Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Before launching a new product use the Monkey



Approaching a project without the proper input from the right people or the intended target audience can be disastrous. Fortunately, there are a few ways to getting critical feedback before finalizing on a project or before putting a new product on the market.

SurveyMonkey.com is an excellent online source to quickly get the opinion of friends, family and consumers about almost anything. It’s faster than approaching random people to receive feedback about a particular product and it’s great if you need quick input from buddies that are half way around the world. Basically, you create a form with a few questions that pertain to your project. You can send the form to whomever you desire and the results are accessible through your account on SurveyMonkey.com.

The above image shows two new packages that are being considered for Camels’ cigarettes. They have involved the consumer by giving them the option of voting for their favorite new package design.

Many companies setup booths in public settings to perform a competitive and comparison analysis for new products. This can be achieved by taste testing if the product is food or studying how the consumer interacts with a new product can provide valuable information. Often companies compare their products to a competitor’s product with hopes that their brand will be in favor with the consumer. Tropicana probably could’ve avoided their recent failure of rebranding their juice carton, if they would have used an online survey to get the valued opinion of the consumer. Ultimately we have to please the consumer; therefore, Tropicana made the decision to return to their original juice carton design.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Social Media and Thanksgiving



What says Thanksgiving in 2009 – family, turkey, sweet potatoes, football, fall leaves and twitter and facebook!!

Did you say Twitter and Facebook!! Social media adds a whole new twist to the holidays. All the information and what to do when traveling, cooking preparations to festivities.

Check out these social media treats!
@butterball on Twitter
twitter.com/butterball
Just in case you need help preparing your thanksgiving meal – please check out @butterball on Twitter with actual instructions on how to prepare dinner, gift card giveaways, recipes for stuffing and more.

Google gives everyone FREE Wi-Fi for the holidays

freeholidaywifi.com/
Thank you Google! The company announced last week it's working with airports across the country to provide free WiFi as a holiday gift through Jan. 15. It's currently available in 47 airports.

Thanksgiving on Facebook
bit.ly/thanksg
Thanksgiving on Facebook! Check out this page and write anything you want about the holidays, from recipes, to loving memories of your holiday. Lots of awesome recipes!

Wi-Fi body scale
withings.com
A Wi-Fi scale. Yes, I said it. This scale connects to the Internet so you can keep track of what you eat - pound by pound. There’s also an iPhone app to go with it. You can tweet your progress too!

Please Tweet me with helpful thanksgiving and social media tips I might have missed. http://twitter.com/sojoinc

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Google Wave - The email Killer


E-mail as we know it is based on the snail-mail format: you send a message; your friend receives it. Google Wave makes mail collaborative and instant. When you type a message to a friend, he or she sees what you're typing as you type it. You can jump in and start drafting a reply before the initial message is complete. Google Wave also lets users collaborate on editable documents, called Wikis, share photos, update blogs, set appointments and chat in big groups. You can add conference calls to a Wave. A translation function called Rosy will translate chat messages between languages as you write.


Watch How Google Wave Works



Twin brothers Lars and Jens Rasmussen are the brains behind Google Wave.

Jens Rasmussen is a member of Google's technical staff, currently based in the Sydney office, and with his brother Lars is co-founder of the Google Wave effort. In early 2003, the brothers co-founded a mapping start-up, Where 2 Technologies, which was acquired by Google in October of 2004. Jens joined Google and worked as one of the lead engineers in the team that turned this acquisition into Google Maps, now used by millions of people around the world.




Lars Rasmussen is a member of Google's technical staff, based in the Sydney office, and with his brother Jens is co-founder of the Google Wave effort. In early 2003, the brothers co-founded a mapping start-up, Where 2 Technologies, which was acquired by Google in October of 2004. Lars joined Google and worked as one of the lead engineers in the team that turned this acquisition into Google Maps, now used by millions of people around the world.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Coca-Cola’s “Open Happiness” Campaign Is Using Social Media


Coca-Cola is taking an interesting and bold approach towards social media and is using it to engage its supporters worldwide. The soft drink giant will be sending three bloggers to more than 200 countries in a year to find out what makes people happy as part of their “Open Happiness” campaign.

