Attention all band members! There is a new social networking site for you. MyTune. com is a site devoted to music fans, bands, and industry professionals. Bands that have a competitive edge and are looking to make it big should become a member. The site is sponsored by major music labels including Universal Music, Interscope, Verve, Sony, RCD, Iceberg, and many others.
Just like Myspace, MyTune.com gives fans the opportunity to listen to and comment on bands music. In fact, fans are able to vote on their favorite songs and bands. Every three months the top three bands listened to and played will have their music heard by major record labels and are eligible to win prizes. The top pick will win $5,000 and the cahnce to record a demo. The four finalists at the end of the years will be further eligible to be able to compete in an online version of battle of the bands to win $25,000, a record deal, and the acclaimed title "Artist of the Year" on MyTune.com
I think the site will begin to eliminate the need to send out press packets to major labels. By becoming a member and making a profile on MyTune.com all a bands information and music are made readily available for industry executives to take a look. I think MyTune.com is a site to definitely keep an eye on if you are a fan of up-and-coming music. Become a member and get active in listening and voting. You could be part of making the next discovered band famous!
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
State Department's 'DipNote' Blog
As the blogging age continues to gain attention everyone is starting to jump on and take part, including our government.
The State Department launched a blog today known as DipNote, which is a name used for diplomatic notes that governments use to communicate back and forth with each other. Thought of by Sean McCormack and approved by Condoleeza Rice, the blog äims to give net surfers an insider's view of diplomacy and diplomats with informal chatty posts from key senior players in Washington and abroad as well as a younger generation weened on email for whom traditional cable traffic communication is foreign."
The blog is supposed to act as a tool to allow people to read about what goes on behind closed doors at the State Department and let people see the personalities responsible for handling domestic and foreign affairs. It is also aimed at allowing readers and subscribers to actively participate in a conversation about worldly events and to let openly ask questions regarding the department.
People can also find pictures, videos, and information about the State Department and their bloggers.
In addition to the blog, there is also a State Department YouTube channel that people can find briefings and interviews with officials.
The blog is aimed towards a younger generation as another means to be educated about our government. I would like to watch the growth of the blog and continue to monitor what comments are left by readers and further how they are handled and responded to.
What we have been talking about in class can be summed up with Mr. McCormack's quote from a Yahoo news article. "The blog will give them another source and allow them to participate in a conversation about that," McCormack said. "We want them to be active participants."
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Utterz!
Today I was looking over the Steve Rubel Lifestream blog and noticed all the recent links he had posted. One of them caught my attention because of the name...Utterz "new micro blogging service."
Of course I went to the website to figure out just exactly what this new micro blogging is.
"Utterz is a new mobile blogging service, which puts your voice, videos, pictures and text on any of your web pages, right from your cell, for free."
At first, I was surprised to see such a thing, but after thinking about it for a minute I realized, "Why not?" With the cell phone technology and instant access cell phones gives us it makes all but perfect sense.
A micro blogger has a few options to get what they want on the web. First, one can "say." Someone can call into 712.432.mooo, (cute, i know), to share opinions, jokes, and general information to get posted. Next, someone can "text" what they want posted and in minutes one can find it online. Lastly, one can "pix and flix it." This option allows someone to match what they are trying to say by attaching a video or picture, send it to a link, and let the utterz staff take care of the rest. These different options allows users to use their utterz, that mashes all their sent information, and update their existing accounts on sites like Blogger, Facebook and Myspace.
Now, I can understand the convenience and ease of this new service in our fast paced world but I personally would never use it. These websites that they have listed to update for you such as Myspace, Facebook, and Blogger are, in my opinion, websites that can wait to be updated until you get home or access to a computer. As technology keeps growing people are not given an opportunity to be separated from it. What do yáll think?
Of course I went to the website to figure out just exactly what this new micro blogging is.
"Utterz is a new mobile blogging service, which puts your voice, videos, pictures and text on any of your web pages, right from your cell, for free."
At first, I was surprised to see such a thing, but after thinking about it for a minute I realized, "Why not?" With the cell phone technology and instant access cell phones gives us it makes all but perfect sense.
