Downton Abbey’s Perfect Handling of Its PR Blunder

Downton Abbey is far more than a stylish period drama – it’s also making heaps of money from a slew of merchandise. British retail chainMarks and Spencer sells a "Downton Abbey" beauty line which includes soaps, nail polish, lip gloss, lotions and scented candles. There are also Downton Abbey lines of jewelry, fashion, home decor and furniture.

To launch season 5 of Downton Abbey, a series of publicity photos was released in August 2014. Eagle-eyed fans spotted a plastic water bottle Lord Grantham and Lady Edith posing in full costume in front of a marble fireplace. The photo quickly spread like wildfire all over the internet.

How did Downton Abbey handle this PR blooper? With style!

The cast teamed up with the UK chapter of WaterAid, an international non-profit organization that tries to transform lives by improving access to safe water, hygiene and sanitation. They posed for a funny photo sporting the same kind of water bottle, showing that they care about drinking clean water instead of sipping cocktails.

An ITV spokesperson stated:
"After seeing the reaction the picture caused earlier this week, the cast and crew came up with the idea of turning some of this attention towards an issue around water that really matters. They hope that by posing for this picture they will be able to raise awareness and amplify the work of international charity - WaterAid."

This handling of the water bottle-gate is brilliant. It has all the elements of excellent crisis management:

• Respond quickly
• Do not make any (lame) excuses
• Come up with a way to turn it into an opportunity
• Link it to charity
• Use humor (if appropriate)

Chapeau!

Does Apple’s iPhone 6 Feature Wireless Charging?

Apple’s iPhone 6 will be coming to an Apple store close to you starting September 19. According to Forbes, the 4.7 inch screen iPhone 6 will retail at $199 and the 5.5 inch screen at $299.

Rumors are flying about its new features that will be shown at a media event on September 9.

TMZ claims to have obtained leaked pictures taken by an ex-employee at a Foxconn factory in China. Foxconn manufactures devices for Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Nintendo and BlackBerry.

Based on the leaked photos, it could be assumed that the port in the red circle could be for wireless charging. It is not as far-fetched as it sounds. One of the patents that Apple has filed in 2012 is for "Wireless Power Utilization in a Local Computing Environment". It describes a central hub that enables charging a device without wires.

If Apple is indeed launching a smartphone with wireless charging capabilities, that will be a major game changer. It will also be great marketing for the Cupertino-based company.

Airbnb's New Logo – An Epic Marketing Blunder

Airbnb just unveiled its new logo called “the Belo”. In the color Magenta, it strives to combine the concept of Yahoo’s distinctive purple and Nike’s famous Swoosh.

Airbnb enables users to list their homes on the web and rent them out to guests. The company wants to add more sharing products and services to its offerings, such as surfing lessons.

For its rebranding, Airbnb turned to DesignStudio, a young London-based global branding and design agency, that has as its mission statement: “By applying creative, critical thinking to these different channels, we change people’s perceptions and create the brands of the future.”

For a whole year, DesignStudio worked on the rebranding project. It conducted extensive user research and dispatched teams to more than a dozen countries to interview hosts and guests to find out what they like about Airbnb. DesignStudio also conducted detailed surveys of comparable brands such as IBM, Facebook and the Red Cross.

The result? Bélo (Belonging - Airbnb’s new logo that was launched with a lot of PR hype. The logo is in magenta, looks like the love child of a Google maps pin, a heart and a bent paper clip. It’s a matter of taste if you like it or not.

HomeSweetHome one. But it’s the uncanny resemblance with the Automation Anywhere logo that started a Twitter storm.

It's baffling that after such an extensive research and design phase, none of the creative geniuses at the agency used a simple online image search to check for similar logos to make sure that the proposed new one would be unique.

Airbnb made a gigantic marketing mistake by not running the new logo by their lawyers. The consequences for Airbnb?

However, the new logo is almost identical to several existing logos such as the

• Legal action. I am sure that Automation Anywhere will sue Airbnb very soon.
  
• Brand damage. The company is already the laughing stock in many online magazines and (of course) the social media.
  
• Using an agency that wasted so much of Airbnb’s budget to come up with a copycat logo.
  