It’s all part of Coca-Cola’s Expedition 206 - www.expedition206.com. As of today there are only 11 days left to vote for your favorite team to have the privilege to travel the world to 206 countries within 365 days in 2010 where Coca-Cola is sold.
Adam Brown, director of Coca-Cola’s Office of Digital Communications and Social Media explains: “It’s about telling the story that involves Coca-Cola, that involves the attributes of what Coca-Cola is about, optimism and joy.”

To top it all off Coca-Cola will cover the bloggers’ travel expenses and plus pay them a salary. The bloggers will go from country to country in record speed and blog about their experiences. As Coca-Cola consumers you have the opportunity to suggest a to-do-list for the bloggers to check as the expedition unfolds.

I hope my favorite wins!


Now thru November 6, fans can visit expedition206.com and vote for which team of Ambassadors will get the chance to take this unbelievable trip!

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Disney is Transforming Its U.S. Stores –Disney will spend about $1 million a store to redecorate, reorganize and install interactive technology


Disney has teamed up with Apple’s Steve Jobs and his retail team to turn its stores into entertainment destinations. Disney plans to revamp all of its 340 U.S. stores, complete with theaters where children can watch clips from their favorite Disney films. Visitors can use interactive displays and book a Disney Cruise.

Disney claims the new look, branded “Imagination Park,” is going to be unveiled in spring of 2010 in the New York area. Steve Jobs, who has been on the Disney board since 2006, provided the company with proprietary information about the development and operation of Apple’s high-tech and highly successful stores.

“It’s about making this an experience rather than just picking up a toy,” said Disney rep Shawn Turner. “We want them to leave feeling like they had the full Disney experience. They don’t necessarily need to go to the park to have that experience, they can get it at the local mall.”

Bates said that the challenge is to balance the active experiences of interacting with the brand with the more passive experiences of buying products. The Soho Apple store in New York has done this successfully, he said. “You have to make sure that the activities are reinforcing the core brand message, and that they are not just enhancing the store experience, but they’re reinforcing the bigger brand message,” said Bates. “You have to build a brand experience that’s enriching enough in its own right, but also amplifies that experience after they leave the store.”
Read More on the Disney Interactive Stores in the New York Times

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Social Media and the Generation Gap


Today’s teens are aware of Twitter but are certainly not using it. Thanks to Britney Spears and Ashton Kutcher – they know what it is but are not interested in it or other micro-blogging tools – as you well know with teens this can change at any time. Instead teens are crazy about Facebook and spend a heck of a lot of time micro-blogging about their status. They constantly update their friends on what they are doing and enjoying. The primary forms of communication tools today are: text messages, video/Skype, IM, and Facebook.

As for email – I am yet to meet a teen that is hooked on email – in fact not many people under 20 use email. They use email only as a tool to respond to something related to work or to set up accounts on social media sites. As teen parents and grandparents become more involved in social media - email becomes less relevant.

Another distinct difference with teens and their parents and grandparents – is privacy. Although teens care about their privacy they do so differently than the previous generation. When their parents go out of town they have the lights set to come on and off automatically and have a friend get their mail – on the other hand teens broadcast to the world their whereabouts.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Ben & Jerry's New Social Cause - Hubby Hubby Ice Cream


Ben & Jerry’s has always carried a social message important to its founders. They are known for their euphoric ice cream flavors and dedication to social justice. They refused milk from cows injected with growth hormones before it became the trend, but because it was the right thing to do. They continue to use as much local milk as possible, supporting many Vermont farmers.

Ben & Jerry’s celebrates the beginning of the freedom to marry for gay and lesbian couples in Vermont with the symbolic renaming of its well-known ice cream flavor “Chubby Hubby” to “Hubby Hubby.” In partnership with Freedom to Marry, Ben & Jerry’s hope is to raise awareness of the importance of marriage equality and, to show its support, by offering “Hubby Hubby” sundaes in Vermont Scoop Shops throughout the month of September.

The packaging features a wedding cake with two happy grooms perched on top. A campaign supporting the renaming says: “Now more than ever, Vermont is for lovers…and for lovers of marriage equality.”
I am anxious to see how this plays out for the Ben & Jerry’s brand as this is directly related to the brand itself. People know Ben & Jerry’s to be a socially conscious company, but this is new territory even for them. Consumers choose a brand based on their ability to identify with that brand. They buy a particular brand only because it feels right for them - as if it was specially made for them. For the past two presidential elections legalizing gay marriage has been a hot topic; one that even liberals are known to shy away from. Most Americans do not believe in same sex marriage and are pretty vocal about it. How many people will want to buy the gay marriage ice cream?

