real-time search's potential hinges on scale, so user value will play a large role in its adoption. Search advertising succeeds largely because of scale and the ability to match broad search terms with appropriate ads. Because real-time search is still in its early days, there will be fewer queries, and these are likely to be very specialized.

Still, there remains a lot of potential. The folks who run Collecta, an independent real-time engine, believe that up 20 percent of all its searches present commercial opportunities. The challenge for marketers right now is matching search terms with relevant advertisements.

Quizno's Uses Commercial to Engage Consumers Online

Quizno's recently launched a campaign advertising their $5 Double Cheesesteak Sub. They are using the Web and social media to get users to engage with their TV ad.

Users can go to QuiznosToaster.com and answer trivia questions that come from the hidden clues on the TV ad. Once users answer questions online, they are qualified for a chance to win prizes.

Quizno's also posted the ad on YouTube and Facebook encouraging users to go to these sites, watch the ad, and pause it to find hidden clues. Quizno's is also tweeting about the contest on Twitter (@QuiznosToaster).

The ad is not only intended to promote Quizono's new product, but to also reinforce the brand's image as "edgy, provocative and humerous."

I think this is a great way for Quizno's to connect with consumers, give them a chance to win prizes, and spread their brand using social media.

Read the full article here.

Google Audio

Google will be adding a music search to its interface. The search results will contain links to streaming songs or songs to download. Google Audio will link to a variety of music sites, such as imeem, Lala, iLike and Pandora.

Google insiders predict Google Audio to be a threat to iTunes. Because Google holds 70 percent of internet searches, this idea is plausible. Google Audio will launch next Wednesday, November 4, 2009. The playable search results can be a 30-second sample or a stream of any song once, depending on the song’s source.

Google has already created an app for the Android similar to Google Audio, called Listen.

Google has done it again. By using the resources Google Audio has, it will remain the leader of internet searches. For music enthusiasts, Google Audio has joined the top music resources of the web and brought them to a central site.

Learn more here.

How High Will Real-Time Search Fly?

User status updates on sites like Twitter and Facebook are becoming the fastest way to spread news to the masses. This real-time search is so new it has many investors frantically searching for that magical formula to turn it into big money. The idea of real-time search is such a lucrative concept because not even traditional media outlets can get their sites updated that quickly. Several companies have tried different business models for real-time search but have yet to be successful at it.
As usual Google is ahead of the rest. Google and Microsoft are both in talks about including twitter updates in their search results. It is a good way to tap into that social market. I can see how including this in the results will help twitter tap into an audience it has not yet been able to reach. I don't see how this will help search engines grow their market much. The article says that search advertising has been one of the best marketing tools available today. How can you improve on that? As of now, the agreements with Google and Microsoft are supposedly not focused on money, but I have my doubts.

http://http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/25/business/25ping.html?_r=1&ref=business

Lancome Creates New iPhone App

Lancome now has a new iPhone app where fans can test out its latest make-up collection.

The iPhone application is called Declaring Indigo, which is the name of Lancome’s new Fall/Winter make-up collection. It is currently available in English and Chinese.

Users can test the makeup live by using a touchpad to create different looks with the products. The app has all the original colors so that customers can try differnt combinations from the collection. Then the custom creations can be sent to them via email.

They are promoting the new app through the company’s Web site and sending out weekly emails to customers that are on their mailing list.

Lancome has also started The Make-Up Blog (http://www.blog-make-up.com/), where customers can dialogue about their products and give tips and reviews on using the make-up.

I think it is great that Lancome is giving their customers a way to interact with the products and other customers. The app will also help consumers to see how the colors can work together and create a whole look. I think it will really help Lancome with its sales on the new make-up line.

http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=115850

7-Eleven "Sexes Up" Its Coffee

7-Eleven is targeting its Brazilian Bold coffee to young coffee drinkers with a new virtual online dating game. Players go to http://www.the711club.com where they select a “hot” Brazilian date from a group of men and women. The game takes the player through different night club scenarios where they have to answer the correct pickup line. If you earn enough “mojo” points you get a coupon for a cup of hot Brazilian coffee with a map to the nearest 7-Eleven location. The game will run until Dec. 31.