• Investing more time and money to rebrand again with a new agency.
  
• Removing the Bélo from all existing collateral and merchandise.

(Image: New Airbnb logo on the left, existing Automation Anywhere logo on the right)

DKNY Ramadan Collection – A Stroke Of Marketing Genius?

DKNY, part of the LVMH Group, has just launched a new fashion line. The DKNY Ramadan Collection consists of halal couture. The stunning designs cover arms and legs and have modest necklines.

The collection (styled by two prominent Middle Eastern fashionistas Yalda Golsharifi, fashion editor of Styles Magazine, and Tamara Al Gabbani, a fashion designer in Dubai) fuses high fashion with conservative design. Both women are popular bloggers and also modeled the collection including for the #DKNYRamadan campaign.

The 12-piece collection includes summer favorites with a conservative yet modern slant such as long, flowing dresses and skirts, printed tops and floor-length skirts, classic black-and-white separates, jumpsuits and pants and long-sleeved and three-quarter-length jackets and shirts.

Each piece conveys the modesty many Middle Eastern women strive for without skimping on fashion. Pakistani writer Bina Shah lauded the collection in The Independent stating that the clothes “walk the fine line between cosmopolitan and conservative, luxurious and ostentatious. The fabrics drape around the body, encasing the curves that nature gave Middle Eastern women without making them obvious, or attempting to disguise them in bag-like abayas.” High praise indeed!

The timing is impeccable: Ramadan, the holy month of daylight fasting observed my Muslims around the world started on July 5 and will end on July 28.

It’s the first time that a New York-based brand launched a regionalized collection and campaign. The pieces are only available in stores in the Middle East, but you can check out the full 12-look collection at dkny.com/dknyramadan.

But the question remains: did DKNY make a smart marketing move?

Design Scandal Tarnishes a Swedish Prince’s Brand

Carl Philip is the son of the current king of Sweden.

He built his reputation as a designer with the launch of a fireguard in the shape of a castle.

He branded it as "designed by Prince Carl Philip 2010".

As it turns out, designer Eric Ericson is the creator of the fireguard. "It was I who designed the fireguard," Eric Ericson told the Svenska Dagbladet (SvD) newspaper.

"I didn't work with this for a very long time and the conditions changed as time passed. At first I thought I was just going to be his tutor but then it is became apparent that I was to do his stuff. In hindsight, it all really feels bloody wrong. It wasn't a serious collaboration but I don't want to blacken his name. He has only studied (design) for a short time. He can become a designer but it takes a lot of hard work and you must enter the profession to be successful. He might be world's nicest guy but he doesn't have to get up at five in the morning and slave to pay the rent.”

The product was marketed and sold by the Svensk Tenn interior design company that have since scrubbed Carl Philip's signature off the fireguard. It retails for 14,500 kronor ($2,200).

Ericson's remarks follow a damning editorial by Form Editor-in-Chief Bo Madestrand who slammed the prince for being a "fake".

The editorial pointed out that "Carl Philip is not guilty of plagiarism – because he hasn’t designed his own products. If Prince Carl Philip had better advisers – and worked a little harder – he might succeed better at his chosen profession. The question is, why does he continue? Who benefits from Carl Philip’s playing at being a designer, when, like his father, he’d really rather be tearing up the roads behind the wheel of a sports car?"

No matter what, the Prince's brand had suffered from devastating damage.

The Brilliant Way the CIA joined Twitter

US governmental agencies routinely secure social media account to prevent unauthorized users tweeting and

The CIA filed an impersonation complaint with Twitter against such a user, the Langley-based agency decided to open its own (and verified) account on Twitter and Facebook.

In an official statement the agency announced: "This week, the CIA moved deeper into the world of social media with the launch of official social media accounts on Twitter and Facebook."

The CIA describes itself as: “We are the Nation's first line of defense. We accomplish what others cannot accomplish and go where others cannot go”.

On the CIA website, CIA Director John O. Brennan posted on June 6, 2014:

“This week, the CIA expanded its social media presence with the launch of official social media accounts on Twitter and Facebook.

