WEEK 5 EMARKETING BLOG

EMARKETING WEEK 5 BLOG

Consider the headings Monitoring, Updating, Entertainment, and Problem solver. Would you expand the headings from a marketing point of view?

I personally would not expand the headings as I think they cover most of the bases for mobile development these days. However, I would probably add one heading of Navigation as I don’t believe the use of GPS apps would be included underneath these headings. Mobile phones currently now have the ability to navigate off GPS signals through these new apps.

DO you all receive similar updates and are they welcome or not welcome?

I receive emails weekly from a number of businesses which include:

-          Prowake.com.au – Weekly updates of new products etc. I love looking through these because I love wakeboarding

-          Sportsbet.com.au – Weekly updates on their ‘inside views and tips’ was good for starters now its just annoying

-          Footytips.com.au – Weekly reminders to do my tips however they promote other stuff around it. I don’t even bother looking at these anymore just delete them.

-          Sportsbet footy tipping – weekly reminders to do footy tipping but sent in a way to entice you to bet on the games you tip. I also don’t even bother looking at these anymore just delete them.

What would your top 10 app list be now?

1.       Facebook

2.       Angry Birds

3.       Twitter

4.       Instagram

5.       Draw Something

6.       Pinterest

7.       Google+

8.       Slotomania

9.       eBay

10.   Youtube

EMARKETING WEEK 4 BLOG

AFL FINALS, WHO’S GOT THE X FACTOR?

With only one round left of the 2012 AFL Premiership season left before finals, it’s time to start looking at who will be the x factors for each team in the upcoming finals.  I will go through each team and say my opinion of the x factors for each team for them to go all the way and win the 2012 Premiership.

HAWTHORN

LANCE ‘BUDDY’ FRANKLIN

Buddy has been one of the game’s most powerful forwards for the past few years, with two Coleman medals and three all Australian selections. His ability to kick goals from anywhere in the forward line makes him a player we all love to watch. In round 10 against North Melbourne Buddy was at his best when he kicked 13 goals for the match, as seen in the youtube video below (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZArY0CZ6AY). One downside is that his conversion rate as a forward is down and is one of the lowest for a key forward at 52%. He has kicked 55 goals 51 behinds this season and with his recent off field stories while he has been injured could have affected his game. However, on his return to AFL level on the weekend he kicked four goals and hadn’t looked like he had lost it. If Buddy can impose himself on the finals and kick straight like he did in round 10 he will help the Hawks get the flag.

Other potential x factors are Sam Mitchell, Cyril Rioli, David Hale and Luke Hodge.

SYDNEY

ADAM GOODES

Adam Goodes is a dual brownlow medallist for the Sydney Swans, as a key centre half forward and midfielder with skills to play ruck, if needed. He is known for playing well in the big matches with his endurance and quality skills which will play a pivotal role in Sydney’s campaign for a premiership this year. His leadership skills as a co captain will play a big role in nurturing the young list at Sydney during the finals.

Other potential x factors are Josh P Kennedy, Ben McGlynn, Lewis Jetta and Kieran Jack.

ADELAIDE

TAYLOR WALKER

One of the leagues most improved players in 2012 would have to be Taylor Walker. He has improved from barely getting a game last year to being one of the leagues most feared forwards of the game (Could have something to do with the mean mullet). Despite missing over 4 weeks suspension for his sling tackles he is still in with a shot at the Coleman medal. He can apply forward line pressure like a small forward can and needs to be at his best kicking bags of goals for Adelaide to have a shot at the premiership.

Other potential x factors are Scott Thompson, Patrick Dangerfield, Rory Sloane and Daniel Talia

WEST COAST

DEAN COX & NIC NAITANUI

The unbeatable pairing of Dean Cox and Nic Naitanui is key to the Eagle’s premiership chances. Dean Cox is one of the leagues best ruckmen in the competition ranking in fifth for most hitouts in the league. Cox can also go forward and play a role as a key forward when resting from the ruck. The ability for Cox to gain possessions all over the ground whilst in the ruck is another important contributor. Nic Naitanui is a young exciting player who also runs in the ruck, and can play midfield and forward when required. His athleticism and pure skill is amazing to watch as you can never tell what trick he will pull out of the bag whenever he is near the ball. Nic is seventh in overall hitouts behind Cox but ahead of most other teams first ruckmen. The ability of Nic to win contested possessions around the ball also puts in him a league above the rest. Dean Cox and Nic Naitanui are also leading goalkickers out of all ruck men with Cox with the most goals and Nic with the second most goals. Check out this formidable pairing in the below youtube clip (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRbLbWIv8mA).  This pairing is going to be the x factor for the eagles to go all the way in September.