Ketchum created the game which is being promoted in various social media channels, in-stores, and on the radio. They feel 18-34 year old consumers will respond to their marketing campaign because of the interactivity and online presence.

Other features include a dance off game where players show off their dance moves by trying to stay in rhythm with their date. You can also send a picture of your face superimposed to a hot body with your “date” via email or post it to your social media page.

I think it is a fun idea to tie hot Brazilian coffee with “hot” Brazilians, but I don’t understand why it takes place in a nightclub. The nightclub theme doesn’t make me think of coffee. Overall, I think the game is a lot of fun and it is a good way to get young coffee drinkers to come in to 7-11 by giving them a free coupon for playing the game.

MySpace joins forces with Facebook

Many people believe MySpace is dead, dying, being shut out by the growing popularity of other social media like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. However, these critics that voice opinions are no longer users of the site, so how do they really know?

What they should know is that MySpace is in the works to have music videos on social networking sites like Facebook, Bebo, Orkut and hi5. The videos will play through the iLike application in place of going through Google Inc's YouTube.

This step shows that even social networking sites will call on rivals for answers. After all, MySpace is known for specializing in the music area so why not lend its expertise to other thriving sites. It's like buying 250 million ads (according to Brian Cuban, Mass Comm Week speaker, regarding Facebook's population). So, I say smart move MySpace and Facebook.

But this act echoes MySpaces' recent addition of "sync" that updates a users status on Twitter and MySpace simultaneously or one to the other. This allows hyperlinks in MySpace status, a very vital component to Twitter.

MySpace CEO Owen Van Natta is open to the "socialization of content" and its flexibility and willingness to join forces with dominate social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook may help it make a comeback.

Personally, I think MySpace's strategy works. They are using their unique content of music to share with more influential sites. I think Facebook called the experts on this one, but I may be biased because I'm probably the only one with a MySpace page.

Source #1
Source #2

Go Green!

I found an interesting article about promoting the recycling by the Japanese beverage company, Kagome Inc..

Whenever we drink any beverage with milk carton, we are expected to unfold it and put it to the recycling box. However, even though unfolding milk carton is a simple action, people tend not to do it.
As the Public Relations practitioners at Kagome Inc. were seeing these phenomena and developed ideas of making people "want to" unfold it and participate in the recycling. Then, after having numerous meetings, they came into the conclusion of putting some kinds of characters or cartoons at where people only can see them when they compete to unfold it.

However, there are various types of beverages Kagome Inc. has been producing, so producers got confused to put different cartoons to different packages. Therefore, PR practitioners decided to put the message instead of the cartoon characters.

Therefore, every single time we unfold the milk carton that Kagome Inc. has produced, we will be able to see the message of "Thank you very much for unfolding and recycling this milk carton." That message makes us feel better as if we would participate in recycling and going green.

I found interesting that a little bit unique thought will make our life much interesting and fun to live.

Resource: http://www.kanshin.com/keyword/1969670
　　　　　　　http://www.excite.co.jp/News/bit/E1255616397238.html

Luxury brands: too good for social media?

Designer brands in the luxury division of the fashion industry have always prided themselves on ability to create and drive trends, as well as the inaccessibility of their products to the average consumer.

This is the mentality with protecting these luxury brands and confining them to beautifully-glossed pages in traditional media. However, with the latest data showing half of all America adults are using social media, and 96 percent of “Generation Y”, it seems that the old system for marketing will need to change.

In addition to the statistics, brands—elite or not— need loyalty. Luxury brands are known to have extreme fans with passion for their favorite designers. The Web builds a haven for this.

The article also argues that if these companies do not make their own image online, someone will make it for them. “Brand makers that don't create their own conversation with their most passionate customers through social networks risk having a passionate consumer create that presence instead.”

The article also highlights steps for luxury brands to form a social media strategy. This addresses finding the online “voice” for the brand and allowing criticism and adoration.

