Monday, February 1st, 2010
Analytics, Google’s web traffic analysis tool, has added six new language options. The new languages are: Bulgarian, Catalan, Greek, Lithuanian, Slovak and Vietnamese. Now Google Analytics supports 31 languages.
To switch to another language option, there is a control button at the top right corner of the Analytics login page.
Monday, February 1st, 2010
Microsoft is seeking to reinvent the bar code.
In essence, Microsoft seeks to make the bar code more stylish–allowing businesses to use the area of packaging dedicated to the bar code to appeal to consumers as well as be a content transmission device between businesses.
Microsoft Custom Tags will allow graphic artwork to be incorporated into the bar code. Custom Tags will work with current mobile Tag Readers. Although there are guidelines for proper usage of the Custom Tag approach to bar code and machine readable codes, this will provide more flexibility to packaging design and manufacturers.
Wednesday, November 18th, 2009
There was a lot of debate whether the highly anticipated launch of Modern Warfare 2 by Blizzard Entertainment would perform as desired. Many words of caution surfaced about Blizzard’s potential success. In such a gloomy market, many felt that the company was putting too much money into the marketing of their new game.
Modern Warfare 2 has topped the charts in both the video game industry and the entertainment industry in general. CNET calls the launch the “biggest entertainment launch in history.” Within it’s first five days it set a worldwide record with about $550 million in sales (Source: Activision). Activision reported that “5.2 million multiplayer hours were logged playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 on the first day alone.”
Thursday, October 29th, 2009
There is a certain freedom of abandon that Halloween provides. It is a time of playfulness and wicked fun. Corporate web companies have also joined in on the fun as a way to strengthen customer relationships and become more personable and even a bit silly. Google has a history of changing it’s corporate logo on holidays or commemorative events. Below are some samples of corporate playfulness / relationship-building design-gusto for the Halloween season.
Mailchimp 2009
Other examples of Halloween / Holiday corporate logos for the web.
Friday, October 9th, 2009
Microsoft launched a new program called Open Value Subscription, which is essentially an MS-Office subscription service. Microsoft will issue “time-based” software licenses as an alternative to full cost purchases of that software.
Microsoft in attempting to market this new program began steal terminology related to open source and SaaS (software as a service). This new ploy has drawn some heavy criticism from the CNET, the open source community and the SaaS community. Part of the program was the launch of a developer site called Codeplex. Yet, nothing about the program is “open.” There doesn’t seem to be any cost savings–you absorb the cost over time, simply reducing the upfront cost.
Tuesday, September 29th, 2009
Myspace has become the second most used link-shortening service on Twitter, just behind bit.ly. MySpace’s “lnk.ms” was used on 15.66 percent of all tweets containing links for the past 24 hours according to tracking service Tweetmeme.
One of the next details that will be sought from the activities of Myspace will be the number of users that are syncing with Twitter. Only last week did Myspace begin two-way syncing with Twitter.
Monday, September 28th, 2009
Microsoft is hoping to get people to host Windows 7 launch parties in their own homes with family and friends. As Microsoft tries to build some hype about the Windows 7 launch scheduled for Oct. 22, they have released a series of videos to show how easy it can be to throw a Windows 7 launch party.
Average users and main stream media have been disgusted with Microsoft’s latest advertisements for Windows 7 launch parties. One Washington Post reader commented on the ads, saying “If Microsoft had been put in charge of marketing sex, the human race would have ended long ago, because no one would be caught dead doing something that uncool.” CNBC commented on the ads calling them yet another one of the company’s “campy viral campaign[s].”
In yet another wonderfully entertaining article, Charlie Brooker, a self-professed bigot against everything Mac, describes his horror at watching the series of marketing videos as a mix of “vertigo, disgust, anger and embarrassment,” which he dubbed “shitasmia.”
TheRegister.com called the events “bogus,” feeling that Microsoft is coming across as having to “bribe” users into a sense of prideful enthusiasm.
Take a look: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cX4t5-YpHQ
Saturday, September 19th, 2009
Until now, business owners who wanted to bulk register multiple business listings at once would have to verify them individually.
There are certain guidelines in order to qualify for the bulk registration process:
1.) Accurate and up-to-date data 2.) Minimum of 10 bulk uploaded listings already in business owners’ Local Business Center account 3.) Compliance with Google Local Business Center Quality Guidelines 4.) Submitted by the owner of all businesses listed 5.) All businesses have only been submitted by a single user
Google occasionally reviews its listings and if the listings do not meet their criteria, then the listing get demoted to “unverified.”
Wednesday, September 16th, 2009
Adobe Systems Incorporated will buy Omniture, an online business optimization and analytics company. The transaction was valued at approximately $1.8 billion on a fully diluted equity-value basis.
The purchase of Omniture will help Adobe increase the value of its products for web designers, developers and online marketers. This deal will allow the integration of optimization capabilities to be embedded in Adobe’s creative software.
Wednesday, September 16th, 2009
Experian CheetahMail and Hitwise released a whitepaper on the subject of email offers and search with offers of free shipping. The paper documented search trends for the queries involving “free shipping” over the holiday seasons. The search data demonstrates a level of interest during the holiday season for free shipping offers.
Source: Hitwise @ http://weblogs.hitwise.com, September 15, 2009