Whilst Julian Cole, Simon Oboler and myself sat around discussing the recent increase in student bloggers, the conversation moved to website statistics. We jumped on each others Google Analytics and discovered something interesting. Jules' most popular post is Great Insight and Hot Women: JB's Underwear Girls. My top four most popular posts...
Dear Joseph Jaffe, If you can challenge Barack Obama to reply to a blog post of yours I don't think its unreasonable for me to do the same thing to you. On recent podcasts, you've been asking what have we, the listeners, have done for you lately. You asked us to recommend your podcast to friends, family and co workers assuming we had done nothing for you already. Well the fact is we don't owe you anything. Just like a consumer owes nothing to a brand. Even if you provide a weekly podcast for free, you can't expect your customers to do anything for you. In fact, shouldn't you be greatful you have our loyalty? This is not to say I haven't done anything for you. You appear on my blogroll, I've linked to you before and even recommended your podcast and blog to others. If you were to ignore that, aren't I at least partly responsible for both your Apple iPhone and Dell Notebook which you received through sponsorship? So Joseph, I challenge you to reply to this blog post and tell me why I owe you anything. In a time where consumers have never been so powerful, we could go one step further and ask, in the words of Eddie Murphy; What have you done for me lately? Kind regards, Zac Martin...
Last post on the Logies, promise. It's not often that Youtube lets me down. But this time, I can't find a single example of what I want to talk about so I'll have to describe it the best I can. Basically, when an award is announced the winner arrives on stage and makes a quick thank you speech. During this, they often hold their trophy and move their arm up and down, almost raising their prize above their head. This year, I noticed the TV Week logo cleverly placed on the bottom of each trophy whereas previously I cannot remember seeing it there. This sneaky addition placed their logo on screen at least ten times more that night. A clever way to integrate your brand and get some screen time. Too bad the logo is such an eye sore. ...
I've been having some issues with my bank lately. Which Bank? The one that's Determined To Be Different; The Commonwealth Bank of Australia. I discovered yesterday I've been charged fees for the last six months that I should be exempt from. I've been into my local bank numerous times, and while I've since rectified the problem so I don't receive future fees, each time I've been told I cannot be refunded. Today I called Commonwealth and spoke to a lovely man named Rod. Rod cared. We spoke for about twenty minutes and Rod told me he would happily refund the money. He also helped me change accounts and gave me some really useful advice. Rod then gave me his direct number and asked me to call him in a week to close my current account, transfer my debit card details and make sure it all goes smoothly. I will be giving him a call and after that conversation I'm going to ask him about the investment options they offer. If only all Customer Service Officers could be more like Rod....
Julian Cole told me about The Gruen Transfer, a series about advertising soon to appear on ABC. Looks really interesting, particularly after they've released some "commercials" for fake products promoting the show like this one...
Only $50,000. I think I've discovered how to pay my University fees....
I find tools like Google Trends and the recently launched Facebook Lexicon interesting. They're cool for a about twenty seconds while you run some quick searches but I have to wonder how useful they are? Sure, it tells you how much buzz is being generated around your keyword search but you can't tell if it's good or bad. There's no context what so ever around the results therefore making these tools rather useless. Unless someone can think of a practical application for them?...
...Not Chris Lilley. Some actress picked it up instead. In what was an incredibly long event, filled with shameless plugs by Nine Network, the biggest disappointment in Australian television history occurred when Chris Lilley was denied the Gold Logie for Summer Height's High. Even Hamish and Andy, comedic gold, seemed to swing and miss tonight. Perhaps they need to stick with their powerhouse radio show? The highlight was, lo and behold, Chris Lilley's Mr G performance. At least they recognised him (and good quality television) by awarding him the Most Popular Actor and Most Outstanding Comedy. Can't wait to see what he does next....
My most anticipated movie of 2008 is The Dark Knight. I cannot wait to see it. What I've really enjoyed is the marketing strategy that's been used to promote the film, particularly their successful use of viral campaigning. The latest is a reel of footage given to contest winners that has been "vandalised" by the Joker. The Dork Knight immediately found its way onto YouTube here...