It goes on to push for “consistent communication” and original content different from the company Web site. However, there is also a caution to follow the 80-20 rule and use the forum for social engagement—not pushing ads in people’s faces.

http://www.forbes.com/2009/10/14/social-media-luxury-brands-cmo-network-gers.html

Pepsi's iPhone App Doesn't "Score" With Everyone

Today there is an iPhone app for just about anything you could possibly want. As a PR tool, it seems that launching an iPhone app can be a great way to reach consumers and promote your product. Recently, Pepsi jumped on the bandwagon and launched their own iPhone app for their Amp Energy Drink. The app brought massive amounts of attention to the soft drink company, but it probably wasn't quite the attention they were hoping for.

The app is called "Before you Score" and it promises to provide consumers with "up-to-the-minute info, feeds, lines and much more to help you amp up and talk to your favorite kinds of women -- 24 in all." The app categorizes women as one of 24 possible types and then provides you with all the possible information you could possibly need to successfully "score" with any woman. Once you have successfully "scored," the app advises you to brag about it to all of your friends.

The app is obviously targeted at males, but Pepsi apparently didn't think about the negative consequences of this app. Stereotyping women into 24 categories and then promoting the exploitation of women through sexual conquests probably isn't the best way to create a "buzz" about your product.

Pepsi and AMP have since issued an apology stating that they were sorry if the app was offensive, but they have yet to pull the app from the iTunes store. A #pepsifail hashtag was also created on Twitter so consumers could easily express their opinions about the app.

Mashable blogger Adam Ostrow said, "There are really only two ways this story could go from here: it could just quietly die down, or #pepsifail could become so loud that Pepsi and AMP have to do something more dramatic, like pull the app. Ultimately, that will depend on how loud those offended become about “before you score” and how much support they’re able to rally."

This just goes to show that creating a "buzz" about your product may not always be a positive thing. Whether this mishap quietly dies down or whether Pepsi suffers consequences from their seemingly foolish decision, they will likely think twice before pulling a stunt like that and alienating an entire sex.


Original Articles:
http://mashable.com/2009/10/12/pepsi-and-amp-app/

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/bottomline/detail?entry_id=49545&tsp=1

http://mashable.com/2009/10/12/amp-before-you-score/

LinkedIn, Facebook Out

LinkedIn has reached 50 million users worldwide and it’s growing by roughly one new member per second.

When LinkedIn launched in 2003, it took four hundreds and seventy seven days, about a year and four months, to reach its first million members. The last million took only 12 days.

Where are these 50 million users? LinkedIn has been global since inception; about half of the total membership is international.

There are now 11 million users in Europe alone. India is currently the fastest-growing country with almost 3 million users, while the Netherlands has the highest rate of adoption per capita outside the U.S., at 30 percent.

Around the globe, people turn to LinkedIn to create and manage their professional identities online. They reconnect with former colleagues and develop new relationships.Every day professionals use LinkedIn to define themselves and their businesses to the world.

"Fifty million is an important milestone," said Jeff Weiner CEO -Linkedin, "however, in the context of our mission , to connect the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful ,we’re just getting started,"said Weiner.

While LinkedIn is growing fast, Facebook's growth has slowed this summer. According to one report, despite reaching the 300 million members milestone in September, the site's growth may have hit a saturation point in some markets.

"LinkedIn's focus on professional networking distinguishes it from social playgrounds like Facebook and News Corp.'s MySpace, where users are encouraged to share their personal lives by posting party photos and adding favorite bands," said LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman.


http://www.media.asia/newsarticle/2009_10/LinkedIn-membership-accelerates-past-50-million/37552

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/webguide/internetlife/2008-01-20-linkedin_N.htm

http://www.media.asia/searcharticle/Facebook-fatigue-sets-in-as-growth-slows/2008/37509?src=related

http://blog.linkedin.com/2009/10/14/linkedin-50-million-professionals-worldwide/

Lottery Hoax Causes Riot in Coat Store

A Columbus, Ohio woman being driven around in a rented limousine pulled up at a coat store and announced she'd won the lottery and would pay for everyone's purchases, police said, but she ended up causing a riot when customers realized it was a hoax.