  

Other potential x factors are Scott Selwood, Daniel Kerr, Jack Darling and Andrew Gaff

COLLINGWOOD

DARREN JOLLY

Darren Jolly is one of the most experienced ruckmen when it comes to finals football. He has won two premierships already (Sydney & Collingwood) and played many more finals. He has been niggled by injuries during 2012 but has had a good impact when he has played. For Collingwood to go deep into this finals series they need Jolly to be fully fit and give them first use of the football out of the centre.

Other potential x factors are Dayne Beams, Heath Shaw, Dane Swan and Scott Pendlebury.

GEELONG

TOM HAWKINS

The ‘Tomahawk’ is another improved player this year even since his performance in last years grand final. Hehas found is spot down at the cattery and is playing some good football that has put him up with the best forwards in the game at the moment. He is third in the Coleman medal only two goals behind the leader Matthew Pavlich. He has proven this year he can handle the pressure situations when having a shot for goal, as he did when he kicked a goal after the siren to win the match a few weeks ago. It is critical for Geelong that Hawkins has a very high work rate and finishes off the finals with a few bags of goals and maybe a premiership medal.

Other potential x factors are Joel Selwood, Trent West, Steve Johnson and Jimmy Bartel.

FREMANTLE

MATTHEW PAVLICH

Current leader of the Coleman Medal is the ‘Pav’ who has been looking revived this year as a key forward. Pavlich has looked more dominant this season down forward compared to previous years probably due to the better delivery of the ball from further afield. Only problem is Pav missed last weeks game after failing a fitness test and is no certainty to play the last home and away round. Will the injury lead him to miss some finals and will he return to form straight away once he returns? Champions can bounce back quickly and I think Pav will be back ready to go for finals because Fremantle need him to make it deep into the finals action.

Other potential x factors are Nat Fyfe, Aaron Sandilands, Michael Barlow and Luke McPharlin.

NORTH MELBOURNE

DREW PETRIE

Petrie is a key forward that also plays second string ruckman to Todd Goldstein and has had a stellar season in front of the goals being in the hunt for the Coleman medal. However, he was nullified against the Kangaroos on the weekend and if the kangaroos want to do well in September he needs to be having an influence.

Other potential x factors are Andrew Swallow, Daniel Wells, Brent Harvey and Todd Goldstein.

WHO HAS THE X-FACTOR?

Anything can happen in the finals series because as we all know the intensity of the football lifts another 50% at least when it gets to finals football. If the draw plays out correctly I can see a Hawthorn vs West Coast Grand Final come the end of September, because they have the best X factors. However, all the other sides may cause an upset or two in the process.

All pictures and statistics were retrieved from afl.com.au on the 29^th of August, 2012



EMARKETING WEEK 3

EMARKETING WEEK 3 BLOG

Case study (4.10): Happy Cog and Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation

1. What role did navigation and usability play in the redesign of the website?

On the original website the navigation was excessive and confusing for some users, so Happy Cog minimised and simplified the choice process to:

-          Selecting a destination

-          Then Building the itinerary

-          Then obtaining detailed information about the city

The original website was hard to follow leading to users giving up and not booking a trip to Philadelphia as they found the website not meeting the goals. Happy Cog redesigned the website so that the users would find easy to book their trip without out really having to think about it too much. The simplified the structure and made it easier to follow along with high engaging pictures etc to keep the users interested.

2. Why was the addition of social layers important in the redesign?

It was important to add the social layers of facebook, twitter etc as this brings in a whole new audience as people may not know about the website but see it on facebook and then have a look at the website. The pages also give discounts and keep up to date information which might entice previous visitors back for another visit. With the excessive use of social media these days they would have been silly not to add them on their page gain a wider audience.

3. Why did the developers decide to consolidate the content management platforms?

They consolidated the content management platforms because they had to migrate hundreds of entries manually before hand which could lead to mistakes and failures in the website. It also meant that they could code it all together to make sure the real copy of the website wouldn’t breakdown once it had been coded. It also minimised time on making the site as tasks could be distributed greater by working on the front and back end of the pages at the same time.

4. Having considered the case study, discuss in general terms what role you now understand a website plays in an overall digital marketing strategy.

Websites are a major factor because it is like an anchor point for businesses, and should be used in any marketing campaigns. With people relying on the internet so much these days, by using search engines to find information they need and if you don’t have any information on the internet you are missing out on potential customers. With a successful website development and design it should convert people looking at your website into customers as you should understand the customer’s needs and wants.

WEEK 2 EMARKETING

WEEK 2 EMARKETING BLOG

1. What is the definition of crowdsourcing?

Crowdsourcing is where a job that is usually completed by a professional is advertised to the public, generally via internet, for large groups of people not associated with the company to complete the job or task. The term was first used in 2006 by a person called Jeff Howe even though the concepts date back as early as the 1700’s.

2. What is the difference between the wisdom of the crowd and crowdsourcing?

The wisdom of the crowd refers to the collective knowledge, opinion or skills of a group of individuals instead of using one expert to solve problems. Whereas, crowdsourcing generally lets other experts or amateurs as groups or individuals solve the problem in the form of an open call.

