Movie Lovers Dream App

Movie lovers dream app

DO YOU LOVE MOVIES? Action movies, comedy movies, drama movies, and family movies galore. If you love movies like my wife and I do you will love this new amazing app. You can watch them on the go. If you are at the airport flying back to Michigan, at the doctors, or waiting for your daughters dance recital to start you can benefit from this great app. It also includes all the FX original series on it too. You can find the FXNOW app here on ITunes:https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/fxnow/id767268733?mt=8

My wife and I used to go to the movies one to three times a week before kids, which has now turned into watching every new movie as soon as it comes out. We have 4 small daughters now so we don’t get to the movies very much now, we have date night every sixth Monday night because of how busy we both are. But we still get our movie fix, we rent from Redbox at least 3 movies a week and we watch movies On Demand too, probably 2 movies a week. This new App is a great FREE way to watch our favorites over and over again. We have in downloaded on all of our devices: our Xbox 1, both of our IPhones, both of our laptops, the family computer and the family tablet.

If you love movies and great deals or love a series on FX go check out this free app on ITunes or the App Store on any Google device. Our whole family loves it!

The Smartphone Takeover in Social Media

The Smartphone Takeover in Social Media

Everywhere you look there is a smartphone. Everybody has one or is preparing to get one, and not just anyone, but the latest model that’s due to come out (Galaxy or IPhone). Smartphone technology is getting smarter and smarter as the days progress. Such things are Smart Watches which just don’t tell time, but can answer calls, check email, or even schedule appointment dates. But even though we are making such great strides in phone technology, some consumers are happy with sticking with old regular analog phone. Also surprising enough some people still don’t have a cell phone at all and are operating with the standard home phones.

Since the conception of smartphones and tablets, PC sales have been declining. Nowadays every time you turn around a person is on some type of social media app or another. Social media apps keep popping up from everywhere. In 2014 1.75 billion people worldwide were using smartphones eMarket reports, “Worldwide Mobile Phone Users: Hi 2014 Forecast and Comparative Estimates”.

http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Smartphone-Users-Worldwide-Will-Total-175-Billion-2014/1010536

Mobile phones are becoming more affordable, and smartphone use account for the majority in 10 of 22 countries and that’s expected to increase. Since mobile technology is clearly pulling ahead in the race, social marketers have to adapt their product to suit the mobile customer and create apps that are more flexible and mobile user friendly. So while still trying to engage your audience social media must remember the 3 R’s: Right time, Right place, Right person.

http://www.digitaldoughnut.com/blog/blog/are-you-ready-for-a-smartphone-social-media-marketing-future. Consumers are on the go and for the most part want to quickly access social media applications. So media needs to be compact and easy to use from your mobile device. Most consumers are working and not supposed to be using social media at work, but you’d be surprised at how many people sneak to use it on their mobile phone while on the clock. The phones are being used for everything from checking email, games, shopping online, camera, and social media access. So when these applications are being created it must be created for a 4 inch screen and it must respond to commands just like it would for a 17 inch PC monitor, so it must also be easy to navigate.

Many brands still are working to perfect the social concept. It was sited in at least one article that “Facebook in Now a Mobile Company.” https://blogs.oracle.com/socialspotlight/entry/surprise_social_is_mobile. They recognized the unrelenting pace that social media was moving and is already changing since being introduced. More than 680 million people 64.2% of Facebook users are using it on mobile phones. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg acknowledges that they miscalculated the growth of social media on mobile. http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887323829504578272233666653120.  It is imperative that companies optimize their content by deploying responsive websites that automatically adapt to the screen size they are being viewed on. According to Google research 61% of consumers say if your site is too hard to navigate they will move on to another. http://googlemobileads.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/mobile-friendly-sites-turn-visitors.html.  So smartphone social media usage is on the rise and marketers better get ready, if they haven’t already prepared or be prepared to lose business.

http://www.inc.com/john-boitnott/avoid-hurting-your-brand-with-these-10-social-media-mistakes.html

McDonald's is the biggest fast food company in the world. They are constantly doing different marketing ideas to make themselves even bigger and you would think that they would be able to afford someone who is one of the best at marketing but I guess not. A couple of weeks ago around February 4th, McDonald's put up a picture in Facebook that said "Tamales are a thing of the past". This instantly got backlash from Mexicans because the tamale is a food that has been eaten throughout history and there are even festivals that celebrate them. People retaliated by posting things against McDonald's such as how gross they think their food really is. McDonald's responded to this by taking down the ad and putting out an official apology saying that they never meant to be disrespectful and even talked about the different Mexican foods they serve to back themselves up.

