When an Online Campaign Goes Right…

We all like to play games. What if there was a game in which you starred, and your friends could play it with you? Intel has come out with an interactive game which does exactly that. It also highlights its second generation Core Processor and Wireless Display. Intel’s The Escape has broken new ground on YouTube. You play a secret agent, tasked with collecting a package from another agent, and you must elude enemy operatives in the process.

You share your name before you begin playing so that you can see it in the opening credits, like a movie. Where does the brand come in? It supports you, while you play the game. Simple puzzles and actions like pressing the space bar keep even new gamers engaged.

What’s a game without friends? With the ability to enlist a couple of your Facebook friends as fellow agents, playing this game is a fun as well as social experience. Perhaps the greatest breakthrough is that technical benefits are seen in a non technical, entertaining, and engaging manner.

The video has more than 600,000 views on YouTube. Intel The Escape’s YouTube Channel has 1,531 subscribers, clearly indicating that players were hooked after they got into the game. With 348 comments, most of them positive, this video has been a resounding hit.

Once the mission is accomplished, Intel offers you the option of sharing your victory on social media. Your Facebook feed will tell others that you and your friends successfully played The Escape. You can even like their Facebook page, so that the relationship continues. The potential for continuous engagement is there. Intel has cleverly used gaming, which is dear to its target audience, to make itself seem irresistible.

…When an Online Campaign Goes Wrong

The practice of using a news event, especially a natural calamity, for brand promotion on Twitter, can be risky. It can seem tempting for a brand to kill two birds with one stone- do some good and gain awareness among consumers. However, this needs to be done carefully, otherwise it can misfire.

For instance, after the March 11 Japan tsunami, Microsoft’s Bing swung into action. They tweeted that each time a certain post of theirs was Retweeted with the #SupportJapan hashtag they would donate $1 for the tsunami relief work. Tweeple did not appreciate this attempt to hijack the attention the tsunami was receiving.
Influencers were quick to denounce Microsoft’s seemingly philanthropic act. As more and more influential tweeters joined in, a derogatory hashtag- F#$%Bing started doing the rounds.

Many more became aware of the issue and felt that Microsoft should just donate the money without trying to get publicity. They too were vocal about it, so Microsoft realized that their well intentioned campaign had backfired. Microsoft then backtracked with the message, “We apologize the tweets was negatively perceived. Intent was to provide an easy way for people to help Japan. We have donated 100k.”

It is important to keep the benefits and downsides of amplifying your message in mind before you release it. Otherwise, the negative publicity can outweigh the benefits. Even supporting a charitable cause can be viewed with suspicion. Today, things can get out of hand much quicker on social media, where many users simultaneously pronouncing verdict on your campaign can be disastrous. Anticipating potential misinterpretations will enable you to tweak your campaigns so that they are perceived positively.

As the largest and most influential ICT & Electronics Exhibitions in Vietnam, Vietnam International Communications Summit & Expo 2011 (Vietnam Comm 2011) / Vietnam International Internet & IT Exhibition 2011 (Vietnam Internet & IT 2011) / International Exhibition on Electronics Products in Vietnam 2011 (Vietnam Electronics 2011) will be staged during November 16-19, 2011 in the Vietnam Exhibition & Fair Centre (VEFAC), Hanoi, SR Vietnam. The expos will act as the best platform for buyers from different industries to source the hottest ICT, electronics products and enterprise solutions, as well as to exchange the latest market news.

Great Market Potential of ICT industry in Vietnam

According to ICT white book 2011 published by Ministry of Information and Communications, Vietnam (MIC), IT industry in Vietnam has become an important economic sector. By the end of 2010, the revenue of software industry and digital content industry revenue reached USD 5.6 billion, revenue of telecommunications services reached over USD 9.4 billion, bringing the total revenue of ICT industry in 2010 to USD 17 billion, which was 19 times higher than that in 2000. The ICT industry is fast growing and also admitting the convergence of electronics, telecommunications, IT and broadcasting, the booming of digital content industry and the trend of Green IT. It is expected that software, mobile & fixed broadband, digital content and value-added services will have a rapid growth in Vietnam, creates great market potential and numerous business opportunities.

Favored by the enormous market potential and supportive governmental policies, Vietnam Comm / Vietnam Internet & IT/ Vietnam Electronics 2011 received extensive support from both local and overseas giant operators and renowned multi-national corporations, such as VNPT, MobiFone, Vinaphone, Orange France Telecom, Ericsson, Hitachi Cable, Huawei, Rosenberger, ZTE and many more. These exhibitors will demonstrate their innovative technologies, solutions, products and services that are highly applicable for different sectors and industries in Vietnam, including Banking & Finance, Hotel & Travel, Education, Logistic, Medical, etc.

