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)

Can Crocs Survive? Or Will It Be A Footnote In Footwear History?

Remember Crocs? The colorful rubber clogs conquered the world way back in 2004. In 2006, the Colorado-based company went public (CROX.O). At the height of its popularity, even style icon Kate Middleton was spotted wearing (in her case red) crocs.

In 2010 Crocs, Inc appointed John McCarver as its CEO. He was the mastermind behind new product lines such rubber versions of sneakers, docksiders and ballet flats. The company reported sales of $ 1bn, making its shareholders happy.

But then disaster struck. Croc-haters started a social media campaign against the company, such as the I Hate Crocs blog. Crocs was also facing aggressive competition from cheap knock-offs, and the economic depression did not help as well. As a result, Croc’s sales, profits and share price started to tank.

In the beginning of 2013, Crocs put itself up for sale after blistering reports of financial analysts. The company hired investment bank Moelis and Company to explore various option.

There were hardly any M&A prospects, since Croc’s IP consists of “soft, comfortable, lightweight, non-marking and odor-resistant” technology, which other shoe makers do not want or need for their own footwear production.

In the end, Crocs was able to ink a deal with Blackstone Group LP (BX.N). Blackstone will invest $200 million in return for a 13 percent stake in the company. CEO McCarvel will retire in April 2014 as well as resigning as a board member.

Croc’s Chairman Thomas Smach stated that the company will appoint a new CEO who has to focus on generating sales and earnings, and not so much on product lines, opening new outlets, branding, and marketing in general. (From a marketing standpoint – that’s a kiss of death).

How I see it, Croc has run its course. The best option for the company will be to cater to its faithful customer base and move into niches (e.g., boating, gardening, beach wear).

The only way to revive the brand to its former glory is by:

• Appearing on a popular TV show (Ellen would work nicely)
• Staring a really cool PR campaign that will go viral
• Finding a style icon that will make Crocs cool (a real Carrie Bradshaw)

But that will be a tall order…

(Image courtesy of coolspotters.com)

Iran’s Virtual Reality – Politicians Are Active on Twitter and Facebook!

“Hello world, we are tweeting without restrictions from Iran”

With this enticing tweet, Dutch journalist Thomas Erdbrink announced from the capital of Iran that Iranians would be able to post on Twitter and Facebook.

However, a day later the digital freedom seemed to be the result of a “technical malfunctioning”.

Social media is a delicate topic for Iranian authorities. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani proclaimed during his election that he wanted to open up internet access. Rouhani himself has an active Twitter account (@HassanRouhani). He tweets in English and Farsi.

The Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Javad Zarif is also on Twitter (@JZarif) and is also active on Facebook.

These two politicians follow in the footsteps of many diplomats and politicians around the globe who have been using social media to explain their views or promote their agenda.

Sometimes politicians even slug it out in cyberspace. The Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs Carl Bildt @CarlBildt and the Egyptian Ambassador in Sweden disputed how many demonstrators were killed by Egyptian forces, with the Swede tweeting: “@Osama_Elmagdoub So they all shoot themselves? Try another one”.

No matter what, the recent tweets of Rouhani and Zarif are groundbreaking. Even Ayatollah Khamenei (@Khamenei_ir) wants to communicate with the outside world via social media.

Zarif even used twitter on September 5 to wish Jews a Happy New Year @JZarif “Happy Rosh Rashanah” – quite ironic since the previous Iranian President denied the Holocaust. Rouhani claims that “We never denied it. The man who was perceived to be denying is now gone. Happy new year.” Quod erat demonstrandum (QED).

It would be great if the tweets would indicate a new era of freedom. I would love Iran to confront @BarackObama in cyberspace. Who knows – social media couls even contribute to peace!

It’s hard to prevent people to go online and connect with whoever they want across the globe. Even with restrictions, there are ways to circumvent censorship, so just go with the flow! I’m sure the NSA agrees with me…

(Image courtesy of: © kebox - Fotolia.com)

Debra De-Jong Wishes You and Your Loved Ones A Happy, Healthy and Successful 2014

What did Dutch People Google in 2013?

