Zuni blog

When it rains it pours, and indeed whilst the sunshine is out in Sydney, the workload in Sydney is hectic, but who doesn’t like a busy week over a boring one? Mike’s recently presented at the AUS-wide marketing day for Westfield focusing on why you should invest in post-purchase activities and we’ve been attending focus groups all around the country making sure our next youth-based campaign for YAW-CRC speaks their language. You can’t say you don’t get anything for free these days – the IAB is offering advertisers free Honorary Membership which gives full access to the PwC Online Advertising Expenditure Reports, as well as free seats at IAB Australia events. The highlight though has to be my birthday, it seems this year I actually feel older. I’m officially 37. This is where you tell me how good I look for my age :) I opted for cheese instead of cake.

The Funny Stuff

It was very easy this time around to find great merriment on the web. Please enjoy the best of what our world has to offer, starting with Deb Does Lonely Boy on her spoons; type “askew” into Google (another good one is “do a barrel roll”), click on the ! on Yahoo!7′s AUS page; my favourite has to be texts from your dog (this is just like my Labrador speaking to me, except my dog doesn’t swear); dating for desperate dogs (which I think is a bit weird) and the funniest rap-off I think I’ve ever heard from Rhett & Link Rap Battle.

Facebook’s Algorithm – EdgeRank

It’s something you’ve probably heard plenty about, but probably something you know little of – the magic of the Facebook algorithm called EdgeRank. This beautiful blog spells it out perfectly for marketers – how does information get “decided” by Facebook, what appears in feeds and how, and what content plays a bigger role than others. This blog will become your greatest resource to ensuring your FB activity is paying its way. A bit like Google, this algorithm can change in a flash, so stay up to speed and informed. When you understand EdgeRank, you can then make the most of the advertising options on FB too.

Retailers are showrooms, right? Not!

There’s a lot of conversation around e-tail / e-commerce and our bricks & mortar stores becoming expensive showrooms driving the actual purchase online. Just ask any retailer where this sits on their agenda and they’ll tell you it’s right at the top. So what strategies are being developed to stop this? In Target’s case in the US, they’re simply stopping the sale of the product, in this case, the Kindle. I’m not convinced this is the best possible option, but it sure is an option. Explore these revolutionary themes for additional options. Do you buy on price alone? What about the customer service that comes with it?

Robotic Teddy Bear Educator for Kids

If you’ve seen how nerve-wracking it is to manage a child’s Type 1 diabetes, then you’ll embrace this glorious invention built into a teddy. Jerry the Bear has a display on his chest that indicates his blood glucose level and his eyelids become droopy when his blood sugar gets low. It’s gamification in the most precious way – teaching kids to look after themselves for the rest of their lives.

New Cookies Laws in EU/UK

Before you start asking “why should I care about the UK/EU’s new cookie laws”, just take a second to ask where you believe AUS laws are modelled.  Now that I have your attention, you should be up to speed with what the new laws mean as they come into effect from 26th May. In short, a site must provide that certain information must be given to that site’s visitors and the user must give his or her consent to the placing of the cookies. No need to freak out just yet, but you’ll look like the clever cookie if you’re asked about it from your boss. There’s also a good run down on what this means for mobile marketing too.

How to tell your friends they need a divorce

It’s a tricky subject, telling one of your friends that they may need to consider divorce. Well it’s no longer tricky in Mexico it seems, with the introduction of a Divorce Gift Card available from your local supermarket. With just four steps to complete the process, perhaps making up your mind to proceed is as easy as impulse buying at the check-out. I don’t encourage women to shop with PMS that’s for sure.

The New Lynx “Soft Porn” Invisible Ad

Labelled the world’s first “invisible ad” is the new experiential campaign from Lynx. It’s been all over the news but just in case you’ve missed it, check it out. I quite like that it’s using some new technology we haven’t seen, but I do question the overall strategy. A Sydney based Terrace house on Oxford Street is making we wonder why a relatively hetro-sexual brand is being advertised on the gayest part of town? I’m confused.

Coke cross-promotes all brands for music

I understand that teenagers love music. I also understand how much they share things they love and how they love to create. However, I’m still not so sure that Coke’s Musical Caps campaign from Brazil would have delivered. Teenagers love to collect things, but that’s a short term buzz and I can’t see that many kids popping their lids into their pocket in our disposable society.