Follow us on Twitter @CIA and on Facebook for the latest CIA updates, #tbt (Throwback Thursday) photos, reflections on intelligence history, and fun facts from the CIA World Factbook. You’ll also receive updates on CIA career postings and get the latest glimpse into CIA’s Museum - the best museum most people never get to see. Our social media expansion will put CIA.gov content right at your fingertips.

The launch expands CIA’s online presence, which already includes the Agency’s public website, CIA.gov and CIA.gov mobile, and official Flickr and YouTube accounts.

In the coming weeks, look out for other CIA.gov enhancements, including live streaming capabilities via Ustream.”

The CIA also showed a wicked sense of humor with an epic first tweet:




Epic branding!

(Image:The CIA logo at the agency’s headquarters in Langley, Va. (Saul Loeb, AFP/Getty Images)

posting under their name.

How NOT To Promote Your Services

Recently, I got the following email:

“As a { }, are you interested in following SEO, SMO and website redesigning services at this time for your company by industry experts:

$500 SEO services includes: Keyword Research, Website Theme Review, Navigation Review, Images Review, Page Development Review, Website Content Review, Search Engine Tag Review, File Name Review, Finished Layout Review

$500 Social media optimization includes: Article Submission, Press Release Submission, Social Bookmarking, Video Submissions, PPT Submissions, RSS Feed Submissions, Social Network Marketing and Posting on Forums

$500 Website redesigning and maintenance includes: Competition updates their website regularly with latest updates, SEO friendly site, new technology contents, Memorable Logo, Simplistic Catchy Design, Who You Are and What You Do, Samples of Your Work, Link to Relevant Blogs, Additional Testimonials, Update Contact Information

Thanks and let me know.

Olivia Miller, Digital marketing consultant”

This email is an excellent example of how NOT to contact potential customers!

1) This person mined my email from LinkedIn. If you want to drum up business, use the “promotion” tab in various groups. Spamming people like me by mining our emails is counterproductive.

2) The first sentence asks me if I am "interested in following services for my company by experts". This sentence is poorly written.

3) Who are the "industry experts"? Why the overuse of capitals?

4) This person uses pricing to hook me. This is a common mistake. She should understand that potential customers want to see a portfolio and testimonials – price is just a secondary parameter.

5) The offered website redesigning and maintenance includes: "Competition updates their website regularly with latest updates". Does this mean that I would pay for the website updates of my competitors?

6) When I wanted to visit their website (www.mantizemarketing.com), I found out that (1) the website is a parked domain at GoDaddythat is (2) registered by a certain Subendu Ghosh located in Bangalore, India.

7) The only reference to Mantize Marketing that I could find was on the LinkedIn profile of Michael Smith who states that he worked 10 months for the company in 2009/2010 providing database marketing solutions. I could not find any "Olivia Miller" working for Mantize Marketing.

My advice to anyone else that got this email - mark it as spam.

How to Choose Your Chinese Company or Brand Name

Once you decide to enter the Chinese market as a western company or brand, you need to think of a Chinese name.

Localizing your company or brand name is complicated. You need a Chinese name as soon as you start selling on e-commerce sites and start using local social media. You also want to use WOM to promote your brand.

It involves in-depth knowledge of the local language and culture, sensitivity towards local customer attitudes and willingness to adapt the company/brand name. Gap and IBM decided to keep their short name, expecting Chinese consumers to learn them. This is not a clever way to build a brand in China.

How to choose a Chinese company/brand name:

1. Your Chinese name must tell your brand’s story.
2. Examples: BMW (bao ma) means “precious horse”; Subway sandwiches (sai bai wei) means “better than 100 tastes.”
3. The characters in the name must look good together.
4. The Chinese name must be legally available.
5. The name should work well in Mandarin, Cantonese and Shanghainese that are three dramatically different languages.
6. The name should only have positive connotations.
   LinkedIn‘s brand name in Chinese also sounds like the word for the ghost of a dead infant.
7. Make sure the name has meaning.
   McDonald’s (mai dang lao) kept its name although the Chinese characters represent wheat, should and labor.
8. Hire an expert with a solid track record to help you. 

Success!

Philips Delares War on Product Piracy

Philips wants to protect users against counterfeit lighting products. The company developed an easy way for users to check if a Xenon product is the real deal.