It will be interesting to watch how Ben & Jerry’s more conservative customers react to this. Although it’s a new age, especially one for social networking – Twitter and facebook and many companies use this avenue to dramatize their message. But will Hubby Hubby fall by the wayside just because of the association? Will the overall brand be in danger because of its link to the issue? There is also the chance that it will pay off for Ben & Jerry’s after all how many ice cream makers are as outspoken about social causes.
Let’s see what happens.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

The Mommy Blogger Debate


So much media coverage on the Mommy Blog-Ola – I had to put my two sense in.

First off "Blog-ola" is the free goodies, products, trips and other perks many marketers give to bloggers with the hopes of getting favorable reviews about their products and services. This shift is very evident in the “mommy-blogger” world, where they are proving to be quite influential with their readers and therefore quite valuable to marketers.

Lines become very blurred between companies and mom bloggers. Bloggers would once have sponsors sponsor their writing, now it’s the other way around and many mom bloggers are writing for companies, like Wal-Mart. The authenticity is gone and you are left asking questions like what is the real motivation behind this blogger’s backing about a particular product.

Are marketing firms to be blamed – for luring innocent moms to blog about their clients’ products in exchange for free goodies and trips? I say no. After all I am the mother of three children myself and I hold all my children accountable for their actions! Period! So moms are writing at their own risk, and putting their own integrities on the line.

Bloggers really just need to be direct and upfront in disclosing whether they are paid or getting freebies. The site Blog With Integrity asks bloggers to sign and post an ethical pledge. The Federal Trade Commission is also considering new guidelines to help clarify advertising content in blogs.

Monday, August 3, 2009

Firefox reaches 1 billion downloads


In our offices at Sojo – you can tell the age difference of staff by the browser they use. Staff in their late 30s and higher, is more likely to use Microsoft’s Internet Explorer. While those younger, use Mozilla’s Firefox. Firefox is on their way to Browser domination!

Mozilla Corp.'s Firefox browser passed the 1-billion download milestone on Friday, July 31, 2009.

The Internet browser was first released by Mountain View-based Mozilla in 2004 and today has an estimated 31 percent share of the world market or almost a third of the market. It’s a shrinking margin for Microsoft in an area that they formerly had near complete domination.

Microsoft Corp.'s Internet Explorer is No. 1 with about 60 percent, far ahead of the rest of the pack which includes Google Inc.'s Chrome and Apple Inc.'s Safari which have less than 5 percent of the market. This lead however does not look very stable for Microsoft.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Use Twitter to your Advantage

Marketers should use Twitter to their advantage? Twitter is more than spitting out information about you or the company you represent – it’s about becoming involved in the ongoing dialogue... and staying involved. Twitter is not the place for one day or one night stands for that matter, but a place to build sincere and meaningful relationships that can last. Twitter demands lots of love and attention – in fact the very same ingredients in building any meaningful relationship.

Get to know your voice and your message well. Know that you must practice what you preach. If you tell your customers something on Twitter you have to deliver it.

You can use Twitter to:

  • Expand and improve your customer service support
  • Reach new customers and keep them informed on new product launches
  • Get the message out about breaking news
  • Create brand buzz
  • Get the word out about events
  • Alert customers to recent newsletters, blogs and articles
  • Happy Tweeting!

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Facebook valued at $6.5 billion


Digital Sky Technologies, a Russian Internet investment group plans to purchase at least $100 million of Facebook's common stock at $14.77 per share from common stockholders. This annoucement was made yesterday, Tuesday, July 14, 2009.

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Search Engine Optimization and Michael Jackson



For my Blog this week I anticipated writing about Search Engine Optimization and the benefits of optimizing your website. However, as every possible human being on this planet knows our Pop Icon, Michael Jackson passed away last Thursday, June 25, 2009.


What does that have to do with search engines you might say? I’m here to tell you everything!
Last Thursday the news of the Pop star’s death took center stage around the world and on the Internet. The speed at which this story unfolded online was very fascinating and impressive and as a marketer and online strategist very appealing. The online news agents Wikipedia proved to be the fastest – faster than Google and Twitter.

