WWFD?

I can barely remember a time without MySpace or Facebook. It seems as if these social networks have always been around for our amusement....

There have always been some sort of social network available online for us, from MSN Messenger or various dating or networking sites, but only recently have we been introduced to websites dedicated to us making our own personal "pages".
I remember the first time I heard of Facebook, and one of my girlfriends was shocked that I hadn't heard of it. This must have been in my first or second year of college, over 2 years ago.
Not wanting to be left out, I searched for Facebook the same night, and made my profile. Three years later, my page is filled with pictures, posts, links to hundreds of friends, co-workers, relatives, and other's pages, and not to mention tons of other things.
It seems to have been an overnight success. In no time I went from 10 friends, to 50, to over 100, and so on. People I hadn't heard of or seen in years, were suddenly "my friend". Even my current boss (which I know you're not supposed to do) is my "friend".
Facebook has gone from a great networking page, to a marketer or advertiser's best friend. Here, they can reach millions of their target market from around the world, for free (by making a page). Or, they can place a banner or offer a "free gift" that people can give to a friend's page.
It's not only a great way to stay in touch with distant friends or relatives, but a great way to hear about current events, keep up with pop culture, learn about new products or brands, and so much more!
As our society progresses towards an even more technological age, past technologies are now disappearing and being replaced by new ones. Its possible to imagine that instead of picking up the phone to speak to someone, the norm will be to Facebook them. Who knows? What is for sure is that Facebook and MySpace, and other social networks, are here to stay.

Guerilla. The wave of the future

FYI: First of all, I was all done this post when my internet decided to crash, so here it is again... Not pleased! Apparently the SAVE NOW button, does not, in fact work. 

Anyhow...

Guerilla marketing. What an interesting and unique way to send a message to the target audience without seeing it on the TV or reading it in a magazine. It's a fast growing media that will soon move it's way into the traditional forms of advertising.

What's so great about it is that is original. Most of the time, the idea has not been done and the agency that thought it up is the first to have done such a thing, which in a world like advertising, you can't say you've done very often. It's also a way for agencies to out-do themselves and think of more interesting things to do, but also a great way to stand out from their competition.

Guerilla advertising/marketing can be something very simple from a large brush combing telephone wires or intensely complicated like a billboard of paint cans spilling down the wall and onto a few cars beneath. It can be something shocking like a garbage can say "waa waa" to making everyday objectives, like a tree, into a carrot.

Basically, guerilla advertising can be anything that you make it. It can be as simple as you want or as complicated as you want. But one thing is for sure, it's going to get you noticed.

By chance, last week I found an interesting example of guerilla marketing that Disney put out. It was a simple robot that was roaming the streets of LA, promoting their newest animated film, Wall-E. The "live" Wall-E was moving, speaking, and interacting with the growing crowd around him. Since I am a huge fan of the movie, I found this very interesting and would have loved to have seen him! You can see him on YouTube, its pretty awesome.

In all, I love guerilla marketing. I think it is one of the most creative forms of advertising and is only going to get bigger and bigger, and everyone will start to do it. I can only hope that when I grow up and get into the big, bright world of advertising that I am so lucky to work on a guerilla marketing campaign. Or even, just see one with my own eyes. I'll take whichever comes first!

Blogs smogs

Blogs are basically a 21st century version of a diary; except with a lot more cursing and ranting about everything. I honestly haven't really been interested in following blogs because I don't really care about what lots of these people have to say. But seeing as I am getting into advertising, and blogs are gaining popularity at an alarmingly fast rate, I guess it's time I get on board.

I've been looking through some of the popular blog sites, and one of the biggest things I found about them, is I don't really know where to start. There is a lot of information packed onto one site and its a little overwhelming.

Perhaps the more I read through, the more I will grow to like them, but right now, I am very indifferent. I would much rather watch the news or read a paper, or even the homepage of MSN.com. 

I definitely do see the appeal of blogs for advertisers however. They are free and are readily seen by millions of people across the world. Its quite genius actually. Its also a great way for people to speak positively about a brand or product, that the brand didn't even have to pay for!

There is a lot of garbage that you have to look past before you find something worthwhile. Everyone with a computer seems to think they are an author. With a huge shift into digital medias used as forms of advertising, blogs are going to continue getting bigger and better, reaching more people around the world faster, and for free.

Blogs are a fantastic way to advertise, an could easily become the newest common form of advertising. With a little more time and practice, I could see myself getting into the blogging world, it's just making blogging a part of my day that is going to be the most work! I think I'll get into it quickly though...