Each Philips Xenon package features an authenticity seal (Certificate of Authenticity or COA). It’s an effective way to protect the brand and customers against piracy.

Furthermore, each product package also features a QR Code. Once this code it scanned by a smartphone, it displays a security code which grants access to www.philips.com/original. The user can then access that code to find out the origin of that Xenon product.

This security feature was necessary since a growing number of counterfeit Xenon products flooded the market. This supply is triggered by numerous online and offline shops. These counterfeit products are inferior and pose a serious risk.

Please, avoid cheaper knock-offs and go for the real article! It’s not only the ethical thing to do – there's also the legal matter of liability and insurance.

Be smart, go for the real McCoy!

Microsoft Promises Dutch Government to Keep Their XP Computers Safe – Really?!

As we all know – from April 8, 2014 on Microsoft stopped supporting its Windows XP. In an unexpected move, Microsoft will go on maintaining and securing the Dutch Government’s computers running on Windows XP.

The Dutch government struck the deal with the software giant. Dutch Minister Mr. Stef Blok (Housing and Central Government) officially announced the agreement.

It is unclear how much the Dutch government has to fork out for this “privilege”. Mr. Blok stated that the amount is part of the contract negotiations and therefore confidential.

As announced, Microsoft will stop supporting it Windows XP from Tuesday 8th of April 2014 on. This means that that there will be no more technical support of Windows XP. There also will be no more security patches for the 12-year-old operating system (OS). Anyone using XP after April 8 could be faced with viruses or other data-stealing malware.

In the Netherlands, many governmental computers still run on XP. The Dutch National Cyber Security Center already advised way back in February to migrate as soon as possible from Windows XP to a new operating system (OS).

There are also an estimated 1 million private computers in the Netherlands running on Windows XP. The amount of business users is unknown.

According to research, two in five Dutch municipalities currently use Windows XP computers.

Dutch banks have recently warned their customers NOT to use Windows XP when making transactions. The banks also modified their terms & conditions to point out that customers will themselves be liable for any fraud resulting from online banking if they do not have an updated OS.

But curious minds want to know: how come that Microsoft can keep on supporting the XP computers of the Dutch government but not those of your average Joe?!

Anyway, if you are a small or medium-sized company (SME/SMB) or a private user with one or more computers running on XP – contact ScotPlanet NOW to quickly and safely move away from XP to a new OS. Let’s keep your computer(s) and data safe!

(Image courtesy of www.ncsc.nl)

ScotPlanet Launches Problem Solver to Help Individuals and Business Users to Migrate Their Computers Away From XP

ScotPlanet enables private and business computers and laptops running on XP to migrate to another OS in order to keep their systems, programs, applications and data secure

 

ScotPlanet, a provider of IT services, announced today the launch of its XP Problem Solver service. This service is aimed at small and medium-sized companies (SME/SMB) that have one or more computers running on Windows XP, one of Microsoft’s operating systems (OS).

Starting April 8, 2014 Microsoft® will stop supporting Windows XP. As a result, all desktops and laptops running on Windows XP will be vulnerable to cybercrime (data theft, Trojans, phishing, malware attacks, etc) since no more security patches for vulnerabilities will be issued. Microsoft® will also stop supporting Office® 2003, Outlook® 2003 and earlier versions of Internet Explorer (IE).

To help individuals and business to keep their computers and data safe, ScotPlanet has launched its XP Problem Solver service for migrating XP desktops and laptops to a new OS. The service consists of four comprehensive phases: analysis, planning, migration and follow up.

“Our XP Problem Solver provides individuals as well as businesses with an optimal way to quickly move away from Windows XP once Microsoft® stops its support”, said Michael Cina, owner of ScotPlanet.

“There are currently an estimated 500 million XP users around the world facing the risk of having vulnerable computers and unprotected data,” he continued. “Using security solutions such as Antivirus will not be enough to keep XP computers safe. The only option for those millions of users is opting for a service that will migrate their XP computers to a new OS”.

