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Showing posts from June, 2009

Spezify

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(Example of a Spezify.com search result ) Bing.com is the buzz of cyberspace with its 80-100 million dollar marketing campaign promoting its innovative "decision engine," but Spezify.com also provides internet surfers with an innovative search experience. The site provides users with graphical snapshots of a search query. Although it may be easier to find specific textual information with a Google, Yahoo, or Bing search query, Spezify is an unique resource for users browsing a topic or searching for images.

How to Avoid SEO Failure

Imediaconnection.com, a popular trade publisher and industry website for the interactive media and marketing industries, recently quoted me in the article " How to Avoid SEO Failure ." The article provides a high level overview of SEO strategy.

Mountain Bike Crash

“Laugh at yourself, but don't ever aim your doubt at yourself. Be bold. When you embark for strange places, don't leave any of yourself safely on shore. Have the nerve to go into unexplored territory.” -Alan Alda, American Actor b. 1936

Colorado

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(Loveland Pass, CO) (Loveland Pass, CO) (Vail Pass, CO) (Summit County, CO) (Summit County, CO) (Breckenridge, CO) (Breckenridge, CO) (Breckenridge, CO) (Golden, CO) (Golden, CO) Last weekend, I flew out to Colorado to visit family and celebrate my Uncle's 80th birthday.

Escape From Alcatraz

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Last weekend, I competed in the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon in San Francisco, CA. The course is a 1.5 mile swim from Alcatraz Island to shore, 18 mile bike ride and 8 mile run. I really enjoyed the event.

Faces

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(Jennifer Lau, portrait by Tiner ) (Nate Hughes, portrait by Tiner )

Hammer Time

To launch Hammer Time, a new A & E reality television show about MC Hammer's comeback, A&E posted this film featuring a group of performers dancing in flash pants. The movie illustrates how the power of crowds influences public opinion. If people saw one person dance in hammer pants, they would think it to be abnormal or nothing extraordinary . It would be the same as watching a street performer dance on the sidewalk. However, when 50 people dance in hammer pants, the spectacle is humorous and engaging. When an agency creates viral content to promote a product, brand, or television show, it should focus on creating spectacle that connects various backgrounds to unify the crowd and ultimately unify the promotion.

2009 Mark Tiner Memorial Scholarships

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Last Friday, I presented The Mark P. Tiner 2009 Memorial Scholarships at Laguna Beach High School. I presented two Mark Tiner Memorial Scholarships, which are awarded to students with good character in the amount of $750 each. I also presented The "Big Tiny" $1,000 Spirit Award that is annually presented to a graduating male senior from LBHS's volleyball team. Additionally, I gave each recipient a signed aerial photograph of Laguna Beach High School that I captured from a helicopter. (Laguna Beach High School, Laguna Beach, CA (C) Tiner) The scholarships are made available from community contributions. Thank you all for your support.

Promotional Discount Strategy

From restaurants to department stores to online merchants, the current economic downturn encourages retailers to offer discounts to remain competitive. Offering a loyal client or new prospect encourages a consumer to visit a retail location and gives motivation purchase a product. From a retailers perspective, the strategy of offering a discount can be a challenge. Do I offer a dollar amount off my product? Do I offer a percentage off my product? Do I require consumers to purchase a certain dollar amount before the discount applies? Do I make it a short or long term promotion? Recently, a colleague conducted an A/B email test for an online retailer. She sent one email that offered $15 off purchases of $75 or more to one group and another email offering 20% off purchases of $75.00 or more to another group. The results? More people responded to the 20% discount, but the retailer made more profit from the $15 discount because the average purchase amount was higher. Why? She concluded t

Bing Bling?

Yesterday, Microsoft launched Bing , a rebranded search engine. Bing allows users to preview a search engine query and offers unique user functionality. Microsoft hopes to take market share from online advertising competitors, including Google and Yahoo. To market Bing, Microsoft plans to spend approximately $100 million in a marketing launch campaign, which will include Television, radio and print advertisements . Although the integrated marketing campaign will generate short-term buzz, will viewers be motivated to jump ship from Google or Yahoo? In areas where Google has a strong position in the US with an approximately 70 percent market share, it will be difficult for Bing to compete due to loyal users and established positions. However in Asia and emerging technology regions, including China, where Google only has a 19% market share , Bing can secure its position if the early adapters embrace its functionality.

June 2009 Desktop Wallpaper Calendar

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(Laguna Beach, CA, June 2009 Desktop (C) Tiner, 1280-1024)