Overall, I think that this backfired on McDonalds. They ended up getting more negative publicity I feel by the amount of negative postings that people were making about McDonalds in response. I don't really think that McDonald's did anything incredibly wrong in this case, but I do think that for a corporation as big as they are, they should really pay attention to every possible way that people are going to respond and also if what they are doing is in anyway offensive. I just feel like for as big as McDonalds is, something like this shouldn't have even happened in the first place but McDonalds did make the right choice when they did a public apology.

Link: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/feb/04/mcdonalds-mexico-facebook-ad-tamales

BMG155: Is all publicity good publicity

IS ALL PUBLICITY GOOD PUBLICITY 

During the super bowl half time commercial there was a young boy playing in his neighborhood riding around on his big wheel and then all of a sudden the big wheel is flipped over with the wheels spinning so you know the boy has been in a terrible accident. The commercial then states one of the number one causes of childhood death is preventable accident. "At nationwide, we believe in protecting what matters most, your kids." (woodtv.com) 

I was not happy at all with this commercial to promote insurance during half time with this type of scenario. This commercial was wrong and showed no respect for those who have lost a loved one to a situation like this. This commercial shows a lack of compassion for those who are grieving. Viewers all over the world see this ad, my question is how far are you willing to go just to help save on insurance? Watching the super bowl people are rowdy, yelling for the team they want to win, drinking, eating etc but then when it shows that commercial people attitude changes i know mine did i was like are you serious this is not happening. I went from yelling and happy to sad in just seconds. I was all in my feelings after that commercial. 

I know Nation Wide Insurance could have done better then this, it was shocking and not appropriate. I seen the commercial where i believe the child took poison and said he would have been able to go to college but his life was shortened because of what he done to himself. Some of the commercial ads were really good but then there was a few where the commercials were just unacceptable in my opinion during the super bowl. 

       

Comedy Helps Marketing

It’s hard being a new company in a world where we have so many options. You have to make your brand stand out and stick into consumer’s heads. As I was doing homework for another class we were shown the link to Dollar Shave Club. The link took me to a YouTube video explaining the company and how it works. I couldn’t stop laughing. It had really caught my attention. When it came to writing this blog, I thought again about the video that made me laugh while being serious about their products.

Dollar Shave Club is a subscription service that sends you razors every month for a small cost. They used the power of a video and comedy to sell their product, and in my opinion it worked. The YouTube video is silly, and meant for mature eyes only. There are many curse words, but that does not bother me. The jokes are stupid, but that’s what I like about it. It caught my attention more than any other company has in awhile. I loved the sense of humor thrown in with the seriousness of selling a product. Since the opening video for the company they have made several more, each equally as funny. 

DSC did a great job in marketing their product through video.  If they continue with making YouTube videos and marketing those videos through other Social Media platforms this company could be even more successful. I think that the company is reaching the younger generations with its marketing platforms and humor. After watching the videos and being so intrigued I have looked into buying the razors for my boyfriend.

What do you think about Dollar Shave Club’s video marketing on YouTube?

Links:

Opening Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUG9qYTJMsI

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/DollarShaveClub

Website: www.dollarshaveclub.com

Social-media Storytelling Scandal!

National non-profit First Book has a storytelling scandal! First Book’s Magic of Storytelling campaign engages celebrities and everyday people on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. The campaign challenges people young and old to rediscover the Magic of Storytelling and post selfies reading their favorite book.

New mom and actress Kerry Washington joined the First Book Magic of Storytelling movement. Washington celebrated her birthday in January by posting a “selfie” on Facebook reading her favorite book, On the Night You Were Born. The star of ABC’s drama series Scandal launched a Birthday Book Drive and asked her Facebook fans and Twitter followers to donate to First Book’s Magic of Storytelling campaign to provide books for children in need. Washington’s Facebook post received 74,494 likes and 1,175 shares.

