Marketing 2.0

.XXX Domains

You can't turn around these days without a new top level domain being released. The latest is .xxx which should be reserved for pornographic sites. Of course, the potential for abuse is there on the part of cybersquatters or sites who are just looking to build traffic. Imagine yourname.xxx. To combat the use of celebrity names with the .xxx domain, the ICM Registry has reserved many and will not sell them to to buyers without the exact first and last names they are requesting. It gets a little messier for organizations, however. One tactic used by many major brands is to buy the new .xxx domain to keep it out of the hands of others and protect their image.

Not All Celebrities Protected From .XXX Porn Domain Shenanigans | Fox News.

QR Codes and Virtual Stores

I spotted this video clip on the Higher Ed Live blog and wanted to post it here. QR codes have been widely adopted in the retail market and I enjoy scanning them to retrieve more information about products. I've experienced them when shopping for clothes and accessed short video clips of the designers talking about their collections. I've also been able to access user reviews and product comparisons for household items.

In this example, we find QR codes paired with virtual storefronts to facilitate grocery shopping in Korea. What an absolutely cool concept. Although online grocers haven't really caught on in the U.S. market it got me thinking about other potential applications. Perhaps takeout food could be ordered for delivery this way. How about books or music? The full-color photos could be posted in transit stops, on posters, or any type of low signage that users can access with their phones. The QR codes automate connectivity saving time and making the purchasing process much easier.

The "Jesus Phone" finally arrives at Verizon

Today was a good day. Make that a great day. Verizon customers now have the opportunity to buy an iPhone. While I don't plan to camp out the night before it officially goes on sale, I will be among the first to order one. I've always been happy with Verizon's service and my family is locked into a multi-phone bundle that precluded me from going over to AT&T. Now, the only I have to worry about is the dramatic escalation of our monthly wireless bill!

NY Jets' Command Center Offers Real-Time Analytics

We often focus on the analytical tools available for Internet marketing. Having access to page views, traffic levels, click-through rates and conversions definitely helps marketers plan, implement and monitor their efforts. Technology can also be applied to traditional marketing, however, as this excellent article from Fast Company points out. Take a look at the very cool, real-time monitoring of key stats such as merchandise sales that will be available to the NY Jets in their new stadium. I love the idea of using a digital dashboard to monitor sales and other key indicators.

NY Jets' Command Center Offers Real-Time Analytics for Sales, Stats Freaks | Fast Company.

Key Questions for Websites

I came across this post on Seth Godin's blog today and found it quite useful. If you are thinking about overhauling your website, start by asking some key questions. Before you hire a designer to create a Flash-based extravaganza of multimedia wonder, ask a few strategic questions like:

1. What are my goals for this site?
2. Who am I trying to reach?
3. What specific outcomes am I hoping for?

Seth's Blog: Things to ask before you redo your website.

Web Tracking Tools

Courtesy of ragan.com, here are some tools to help you track your brand on the web, especially social media commentary. As marketers embrace new media, it's important to develop and use new evaluation methods.

Web tools help track your brand—and the buzz about it | Article | Homepage articles.

Brand Autopsy: Video Recap: MySpace or Facebook? Or Both?

Here are two good summaries comparing Facebook and MySpace for those of you considering which site best fits your target market.

Brand Autopsy: Video Recap: MySpace or Facebook? Or Both? .

Twitter Ad Agency Starts Up

Here's a video report from Ad Age on the use of Twitter as a marketing tool in the entertainment industry.

Advertising Age: Original Video: 18982295001.

New Domains

Good article on the new domains that will be available soon.

Strike in Second Life

More evidence that real and virtual worlds are converging - IBM workers conducted a strike in Second Life. This article from the Globe and Mail details the use of social networking for labor activism.
Link: globeandmail.com: STRIKE!* (*banana suit optional).