For marketers and advertisers, it’s always important to know what your target audience is interested in. Data from search engines are particular valuable.

If your target audience is located in the Netherlands, the following might be of interest. Google Netherlands has just released its “Zeitgeist” report – an overview of the most popular search terms.

Summary

'Facebook' was the most googled term – in combination with a name

The most popular search was “:How?” in the context of “how long pregnant?” Also “How does blood doping work?” and “How does sewerage work?” scored high.

As for sports, “Ajax” was the most popular soccer club and googled on internet, and “Rafael van der Vaart” was the most googled, as was his celebrity-girlfriend “Sabia Bouhlarouz”. Fast and Furious star Paul Walker was also googled a lot after he got killed in a speeding accident.

Funny enough, one of the most popular search term is becoming “cenosillicaphobia” aka “fear of an empty glass, particularly an empty beer glass”.

“Black Peter” was the most googled image on Google, due to the character’s perceived racism. It scored higher than the Dutch king Willem-Alexander, who in turn scored higher than image searches for “bbq”, “big smooch” and “tick”. Go figure!

Based on googled terms. The Dutch just love to celebrate the Queen’s Birthday, which could be related to the coronation of the new king.

As for entertainment, the Dutch love to go to the “Efteling” for a daytrip and to IKEA for shopping (or eating).

“Albert Heijn” is the most googled supermarket, as is “Aldi”. ‘BMW” is the most googled car.

Most Googled in 2013

1.Facebook
2. Marktplaats (Market place – an online shopping portal))
3. YouTube
4. Hotmail
5. Google
6. Buienradar (Shower radar – a weather website))
7. Telegraaf (Telegraph – a newspaper)
8. ING (International Netherlands Group - a major bank)
9. NU.nl (now – an online magazine)
10. Rabobank

Trending in 2013

1. Paul Walker
2. Koningslied (The King’s Song, composed for the coronation of Willem-Alexander)
3. Outlook
4. GTA5 (Grand Theft Auto V – a video game)
5. Netflix
6. iOS7
7. Cenosillicaphobia (see above)
8. Queen’s Birthday 2013 (see above)
9. iPhone 5s
10. Carnaval 2013

Most Popular Google Searches for People

1. Paul Walker
2. Sabia Boulahrouz
3. Anouk
4. Zwarte Piet (Black Peter)
5. Nelson Mandela
6. Cory Monteith
7. Badr Hari
8. Gaby Hingst
9. Freek Vonk
10. Kate Middleton

Trending Images

1. Zwarte Piet (Black Peter)
2. Willem Alexander (current Dutch king)
3. Valentijnsdag (Valentine’s Day)
4. 2013
5. Gefeliciteerd (Congratulations)
6. Bbq
7. Vraagteken (Question mark)
8. Dikke Kus (big smooch)
9. Roos (Rose)
10. Teek(Tick)

Entertainment

TV Programs 

1. Under The Dome
2. Penoza
3. Cheat On Me
4. Divorce
5. Hollywood Heights
6. Everybody Dance Now
7. Danni Lowinski
8. X Factor
9. Achter Gesloten Deuren (Behind closed doors)
10. Geordie Shore

Films

 
1. Django Unchained
2. Verliefd Op Ibiza (In love on Ibiza, Spain)
3. Life Of Pi
4. The Great Gatsby
5. The Conjuring
6. Argo
7. After Earth
8. Man Of Steel
9. The Impossible
10. Oblivion Politics

Dutch Politicians

1. Mark Rutte
2. Frans Timmermans
3. Jet Bussemaker
4. Jeroen Dijsselbloem
5. Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert
6. Fred Teeven
7. Sander Dekker
8. Edith Schippers
9. Lodewijk Asscher
10. Henk Kamp

