Digital – Simren Deogun | Marketing Blog

Google Slowly Introduces Chrome OS To The Masses

June 10, 2010 By Simren Deogun 2 Comments

Well, at least in my opinion. In a very Bing-esque styling, Google has atypically changed its design approach to an option that will undoubtedly be compared to their biggest competitor.

So, what’s the reason, Google? My guess is that with Google’s Chrome OS on the verge of release, the great Google geniuses are giving us a taste of what it might feel like. Without Microsoft, without a desktop, without all those PC (and Mac!) familiarities, Google has to bridge the gap.

Step one seems to be to introduce the “wallpaper” to Google — thereby transforming your Google homepage into a desktop (or into a desktop-like experience!).

Now, you can customize your Google experience, just like you can currently customize your PC or Mac experience, but, of course, without all the burdens that come with bloated operating systems, such as applications and features you don’t even need. This will most certainly be Google’s future pitch for its shiny, new OS!

Does Google’s new homepage enhance your experience or is it just another web-based distraction? It is smart, though, I will contend. As almost everything from Google is. Even when we doubt Google’s zany new offerings in the beginning, as we did with Gmail and are now doing with Buzz, Google has consistently outwitted our skepticism. The geniuses are testing the waters, sharks abound. For me, I have a take-it-or-leave-it attitude for the wallpaper, but, for the masses, I predict it will grow to be a fan-favourite!

Filed Under: Business, Digital, Thoughts Tagged With: Bing, Chrome OS, Desktop, Google, Mac, Microsoft, Wallpaper

Wind Mobile Hijacks Gizmodo.com

April 19, 2010 By Simren Deogun 3 Comments

I cyber-strolled over to Gizmodo today after hearing some exciting news about a leaked preview for Apple’s next iPhone.

I’ll admit that it took me a minute to notice that the site looked more-than-a-bit different but I’ll chock that up to my glaring at the drool-worthy new iPhone (which, I think, looks very HTC-esque to me, but let’s leave that for another post!).

After some quick examination, I noticed that Gizmodo’s otherwise dark colour scheme had been consumed by Wind Mobile’s characteristic orange and blue with a number of cute, cuddly clouds and bubbles floating about. Most notably, Gizmodo’s header (seen above) now sported a very well-positioned “sponsored by Wind” tag.

The graphics bordering this post are the same that appeared on Gizmodo’s temporary site redesign. I’ve discussed a similar type of third-party website rebranding/advertising before in my Ugly Betty and Next Level Banner Ads post. But what I love about Wind’s take is that it, like much of what we’ve seen from Wind’s marketing efforts thus far, pushes the boundaries just a hair of what we’ve seen before. Instead of just a banner ad or just a background change, Wind convinced Gizmodo that a complete website design overhaul was the way to go. And, it was.

The changes are temporary. However, the effect is exponential. Wind was smartly strategic with its choice of website, Gizmodo is a high-tech news king with millions of visitors every day. What better way to reach Wind’s youthful, risk-taking target market then to strengthen their brand equity with a little bit of ingenious advertising.

Kudos to Wind for keeping true to their newly born Canadian identity, for strategically playing the online advertising field, and for showing the tech world that they are far removed from Rogers, Bell and those U.S. companies who shall remain unnamed!

Filed Under: Campaigns, Digital Tagged With: Advertising, Bell, Brand, Gizmodo, Mobile Device, Mobile Industry, Online Banner Ads, Rogers, Wind Mobile, Wireless Industry

Pepsi Refresh Project Impresses

March 28, 2010 By Simren Deogun 2 Comments

With grants ranging from $5,000 to $250,000, the Pepsi Refresh Project invigorates the world of giving with its user-driven philanthropic social media project.

You (any member of the social community) submit an idea of someone or something that deserves to be awarded one of the above grants in any of the following categories: Health, Arts & Culture, Food & Shelter, The Planet, Neighbourhoods, and Education. And then the community votes, picking its favourites. There are guidelines to how the Refresh Project works, though it is limited to the United States (which is the most glaring upset of the project), it is still a worthy and “refreshing” initiative.

$1.3 million dollars given away every month. Given to companies, non-profits, causes, and individuals who need it. It is high-level giving supported by a high-level brand. Admittedly, the non-profit world isn’t always backed with shiny brands, fancy websites, and millions to give, but I think what Pepsi has done successfully is emphasizing a side of philanthropy that moves beyond Give-and-Forget.

Pepsi has given us a great example of a wonderful cause launched by a company where profits are the bottom line (if we’re being honest). But under all the glitz is Corporate Giving powered by a global brand and made possible by social media, Pepsi seems to have done it right.