A micro blogger has a few options to get what they want on the web. First, one can "say." Someone can call into 712.432.mooo, (cute, i know), to share opinions, jokes, and general information to get posted. Next, someone can "text" what they want posted and in minutes one can find it online. Lastly, one can "pix and flix it." This option allows someone to match what they are trying to say by attaching a video or picture, send it to a link, and let the utterz staff take care of the rest. These different options allows users to use their utterz, that mashes all their sent information, and update their existing accounts on sites like Blogger, Facebook and Myspace.
Now, I can understand the convenience and ease of this new service in our fast paced world but I personally would never use it. These websites that they have listed to update for you such as Myspace, Facebook, and Blogger are, in my opinion, websites that can wait to be updated until you get home or access to a computer. As technology keeps growing people are not given an opportunity to be separated from it. What do yáll think?
Everyone Is a Publisher, Everyone Is a Broadcaster
Chapter 4 in Citizen Marketers is all about the democratizing self expression on the internet. Different tools have been created to allow this expression such as blogs, podcasts, RSS Feeds, and YouTube.
While the printing press has revolutionized the way information is written down, the internet has began to revolutionize the way messages are transferred. In the early 1990's blogs became accessible to online subscribers. Nowadays, they are even easier to use and more widely known about. Companies that use them are "creating real-time customer feedback system." Every blogger is a publisher.
Also, podcasts are emerging on the web 2.0 field. They are "digital files delivered automatically to subscribers as feeds." Many people are enjoying creating podcasts because the FCC can not regulate any of the content.
As we have discussed in class, RSS Feeds makes subscribing to things on the web extremely easy.
1. Feeds do not consume energy.
2. Feeds are free.
3. Feeds are almost instantaneous.
4. Feed subscribers are a tangible asset.
Finally the authors discuss the influential YouTube. There are six lessons about the site that everyone needs to know.
1. "YouTube was designed and built with community as its founding principle."
2. "YouTube made sharing content ridiculously easy."
3. "YouTube ws loaded with statistics."
4. "YouTube encouraged its users to personalize their public profile pages."
5. "YouTube's user interface was restrained and simple."
6. YouTube's search functionality...consistently bested Google Video's functionality."
At the end of the chapter, the author's describe challenges to these social network sites. Myspace for example has become extremely popular with our generation. However will it remain popular for the generations below us? What does it take to have such a site be on the top? It will be interesting to see how long such sites will stick around until the new wave of trends hit.
While the printing press has revolutionized the way information is written down, the internet has began to revolutionize the way messages are transferred. In the early 1990's blogs became accessible to online subscribers. Nowadays, they are even easier to use and more widely known about. Companies that use them are "creating real-time customer feedback system." Every blogger is a publisher.
Also, podcasts are emerging on the web 2.0 field. They are "digital files delivered automatically to subscribers as feeds." Many people are enjoying creating podcasts because the FCC can not regulate any of the content.
As we have discussed in class, RSS Feeds makes subscribing to things on the web extremely easy.
1. Feeds do not consume energy.
2. Feeds are free.
3. Feeds are almost instantaneous.
4. Feed subscribers are a tangible asset.
Finally the authors discuss the influential YouTube. There are six lessons about the site that everyone needs to know.
1. "YouTube was designed and built with community as its founding principle."
2. "YouTube made sharing content ridiculously easy."
3. "YouTube ws loaded with statistics."
4. "YouTube encouraged its users to personalize their public profile pages."
5. "YouTube's user interface was restrained and simple."
6. YouTube's search functionality...consistently bested Google Video's functionality."
At the end of the chapter, the author's describe challenges to these social network sites. Myspace for example has become extremely popular with our generation. However will it remain popular for the generations below us? What does it take to have such a site be on the top? It will be interesting to see how long such sites will stick around until the new wave of trends hit.
IKEA case study
IKEA has recently launched a new branding campaign and has jumped on the bandwagon of using social media. The company is now actively engaging in conversational marketing by sponsoring the new websites myamericaathome.com in the U.S. and notgoinganywhere.co.uk in the U.K. These websites are engaging people to speak up about their homes.