In fact Google News had so many delays due to the searches for “Michael Jackson” they posted an official statement:

"The spike in searches related to Michael Jackson was so big that Google News initially mistook it for an automated attack. As a result, for about 25 minutes yesterday, when some people searched Google News they saw a "We're sorry" page before finding the articles they were looking for." - Source


Twitter has created a new real-time web. Google had a time lapse in indexing – more than 3 hours! With such a delay people were going directly to specific news websites to get the information on Michael Jackson’s status instead of doing the typical Google search, as the delay was so behind.

The following is how the news spread on the Internet – starts at 19:21 and ends 23:47


  • x17online.com breaks the news about the pop star – a really small entertainment news agent and post photos and a brief story - 20 minutes before the larger entertainment sites like TMZ.com .

  • TMZ.com posts "Michael Jackson -- Cardiac Arrest" - the story is distributed to hundreds of thousands of people via RSS.

  • Wikipedia reports Jackson's Cardiac Arrest - A member of Wikipedia adds the news of the Cardiac Arrest to Jackson's Wikipedia article. Before any other news or social media source.

  • Ten minutes after the first click from TMZs Twitter to TMZ.com where the story of his death is posted. Reports of his death start to show up on RSS feeds and eventually Twitter.

  • 10 minutes later CNNbrk tweets that Jackson goes to hospital – to 2 million followers
    Wikipedia freezes Michael Jackson page - After an explosion of edits to Jackson's Wikipedia article, editors take the step of locking it down in protective status.

  • Two and a half hours after it all started Wikipedia editors mention Jackson's death on the article discussion page.

  • bit.ly link reaches high of 2,500 clicks a minute

  • Three hours later - "RIP Michael Jackson" tops Trends on Twitter Story takes the next step and appears on Twitter's Trends. Tens of millions of Twitter users now can see the story.There are now over 2000 mentions a minute of Michael Jackson on Twitter and Twitter overloads and falters.

Google News Results of Jackson's death start showing up on the results page for the query "Michael Jackson" Finally after a whole three hours.

The Internet felt the loss of Michael Jackson just as much as the fans did. I would liek to hear your comments. If you want regular updates - follow us on twitter.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Shall We Twitter?


You can say a lot in 140 characters or less! That’s the twitter way. Your success on twitter depends on the frequency of the updates, your tone, the content and how relevant what you say is. Be upfront about who you are and what you are trying to sell.

Your brand’s Twitter objectives should be to create as many followers as possible by having ongoing conversations and skillfully injecting your brand messages without it being very obvious. Don’t commercialize the channel as tweeters are very sensitive and can quickly respond with negative to perceived violations.

Five reasons to Twitter.

1. Twitter is Hot. Twitter can assist you with today’s trends - find out what's hot and what’s not.

2. Join the Conversation. Use Twitter to express yourself or your brands view point. Tweeting also helps you gain credibility and attract a following of believers that can help you spread your message – globally in any market possible!

3. Monitor Your Brand. By monitoring Tweets about your brand you are better able to know your customers needs, improve customer satisfaction and gather marketplace and product intelligence.

4. Satisfied Customers. Several brands have added Twitter to their customer service process with raving results – so much so that their customers are talking positively about it. They include JetBlue, Whole Foods, Dell and Starbucks to name a few. They have attracted a significant number of followers and built buzz about the responsiveness of their brand’s to service related issues.

5. Brand Promotion. Use Twitter to announce new services, new products, events, new clients, and just about any message you want to get out to the public and fast. See you on Twitter – Sojo’s Twitter

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Delivering Your Brand


I had the opportunity to fly British Airways the fall of 2005 – all my friends and family have heard the story about the customer service representative who upgraded us to business class without telling me or my girlfriend. We were coming back from London on a girl’s only trip and had just had a blast in Paris, Zurich and London.

On entering the aircraft and looking for seats all the way in the back we noticed our seats didn’t seem to exist, until some kind stranger said – “those seats are to the front of the plain” note the British accent. After we got over the initial shock that we were seated in business class we quickly settled into our new seats. It was nothing like I had ever experienced – the seats could double as a bed and came with dividers so you could tune out other passengers when you were ready to get some ZZZs. The fight crew were amazing and just plain attentive. They kept giving us warm rags for our hands before and after every meal, and a menu that had five course meals like any five star restaurant, newspapers available in at least five different languages, and as many drinks as we could manage. What a life – I thought! We enjoyed the service so much we were surprised and disappointed when the pilot announced we were landing at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta. We could have flown another seven hours.