The website is impeccable. From its bright and welcoming design to its innovative, multi-tier navigation, my marketing brain is all aflutter.

I’m endeared by this growing concept of “Social Giving”, by no means new, but certainly (and finally) finding its way into the well-deserved limelight.

P.S. I don’t even drink Pepsi. Sorry, PepsiCo. But, maybe, I’ll reconsider. Having a heart does count for something in marketing.

Filed Under: Campaigns, Digital, Non-profits Tagged With: Donations, Giving, Grants, ideas, Non-profits, Pepsi, Pepsi Refresh Project, Philanthropy, Social Giving, social media

Seth Godin: Geniuses, Leaders & Lizards at TAOM

March 9, 2010 By Simren Deogun Leave a Comment

“The market for something to believe in is infinite,” Seth exclaimed as he concluded his retrospective trip down Highway 11 and his visit to Rita’s infamous Candy Shoppe. At The Art of Marketing, Seth begins with a story. And to every good story, there is inevitably some lesson to be learned, some mantra to be imparted. And, so, if you create something to believe in, if you tell a compelling story, if you lead, then, you too can win.

Geniuses: those who solve an interesting problem in a unique way.

Leadership: what marketing has become.

Fear: what resides at the core of the lizard brain (inside our own amygdala) that prevents us from being the two things listed above.

So how do we overcome the lizard brain (or the resistance)? Be an artist. Or a leader. Or a genius. Just deciding to be different may be enough.

For me, it’s thinking like the un-corporation. Deciding that mediocrity and bureaucracy just aren’t going to cut it because creativity, inspiration and leadership are worth so much more.

What does it mean to you?

Image Credit: The Biz Media >> http://blog.thebizmedia.com/2010/03/sneak-peak-at-the-official-photos-for-the-art-of-marketing/

Filed Under: Digital, Events, Thoughts Tagged With: Fear, Genius, Leadership, Linchpin, Lizard Brain, Seth Godin, TAOM, The Art of Marketing

Sally Hogshead: Fascination at TAOM & The F Score

March 7, 2010 By Simren Deogun Leave a Comment

Fascination is an art form. This might be the key component that was left out of Sally Hogshead’s presentation at The Art of Marketing on March 2nd. Embedding any or all of Sally’s 7 triggers of fascination into your marketing and branding plan is part of the “art” of marketing.

“We didn’t used to need to fascinate. But now everyone is stressed and overwhelmed so it’s harder to connect,” remarked Sally. There is a heavy-handed truth to her words because with our more complex, more social, more cluttered lives, creating fascination also means creating engagement (and that seems to be what we’re all after these days, right?)

If you want to learn more about fascination and Sally’s 7 triggers, check out her book, Fascinate. I will be shortly!

Heavily intrigued by Sally’s presentation, I hopped on over to Sally’s website to take part in her self-made personality test and see how I faired.

The results were as fascinating as the test itself (slight pun intended!). My primary trigger turned out to be Power, secondary was Prestige and my dormant was Alarm, have a look below:

According to Sally, Power means I’m the alpha dog. I lead the pack, take control, and influence others to follow.

Primary Trigger: POWER | You’re a natural leader, and comfortable with authority, making you well-suited to creating messages that inspire large groups. Next step? None your power trigger for greater respect, bigger audiences, and more loyal advocates.

Prestige, my secondary trigger, translates into ambitious, aspirational and goal-oriented.

Secondary Trigger: PRESTIGE | You’re motivated by the admiration of your peers, and most likely, your peers are motivated by you. People in your group watch what you’re saying and doing, measuring themselves in relation to you, seeking cues of their own standing within the group. Keep in mind: Prestigious people can evoke admiration, but also competition and envy.

Only 7.1% of test-takers possess my combination of Power and Prestige, which I think plays to my inner egotism. But, like with any personality test, the results from the F Score must be analyzed with caution. It is not gospel but it certainly is amusing to see whether or not the triggers chosen match who you are (and these results certainly have me made).

The F Score test is the perfect accompaniment to Sally’s new book, Fascinate. It is a beautifully coiffed marketing tactic to pull me into her world while still keeping the focus on me: the prospective reader, the fan, the marketer, etc. I will read her book, understand her message, adore her more than I already do, and hopefully, along the way, learn to be a better marketer and a better me.

Filed Under: Digital, Events, Resources Tagged With: Alarm, F Score, Fascinate, Power, Prestige, Sally Hogshead, TAOM, The Art of Marketing

Have We Forgotten About Podcasting?

February 23, 2010 By Simren Deogun 2 Comments

I’ve actually been meaning to write this post for a while but today it seems more than fitting after attending PodCamp Toronto 2010 over the weekend.