International Political Leaders

1. Obama
2. Cameron
3. Kerry
4. Putin
5. Berlusconi
6. Harper
7. Merkel
8. Assad
9. Hollande
10. Mansour

Dutch Political Parties

1. SP
2. PvdA
3. VVD
4. CDA
5. PVV
6. D66
7. SGP
8. GroenLinks
9. 50plus
10. ChristenUnie

Dutch Royalty

1. Koningslied
2. Koninginnedag 2013
3. Prinsjesdag 2013
4. Troonswisseling / inhuldiging Willem-Alexander / Kroning
5. Koningsspelen
6. Koningsdag
7. Abdication
8. Troonrede 2013
9. Royal baby
10. Funeral Friso

Royalty

1. Kate Middleton
2. Willem-Alexander
3. Amalia
4. Beatrix
5. Prince Friso
6. Queen Maxima
7. KingAlbert
8. Prince Phiilip
9. Prince Bernhard Junior
10. Princess Alexia

Knowledge

How Does It Work?

1. Hoe Werkt Tinder (How does Tinder work)
2. Hoe Werkt Netflix (How does Netflix work)
3. Hoe Werkt Snapchat (How does Snapchat work)
4. Hoe Werkt Path (How does Path work)
5. Hoe Werkt Riolering (How does sewerage work)
6. Hoe Werkt Wetransfer (How does wet transfer work)
7. Hoe Werkt Bloeddoping( How does blood doping work)
8. Hoe Werkt Minecraft (How does Minecraft work)
9. Hoe Werkt Passbook (How does Passbook work)
10. Hoe Werkt Prezi (How does Prezi work)

How?

1. Hoe Lang Zwanger (How long pregnant)
2. Hoe Werkt Paypal (how does Paypal work)
3. Hoe Werkt Twitter (how does Twitter work)
4. Hoe Werkt Facebook (how does Facebook work)
5. Hoe Werkt Skype (how does Skype work)
6. Hoe Schrijf Je (How do you write)
7. Hoe Lang WW (Hoe long is unemployment)
8. Hoe Werkt Whatsapp (How does Whatsupp work)
9. Hoe Werkt Dropbox (How does Dropbox work)
10. Hoe Werkt Spotify (How does Spotify work)

Technology

Trending new technology

1. Outlook
2. Netfilx
3. iOS7
4. iPhone 5s / 5c
5. Samsung galaxy s4
6. Huawei
7. Path
8. Windows 8.1
9. Tinder
10. BitcoinVoetbal (Bitcoin soccer)

Top-10 Dutch Soccer Clubs

1. Ajax
2. Feyenoord
3. PSV
4. AZ
5. Vitesse
6. FC Twente
7. NEC
8. FC Utrecht
9. FC Groningen
10. PEC Zwolle

Soccer Players 

1. Rafael van der Vaart
2. Wesley Sneijder
3. Arjen Robben
4. Robin van Persie
5. Daley Blind
6. Memphis Depay
7. Leroy Fer
8. Gregory van der Wiel
9. Kevin Strootman
10. Dirk Kuyt

Events

Dutch Celebrations 

1. Koninginnedag (Queen’s Birthday)
2. Carnaval
3. Pasen (Eastern)
4. Herfstvakantie (Autumn Vacation)
5. Vaderdag (Father’s Day)
6. Pinksterdag (Whitsunday)
7. Moederdag (Mother’s Day)
8. Hemelvaart (Ascention Day)
9. Ramadan
10. Goede Vrijdag (Good Friday)

Music Festivals and Concerts 

1. Songfestival
2. Pinkpop
3. Toppers
4. Tomorrowland
5. Junior Songfestival
6. Beyonce Ziggo Dome
7. Defqon
8. Zwarte Cross
9. Lowlands
10. Parkpop

Theme Parks

1. Efteling
2. Walibi
3. Duinrell
4. Disneyland Parijs
5. Dolfinarium
6. Toverland
7. Madurodam
8. Plopsaland
9. Drievliet
10. Ponypark Slagharen