Angry customers threw merchandise around and looted, leaving the store looking as though a hurricane had passed through it, police said.

Linda Brown was arrested Tuesday after an hours-long shopping spree that began when she hired a stretch Hummer limousine to drop her off at a Burlington Coat Factory store, police Sgt. Lt. Michael Deakins said. Brown walked to a cash register and loudly announced she had won the lottery and would pay for each person's merchandise up to $500, he said.

People flooded the registers as cashiers began ringing up purchase after purchase, but Brown had not yet paid the bill, Deakins said. At least 500 people filled the aisles and another 1,000 were outside trying to get in, he said.

"She was telling people she won $1.5 million," Deakins said. "But it ends up she didn't win anything. She had no money to pay for anything."

About an hour later, Brown had the limousine driver take her to a bank to withdraw money, but she returned empty-handed, police Detective Steven Nace said. By then, store employees had called in two dozen police officers to handle the crowds.

Shopper Candace Jordan said she told Brown she didn't need clothes, she needed help paying her rent.

"And she said, 'How much is it?'" Jordan told WBNS-TV. "And she promptly wrote out a check."

By the time employees realized Brown didn't have any cash to pay, police said, she already had taken off in the limo.

That's when angry customers, realizing they weren't getting free coats, began throwing merchandise on the floor and grabbing clothes without paying for them, Nace said.

"Everybody was like, 'I still want my free stuff,' and that started the riot," he said. "It looks like (Hurricane) Katrina went through the store."

Police said they have no way of tracking down the customers who stole items and fled, but they're reviewing surveillance video.
When the limousine driver realized he wasn't going to be paid the $900 Brown owed him for the day's rental, he turned her in to police, Deakins said.

--This situation could pose a potential problem for Burlington Coat Factory because they openly embraced the situation and called police to help with the crowd control. Once they realized the woman wasn't picking up the tab, they demanded that everyone pay for their merchandise, which prompted a riot. It will be interesting to see if the store makes a statement as this situation develops.

Linkedin.com Reaches 50 Million Users

Linked-in.com, a social media website that was launched in 2003, has now reached 50 million users. Although this may sound like a lot of people, it’s less than a fourth of the users on Facebook (222 million) and less than a fifth of the users on Myspace (268 million).

Linkedin.com offers a more professional approach to other social media websites that are geared toward a younger audience. It has sections on the profile page to put things such as your work experience, education history and professional recommendations.

I really like that Linkedin is doing this well. I like the layout of the website and I like that it is a more professional substitution to Facebook and Myspace and that it appeals to older professionals. Linkedin is a good segway into more mainstream social media outlets.


http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/linkedin_hits_50_million_users_still_a_roach_motel.php

Kellogg's Fights Imitation

A growing trend in consumer shopping is the appearance of imitation products, cheaper items which imitate their more expensive counterparts. One company is taking dramatic steps to stop the counterfeiting of their brand - Kellogg's. Yes, Kellogg's the cereal company.

According to the Daily Mail, Kellogg's will have a limited batch of Corn Flakes hit shelves soon featuring their cursive logo burned on with a special laser. If the test batch is successful, Kellogg's plans to place a number of branded flakes in each box and continue this branding method on to some of their other cereals.

Kellogg's lead technician Helen Lyons had this confusing comment to make on the new approach: "We want shoppers to be under absolutely no illusion that Kellogg's does not make cereal for anyone else." Huh?

My thoughts: People buy cheaper cereal because they want to save money, not because they think Kellogg's makes it. This seems like a very expensive approach to solving this problem.

Click here to read article

H&R Block Promotes Financial Fitness

H&R Block is donating more than $1 million to high schools nationwide for financial education curriculum.

H&R Block's Dollars and Sense program is partnering with Knowledge Matters, a provider of simulation-based educational software, and DECA, an international student organization that works to improve education, to promote financial fitness among teens.