What may be more ironic than this post sitting in my drafts folder for weeks untouched is that I didn’t even attend a podcasting-centric session at PodCamp. PodCamp began (and remains) an unconference that thwarts the rules of traditional regimented conferences. Founded by Chris Brogan and Christopher S. Penn, the first PodCamp was held September 8-10, 2006 in Boston.

Podcasting

Though the new media unconference roots its title in the word “podcast”, it is not just about podcasting, which often leaves many observers baffled. However, the inherent beauty of it all is that podcasting actually predates the rise and overwhelming dominance of blogging, social media, social networking and video (all online!).

As individuals and businesses focus energy, time and resources into Twitter and Facebook, podcasting seems to be gathering dust on the sidelines. But is this just deception brought on by the novelty of timelines, retweets, statuses and fan pages?

eMarketer’s article on podcasting going mainstream clearly delineates that podcasting is growing not receding despite the lack of attention it seems to be garnering as of late. In 2010, 13% of US internet users are listening to podcasts and that number is projected to increase to 17% in 2013.

Don’t forget or give up on podcasting. Embrace it. If you think that it has lost its importance or relevance or impact, don’t.

Interviews. Experts. Launches. Best ofs. Reviews. Lectures. Presentations. Limitless opportunities when it comes to podcasting, and instead of a character limit, you have a time limit. A lot more time than characters to say what it is you need to say. It’s time to take advantage of the growth in listening audience. Time to tap into the audio medium (and hopefully couple it with video + social). Time to create a voice for you and/or your organization.

Filed Under: Business, Digital Tagged With: chris brogan, Christopher Penn, eMarketer, PodCamp, PodCamp Toronto 2010, Podcast, Podcasting

PodCamp Toronto 2010 In Review

February 21, 2010 By Simren Deogun 5 Comments

PodCamp Toronto 2010, a new media unconference, brought together a bevy of like-minded social media and tech geeks, entrepreneurs, experts and amateurs.

I attended six sessions: 3 were Priceless and 3 Less than Lukewarm, my reviews follow:

ePress Kits for Podcasters, Web Owners & Social Media Users — Julia Hidy

From the title alone, Julia’s sessions sounded extremely insightful. All about how a marketer, a PR agent, or any entrepreneur on the street could create a complete press kit to bring a stronger voice either to themselves or to the organization for which they work.

Julia’s an author, multimedia producer and overall PR guru but her talk was rushed (due to time and lack of organization) and her insight vastly lacking. I could see the golden morsels underneath the sporadic switching between pages in her PDF document/presentation. The saving grace of her session was the “one sheet.” For both those who did and didn’t know about it, Julia exclaimed its importance, versatility, and possibility as an interactive piece of content.

You can request Julia Hidy’s presentation here. Follow Julia on Twitter, @juliahidy

How and Why to Tell Great Stories — Mark Evans

Julia Hidy’s uninspiring glance into ePress Kits certainly left me wanting, and Mark Evans was able to fulfill that need. A tech reporter, social media expert, PR rep and blogger since 1994, Mark Evans delved into the ever-current and ever-popular subject of storytelling.

When I think stories, I think Godin or Jobs. Mark certainly agreed by setting the tone for his session with a snippet from Steve Job’s presentation introducing the iPhone. I enjoyed Mark’s candour and personality and how he cultivated the energy in the room with his own storytelling.

The best takeaway would have to be his recipe for a GOOD STORY: Interesting, Educational, Engaging, Entertaining, Informative and Authentic. Too bad they all start with vowels or else we would’ve had a new acronym on our hands!

Follow Mark on Twitter, @markevans

Crowdsourcing Volunteer Technical Communities with Crisis Commons — Panel

An odd, supposedly panel-formatted presentation with little focus and direction, Crisis Commons failed to capture me both emotionally and mentally.

They attempted to tell (or prove to?) me the efforts and strides they’ve made through the employment of social media to “spread the word” and “help Haiti” and “connect with traditional media”. At the end of it, I was left thoroughly confused and most disappointingly uninspired.

Follow CrisisCommons on Twitter, @crisiscommons, and/or CrisisCamp, @crisiscamp.

The business of online communities for women — Panel featuring Erica Ehm, Kim Vallee and Eden Spodek

An all female panel showed tremendous promise. Following the Crisis Commons debacle, a strong feminist (though not exclusionary) outlook on media and business was what I needed. I did’t get it.