I have told this story so many times that I was now an evangelist for British Airways and I know I have influenced my friends to fly them. In order to beat the competition and do more than just survive, brands must deliver more than expected, they must make the brand experience so memorable that people do exactly what I did – keep talking about it – hasn’t it been now almost four years!

Brands through digital communications can turn word of mouth brand evangelism into a major viral campaign. To be successful your brand has to be extraordinary – it must satisfy customers’ needs and expectations. Brands that fail – actually fail to deliver on their promise to their customers. In the digital world this type of delivery can really be fatal. It does not take much time to get angry customers riled up online. Start the process and see what your customers are saying about you and use this knowledge to improve your brand experience.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Social Networking Exclusively for the Wealthy


The very wealthy seem to have had it with the free for all mentally of the web and are launching their own networks. Most wealthy people are afraid to hangout on social network sites due to privacy issues or that’s what they claim and have been leaving Facebook and LinkedIn. Instead they have turned to social networking websites like Quintessentially, aSmallWorld, Squa.re and Diamond Lounge.

Some of these social networks mirror their offline counterparts with strict invite-only policies and rigorous application processes based on job title and connections. Squa.re and Quintessentially, are more lenient than most and only require an existing member to invite you.

Wealthy-consumer participation in online social networks is on the rise, according to a January survey by the Luxury Institute. 805 people were surveyed, each with a minimum gross annual income of $150,000 in 2008, of which 60% said they participate in a social network. Wealthy members in the leading social networks were 16% for MySpace, 13% for LinkedIn and 11% for Facebook.

The wealthy want to leverage the global social advantages of the web too – connecting with people of like-mind around the world from London to Dubai. So these exclusive networks offer them this very opportunity in a safe environment. They can connect online to find true love, find their next luxury yacht, similar to a Craigslist except its high-end, or find out which part of the globe has the best event for that weekend.

For those of you out there who are unhappy with the social networks that accept everyone – maybe a luxury social network is for you – let me know what you have to do to get into the club.
Please feel free to drop me a line if you happen to be a high-end social butterfly online – gibsons@sojoinc.com

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Sojo, Inc. Featured on MSNBC.com


I invite you to read an article featuring Sojo, Inc. on MSNBC.com by Diane Mapes "Holy Twitter! They're tweeting from the pews"

Holy Twitter! They're tweeting from the pews

In April, interactive marketing firm Sojo, Inc. surveyed 145 churches with memberships between 500 and 25,000 and found that 32 percent of them said they use Facebook, 16 percent are on MySpace and 10 percent are on Twitter, with many more chomping ... http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30970139/

Monday, June 1, 2009

Getting Back To The Basics


Too many marketers are caught up in the fringe benefits of being online, like pay-per-click, blogging and the latest SNS – Social Network Sites. This is of course extremely important but means nothing if your website is outdated and the web experience you provide for your customers has no impact. So let’s get back to the basics… (Download the PDF - http://www.sojoinc.com/pdf/perspectives_2.pdf)

A poor web experience may have a greater impact on a company's brand than a poor presentation or customer service call gone bad! The presentation and customer service calls all have the potential of a quick fix if there is a follow up visit or the next customer service representative gives the customer a better experience. But if a brand’s website fails to deliver on a promise, then visitors leave with a diminished opinion about the brand and the company…forever!

Your website is successful if your customers feel good about your site. Customer satisfaction online means a good web experience which translates into increased revenues and encourage customers to speak about your brand and company in a positive light. Instead of focusing on web analytics and counting how many people are coming to your site, start with how your customers feel about your website. You know this by your ability to engage them. Before beginning your website design project, get a plan together outlining your strategy to engage your customer. Be sure to measure how successful your engagement is. Feedback from customers in the form of a survey, an email or comment online is an engagement. Clicking onto your site does not mean engagement, it means foot traffic much like at the mall.

A customer that reveals something about himself or herself online mean they care, which means you have been successful in engaging them about your brand. Read more Sojo Perspectives
Send me your feedback about this blog entry directly to - gibsons@sojoinc.com

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Marketing in Any Economy

Marketing today more than any other time in history is in constant motion. This is due in part to technological advances and to an economy that’s not just national but global. And just in case you have been in hibernation – both the Global and American economies are having a long winter and spring is not insight! (View Sojo Perspectives http://www.sojoinc.com/insight/perspectives.htm)

The economy changes like seasons of the year. Changing politics, the rise and fall of formerly main stay companies and financial institutions, Wall Street’s uncertainty, cultural diversity, apprehension of war, terrorist attacks and full blown out war all affect – your company’s survival. The take away is that your marketing cannot stop! History has proven time and time again that those companies who stay the course with marketing – SURVIVE!