For more information or for a free consultation, please contact ScotPlanet at:

http://www.scotplanetxp.com/contact/

About ScotPlanet

ScotPlanet provides IT services to individual and business users. Services include IT management and maintenance, technical support, training and consultancy.

http://www.scotplanet.com

Company contact:                                                       Press contact:

ScotPlanet                                                                   Tip Top PR

Michael Cina                                                               Debra De-Jong                                   

Email: Info (at) scotplanet.com                                  Email: Debra (at) tiptoppr.com          

Tel: ++ 972-58-530 8167                                            Tel: ++972-77-915 0040

www.scotplanetxp.com                                              www.tiptoppr.com

www.scotplanet.com

Looking For a WhatsApp Alternative? Check Out These 5 Interesting Alternatives

WhatsApp has been under fire since it was purchased by Facebook. Want to change? Check out the following 5 alternatives for WhatsApp alternatives.

Telegram Messenger (free)

This Russian app is very similar to WhatsApp in appearance and use. According to the company, it is the most downloaded app in 11 countries.

Telegram focuses on privacy and has developed its own security protocol. Telegram offers a reward of 200,000 USD for anyone able to breach its system. Telegram is free of charge. It’s funded by Pavel Durov, who made his fortune with the sale of Vkontakte, the Russian Facebook.

Advantages: Messages can be erased automatically after a few minutes (similar to SnapChat). In contrast to WhatsApp, there is also a desktop version.

Disadvantages: Telegram was plagued with problems due to the many new users. Many messages were received after hours, even after one day.

Threema (one-time payment of Euro 1.79)

This Swiss app ranks number one among the paid apps. Users can send each other text messages, images and videos. It is available for iOS and Android. There are currently over 400,000 users worldwide.

The name Threema stands for End-to-End Encrypted Messaging Application. It means that Threema uses an encryption method that allows users to automatically encrypt their own messages. Even Threema itself cannot access the messages, not even when ordered to do so by the government.

Advantages: Messages not delivered to users are kept for up to 7 days on Threema’s servers. WhatsApp keeps them for 30 days. All Threema’s servers are located in Switzerland. The company therefore has to comply with the strict Swiss privacy and data protection laws. Servers are out of reach for agencies such as the NSA.

Disadvantages: Sending messages is slower than via Telegram Messenger, and similar to WhatsApp. Most users (80%) are located in the DACH countries.

Line (free)

This Japanese app is very popular in Asia with 360 million users worldwide. Line does not sell itself as a privacy-app, but promises never to sell personal information. Line also states that it sporadically collects demographic data. Line is free of charge. The company generates income from the sales of stickers and games.

Advantages: Line can also be used for high-quality phone calls. Contacts can be added based on their telephone numbers or usernames. Users can talk with strangers without having to share their telephone number. Users can also subscribe to messages of celebrities. Line has an extensive collection of images that users can send. There is also a desktop version of Line.

Disadvantages: Most users are located in Asia.

Hemlis (basic will be free)

This message app is developed by Peter Sunde, one of the founders of the download site The Pirate Bay. The app is free, but there there will be a charge for extras. Hemlis (which is Swedish for secret) keeps all sent messages on its own server until received by the recipient. The company refuses to say which encryption method it uses.

Advantages: The app is free of charge. Hemlis is crowdfunded. According to Hemlis, its privacy is better than that of WhatsApp. Hemlis does not allow advertising.

Disadvantages: It is not clear when the app will be launched. The company did not say how messages will be encrypted. As it looks now, sending text messages will be free and sending images will be charged.

Silent Circle (starting at 10 USD per month)

This US app is “spy free”. It’s the brainchild of Navy SEALs and Silicon Valley cryptography experts. Silent Circle charges 10 USD a month for the apps that encrypt the communication. Users are currently mainly in the US. The company is currently entering the European market. Communication is directly encrypted on the sender’s phone, and is decrypted on the recipient's phone. Between the two phones, the signal is gibberish - even for the provider. After communication is received, encryption is removed and cannot be recovered.

Advantages: Excellent security. The service was originally developed for diplomats, business executives, journalists, and army personnel working in countries with disreputable governments.

Disadvantages: Expensive.

Could YotaPhone, Russia’s First Smartphone, Become a Major Player?