It felt more like a Yummy Mummy Club promo tour led by Erica Ehm than a serious exposition on female communities and their impact on social media. One questioner explained that Erica’s Club gave her a voice which she could not have found otherwise. A second questioner, while postulating on the difficulties of using WordPress, exclaimed mid-sentence that she was single and wasn’t fortunate enough to have a techie husband like Kim Vallee. Oh, despair.

These remarks, among others, left a distinct and sour taste in my mouth. Women should be, and are, proud, powerful, influential and smart. What’s remarkably unbearable to watch is the dismantling of this truth with the ignorant and unaware.

The session was poignantly concluded with Erica Ehm’s assertion that “Most women have blogs, you know.”

Techvibes.com – Creating a Toronto Community — Karim Kanji

Thank goodness for Karim Kanji’s powerful wit and perfectly placed “right ons” throughout his presentation. Thank goodness for his authenticity and his unabashed admittance of not knowing it all and being more than willing to learn.

Karim was there to tell his story more than anything else. Though the title of the session is vastly misleading because he wasn’t there to tell you how to create a community but rather explain his personal journey to develop a brand and a community of his own.

A writer for Techvibes.com, Karim used to write 3 posts a day and had managed in the first half of January to publish more than 70 posts! I asked if he every slept and he responded jovially with a sly smile, “Yea, I sleep everyday.” ‘How much’ should’ve been my next question.

He started off not as a writer or a geek or a techie but as someone who wanted to change and possibly make change. He made mistakes (probably still does) and has learned from them all. Speaking is his thing, I hope he knows it.

Follow Karim on Twitter, @karimkanji.

Applied Communilytics (In a Nutshell) — Sean Power

Sean Power was brilliant even without a working slide deck! The smartest of all the speakers I encountered at PodCamp, a true expert and powerhouse when it comes to communilytics (community + analytics).

He was energized and equipped with a strong voice that was unfortunately heard by only a few at the final session of the day. My favourite tidbit was his pronouncement after citing his third list, “I love lists!” 4 types of sites. 8 types of media. 4 types of goals. There’s much more in his funnel than he explained, but the knowledge that he has is what all organizations are looking for right now. To explain, implement, optimize, and measure media/online/community etc.

Powerful content and I only wish I had more. Sean’s presentation is available here. His book, Complete Web Monitoring, written with Alistair Croll, available here. Both of which I think I’ll be reading and then re-reading!

Follow Sean on Twitter, @seanpower.

Thanks PodCamp for an all-round exciting, entertaining, and albeit tiring event!

Filed Under: Digital, Events, News Tagged With: Community, Conference, Eden Spodek, Erica Ehm, Event, Julia Hidy, Karim Kanji, Kim Vallee, Mark Evans, New Media, PodCamp, PodCamp Toronto 2010, Sean Power, social media, Storytelling, Techvibes, Toronto, Women

Google Buzz Or Microsoft Outlook Social Connector

February 17, 2010 By Simren Deogun Leave a Comment

What is Google Buzz?

Google Buzz is a social media sharing experience inside of Gmail, which includes public or private sharing, inbox integration, photo-friendly sharing, connectivity to Twitter, Picasa, Flickr and Reader, real-time updates, and delivery of content based on Google’s recommendations.

What is Microsoft Outlook Social Connector?

On the flip side, Microsoft Outlook plans to roll out a bevy of social media integration options with its 2010 Outlook Social Connector (OSC) release. As reported by Mashable, the OSC will include integration with Facebook, LinkedIn, and MySpace with, I’m sure, more options on the horizon to be announced.

Buzz vs. OSC

Google Buzz isn’t worth the time and it will add the most value for those heavy Gmail users (that use Gmail as a primary email client and/or are working in the client for multiple hours a day). For those high-level users of Gmail, Buzz can offer the advantage of a single-stop, integrated experience.

In order for this integrated experience to be truly representative of the current social media landscape, it would require the inclusion of Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Digg, and all of the other major players. What this creates is a feed system (much like Google Reader) that aggregates ALL, not some, of the social media content being made available by those you want to follow.

Microsoft Outlook Social Connector wins (despite the poor branding). That is, they win if Buzz is unable to secure the same big names (and I mean all the big names) to integrate with what should be the ultimate aggregated social experience.

Microsoft Outlook owns market share at 39% as the primary email client of choice. Gmail trails in with a much lower 5.5%. In a business environment, Outlooks is critical to almost all work-related tasks. It is the core communication point for internal and external communications. Employees are immersed in it for at least 8 hours a day. An integrated social media experience within the primary email client of choice is a marriage for success.

The disadvantage for both OSC and Buzz in a work setting is productivity. If OSC secures Twitter alongside the others, then it poses a significant threat to worker productivity what with the number of distractions suddenly multiplying exponentially. Gmail, also used within work settings, poses the same problem with Buzz.