Ignore marketing and prepare to be buried and it may not be by your competition as in the good old days. Today it could be your own employees, shareholders or customers. With that said marketing then is not just about advertising. It begins with your strategy. Do you have one? What is it? How did it come about? What type of research went into it? If you don’t have one then what marketing initiatives if any are you doing? How has the economy affected you and your customers today? What is your messaging to your customers, employees, shareholders and to the media? How do you manage your departments? By following basic marketing laws you can make your company profitable given any economy.

Communicate a position of confidence, stability and strength, and get the message out to your clients and customers. Many studies show that companies which slow marketing spending lose out now, as well as after a recovery. Let your customers know that they have picked a winner.

Some basic laws of marketing include: Market research; Create a message that represents what you stand for; Know your competition; Know your customer; Know how best to reach your customer – online – offline; Know what your customer expects from you.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Social Media and Social Consciousness

Integrated Marketing today involves more than advertising and direct mail. It’s about messages that can reach people around the world in an instant. It means being socially conscious and politically aware and it also means being able to communicate on a global scale. It means understanding your target audience – who they are – what they like - no matter were in the world they happen to live.

When I talk about integrated marketing with our clients – I make sure to include the Interactive/Digital components of their marketing, social media including how they will incorporate social networks – MySpace, Facebook, Blogs, Twitter, etc. and I always make sure their messages and actions around social responsibility are included.

For all of us involved in marketing today, you would have to be living under a rock to not know that as a marketer you now have to combine marketing innovation with social and environmental concerns. Better known as Sustainability Development and Marketing.
Sustainable development and marketing are concerned with how today’s business contributes to some of the most significant challenges the world faces in this century – from climate change and the environment, to health and safety for workers globally.

Companies create a competitive advantage by understanding the global communities in which they do business. In recent years, hundreds of companies have developed ethical reports and policies on environmental performance. These initiatives seem to appear more where consumers make decisions to switch brands that they feel do not respect social responsibility issues.

Integrating sustainability values into a brand can contribute to market growth, after all a company’s corporate responsibility can become that company’s differentiator in a market place where price and performance are the same.

Although a company’s brand is about value and self image, consumers want to know more about the company behind the brand. To understand just how relevant sustainability marketing maybe to your company or business – ask yourself and your team these simple questions:

Are social and environmental issues on the radar of our customers?
Do social and environmental issues have any impact on our product offerings or our company’s reputation?
Is our company’s survival threatened by changes in the global economy and environment?

History has proven that consumers naturally follow brands that lead. So as a marketer you must encourage brands that create sustainable principles. (Visit Sojo's Greener World - http://www.sojoinc.com/green/)

Friday, May 15, 2009

Twitter Has No Time Zones

Image courtesy of ABC

Everyone is still talking about Twitter. One thing I think everyone is realizing is that Twitter, more than any other social network, is the best at spoiling the ending of a much anticipated television show.

For example, last night many Americans geared up to watch the season finale of Grey's Anatomy. I know this for certain as Twitter informed me - it was one of the top trending topics being tweeted last night. It's no secret (unless you just don't watch the show), one of the main characters has had a brain tumor in the last few episodes. Plus, in the "real" world, there has been a lot of speculation that this person who plays the brain tumor patient was leaving the show to pursue movies full time. So the debate was on: Does she live or die?

But of course there was more. There is always more (well, if they writers are good). And as the plot thicken, I clicked on the hashtag marked #grey's. There were a lot of "OMGs", ohhs and ahhhs, and just generally people showing their disbelief over the season finale's storyline.

And then I saw that the people on the West Coast were just settling in to watch their season finale of Grey's Anatomy. I say their because if they were not careful on Twitter and were tempted to clicked on the little hashtag marked #grey's, they would be eliminating all element of surprise for themselves. How sad, I thought.

My point is, Twitter can be used as a real time discussion of all things - except for subjects that have surprise endings. Twitter does not know the meaning of time zones. So, for the people in other time zones that wanted to get on Twitter last night and discuss Grey's Anatomy as the show happened, well, it just wasn't possible because within that same stream were people who had already seen the show.

