Generation Nerd

“I haven’t cared about a release of Apple products as little as the most recent one.” –Larry Sumpter

Couldn’t agree with you more Mr. Sumpter. Apple has great products, but their marketing approach is even better. The marketing wing of Steve Jobs’ company has set the standard so high that anything short of revolutionary is a disappointment.

Remember that feeling when you first opened your iPod? Remember the first time you used the touch pad of an iPhone? Those were both pivotal moments in your relationship with Apple. The hype surrounding the products was out of this world. Some people waited days just to be the first of their friends to have one.
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Going green; it’s for the birds

Nicole Martin

I’m starting to think my ability to function like the rest of society is slowly being taken from me. When did everyone stop living in the land of the free? You know, the place where original ideas were promoted and not following the norm was encouraged. I’m all for minimizing my footprint, but when that footprint is losing its significance, I think I’ll pass. When you purchase a product simply because the label says, “Made from 100% recyclable materials,” any chance of the art of living is lost.

Here’s a thought; nothing is really “100% GREEN”! When something becomes too much of a good thing, it probably is. When something becomes too trendy maybe it’s begun to lose its original value.
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The nerd, a title I wear proudly, is being referred to as the “hottest demographic in marketing.“ We are fiercely loyal to products that represent our lifestyles. But our lifestyles vary quite a bit. I am not the same brand of nerd as, let’s say, the Trekkies. I’m sure as hell not the Dragon Master type. I’ve never been known to LARP, although I wouldn’t mind watching it. I know I’m different from these nerds, but do marketers?
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Your favorite agency blog (Welt’s Weekly Smackdown) is up for none other than the “Best Agency Blog of the Month”. As the only Cincinnati blog on the list, we hope to show the other 15 agencies that Cincy gets marketing and blogging. So, if you like it, put a vote on it at Twtpoll. If you really like it, pass it along to your friends.

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I was talking with a friend today who claimed he was “quitting” Facebook. I was inspired to tell him, “Don’t worry, I know you’ll be back, like the prodigal son returning home. Lucky for you, Facebook loves unconditionally.” While he’s still confident of never returning, I give it two months. This conversation inspired me to list the top 5 quotes about social media.

1. “Social media is like teen sex. Everybody wants to do it. Nobody knows how. When it’s finally done there is surprise it’s not better.” − Avinash Kaushik, Google

2. “If content is king, then conversion is queen.” – John Munsell, CEO of Bizzuka

3. “I hear YouTube, Twitter and Facebook are merging to form a super-social media site – YouTwitFace.” − Conan O’Brien, The Tonight Show, June 2nd, 2009.

4. “Marketing is no longer about the stuff that you make, but about the stories you tell.” − Seth Godin
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I love my iPod. It’s incredible…I hope that’s enough of a plug for them to send me cash or a check…

Confused? I was too until I read this article by BrandWeek. It says, “More brands will compensate bloggers and social media users in an attempt to generate chatter about their products, a new study found. 

PQ Media said such “sponsored conversations” — which compensate social media users for discussing brands’ products — grew to $46 million in 2009, a 14 percent increase from a year earlier.”

Trust is the biggest problem with Internet advertising. I work hard to bring quality content to my readers and this advanced form of bribery is devaluing the trust that I try to build. In the long run, I hope that those who post true insight without financial backing will be rewarded with the trust of their readers. By the way, I haven’t received a dime from any company so far. Have you?

What do you think?

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For those of you who thought Foursquare was annoying (including myself), you may want to hide for the next decade or so. The social media giant, Facebook (more than 400 million users strong), is launching a new application that will combine status updates with physical locations. The large nation of Facebook users will ultimately take geotagging to the next level.

Location updates have been an increasing trend among social media. Foursquare is everywhere and seems to be growing at a steady rate. Gowalla, Brightkite and Loopt are also jumping in on the success of location based messaging. Even Twitter has an option for sharing locations through tweets. So, what’s pushing this application? Is it the users or marketing?
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I love this entry for two reasons.

1. I get to feature George Michael Bluth (Michael Cera) as the poster child for awkward teens.
2. I get to show that the so called “experts” in social media got it wrong when they thought Twitter would take off with the teen market.

To this point, maybe we don’t know the elusive teens as well as we think. Our understanding is surprisingly limited, and our predictions of their behavior are proving to be inaccurate.

Although Generation Y is tech savvy, they don’t embrace all the technology that we imagine them to. Just because new technology is available doesn’t mean they will use it. For instance, Twitter is becoming increasingly popular with older generations, but teens are resisting the urge to micro-blog.

Given the practices of this age group, I can’t help thinking Twitter will go the way of the 8-track and laser discs.

Why don’t kids use Twitter?

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I was once a “closet nerd.” Now I proudly spend most nights in my computer chair like I was at the helm of the USS Enterprise. Many of you will get this reference, because apparently, I’m not alone.

According to the US Census Bureau, Americans will spend an average of five months of the next year watching television, surfing the web, reading daily newspapers, and listening to personal music devices. Most of these activities include a keyboard and social media.
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