Posts in The Web / Net
Direct TV’s Genius Viral Marketing Campaign
A little more than a year ago, DirecTV aired an ad 
featuring a purported Russian billionaire. The focus on the ad was his extravagant lifestyle, detailing the many luxurious possessions he owned. At the end of the commercial, he talked about his DirecTV service. It was a simple enough sell, but what really caught the attention of users was the mini-giraffe featured in the ad. From here, one of the most brilliant viral campaigns in recent memory came to be.
Finding the Hook
The viral campaign’s brilliance started with DirecTV realizing that it was sitting on a goldmine. The company took note of how the mini-giraffe had hooked viewers and started discussions on the internet. Instead of resting on their laurels, the company was proactive in building onto their success.
Tags: DirecTV, social media, viral marketing
A bigger threat on the horizon
The protest against SOPA/PIPA was successful! The controversial 
bill has lost major support in the US Congress. Many politicians now publically oppose it. But before you start celebrating, hear this: There is a bigger threat to our internet freedom on the horizon: ACTA.
ACTA (Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement) is a proposed plurilateral agreement that would see the establishment of an international standard on intellectual property rights enforcement. It would create a body that operates separately from any existing organisation including the UN. And this is where the problem lies.
The body would act as an internet monitor that would try to stop the sale of counterfeit goods and copyright infringement. This would mean that anybody downloading copyrighted material from a website, the owners of the website and the service provider could all face serious criminal charges.
Tags: ACTA, intellectual property rights, internet agreement, internet bill
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
Search Engine Optimisation – Worthy Investment or Costly Expense?
There is a common misconception in the online 
marketing world that Search Engine Optimisation is a costly expense. Sadly, this myth prevents some companies from getting the results they want. The long-term nature of SEO combined with a great deal of on-site changes and a lack of instant, quick-fix results are some of the reasons that SEO is seen as an expense rather than an investment.
Is Search Engine Optimisation really that costly, however, and do those costs offer some sort of return on investment?
Long-Term SEO Strategies = Better Results
Tags: search engine optimisation, seo
Umlilo Brands get a new look
Umlilo Brands is a well-known marketing 
agency that provides its customers with creative marketing solutions that are contemporary and competitive. According to the official website, it aims to bring its clients exciting concepts and exceptional work every time. It’s not surprising, then, that a marketing company which needs to stay ahead of the game to keep its kingpin position should need a revamp of its own every once in a while. That’s exactly what Umlilo Brands has done.
The company offers marketing, brand activation and event management solutions with the focus on providing individual and group clients solutions to suit their respective needs; solutions that will position them ahead of their competition. In an attempt to reposition itself ahead of its own competition Umlilo decided to rebrand.
Tags: digital agency, South Africa, umlilo brand, vodacom
Digital agency Tequila wins four awards at the IAC
South Africa’s digital agency realm is 
heating up with names like Ogilvy and Stonewall+ winning annual awards for their work, and new and exciting agencies are being launched. Just this month Digital Monarchy opened its doors in Johannesburg with two very talented people at the helm. It’s great, then, to see some of the hard work being acknowledged and appreciated on an international level.
Tequila, a digital specialist agency and member of the TBWA\South Africa Group, scooped up four awards at the 8th annual Internet Awards Competition (IAC). According to Bizcommunity, these included the Best Bank Integrated Ad Campaign for Standard Bank’s My Card, Best Bank Interactive Application for Standard Bank’s Savings Tool, Outstanding Integrated Ad Campaign for Adidas Unite’s Mzanzi Unite and Outstanding Website for Standard Bank Insurance.
Tags: iac, internet awards competition, south african digital agency wins international award, tbwa\south africa group, tequila digital agency
Mobiles roll in the media
Cell phones towers are popping up everywhere.
Mobile phones have enabled a good portion of South Africa’s population to access. A large number of residents still don’t have electricity in their homes so many access the web either at work, at internet cafés or on their cell phones. Locals can sometimes only go to the media using their BlackBerry or Nokia.
According to Tim Bishop from The Media Online, it’s time to mobilise. He says that in 2010 the local cell phone industry came into its own, and now most media work towards being accessible via a phone. It is the new mass medium.
Tags: media, mobile phones
Experiential advertising: what’s the deal?
A good relationship between the brand and its customers is key.
The world of advertising has developed many new levels with the advent of mobile technology and the internet. Before the gizmos and gadgets ruled our lives advertising meant an A4 spread in a magazine, often cheap-looking flyers handed out on street corners or even a big billboard at the airport. Today there are many more ways to promote an idea, product or service and the advertising agencies cotton-on quickly.
It’s called experiential marketing and it’s all about the interconnectivity and dialogue. Charisse White of The Media Online comments that it’s about “forging an exciting, relevant and meaningful relationship between a brand and its consumer across a multitude of touchpoints that involve and engage the five senses.”
Tags: experiential advertising, marketing, relationship marketing
Charlie Sheen Twitter success
For the past couple of days Twitter has been a-flurry with tweets about actor Charlie Sheen. Every time I logged onto my account I’d see at least five or six comments about, relating to or making fun of Sheen and I had no idea why. Now I know.
Nancy Dillon of New York Daily News, reports that in the wake of Sheen’s possible loss of custody of his kids, the Two and a half men star vowed that he wouldn’t slow down and decided to embark on a mission to collect Twitter followers.
The actor is seemingly unstable considering his self-proclamation as a “winner” even though he has lost his children in a custody battle. Dillon reports that Sheen vowed on Wednesday to win back his 23-month-old twin sons Max and Bob, after which he posted a number of quirky Twitter updates including a “photo of two hot dogs”.
Tags: charlie sheen on twitter, twitter
The battle for online privacy: conspiracy theorists unite
Conspiracy theorists have it that 
governments (particularly the US government) have systems in place that allow them to watch our every move. Then movies come along and add to that fear (Eagle Eye anyone?). It’s very difficult to sort out fact from fiction, but it is clear that after 9/11 the US (and most European nations) stepped up its surveillance systems. It even enacted laws that made it legal to monitor conversations and online communications from anyone deemed a threat to national security. The US Patriot Act means that the powers-that-be can subpoena private communication details from ISPs and prohibit said ISPs from informing the people concerned. It’s scary stuff.