So, with new technology, comes new habits we have to adapt. If we do not want our endings spoiled, we have to learn to stay off of Twitter (well, Internet period).

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Sojo Designers Especially Love This

Monday, April 27, 2009

Sojo's Graphic Design Goes to the Movies








Recently we designed an 8 foot banner for E L Music Publishing, which they will use for movie/music premiers. The banner will first be seen at the premier for this movie:


Thursday, April 23, 2009

Vote for the 2009 Peachtree Road Race T-shirt!




For the non-Atlantans, here is a little history on the Peachtree Road Race. The Peachtree is held every year on July 4th and sponsored by the Atlanta Journal Constitution (AJC). Until recently, in 2008, it was the world's largest 10 K race with 55,000 registered runners. And according to Wikipedia, in 2008 the Vancouver Sun Run had over 59,000 registrants, however the Sun Run is two races, a 10k and a 2.5k; the Peachtree has just one. (Take that Vancouver Sun Run.)

Thus, every year over 60,000 people try to register for the limited 55,000 spots in this race. Why? For the prestigious T-shirt every year (only available to those who finish the race)? The glory? To beat someone's time? Your own personal victory? Perhaps we will never know unless we participate.

Here's a look at some of the other shirts that have been designed over the years.




*All images via AJC

For all things Peachtree Road Race related, go here.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Happy Earth Day!





In celebration of Earth Day today, we would like to share with you a few tips to stay green from our Creating a Greener World website.

  • Use low-flow faucets, showerheads, and toilets in your bathroom
  • Use compact fluorescent light bulbs – they reduce emissions by about 65% as compared to a regular light bulb.
  • Caulk around windows and weather stripping around doors
  • Bring your own cup to work for coffee
  • Go paperless; pay your bills online
  • Car pool or walk or ride your bike when you can
  • Bring your own bags to the grocery store
  • Eliminate junk mail at work. For no fee, the EcoLogical Mail Coalition will eliminate the junk that former employees receive at work
Sojo has a unit that specializes in advising organizations and corporations on sustainability. Many organizations today have new sustainability policies they have to abide by and we can help you do that. We can help you communicate your policy to your employees and customers, and assist you in boosting your corporate social responsibility reputation. And most of all, by working together, we can make our home a little greener for ourselves and future generations.

For more tips, visit our Creating a Greener World website and contact us today to see how we can help you go green.


Sunday, April 12, 2009

32% of Influential Churches in the U.S. are on Facebook

Social Networking is Shaping Religion Today

According to a survey Sojo recently conducted, 32% of the country’s most influential churches surveyed are using Facebook. Some of the churches surveyed included:
  • World Changers Church International in College Park, Georgia
  • Calvary Chapel of Ft Lauderdale
  • North Point Community Church in Alpharetta, Georgia
  • Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky
  • Second Baptist in Houston, Texas
  • Word of Faith International Christian Church in Southfield, Michigan
Of the churches surveyed, 32% reported either having a Facebook page or group for their church or for its individual ministries. All 32% of the churches using Facebook stated that they initially started using Facebook as a means to connect with their Facebook-using members. Now, the top reasons for using this particular social network is still for connecting with members but has evolved as a tool for communicating important upcoming events and volunteer opportunities to members of the congregation that use Facebook. One church reported that they wanted to stay "relevent" to what its' youth in the congregation was using to communicate.

In this survey, junior high and high school membership averaged to be 1,063 members. Averages for college student and members in their early 20's were not applicable.

Two churches surveyed reported that their pastors had personal MySpace pages. MySpace and YouTube tied for being the second most used social networks among the churches we surveyed. Twitter, one of the fastest growing social networks right now, is currently only being used by 10% of the churches in Sojo's survey. Several churches mentioned they were looking into possibly jumping onto the Twitter bandwagon.

Surprisingly, only 10% stated they were using Tangle (originally GodTube.com), the world's largest faith and family-based social network with 550,000 registered users. And another 10% stated they were not using any form of social networks.

Below is a breakdown of the social networking sites revealed in our survey.





Tuesday, March 31, 2009

The Stories behind the Big Brands

Neatorama tells the stories behind some of our country's biggest brands. I really enjoyed reading them! Check out the top 10 food brands, car brands, Hollywood Studio logos, and tech logos.


