Posts in Media
Is the Social Media Revolution Reshaping Journalism?
The relationship between blogs and 
mainstream media is one that journalists are going to have to embrace if they are to survive in the long term. The impact of social media on traditional sources of information, such as newspapers and magazines, requires a transformation for the journalist from being the gatekeeper of information to sharing it in a public space. In this new world of faster communication dynamics, listening to the public is just as important as presenting the story.
With the age of the Internet, people are no longer interested in being told what to watch and read. People want to choose what they read and information is no longer a one-way exchange. For better or for worse, social media has introduced a new dimension to journalism: allowing a space for contribution and opinions. The social media revolution has given people the opportunity to voice their own thoughts and opinions, something which traditional media platforms lack.
Tags: journalism, social media
5 Ways to Use QR Codes for Marketing
QR codes are no longer only for the big boys; even small 
businesses now use QR codes to market themselves online and offline. Anyone with a smartphone can scan a QR code, which is basically a barcode that allows you to share text, data or a URL with people.
QR codes are great for marketing because they are free and easy to use and create. The tricky part is how to implement them effectively. Websites such as MyQR.com help by letting you know how often QR codes were scanned, from what device and the user’s location.
Tags: QR codes, QR codes marketing
How to stop SOPA/PIPA
By now you must have heard about 
SOPA/PIPA, if not, here’s the skinny. The Stop Online Piracy Act and the Protection of Intellectual Property Act are two laws currently being considered by US law makers.
The aim of these two bills is to combat online piracy and help prevent the theft of intellectual property. Sounds like a noble cause, right? The only problem is that these bills have far reaching effects, effects that could destroy the right to information on the internet.
Kumi Naidoo, International Executive director of Greenpeace, had this to say about the bills. “In the history book of bad ideas, the concept of giving corporations the right to censor the Internet has to rank among the worst ever.”
Tags: online piracy, PIPA, SOPA
Epic Marketing Failures
Sometimes a marketing strategy can 
do wonders for a business and help increase your market share. In other cases it can severely harm your company’s reputation, and even cause you to file for bankruptcy. These are just a few examples of spectacular marketing failures:
- Blockbuster Video commits suicide
In 2003, Blockbuster Video announced what they thought would be something revolutionary: no late fees on late returns of DVDs. Most people thought, ‘Great! I’ll return the DVD when I feel like it.’ And so it went that most people never returned them. Those who returned the DVDs after too long were then charged with the entire price of the DVD. As you can imagine, not many people would rent a movie from a place that does idiotic stuff like that.
Tags: marketing, marketing disasters
The dangerous search for the truth
The work of a journalist is hard, 
often thankless and always dangerous. In 2011, 66 journalists were killed while on the job in Africa, the Middle-East, Asia, the Americas and Europe.
In 2011, 1044 journalists were arrested, nearly double that of the 535 arrested in 2010.
The most dangerous of these places is Pakistan. Ten Journalists were killed in that country alone last year, making it the most dangerous country for a journalist to work in. The Middle-East is also especially dangerous to work in, as 20 journalists were killed during the Arab Spring uprising.
Tags: blogger, journalist, photojournalist, safety
SA marketers join the eco-revolution
An increasing number of companies 
in South Africa and overseas are turning to green advertising due to consumer demand. DuPont, a global leader in market-driven science has noticed a major trend in local companies adopting eco-friendly advertising materials, products and methods for their campaigns. Greg Gardens of the Nedbank Group explains: “A new consumer consciousness requires a new marketing mindset and a very different marketing approach. Companies, brands and markets that fail to adapt will face extinction”.
Green issues are rapidly becoming a central concern amongst South African consumers. Gardens warns against what he calls “greenwashing”, the marketing approach of advertising a brand as green when it is actually not. As consumers are becoming more eco-conscious about the products they are using they are also becoming more skeptical about companies claiming to be green.
The Age of Amazon?
The latest scandal in the digital world is between 
Amazon and publishing houses, and it’s not the first time. First, we saw Amazon pulling books from Macmillan, one of the largest publishing houses in the USA, due to a scandal over the pricing of their e-books. Then we saw not only small bookstores but also the second largest chain of bookstores in the USA, Borders, shutting down. It did not stop there; Amazon released the Kindle, which started treading on the toes of publishing houses. Now, Amazon is going straight for the heart of publishers; their authors.
Tags: Amazon, digital publishing, publishing, publishing houses
The Power of Interactive Ads
The age of passive advertising is slowly dying 
out. According to marketing experts Adam Ferrier and Carla Serrano, digital advertisements which encourage consumers to participate on their own terms in understanding the message are more likely to get attention and some sort of response than traditional ads. The goal of advertising should be to get consumers to perform some sort of action; it can be anything from typing in a URL and passing the ad on to joining a Facebook page or scanning a QR code.
In the digital environment, the traditional model of ‘Awareness, Interest, Desire, Action’ is being replaced by the psychological factors of ‘Autonomy, Discovery, Personal Relevance, Cognitive Dissonance’. These four creative effects are said to make an advert much more powerful than a passive ad in which the consumer can quickly skim over and forget about it.
Angry consumers will no longer stand for false advertising
Kellogg’s Company is facing its third 
lawsuit in the past five years for false advertising. Both Kellogg’s and Kashi Co. were previously sued for falsely advertising that their cereal products are free of artificial ingredients and many parents feel that they will no longer be passive about advertisements that compromise the health of their children. “Kellogg engage in business practices that literally sicken our children,” said CSPI executive director Michael F. Jacobson. “Their marketing tactics are designed to convince kids that everything they hear from their parents about food is wrong. It’s a multimedia brainwashing and re-education campaign- and a disease-promoting one at that. And parents are fed up.”
Tags: advertising, false advertising, responsible advertising
Why Blogging is so Effective in Online Marketing
There is a lot of talk these days 
about online marketing strategies. Although you may be tempted to simply try your own method, sometimes it’s just smarter to follow in the footsteps of those who have been proven successful. If you’re not already aware, blogging has become an essential marketing strategy in nearly any business. The reason it’s become so popular is because it works and it’s proven successful.
Gain Credibility
When you have a blog, you are able to showcase your expertise on the subject. This allows your readers to develop a certain level of trust in you. The more you show off your knowledge in a helpful and professional way, the more credibility you gain.
Tags: blogging, business blogging, corporate blog