The YotaPhone, developed by privately-owned Russian tech startup Yota Devices, is quite unique – it is a dual-screen device using an Android operating system.

It features a traditional LCD-color display on one side and an electronic-paper display similar to the Amazon Kindle on the other. Its 4.3-inch 1280 HD display is slightly larger than the iPhone 5 and smaller than the 5-inch Galaxy S4.

It will be sold for $675 in Europe and $600 in Russia, which is slightly cheaper than the Apple iPhone 5 and the Samsung Galaxy S4.

According to Vladislav Martynov, CEO of Yota Devices, the introduction of dual screens was “a revolution in telephone architecture”. He points out that before the YotaPhone, the back of smartphones had never been used before. YotaPhone’s electronic-ink display on the back displays information, including feeds from Facebook and Twitter, even when the phone is not used.

The first mock-up of the dual-screen phone was demonstrated in 2010 by Sergei Chemezov, the head of Rostekhnologii (currently Rostec, a government company that produces and exports high-tech equipment), to President Dmitri A. Medvedev, who is known to be a fan of Apple products.

Yota Devices wants to join search engine Yandex and antivirus company Kaspersky Lab as a global player. The company made a good start - the YotapPhone won a CNET Best of CES Award for “Hottest Mobile Device” at the CES in Las Vegas.

The latest version of the YotaPhone (the YotaPhone 2?) will be introduced on February 24, 2014 at the Mobile World Conference.

YotaPhone is currently being launched in Russia, Austria, France, Spain and Germany. More countries are expected to follow in 2014.

Google’s French Faux Pas

Google got on the wrong side of the French authorities. The Commissions Nationale de l’Informatique et des Libertés (CNIL) investigated Google’s privacy policy change from 2012. About two years ago, Google bundled all its services (Google+, Gmail, Blogger, YouTube etc.) into one. This also changed the privacy policies of the separate accounts that users managed separately.

The CNIL came to the conclusion that Google’s new privacy policy didn't give users enough control over their private information. Furthermore, the agency also found that Google did not explain properly what it would do with the user data.

The ruling of the CNIL is quite interesting. Google was forced to pay a fine of €150,000 which is peanuts for the multinational. That’s why the CNIL added some interesting conditions to its ruling.

Google was forced to post a notice about its misconduct on its homepage. Once accessing google.fr, the following message (translated into English, for the original text go to google.fr) features under the search field:

“Statement: The sanctions committee of the Commision Nationale de l’Informatique et des Libertés has ordered Google to pay a €150,000 fine for violations of the ‘Data-Processing and Freedoms’ law. Decision available at the following address: http:www.cnil.fr/linstitution/missions/sanctionner/Google/”.

Not underestimating the cleverness of Google, the CNIL also dictated the text of the notice. To avoid the age-old legal trick to use a small font and bury the text as much as possible in order to deter readers, the CNIL also dictated the size of the font and the colors to be used as well as the position of the notification on the Google.fr homepage.

Google was not happy to say the least. It promptly turned to a French court to petition suspension of the ruling. It argued that posting the CNIL’s notification would do "irreparable damage" to its reputation. The French court was not convinced and rejected the petition, ordering Google to comply with the order.

It’s not the first time Google ran into trouble in Europe; it recently came to an agreement with the European Commission to pay a $5 billion fine following a three-year-long antitrust investigation.

France is the first European country to order Google to post such a notice. It will be interesting to see if more European countries will follow suit.

Google Makes a Brave Statement with Its Olympic Doodle

As always, search engine Google commemorated the event with a doodle. It depicts the popular winter sports such as skiing, ice hockey, curling, bobsleigh, and ice skating and snowboarding.

Under the doodle, Google cited part of section 6 of the Olympic handbook:

"The practice of sport is a human right. Every individual must have the possibility of practicing sport, without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play."

However, this time the doodle also made a political statement. The doodle incorporates the rainbow colors to promote the rights of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders (LGBT).