First Book’s Magic of Storytelling campaign, a partnership with the Disney/ABC television group, includes a Public Service Announcement airing on ABC affiliate stations nationwide. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9EJKr8t_SI

Disney Publications donated 200,000 books to First Book for local schools and community organizations to distribute to children and families in need. Interested organizations can sign up to receive the free books at www.firstbooks.org/beinspired

First Book also launched a speed-reading challenge as part of its Magic of Storytelling campaign. First Book founder Kyle Zimmerman posted a YouTube video of herself speed-reading her favorite book, Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Zimmerman challenged everyone to speed-read faster than her recorded number of 39 words in 10 seconds. 

Author of Crossover, Kwame Alexander accepted the challenged and managed to read an impressive 60 words in 10 seconds.

How many words can you read in 10 seconds? Take First Book’s #Speed Read challenge. Post your own video and challenge your friends and family. 

 

Social Media

When I was in the military, we used Myspace when it first came out as a way to stay in touch with family in the United States and also to post what we were up to and photos. Then along came Facebook. (facebook.com) It was a much more fancy website than regular Myspace. First it was geared towards college students. Then it expanded and now everyone and everything is on Facebook.
Facebook has made several changes over the last few years and some I agree with and some I really wish they wouldn't have done. Timeline, it was in the background so to speak at first. Didn't really play a part in the website as a whole, then it became the first thing that you saw when you logged in. Who is posting what, what is going on, etc. Now as you scroll down your timeline (Newsfeed now because it isn't in any chronological order) you see ads for different products and services. Everywhere you look you see the little Facebook symbol  in the corner or the commercial will say "like/follow us on Facebook." I think that it is a great tool to use as a business because so many people are on facebook and if they like your page, then others will see it and check it out. It is free advertising. Facebook is a user-friendly website and app (for your smart phone) and keeps people connected- not just personal life, but business as well.

So if you aren't on Facebook, I suggest it. Its a fun and easy way to stay connected to what's going on in the world!!

28 Social Media Marketing Predictions for 2015 From the Pros

28 Social Media Marketing Predictions for 2015 From the Pros

After reading this interesting article about some the different social media marketing predictions for 2015, I would have to say that I agree with only some the things they have to say. Starting off I do agree that video is definitely becoming the content of choice for most of us social media users. While at the present time photos truly reign supreme, I don’t see it being too long before video takes over the number one spot. They stated that as of September 2014, Facebook attracted a billion video views per day, which is roughly a 30-fold increase since July.

On the other hand I agree with what was mentioned and talked about in this article, how social media will go niche. This would mean that there would be a rise of smaller, more personal social media trends that focus on niche groups and specific, shared qualities or interest. This may be something that will try and make a splash on the scene this coming year, but I don’t foresee it really make must impact. At the present time people are happy and comfortable using social media as it stands today; big and broad. So, until that changes the niche factor will not much of anything.

Social Media and Business: Sometimes Silence is Golden

When a friend of mine told me he was considering a restaurant job he saw advertised, the first thing I did was look it up on Facebook and check the reviews. I was shocked to see this:

Click here to see the entire public thread on Facebook.

To be clear; this is the restaurant’s PUBLIC Facebook page. On one hand, I can appreciate that the owner left the post up. On the other hand, her response was beyond awful. I read it, saying out loud, “NOOOooooooo!! Donnnnnnnn’t gooooooo there…” But she did. Boy, did she ever. In her very first sentence, while she critiqued the reviewer/former employee’s use of the English language, she got her own grammar wrong! Then she went on to not only insult this person, she insulted ALL of the “youth of today”! I was awestruck. How could a grown person not know how completely and utterly wrong this was??

I don’t know if this woman is a good manager or not, or how the food in this establishment tastes, but I do know two things:  

1. I would not want to work for someone who behaves this way.
2. I don’t want to eat there.

In her book, Social Media Etiquette for Business: 100 Ways to Communicate with Grace and Class,

Jennifer Kane writes, “You will have greater success, support and longevity in social media if you balance being calculated with being kind. And good etiquette is the key to achieving that balance.” This is wonderful advice in all aspects of life, but especially for businesses engaging in social media activity.

If someone says something to offend you, wait until your temper has calmed down before you react. People will rarely fault you for something you didn't say. Calm down, write a response that says everything you want to say, then burn it. The old adage, “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all,” has been around a long time for good reason.