The University of Kansas apparently administered a financial knowledge test to high school seniors. The end result: more than 50 percent of the seniors failed. One would think that perhaps their parents should be teaching them more about money. Actually, when the parents were tested about their personal finance management, a whopping 77 percent failed.

It's not clear how H&R Block plans to ration out the shy sum, but hopefully in the near future one can expect to see curriculum that "allows teens to experience real-life situations without real-life consequences."

H&R Block Dollars & Sense will also offer college scholarships and online advice from a financial psychologist.

Although H&R Block's efforts are warranted due to the recession and credit crisis, I'm not sure how big of a difference can be made with $1 million dollars. Either there will be a few American high schools with financially savvy students, or there will be many high schools with finance 101 as their newest blow-off class.

http://www.hrblock.com/press/Article.jsp?articleid=33927

Fans for Brands: The new Attack on Facebook

Brands are somewhat the new kids on the block when it comes to utilizing Facebook and its "Fan Page" application. 83 of the top 100 brands have now gotten involved in the new method of expanding a brand base, and several more companies are expected to follow. In the social media realm, the strength of the network has always been key. Advertisers have jumped on board to help boost the number of followers of brands on Facebook and use this as a method to keep them in touch with the brands they love.

"These [efforts] are designed to foster word of mouth," says Jeremiah Owyang, a partner with Altimeter Group, which advises companies on social strategies. "Companies cannot traverse the Web quick enough. They need to create these unpaid armies of customers to do this on their behalf."

People have obviously been responsive to the new campaigns when you consider that the Procter & Gamble brand Old-Spice was running an ad for only a week, and successfully increased its 55,000-strong Facebook fan base to nearly 175,000. Of the 15 most popular pages on the site, three belong to corporations: Coca-Cola, Starbucks and Skittles. With results like this, the market for this type of promotion is only going to continue to grow. Now the problem is one that many PR professionals are accustomed to facing: keeping all the fans interested.

Check out the story @http://www.adweek.com/aw/content_display/special-reports/other-reports/e3id3d058ba458918f0ad8e0fa4ed4bb973?pn=2

Wake Up With A "Hot Brazilian"!

Dallas convenient store, 7-Eleven, is broadening their media range to attract younger customers by using a type of 'sex sells' attitude.

They have come up with an online virtual dating game that offers consumers to wake up with a "Hot Brazilian." The so called hottie they're mentioning being coffee. The game, at http://www.the711club.com/, takes players to a place where they can select a 'date' from a choice of good looking men and women. While playing this game, you can navigate through different nightclub scenes and choose pick-up lines to pull on your 'date.' They can then respond on how successful your line may be. If you receive a certain amount of points you can score a free "Hot Brazilian" coffee and a map to the nearest 7-Eleven store.

The game will run through Dec. 31 and is targeted at a younger coffee drinker ranging from ages 18 to 34, says Stephanie Hoppe, 7-Eleven Senior director for marketing.

"7-Eleven wants to promote our great-tasting Brazilian Bold to a younger generation of coffee drinkers," Hoppe tells Marketing Daily. "We know they like reality shows, interaction and gaming, so we created the perfect blend of online entertainment. The marketing of our Brazilian Bold flavor is supported by the tag line of "Wake Up with a Hot Brazilian," so the game ties in well with the overall campaign and appeals to the target audience."

The PR company, Ketchum, created the game which will be promoted through online and social media, while the stores will be promoted using traditional media and radio airings.

Overall, I agree with targeting a younger crowd for their goal, but how they are going about it seems overrated. An online dating game for coffee? Mixing E-Harmony and cheesy pick-up lines seems desperate to me, but I guess it gets the point across.

Information from PR Week and Media Post. For more information visit, www.7-eleven.com

How to pitch a Blogger, or anyone for that matter.

I read a blog post called Your Copy Sucks: How To Pitch a Blogger.

TJ Dietderich tells us a little secret....You have to talk to them like they’re a human being. Who would have thought!?!?!

He goes on to explain that it doesn’t have much to do with the length of your pitch or the “Hi” instead of “Hello” in your salutation. It doesn’t have anything to do with how many bullet points you have and what Cool Blogger Slang you employ.