The goal of myamericaathome.com is "to capture the extraordinary diversity that makes up American family life, representing a broad range of economic, geographic, racial, political, and socially diverse lifestyles." Americans are supposed to submit photos of their home life that will be displayed in different segments such as "morning rush," "what's for dinner," and "evening family rituals." The purpose is not to look at how many IKEA products are found in the background of the pictures submitted but instead is to look at how people live their lives from day to day. The notgoinganywhere.co.uk website was created for people to celebrate their homes. "This site is for everyone who loves their home as much as we love ours, and wants to celebrate it for its happy memories, warm cozy rooms, and individual personalities…"
IKEA sponsoring the websites goes hand in hand with their new branding campaign "Home is the most important place in the world." IKEA is, what Brian Solis describes on his PR 2.0 blog as, "experimenting with new forms of media, not to gain fame or fortune, but to change marketing from a business of bullying, bullshit, and deception, to a genuine form of respectable and valued sense of service and personalization."
IKEA is attempting to break down barriers to begin to engage in conversations with their customers. People that will actively participate in these websites will bring to the table different experiences, culture, and preferences. By exposing their way of life IKEA is able to gain a different perspective of their target.
"Home is the most important place in the world" has a more emotional appeal to it than there past campaigns. The commercials seen on TV and on their website creates a sense of aw in a viewer. People feel good when they are at home and ultimately IKEA wants to be a part of that.
The goal of myamericaathome.com is "to capture the extraordinary diversity that makes up American family life, representing a broad range of economic, geographic, racial, political, and socially diverse lifestyles." Americans are supposed to submit photos of their home life that will be displayed in different segments such as "morning rush," "what's for dinner," and "evening family rituals." The purpose is not to look at how many IKEA products are found in the background of the pictures submitted but instead is to look at how people live their lives from day to day. The notgoinganywhere.co.uk website was created for people to celebrate their homes. "This site is for everyone who loves their home as much as we love ours, and wants to celebrate it for its happy memories, warm cozy rooms, and individual personalities…"
IKEA sponsoring the websites goes hand in hand with their new branding campaign "Home is the most important place in the world." IKEA is, what Brian Solis describes on his PR 2.0 blog as, "experimenting with new forms of media, not to gain fame or fortune, but to change marketing from a business of bullying, bullshit, and deception, to a genuine form of respectable and valued sense of service and personalization."
IKEA is attempting to break down barriers to begin to engage in conversations with their customers. People that will actively participate in these websites will bring to the table different experiences, culture, and preferences. By exposing their way of life IKEA is able to gain a different perspective of their target.
"Home is the most important place in the world" has a more emotional appeal to it than there past campaigns. The commercials seen on TV and on their website creates a sense of aw in a viewer. People feel good when they are at home and ultimately IKEA wants to be a part of that.
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Fashion Week 2007
Ok guys, i know you probably aren't thinking that this is going to be the most interesting post but the girls might be a little bit more interested....
This week is New York's Fashion Week where it is sheer mania with up-and-coming fashion designers as well as well established ones with names like Calvin, Ralph, Proenza, etc showing their Spring 2008 collections. In the years past the fashion show coordinators make sure to seat the most notable and influential in the front rows of the fashion shows. Afterall, their word of mouth can make or break the designers line that season. Anyway, this year there is a new group of people that will be seated next to the famous guests, BLOGGERS. That's right. To keep up with the growing trend of blogs, many media companies have hired extra people to blog about this weeks fashion shows. A woman by the name of Fabiola Beracasa will be covering the shows for Elle and New York magazine's. In addition the magazines will also be employing top models Selita Ebanks and Maggie Rizer to blog for them.
Unfortunately the bloggers will not have access to the extremely famous designers who are known by their first name such as Marc, Calvin and Ralph. This in turn will leave a great advantage for the underdog designers to gain attention for their clothes lines.
This is a great PR move. If I were presenting my line at Fashion Week this week I would make sure to have my clothes looking extra special knowing the word of mouth via the internet is a lot more opinionated. Now, there it is not just reporters bringing the fashion news to everyday people but it is the blogs that people are more than likely to see and read.