Morton Salt





Betty Crocker




Paramount Studios



Ford Motor Company



Canon

Even Carnival Cruise Lines is going Interactive

Want a pet fish but don't want to have to deal with the maintenance of feeding the fish or cleaning out the tank? Just find one of Carnival Cruise Lines interactive fish tanks and you can create your own digital fish!



Carnival saw an opportunity to utilize empty store windows to their advantage. When pedestrians walk by the window, sea life move in response to their movements. Using your cell phone, you create a fish, and even come back to feed and interact with your fish later!

Currently the interactive aquariums are in Baltimore, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, New York and Washington D.C.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

New Website Launched!

Yesterday we launched Taffi Dollar's new website that we designed and developed! It has been such a joy to work with the World Changers Team!



Also, check out the social networks that we launched earlier this month for Taffi as well.

Friday, March 20, 2009

The History of the Internet

Microsoft released version 8 of Internet Explorer and a funny video on the history of the Internet.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Social Networking Sites Launched

We've been super busy here at Sojo!

Recently one of our clients ventured into social networking waters and we couldn't be more happier! Now they are unlocking even more opportunities to further connect with their audience. Not to mention, we had a ton of fun creating these sites for them!

Be sure and check them out!








Friday, February 27, 2009

Social Media Sites: Who is on Them?

Here's a FUN look at who is on some of the more popular social media sites according to Cory O'Brien. This is by no means, scientific evidence.






Who else is on Facebook? We are! Find us on Facebook.

Friday, February 13, 2009

The Silver Lining

Innovation is everywhere.

It can come in the simplest forms - and are often born from problems or tough times.

Despite the current automobile industry crisis, take for example Henry Ford. He often wondered, "How can I get the people to the work?" His solution arrived when he changed the form of his question, "How can I get the work to the people?"

From that problem, came a little creativity, and a big innovation: The assembly line.

The assembly line later led way to a total reinvention of the work flow - the mass production, which allowed for more affordable goods (not to mention higher wages for Ford employees). Now that owning a vehicle was more of a reality, this created a higher demand for the product. This innovative work flow that Ford Motor Company instilled would become the example that many other industries would follow.

Simply because Henry Ford reformed his question.

Challenges often breed more creativity.

And sometimes, we can accidentally stumble across a discovery. For example, chocolate chip cookies, Post-It Notes, microwaves, and Penicillin were all discovered accidentally while the person was trying to solve another problem.

Thus, we must always be open to new ideas and new ways of thinking...especially during challenging times. You never know what great innovation or invention could come out of it!

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

What’s New in the World of Sojo

I don’t believe we’ll see another year in our life time like 2009 has started off to be. It’s going to be a year of positives and negatives.

I know for sure though that it will be a year of shake ups and shake outs – leaving only survivors!

We started the year with a new President – who won an election that had never been run before! It was full of life and suspense, made for TV drama– in fact no other election had been watched so closely – GLOBALLY! Not just by Americans but by people World Wide. More importantly to Sojo, it was an election won by creating a strong brand, implementing a well thought-out marketing plan and using the web and it’s Social Networks to WIN! It has created a precedence that I am sure we will see in the future of almost any election big or small.

On another note for 2009 – Industries that have been around for generations are now being threatened – Life has certainly changed on planet earth. The new consumer is not just technologically savvy but globally aware and strategic with their buying power! Hence the car industry and other industries that haven’t changed much in operations and selling propositions in the past 100 years are being forced into the 21st Century – those who make it – Great – those who don’t will give way to the new and innovative!

I love challenges – in fact, Sojo was started during challenging times – who remembers the technology shake out of 2000-2001? Our Sojo team has taken on 2009 with a vengeance and in looking for the best solutions for our clients – we know full well – happy clients translates for us to great company. We are the Toyota of our industry – providing our clients with the BEST services and solutions out there at the BEST price.

What an awesome time we live in – let’s celebrate and take it on 2009!

Brand New: Logos

Ever see redesigned logos of well-known brands and then find yourself googling them to compare the old with the new? Okay, maybe that's just me.

Anyhow, Brand New is a great design blog that focuses on corporate and brand identity work. And with some hilarious commentary to accompany.

Here are a few side-by-side looks at some of the brands they feature.






Now whether the new design fairs better than the old, well, I'll let you decide.