Here are the examples he gives:

Original Pitch:
I wanted to bring your attention to a touching book called A Very Touching Memoir by An Author. With incredible wit, Author shares her humorous memories of touching stuff happening in an unlikely setting.

I changed that to this:

Hello John, I was looking at this blog post of yours [link] and that makes me think this new book would be your sort of thing. It’s called A Very Touching Memoir by An Author. Here’s some background on it, but if you’d like to learn more, here’s a link.

Pretty simple eh? I thought so too once I read it. So, if you didn't know what it means to make a pitch, to anyone, now you do. It's easy!

Go read the rest of the blog, it isn't long and it clears a lot of thing up.

http://prbreakfastclub.com/2009/10/09/ycs-how-to-pitch-a-blogger/

Should the Kindle allow third-party developers?

Amazon's E-book, The Kindle, hasn't reached the magnitude the company hoped for by the holiday season. The device used to read thousands of books is limited in it capabilities. Many have expressed that Amazon should allow third-party developers to contribute to the device and see what more it could do.
We spoke in class about open sourcing and letting "many" form ideas that the "few" are unable to. Opening a device that has a single purpose would allow for developement of the product to be more user-friendly with many more purposes and in turn attribute to it's success as a mobile device. The device has potential a lot to offer business people and consumers.
The kindle already has many competitors such as an iPhone which with the apps is open to 3rd party developers. It would only benefit the company to follow lead. As for now, Amazon is not showing any interest in the idea.

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/25/will-amazon-open-the-kindle-to-developers/

From cars to TVs, apps are spreading to the real world

CNN -- When Apple launched its App Store last summer, few imagined it would reach today's numbers so quickly, if ever.

Auto-apps could become the next way to customize your ride.

The store now hosts over 85,000 titles and has passed 2 billion downloads. Even Apple is surprised. Now the concept of the app store has spread like a virus among competitors. It's also reached seemingly unrelated industries, like automobiles and TV set-top boxes.

The App Store taps the creative energy of entrepreneurial developers. Whether they're big or small, they can make money through it, even though the challenges for them can be considerable.

For consumers, the App Store offers third-party applications (free or charged ) that can be downloaded or synched onto an iPhone or iPod Touch.

Apple takes 30 percent of a paid app's revenue and charges developers an annual fee to use the iPhone software development kit and upload apps to the store. But the rest goes to developers, some of whom have profited handsomely from their creations.

Many companies now offer something similar to the App Store, if not in whole then in part. Even if none has yet come close to Apple's numbers -- or, arguably, its design achievements -- the spread of the app store idea is undeniable.

"It seems like every company remotely related to technology is embracing the app store craze," notes IT expert Tony Bradley in a blog post for PC World.

Handset makers now offering software stores include Palm, Nokia, Sony-Ericsson, and BlackBerry-maker Research in Motion. On the platform side, Google's Android and Microsoft's Windows Mobile -- competitors to the iPhone OS -- each have an app store now.

Nintendo and Sony, the traditional powers in gaming gadgets, have also launched app stores, for their DSi and PSP handhelds, respectively. Apple is now their competitor thanks to all the iPhone games.

The chipmaker Intel announced last month that it's setting up multiple app stores through partners like Acer and Asus to encourage independent developers to create apps for netbooks and handhelds based on its processors.

For Twitter, a startup called Oneforty is trying to position itself as the unofficial "app store" for tie-in services. Cellular operators, wary of becoming "dumb pipes," aren't sitting idly by. Verizon, Vodafone, Orange, and others getting in on the action with their own app stores.

Not every company is a natural fit for creating app stores, so another market is forming for firms that help set them up. A firm called GetJar has helped Sony Ericsson and the cellular carriers Optimus (in Portugal) and 3 (in the UK) with app stores. Amdocs and Comverse, which already provide various services to carriers, have added "app store provider" to their offerings. Other firms are helping developers deal with the sudden rash of app stores.

A California startup called GoldSpot Media recently launched miApp, designed to let developers "design once, deploy in any app store." Of course they weren't thinking about app stores outside the mobile space when they wrote that tagline.