This week is New York's Fashion Week where it is sheer mania with up-and-coming fashion designers as well as well established ones with names like Calvin, Ralph, Proenza, etc showing their Spring 2008 collections. In the years past the fashion show coordinators make sure to seat the most notable and influential in the front rows of the fashion shows. Afterall, their word of mouth can make or break the designers line that season. Anyway, this year there is a new group of people that will be seated next to the famous guests, BLOGGERS. That's right. To keep up with the growing trend of blogs, many media companies have hired extra people to blog about this weeks fashion shows. A woman by the name of Fabiola Beracasa will be covering the shows for Elle and New York magazine's. In addition the magazines will also be employing top models Selita Ebanks and Maggie Rizer to blog for them.
Unfortunately the bloggers will not have access to the extremely famous designers who are known by their first name such as Marc, Calvin and Ralph. This in turn will leave a great advantage for the underdog designers to gain attention for their clothes lines.
This is a great PR move. If I were presenting my line at Fashion Week this week I would make sure to have my clothes looking extra special knowing the word of mouth via the internet is a lot more opinionated. Now, there it is not just reporters bringing the fashion news to everyday people but it is the blogs that people are more than likely to see and read.
"You Tube Studies"
Few people have heard about the small Pitzer College in Claremont, CA yet one professor is gaining attention for the intimate, private college by breaking ground for a new way classes are taught. Professor Alexandra Juhasz, from the media studies department, was not satisfied with the content found on YouTube and is now teaching a class based solely on and about the site. The idea is to film every class and post them online so other students and other people can watch the video and possibly post their own video responses.
I can not remember what we, as students, did without YouTube. In everyone of my classes it is used by teachers and students with lectures and presentations. As this is the case, no one can choose to ignore the site. Professor Juhasz is wanting her students to "think about cultural references, what makes a great work of art and how to define a truly democratic medium."
I think this idea of online video teaching was bound to happen at one point and through YouTube it has become possible. I personally think it is a great innovative idea. The professor makes a great point by saying we are living in the YouTube generation. She sees the importance of recognizing the limitations and taking in the culture of research. Not only should students learn to use the site they should learn how to make their own videos. This will allow people to actively participate in creative media production that could be beneficial in their future careers.
Since the class is being taught for the first time, it is being taught as a trial and error run. If the students don't like it towards half of the semester then the last half of the semester will be set in a more traditional classroom setting without the video cameras.
Professor Weisgerber said that there was a proposal to have a similar course taught here at St. Edward's University but it was rejected due to privacy issues. I can only predict that other colleges, depending on the success Pitzer has, will want to jump on board and add similar classes to their curriculum. Only time will tell...
How do you all feel about it?
If you would like to read the article the link is below as well as the University's homepage.
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2007/09/06/youtube
http://www.pitzer.edu/
http://www.youtube.com/MediaPraxisme
I can not remember what we, as students, did without YouTube. In everyone of my classes it is used by teachers and students with lectures and presentations. As this is the case, no one can choose to ignore the site. Professor Juhasz is wanting her students to "think about cultural references, what makes a great work of art and how to define a truly democratic medium."
I think this idea of online video teaching was bound to happen at one point and through YouTube it has become possible. I personally think it is a great innovative idea. The professor makes a great point by saying we are living in the YouTube generation. She sees the importance of recognizing the limitations and taking in the culture of research. Not only should students learn to use the site they should learn how to make their own videos. This will allow people to actively participate in creative media production that could be beneficial in their future careers.
Since the class is being taught for the first time, it is being taught as a trial and error run. If the students don't like it towards half of the semester then the last half of the semester will be set in a more traditional classroom setting without the video cameras.
Professor Weisgerber said that there was a proposal to have a similar course taught here at St. Edward's University but it was rejected due to privacy issues. I can only predict that other colleges, depending on the success Pitzer has, will want to jump on board and add similar classes to their curriculum. Only time will tell...
How do you all feel about it?
If you would like to read the article the link is below as well as the University's homepage.
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2007/09/06/youtube
http://www.pitzer.edu/
http://www.youtube.com/MediaPraxisme
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