Brands

Newspaper

1. Telegraaf
2. AD
3. Volkskrant
4. NRC
5. De Gelderlander
6. Brabants Dagblad
7. BN de Stem
8. Trouw
9. De Limburger
10. Leeuwarder Courant

Retailers

1. IKEA
2. Mediamarkt
3. H&M
4. Hema
5. Bijenkorf
6. Kruidvat
7. Gamma
8. Blokker
9. Praxis
10. AH

Cars

1. BMW
2. Ford
3. Audi
4. Opel
5. Volvo
6. Peugeot
7. Renault
8. Volkswagen
9. Toyota
10. Fiat

Supermarkets

 
1. Albert Heijn
2. Lidl
3. Jumbo
4. C1000
5. Aldi
6. Hoogvliet
7. Coop
8. Dekamarkt
9. Dirk van den Broek
10. Spar

Dating Sites

1. Badoo
2. Relatieplanet
3. Lexa
4. Pepper
5. AdultMatch
6. Tinder
7. Relatie.nl
8. Homodate
9. Singles Eindhoven
10. Second Love

Can RSA and EMC Repair Their Brand Damage Courtesy Of The NSA Scandal?

Reuters broke the story that the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) had inked a confidential contract with RSA, a subsidiary of EMC.

According to Reuters: “Documents leaked by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden show that the NSA created and promulgated a flawed formula for generating random numbers to create a ‘back door’ in encryption products. RSA received $10 million in a deal that set the NSA formula as the preferred, or default, method for number generation.”

Not a bad deal for RSA, since the company’s total revenue for the previous year was less than $30 million. Needless to say, RSA went into damage control mode by vehemently denying that it ever was in cahoots with the NSA.

RSA did admit that it had worked with the NSA, both as a vendor and an active member of the security community. The EMC-subsidiary emphasized that as a trusted member of the security community, it wants to strengthen, not weaken, encryption.

RSA stated: “This algorithm is only one of multiple choices available within BSafe toolkits. Users have always been free to choose whichever toolkit best suits their needs".

RSA continued using the algorithm as an option within BSafe toolkits as it gained acceptance as a NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) standard and because of its value in FIPS compliance. When concern surfaced around the algorithm in 2007, RSA continued to rely upon NIST as the arbiter of that discussion.

The EMC-subsidiary concluded by stating that RSA, as a security company, never divulges details of customer engagements, but “we also categorically state that we have never entered into any contract or engaged in any project with the intention of weakening RSA’s products, or introducing potential ‘backdoors’ into our products for anyone’s use.”

The fallout of the RSA scandal might be too much for RSA (and EMC). Both companies are at risk to remain tainted by the revelations of Reuters. What RSA and EMC need now is some excellent PR to repair their brand damage – the sooner the better!

How a PR Executive Put Her Foot in Her Mouth and Got Booted Thanks To Her Racist Tweet

Justine Sacco worked as the communications director at IAC/InterActiveCorp. (NASDAQ:IACI).

IAC runs popular websites such as www.ask.com, www.about.com, www.match.com, www.dictionary.com, investopedia.com, www.dictionary.com, www.vimeo.com and the Tinder app.

A graduate from Tulane University with a BA in Philosophy, she started her career in 2005 at Dan Klores Communications, followed by working for about a year at The Morris + King Company before moving on to World Wrestling Entertainment. Since 2011, she was working for IAC as a (Senior) Director Corporate Communications in NYC.

Her career ended with one fatal tweet. On her way to South Africa, she tweeted:

"Going to Africa. Hope I don't get AIDS. Just kidding. I'm white!"

The tweet created a firestorm. InterActive Corp decided to fire Ms. Sacco, stating:
"There is no excuse for the hateful statements that have been made and we condemn them unequivocally. We hope, however, that time and action, and the forgiving human spirit, will not result in the wholesale condemnation of an individual who we have otherwise known to be a decent person at core."