In addition, different overseas pavilions will be organized by Singapore Industrial Automation Association (SIAA), CCPIT Electronics and Information Industry Sub-Council, Taiwan Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers’ Association (TEEMA) and China PTAC Communications Services Co., Ltd., which enhance the international elements of the trio expos.

Highlighted Exhibits / Technologies to Vietnam Market

A number of first-time exhibitors coming from overseas countries, including Japan, Korea, Thailand, Malaysia will participate in the exhibitions. Visitors can explore more new international ICT technologies and business solutions under one roof.

Telecommunication & IT Networking connectivity solutions will be showcased by Advanced Network Solutions Ltd, a manufacturer in Malaysia produces a wide range of cost effective and high quality telecommunication and network products.

Sankosha Corporation, a Japanese lightning protection solution provider since 1930 will exhibit total lightning –protection systems based on risk research and maintenance, which help to reduce the threat from the losses caused by lightning strikes.

Advance Innomedia Co., a leading company in Thailand with diversified operations in Telecom IPTV Network and Securities products will offer broadband IP telephony solutions that deliver high-quality voice and video over any IP networks, targeted to broadband service providers, system integrators, Corporate and OEM customers.

Furthermore, Topfield, a renowned Digital Technology company in Korea will introduce their Personal Video Recorder (PVR) and the first STB (set-top box) with two tuners. XMW Inc., a leading Korean broadband communication solution provider will showcase Wireless Comprehensive products for broadcasters, military and government organizations to use in any harsh environment.

High-Level Concurrent Summit and Panel discussion

Besides, concurrent summit presented by governmental representatives and industrial experts will be held alongside for even more in-depth technology exchange. Star speakers from MIC, VNPT, VAIP, government ministry, ZTE, Huawei, Ericsson, Mobifone, Orange France Telecom will share their valuable experience and knowledge on hot topics in ICT industry, include “Current Development of ICT in Government, Health, Education and Community Service Sectors”, “Opportunities and Challenges for 4G Network in Vietnam”, “ICT Application for Enterprises and Case Studies on Integrated Internet Services, Portal, VAS and Social Networks ” and many more.

In addition, Panel Discussion will be first introduced in the summit. Industry professionals will discuss on the topic “Analysis and Evaluation 3G market in Vietnam. Recognizing Opportunities and Challenges for Developing 4G Networks”. It will provide a perfect platform for visitors to interact with professional speakers, exchange market information and mingle with industry players.

With strong support from National Steering Committee on ICT as Steering Organization and Ministry of Information and Communications, Vietnam (MIC) as Main Sponsor, jointly organized by Vietnam Posts & Telecommunications Group – Information & Public Relations Center (VNPT- IPC), Vietnam Association for Information Processing (VAIP) and Adsale Exhibition Services Ltd, the trio expos are expected to attract over 160 local and overseas exhibitors from more than 14 countries and regions.

For more show information about Vietnam Comm / Vietnam Internet & IT / Vietnam Electronics 2011, please contact Ms Vikki Yu / Ms Jessica Wong at Tel: (852) 25163528 / 349, Fax: (852) 25165024, E-mail: telecom@adsale.com.hk or visit show website: www.vietnam-comm.com, www.vietnam-internet-it.com & www.vietnamelectronics.com.

For press enquiry, please contact:

Social Media Revolution 2011

This video is iconic, and the updated version talks about how social media is about people- one in five couples met online. One in five also divorce because of Facebook. Kindergarten students use iPads now, not chalkboards.

“We don’t have a choice on whether we do social media, we have a choice on how well we do it,” says Erik Qualman.

How to Explain Social Media to Your Employees

This video by the Department of Justice in Victoria, Australia will be useful to companies all over the world. Like the telephone, social media is essential to today’s workplace but should be used responsibly. By linking the new with the old, employees can connect their usage of tools.

Isn’t it better to use social media to explain the social media usage policy to your employees?

Fox News Parodies Social Media

Have you seen this clever but scary parody of social media by Fox News? Journalists prefer tweeting, Facebooking, and signing in FourSquare to actual reporting. What with news channels wooing viewers to sign up on their social media profiles, this day may not be far.

With over 300,000 views, this one has certainly struck a chord with YouTube viewers.

Comment Song

MysteryGuitarman has uploaded a video which has more than 1,000,000 views- and it just got uploaded on June 28, 2011. The entire song is crafted from words from comments made on the videos that he had uploaded before. User generated content is in turn used by the musician to further create content. Interactive internet marketing strategies can include ideas like these.

After all, who wouldn’t like to be immortalized in a song?

Google Minus- The Anti Social Network

A funny take on the indignation around Google’s closed beta system for Google Plus. “Every member starts out as friends with everyone.” You can then reduce the feed as others put you off. Other features include a Dislike button or a thumbs down option. Even more relevant, now that growth rates for this newcomer are falling.