From hand-held to real-world

Few anticipated the app store meme spreading to cars, for instance, but Atlanta-based Hughes Telematics says it's helping automakers prepare app stores for drivers.

For safety, some of these apps would use an audio-only interface for drivers, or be usable only by passengers or when parked, notes Kevin Link, a vice president with the company: "Automotive applications must consider driver distraction, network security, and reliability within the vehicle."

But the possibilities are tantalizing and include taking pictures of a thief in action, playing catch-up audio clips of TV shows, deciphering that obscure Check Engine light, and remotely starting the engine or resetting the car alarm.

Such apps could be accessed through home computers or smart phones, as well as from within the vehicle itself.

Hughes Telematics can't reveal too many specifics about upcoming app stores because their rollouts depend on the schedules of the carmakers. And many details have yet to be worked out, notes Link, such as how revenues will be split with the developers.

An app store of sorts will also be offered later this year by Roku, which sells a TV set-top box that connects to your broadband connection and brings online content to your living room.

The box already lets customers order Netflix movies. With the upcoming app store, online content normally reserved for computers will be easily accessed over the TV. Possibilities include video and audio podcasts and photo-sharing destinations.

As with the App Store, the idea is to let any developer (most likely a content owner in this case) offer their product through the platform.

"What an open platform does is create an opportunity for any content owner or content aggregator that has access to content, to make that content available for viewing on the TV," notes company spokesperson Brian Jaquet.

Between six and 12 new apps, or channels, will be offered by the end of this year, he adds, and more will follow. Of course exactly what will follow is unclear because -- as with the other App Store-like offerings -- the only real limit is the imaginations of developers. Stay tuned.

Magazines on the Kindle

Time Inc is teaming up with other magazine publishers to launch an online newsstand.  The digital publications would be available on electronic readers, such as Amazon's Kindle.  The newsstand would allow users to receive their monthly subscriptions digitally.  

With the digital subscription, magazine publishers would be able to charge readers for the publication, unlike most online versions.

This service is expected to launch sometime next year.

This is a great idea for anyone that uses a Kindle.  Until the digital newsstand is available on more devices, there is only a limited audience that will find it useful.

Learn more about this topic here.

FTC vs. Blogging

It's not a surprise that the Federal Trade Commission wants to slap restrictions on blogging. After all, as mush as the online journalism field has grown, the FTC feels the need to "respond to the needs of consumers" who spend an increasingly amount of time on the Internet.

The guidelines state that bloggers must disclose information related to the receiving of products in exchange for blog reviews. So basically, this puts blogging in the same category as broadcasting, newspapers, and other publications that adhere to FTC regulations--really?

The FTC's actions arose because more companies are using blogs to generate viral marketing Thus, the government steps in to protect consumers and make them aware of when they are being targeted for product consumption.

The regulations are aimed at bloggers who buddy-up with advertisers. This is the case with bloggers writing positive reviews for Wal-Mart, Fort Mort Co. and Microsoft after recieving products from the companies. Oh, and if these ad-bloggers don't supply a written disclosure for readers, they will have to fork up as much as $11,000 per violation.

The regulations could also have an impact on PR firms who give bloggers free merchandise. But Ted Murphy, found of IZEA Inc., says it could have positive affects because "disclosure and transparency are key to making this social media space sustainable."

The FTC mainly wants to establish an honest relationship between reader and blogger. So if you are supported by an organic diaper company, say it and be proud!

However, First Amendment advocates claim that, like other publications, bloggers should be able to self-regulate themselves in terms of editorial content. Therefore, they should not even accept gifts in exchange for reviews.

But let's face it, new media is in a world of its own. With information being tweeted, linked, e-mailed and posted every second, how does one police themselves? According to Gregg Leslie, the legal defense director for nonprofit Reporters Committe for Freedom of the Press, it begins with good journalism; and stated that this issue "is not the government's business to regulate."

So take that FTC!

Source: http://global.factiva.com/ga/default.aspx?imt=2&ao=5&aod=0