Google is making a brave statement – Russia is known for its anti-gay stance. In June 2013, Vladimir Putin passed a law stigmatizing gay people and banning "propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations." It is part of Putin’s efforts to promote traditional Russian ideals and values. Russia believes that Western liberties will corrupt Russia’s youth.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon condemned discrimination against homosexuals during a speech to the International Olympic Committee. He said that “many professional athletes, gay and straight, are speaking out against prejudice.”

Official sponsors such as Coca-Cola, Visa, Samsung, McDonald’s, Procter & Gamble, Omega, General Electric and Dow Chemical preferred to remain silent on the issue.

Paging Eustace Tilley

Did you ever wonder who the dandy on the cover of the New Yorker is? You know, that well-dressed gentleman looking at a butterfly through his monocle? His story is quite interesting!

For the first cover of the New Yorker, Rea Irvin drew the character. Over time, he even got his own name: Eustace Tilley.Corey Ford wrote a series of humorous articles for the New Yorker that spoofed corporate promotional writing. His stories were used to fill up empty pages that were not bought by advertisers to promote their products. Ford’s stories were illustrated with drawings that often featuring Eustace Tilley. In one such illustration, Tilley supervises the felling of “specially grown trees to make paper for The New Yorker.”

Irvin got inspiration for his Eustace Tilley magazine cover from an unlikely source: an 1834 drawing of Count Alfred Guillaume Gabriel D’Orsay. The drawing “man of Fashion in Early Victorian Period” was featured in the costume section of the Encyclopædia Britannica.

Count D’Orsay (1801-1852) was a famous dandy and wit, known for his stunning good looks. He was admired for his charming manner and brilliant wit. At 6ft, he towered over his fellow men and posed a striking figure. He created his own flamboyant style that was imitated everywhere. His admirers includedLord Byron, Benjamin Disraeli, William Thackeray, Charles Dickens and even Thomas Carlyle.

D’Orsay was known as a “butterfly dandy”, which explains why Rea Irvin drew him looking at the butterfly on the cover.

As for Eustace Tilley, the New Yorker tried to update his image over the years. At times, Tilley morphed into a female Tilley, an African-American Tilley, and a punk Tilley. No matter what they do to him, Tilley is here to stay. Not bad for an octogenarian dandy!

Horror Flick’s Brilliant Marketing Stunt – Prankvertisement At Its Best

“Devil’s Due” is low-budget horror movie. It tells the story of a couple on honeymoon that lose track of one night. Once home, they find out that the wife is pregnant. The husband records the earlier-than-planned pregnancy on camera. He notices that the mother-to-be is changing dramatically – and not for the better. Over the months, it becomes clear that dark forces are at work. (Yes, I know, it sounds a lot like Rosemary’s Baby”)

Promoting a low-budget movie such as this one is an uphill battle. Marketing a blockbuster is a lot easier - advertisements, movie trailers, and guest appearances of the actors in talk shows are just a few examples of the PR tools that movie studios use. So what can small or indie movie makers do? Harness the power of Internet!

The makers of the flick engaged the services of Thinkmodo, a NY-based viral video marketing agency. They came up with a great PR stunt. They built a stroller that could be controlled remotely and put a screaming robot infant inside. They steered the stroller through the streets of NY. Pedestrians heard a child crying from the seemingly unattended stroller and went to check. Once they approached, the robot demon child popped up and started screaming at them.

The video quickly went viral on Internet and national as well as international TV stations showed the clip.
Reviews of the movie (premiered on January 17, 2014) were lukewarm. Rotten Tomatoes rated it “Derivative and mostly uninspired”. The LA Times wrote: "Devil's Due' an inept take on Rosemary's Baby".

The horror movie may not be remebered as a film classic, but it did write marketing history!

Hi-Call – A Great Way to Make Phone Calls in Winter

When people want to indicate that you should call them, they put their thumb against their ear and “talk” to their pink. You immediately get the message - you have to phone them.

Based on this global body language, Italian company hi-Fun has developed a winter glove that does just that.

At first glance, its hi-Call glove looks like any ordinary winter glove you can buy. However, it's a Bluetooth talking glove with built-in microphone and speaker connected to your smartphone. It allows you to make calls without the need to take your phone out of your pocket or bag.

Although it did not take over the world by storm during this winter, it is in sync with the new trend of wearable technology such as Google Glass and Sony’s SmartWig. Who knows? It might just be the must-have accessory people are looking for during winter....