We would give this one a +1, in our digital marketing review.

How New Milford High School Uses Social Media

Social media is going back to school, but this time it’s not the students, but the teachers and school administrators that are waking up to its benefits. Slowly but surely, it’s being treated less as a “time-waster” and more as the revolutionary new communication medium it is – one that can change the way education functions.

One prominent example is New Milford High School, New Jersey, which uses a Facebook Page to keep its 1,500 + fans informed about the latest sports events as well as academic achievements.

Student blogging is also encouraged. When students went on a trip to Europe, they were encouraged to blog about their experiences. The blog posts were read extensively and commented on by parents, strangers, and other students.

Even Principal Eric Sheninger has gone from treating social media like a pariah like most school administrators, to becoming an ardent social media advocate. Today he uses Twitter actively to share news on the school (and has 11,000+ followers to boot).

“I used to be the administrator that blocked every social-media site, and now I’m the biggest champion,” Sheninger says. “I’m just someone who is passionate about engaging students and growing professionally, and I’m using these free tools to do it.”

After he decided to launch a Personal Learning Network on Ning, he educated his staff on the power of web 2.0 technology in the classroom. Students had to be instrumental in any effort to transform the culture of our school.

“We had to give up a certain amount of control in order to successfully implement a bring-your-own-device program where students are granted access to the school’s wireless network during the day using their computing devices.”

“We also had to trust they would use their mobile learning devices (i.e. cell phones) responsibly as a tool for learning in certain classes using free programs. The result has been an increase in student engagement, enthusiasm towards learning, and mutual respect amongst students and staff.”His blog was the first runner up in the Best School Administrator Blog category in last year’s EduBlogs Awards.

Google Plus is the latest entrant on the social media horizon. Schools are already planning Educational Circles and Hangouts to integrate it in their learning networks. Social media can serve as a bridge for educators, parents, and children to communicate simultaneously on one plane. Perhaps that is why a recent survey revealed that 61% of K-12 educators are using social media for this purpose.

Once the real life social network of educators recognize the importance of social media, it is easy for administrators like Sheninger to involve teachers, parents, and students in redefining communication and education.

Digg.com pioneered social bookmarking in 2005 – allowing people to post stories and other content from throughout the web. Digg members could then vote on these stories and take them to the top of the pile…or condemn them to oblivion. It was interesting, it was innovative, it was interactive, and it worked. Digg become one of the most popular websites of the day, with tremendous influence on search results. So naturally when Digg added advertising on the website, they kept the same formula, allowing the users to decide the ads they wanted on the front page.

How Digg Ads Work
Digg advertising is meant to seamlessly fit in with the way the entire site works. Advertisers can take part in online auctions that determine the initial location of the ads, but after that, it’s anybody’s game. Once the ad is displayed on Digg, users can vote on it, just like they do with the regular Digg stories. The ad position can shift then, depending on whether the overall response is positive or negative.

How are ads on Digg different?
While you COULD take the traditional route and create a Digg ad that hardsells your product, it probably wouldn’t go very far. In Digg, content is king and the audience is the emperor, so if the Digg audience do not appreciate what they see, they are likely to throw you out of the front page with a few mouse clicks and a bored yawn.

However, what Digg users DO appreciate is good, high quality content, and when you have that, you could actually begin in page ten and the community would take you to the top simply on the strength of your content. It can be anything – a cute video, an well-made infographic or even a witty anecdote or column. If you make it worth the users while, the community will reward you.

It is a win-win situation, as you will have to pay less for ads that readers like. The advantage is that as consumers trust peers, an ad that gets a high number of Diggs is likely to be trusted more by other readers on Digg. Readers who may ignore ‘regular’ ads could give your ads here a closer look.

Which ads do well on Digg.com?

1. What attracts your attention when you read a newspaper? That’s right, the headline. Make sure you use this virtual real estate intelligently on Digg too. Point to specific, timely news.

2. Organize your content. Headlines which talk about lists get more clicks because readers can see the benefit to them upfront.

3. Share exclusive content. This will enable your readers to flaunt their status as being-in-the-know.

On the Internet, fresh content wins. On Digg too, the content becomes stale in just 3-4 days. If a story gets Diggs within the 1st day, you have a winner. Monitor reader feedback on ads in your digital marketing review to tweak content accordingly.

If you give Digg a close look in your digital marketing review and understand the lingo used here as well as the psychology of the readers you will reap the benefits. An advertisement which fits in is likely to get a thumbs up from Digg readers. Putting an ad up for voting here will then be a calculated risk. You should definitely think about incorporating Digg in your interactive digital marketing strategies, provided you can leverage its uniqueness.