The now jobless Sacco went on record saying that she was "ashamed" and released the following apology:

"Words cannot express how sorry I am, and how necessary it is for me to apologize to the people of South Africa, who I have offended due to a needless and careless tweet. There is an AIDS crisis taking place in this country, that we read about in America, but do not live with or face on a continuous basis. Unfortunately, it is terribly easy to be cavalier about an epidemic that one has never witnessed firsthand. For being insensitive to this crisis -- which does not discriminate by race, gender or sexual orientation, but which terrifies us all uniformly -- and to the millions of people living with the virus, I am ashamed. This is my father's country, and I was born here. I cherish my ties to South Africa and my frequent visits, but I am in anguish knowing that my remarks have caused pain to so many people here; my family, friends and fellow South Africans. I am very sorry for the pain I caused."

Personally, I am amazed that a 30-year-old PR professional with her track record could be that stupid in her use of social media.

What are the lessons we can learn?

Everything is on the record

In social media, there is no separation between personal and professional posts – and everything is on the record. If your grandmother would frown upon the content of your post or your worst enemy could use it against you – don’t post!

Be careful with humor

Social media are global, so any joke or "funny" remark you make can be hold against you by minorities or people from different backgrounds, cultures or countries. Be respectful, and in case of doubt, cut the concept out (delete, erase, and empty trash)

React quickly and sincerely

Once you post, it’s a fait accompli. The best thing to do is to apologize – but be sincere! The long and babbling apology of Sacco just does not cut it.

Remember – time is against you, so have to react quickly. Just look at the Duck Dynasty controversy where it took Phil Robertson too long to react.

PR professionals need to be nonstop online

When you work in PR, you need to be online 24/7. Knowledge is indeed power! Part of Sacco’s’ problem was that she was flying (and therefore incommunicado) when all hell broke loose. When unavailable, there are several steps you can take to prevent disaster, such as having a colleague read and tweet on your behalf.

Take care of a proper follow up

Apart from apologizing, Sacco should also follow up with action. In her case, volunteering is a AIDS hospice would be perfect. Assuming that she wants to work in PR ever again, she should write articles (“what I learned from my appropriate tweet” or “The tweet that launched a thousands backlashes”). She also needs to beef up her LinkedIn profile – only one official recommendation is pathetic!

Be aware that you are tainted – and deal with it

Once you’ve reached the level of notoriety of Justine Sacco, you’re tainted. Any web search on “Justine Sacco” does not yield her LinkedIn profile, but coverage of her controversial tweet. Unless she counterbalances it with articles and posts to explain the crisis and how to follow up, she will be toast. Making a public donation or volunteering are excellent ways as well to do damage control.

Corporations need to monitor their employees

It might smell like 1984, but corporations need to monitor what their employees post on Twitter and Facebook as well as (to a lesser extent) on LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Instagram.

A post can harm the brand of a company and even have repercussions if that company is a public one listed on the NYSE or NASDAQ.

Branding Santa – A Hilarious Marketing Lesson from UK Agency Quietroom

Santa Claus has been a household name for centuries, featuring on greeting cards and product packaging, and appearing in ads, movies and TV shows. So what if Santa decided to brand himself like any other enterprise?

The creative minds at Quietroom, a UK branding agency, made a presentation that explains in detail what the new *Santa* brand is all about. But apart from being a wonderful spoof, it also teaches us all the elements of today’s branding policy.

It’s especially useful for anyone working in the field of marketing & PR, graphic design, and even law (just read the legal disclaimers at the bottom of the pages!).

Mission Statement

The first page starts with the mission statement that is as meaningless as many others that are floating around.

"*Santa* is a Concept, not an idea. It's an Emotion, not a feeling. It's both Yesterday and Today. And it's Tomorrow as well.”

The Brand Explained

In the Age of Acronyms, Santa just has to be an acronym!