Is Bitcoin a Bad Penny?

Bitcoin is currently riding the popularity wave, with Overstock and Zynga accepting the virtual currency as legal payment and PayPal announcing that it believes in thecryptocurrency.

Bitcoin was first described by Satoshi Nakamoto in the 2008 white paper “Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System”. Nakamoto explained in the paper that the virtual currency functions without the rules and restrictions of central banks.

Anyone can mint Bitcoins providing they have an Internet connection. Once users have a certain amount of Bitcoins, they can use them to trade in real currency such as Euros or US dollars. A rising number of users is also buying items with Bitcoins in online shops – hence the interest of Overstock and PayPal in the currency.

Governments are not too happy with the new kid on the block. For one, it is unclear which laws apply. Another problem is to establish what Bitcoin exactly is, since they are created by computer algorithms and traded between online wallets using virtual keys. That would make Bitcoin a piece of software and not so much legal tender.

Banks are keeping an eye on their new competitor. Bank of America became the first major Wall Street bank to release research about Bitcoin stating that Bitcoin could become "a major player in both e-commerce and money transfer".

Chinese banks are forbidden to handle any Bitcoin transactions by the Chinese government. Other governments and central banks do not go that far (yet), but do issue warnings about the potential risks.

Opposition also came from an unexpected side – environmental activists. The mining of Bitcoins is seen as a “disaster” since the processing power of the computers needed to generate Bitcoins requires electricity. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gimein, the current daily power consumption necessary for creating Bitcoins could easily supply 31,000 US households with electricity.

Once Bitcoin becomes a mass currency, the impact on the environment would be comparable to that of mining silver and gold.

For now, Bitcoin still has a long way to go. The maximum amount of Bitcoins that can be created is 21 million. At this moment, half of that amount is in circulation.

Will Bitcoin make it? Time will tell.

Bitcoin is facing some issues. The mining of Bitcoins is being dominated by pools of people with dedicated hardware (chips). The digital currency is also facing fierce competition and was the victim of computer hacks.

(Image courtesy of www.wired.com)

Nissan’s Perfect Reaction to a Cheeky Advertisement for Selling an Old Nissan Maxima

Luke Aker wanted to sell his 1996 Nissan Maxima. The car was not only old, but also was quite battered. He put the cat on Graigslist which was not successful.

Being a filmmaker and owner of Ikonik Films, Aker came up with a great way to sell his car – making a cool ad!

His tongue-in-cheek advertisement is brilliant. It’s a witty parody of your average car commercial. The voiceover states that "It not only brings more admiring stares than any other car I have driven it also has seat belts! Amazing!" Furthermore, it’s pointed out that the car has amazing features such as "wheels" and "tires”.

The footage is gorgeous, lovingly showing the car's torn seats and weathered paint job.



Nissan became aware of the advertisement, the company reacted perfectly. Nissan USA tweeted:

”Hey @IkonikFilms: SOLD! Had us at "land-yacht" and this hilarious '96 Maxima ad: http://nssn.co/ut8g8m - We want to make you an offer. DM us!”

Luke Aker quickly responded. The following day, he sold his old Nissan Maxima to the automaker. Nissan went even further: it made a donation to the Wounded Warrior Project.

Needless to say, Aker was touched and tweeted:

“Just got off the phone. @NissanUSA Will be Purchasing the car AND Donating $1000.00 to Wounded Warrior #SoAmaze #wow “

What can we learn from this case?

1. Be creative in your marketing and sales
   (Aker was able to grab the attention of one of the world’s largest automakers with his sales ad!) 
2. Have a sense of humor
   (Creating spoofs or parodies is great for getting exposure in our social media age – especially if you can go viral via YouTube, Facebook, etc.) 
3. Leverage a PR opportunity when it comes your way
   (Nissan grabbed the opportunity for some amazing (and low-cost!) branding and PR) 
4. Use any PR or branding opportunity that comes your way to make a donation to a mainstream charity (The PR and branding you will get out of it will be priceless!)
5. Be gracious
   (Aker paid respect to Nissan for its classy reaction)