3. What are the benefits of crowdsourcing for both consumers and brands?

Some benefits of crowdsourcing include:

-          Gain insight and knowledge of consumers wants and needs

-          Build products to meet these wants and needs

-          Pay once off for numerous solutions

-          Pay for the solutions they use

-          Able to veer away from traditional solutions if needed

-          Gain valuable external resources

4. Find some examples of online crowdsourcing platforms not mentioned in chapter 3 and include links in the shoutbox below. Start your post with ‘Crowdsourcing’ so it will stand out from posts made by other classes. Also mention whether you think they are successful or not and why.

I found www.agentanything.com has a good crowdsourcing platform as it targets two main specific groups of people, such as:

-          Busy people who need small tasks and errands done

-          People with time on there hands such as college students who need some cash and need to be able to fit it around class, practice etc.

I think this is a good initiative and Australia should look at getting something like this done, if there isn’t any currently.

What is your opinion and do you think there are any ethical considerations?

I think it is a great idea to run sites such as 99designs as it allows many more ideas for things such as logo design, web design etc. I have tried created a few logos for a few friends and family and I always think of the one type of design and can’t think outside of the box as much as others might be able to, creating many more ideas.  



EMARKETING WEEK 1

WEEK 1 BLOG EMARKETING

DISCUSS THE VIDEO ON THE INTRODUCTION PAGE

The video of an ever changing world uses statistics of how internet and technology has changed the face of this world. All of the figures that were used in this video would have increased as it is a few years old now. These technological increases will influence marketing as companies know have to use the internet as a medium for advertising etc as it is used by just about everyone at least once a day. Technology has also introduced the online stores and websites such as eBay as another way to purchase products without having to leave the house. This means companies who do not have online stores or advertising online are potentially missing out on sales.

DISCUSS THE PREFACE BY SETH GODIN. IS HE SAYING YOU CAN’T LEARN ANYTHING FROM A TEXT BOOK? WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS?

Seth is suggesting that you can learn the vocabulary from a textbook which gives you a basis of marketing however, the best way to learn how to market is to research other marketing campaigns, make your own marketing campaigns for a subject you are passionate about or write blogs. I believe this has some truth to it as I believe marketing requires innovation meaning that if you learn how to market from a textbook every lot of marketing is going to be the same. Whereas, by using innovation and experience you can create something that is different from the rest which gives it uniqueness and consumers notice it standing out from the crowd.  

FIND 5 TERMS THAT YOU ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH AND DEFINE THEM

TERM	DEFINITION
Application programming interface (API)	A particular set of rules and specifications that software programs can abide by when communicating with each other. It serves as an interface between different software programs and facilitates their communication, similar to the way a user interface facilitates communication between humans and computers. APIs are often used by third-party developers to create applications for social networking websites like Twitter and Facebook.
Cluetrain Manifesto	A set of 95 theses organised as a Call to Action for businesses operating within a newly connected market place.
Really Simple Syndication (RSS)	RSS allows you to receive/ syndicate this information without requiring you to constantly open new pages in your browser. Also known as a feedreader.
Online reputation management (ORM)	The understanding and influencing of the perception of an entity online. This entails ensuring that you know what is being said about you, and that you are leading the conversation.
Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP)	A simple XML-based protocol to allow for the exchanging of structured information over HTTP.

CASE STUDY 1.9 – THE BEST JOB IN THE WORLD.

1. Why do you think this campaign garnered such impressive media coverage?

I think the campaing generated so much media coverage firstly as it was a unique job application of its kind that hadn’t been seen before to housesit an island. Due to it being part of the Great Barrier Reef, it attracted many people as the Great Barrier Reef is one of the main tourist attractions around the world. To be able to fund this campaign Tourism Queensland is a government funded agency which ment they had access to more resources then an individual advertising it would. Through the use of social media and job agencies it soon spread across the world where main television channels such as CNN and BBC did stories on it promoting it further to other viewers.

2. How did Tourism Queensland and SapientNitro approach the challenge of marketing across eight international markets?

By placing it on social media sights and advertising on international job agencies they slowly managed to extend their international coverage of it. CNN, BBC, Time Magazine and many other international related mediums also helped spread the coverage of this advertisement.

3. What role did flexibility play in this campaign?

Tourism Queensland had to flexible in the way they approached the different international markets as how to market this as many countries have different values, beliefs and views. Meaning they had to stimulate countries differently. Tourism Queensland also had to be flexible with the main website they ran for the competition as it could not handle the amount of entries and page views in the first two days.

4. How did the strategy leverage social media as a tool for engagement?

The uses of Facebook, Myspace etc. were a major factor in the output of the marketing campaign. This was due to the fact of people spreading the word of the competition and sponsored advertisements on there sites, leading to it going internationally. It also created another avenue of marketing compared to what use to be the traditional television, radio and paper advertisements.