*Santa* stands for:

* The introductory asterisk reminds customers of a snowflake alighting on the eyelash of a fawn.

SAN The first three letters represent South And North. We are headquartered in the North, but our reach is global.

N The N symbolizes nitrogen, the most abundant atmospheric element, calling to mind the abundance of gifts we distribute.

TA The final two letters are the (abbreviated) thanks of the world’s children.

* The terminating asterisk points to the polar star, and hence the birth of dreams.

Brand Promise

A brand must represent certain values and evoke emotions. That’s why the “brand promise” is explained as follows:

What does *Santa* represent? E(x)cellence, (m)easurability, (a)ccountability and (s)now -(X-mas)

To further explain the brand values, (re)branding presentations contain a bunch of Venn diagrams trying to explain target audience, USP, public image, etc.

In this case, it shows the brand value of Santa, Ho Ho Ho, and Rudolph.

Brand Journey

In this section, the agency or designer tries to explain (justify) the new brand. It is normally an analysis of the history of the brand, competitors and market trends. But what if you don’t have a lot to say? Well, you can go for metaphors…

In this case, they compare Santa to a bird (stork), a river (Danube), a biscuit (Hobnob), and a holiday (Eastern).

Brand Concept

The branding agency or designer normally has a vision about the new brand and how it will work for the entity. Most of the time, they opt for a complicated diagram or illustration that tries to explain the whole (re) brand concept/process in one shot.

In this case, they came up with the Brand House “a brand is a sack on the sleigh of belief”.

Brand Justification

This section “justifies” the (re)designed brand. It tries to explain the added value that the brand will bring to the company/entity.

Logo, Color and Font Use

A logo is part of the corporate or personal brand. Apart from being a differentiator, it is also a major asset. To prevent subsidiaries, subcontractors, resellers and employees to get “creative” and “improve” the logo, a company normally has guidelines (style guide) for using the logo, fonts, colors etc. in place.

Corporate colors and the typeface are also part of a corporate identity. In many cases, designers opt for mixing two pantone colors to create a unique color for the company. The same applies for fonts. Once a company has its own font, it becomes its IP.

In this case, the *Santa* logo cannot be "altered, adjusted, changed, adapted, modified, varied, reformed, revamped, refined, reorientated, transmuted, metamorphosized, customized or tailored in any way."

Tagline, Slogan and Writing Guidelines

Many companies have a tagline to explain its mission. Famous taglines are “Just do it” (Nike), “sense and simplicity” (Philips), and “Got Milk?” (California Milk Processor Board).

*Santa* has its own tagline: “Snap it, Clap it, Wrap it”. It replaces the previous “Meet it, Greet it, Eat it”.

A slogan is designed for branding a specific ad campaign or event. For 2013, Santa’s slogan is “Never Knowingly Undersnowed”.

The writing guidelines instruct marketing and copywriters which phrases to use or avoid, whether writing should be formal or informal, how to use abbreviations, etc.

In this case: *Santa* is: fond of children, generous, round and jolly, and rosy cheeked. *Santa* is not: a bit creepy, a mug, morbidly obese, and half-cut.

Magic Quadrant

The Magic Quadrant (first designed by the Boston Consulting Group) shows how competitors rank by comparing two characteristics. It visualized who the main threats for a company or entity are.

In this case, “Fatiness” and “Beardiness” were used to chart the strengths of potential competitors. Miley Cyrus is the least threat (being slim and beardless) while Harry Potter's Hagrid is the main competitor based on body mass and beard. King Henry VIII and actor Brian Blessed also pose a threat.

Customer Profile

This section identifies the target audience. The wants and needs of the potential customer drive the brand.

In this case, the target audience consists of “people that believe”. A graph relates the age of a person to his/her believing in (1) Santa, (2) communism, and (3) God. The target audience consists of children up to 10-15 years. After 25, people don’t believe in Santa anymore…sorry *Santa*!

To read the *Santa* Brand Book of Quietroom, click here.