Employers could, of course, prohibit usage of these services but we all know the social clients mentioned above are just a click away in any web browser.

Are either of these social media integrators worth your time? Do you immediately have preference for one over the other simply based on brand and experience?

What I think the most pertinent question to be asking is: Will this equation of Email+Social be the next phase with social media or will an unknown third-party, comprehensive social media aggregator eclipse Google and Microsoft?

Filed Under: Business, Digital, News Tagged With: Digg, facebook, Google, Google Buzz, LinkedIn, Microsoft, Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Social Connector, Picasa, social media, twitter

Gist: A New Online Connectivity Tool

January 24, 2010 By Simren Deogun Leave a Comment

In Gist’s own words, it

helps you build stronger relationships by connecting the inbox to the web to provide business-critical information about the people and companies that matter most.

In my words, Gist consolidates your inbox with online connections and information.

Think: Gist = Inbox + Social Media (+ News).

The whole concept of Gist revolves around aggregating information and churning it through a process of organization and prioritization, as founder T.A. McCann describes in this intreview featured on The Rise to the Top. The result is meant to automate the process of siphoning through relevant contact information (and any relevant data available online related to those contacts) and provide the user with the ultimate knowledge for any given contact.

Here is my current dashboard on Gist:

On the left, a list of my contacts. In the center, a “live feed” filtering social media, RSS and other news updates. And to the right, more clutter that I have yet to add to.

The inherent problem with this dashboard is its glaring inability to focus my attention and effectively deliver information with clarity. I see a lot of content — some of which, I am sure, is highly important — but all of which is lost in an unintuitive design.

Here is a view of my “profile” page:

The above page gives you a look at the type of information you would be able to retrieve about one of your contacts. You see all my links, related search results found in Google, a What’s New section gathering information from various feeds, and a plethora of many more goodies.

I can publicize a limited version of my profile for all to see but otherwise a personal connection is required. But the catch here is that most of the information in the profile was added by me barring the search results. So, the point is that the usefulness of this application is heavily dependent on what I already know about another person. Not as intuitive as I would like!

So, maybe you’ve heard of Xobni. No?

How about LinkedIn or Salesforce? I’m getting there now, right.

If still not, then I’m certain you know Outlook (Exchange) and Google.

Gist is aiming to bridge the gap between these services. A one-stop-shop connectivity and productivity tool to offer you the best of all available information.

The concept — born out of Web 3.0 — is intriguing but right now it definitely screams “beta”. I can’t definitively say yet if I can use this tool to my advantage but I will continue experimenting.

What I do see is that Gist seems to have the idea but not the execution. Now we wait. Wait for information consolidation, control and personalization — i.e. the future.

Filed Under: Digital, Resources Tagged With: Gist, Google, Outlook, salesforce, social media, web 3.0, Xobni

Do You Have RSS?

January 19, 2010 By Simren Deogun Leave a Comment

What is RSS?
RSS = Really Simple Syndication.

What is Really Simple Syndication?
Consists of a web feed that allows regularly updated online content to be delivered to subscribers via any number of “readers” in a consistent format. Need more?

Why you should care?
Engaging online is the cornerstone to being successful online. Engagement means providing meaningful content and information on a regular basis to your target market. If you engage with this market then ideally you want them to follow every word you publish. Enter RSS.

With RSS, you ensure that you deliver your best content to your most important followers — i.e. the ones that act as your best marketers on-the-ground. And they are the most important because they wouldn’t bother subscribing to your feed(s) if they didn’t deeply value what you had to offer.

The online platform is information overload. So, RSS really is simple — offer valuable content with express delivery.

Filed Under: Digital, Resources Tagged With: content, content marketing, RSS

Why Listening Is So Important

December 9, 2009 By Simren Deogun Leave a Comment

I listen because I wish to be listened to.

As a customer, a user, a prospect, a person. I take the time to hear because I want the same courtesy to be returned. And it is a courtesy. A conscious effort to demonstrate equity in a relationship.

If you don’t listen to your customers, what do you stand to gain?

If you don’t offer the opportunity for your customers to speak, what do you stand to gain?

Instead of being enlightened by the masses that make our livelihood possible we opt for blind content and ignorance.

I opt for open forums, discussions, interactions, back-and-forth, learning, trying, succeeding.

You tell me what it is that you want and I will do my best to mould you an offering. Web 2.0 is the perfect example, it demands this 2-way interaction. Web 3.0 will transform that interaction and make it immediate.

So, are you listening yet?

Filed Under: Best Practices, Digital Tagged With: e-marketing, listening, web 2.0, web 3.0