Socialnomics

Abso-love this video.

Time to surf the wave!

Challenge Your World - KAWASAKI TICKET GIVEAWAY

Hey guys, remember that post i wrote a while ago about this kick@ss conference one of my agency's clients is throwing with GUY KAWASAKI for Global Entrepreneurship Week?

Well...because I'm a "fantastic" employee (LMAO - it's funny when I write that down) but mainly cuz they know I'm a MASSIVE Kawasaki fan, I've got tickets to give away!

The way Ima have this work is you just need to post a comment below, telling us a quick bit about what you're doing to make a difference in the business world around you.

Winners will be drawn at random - and contacted TONIGHT!

Just leave us some kind of way to contact ya - and believe me, we'll let you know you've won.

Thanks for bein' fans of Geekdom!

Paolo, Catherine and Carlos

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Want further proof that games are just as if not bigger than the movie business? Check out this trailer for Infinity Ward's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. Probably the most anticipated game of all time. The first Modern Warfare title was released just over two years ago and as of this summer raked in 13 million copies sold. At $60 a pop that's getting damn close to the billion dollars mark. Considering the number of people with HD consoles has drastically increased in the last few years this one will have no problem beating its predecessor. The game is launching on November 10th... I expect to get the H1N1 flu on the 11th.

Don't Put Out - We Like Your Personality

Recently I had a discussion with a few website owners I've done business with, regarding content integration and sponsorships on their sites.

What I've come to notice, is that running a website with 100k UV's isn't always as fun as it seems. I mean, you've got all kinds of stakeholders: you might have partners in on the site w/you, potential or current advertisers, not to mention your 100k readers.

And I mean, get serious w/yourself here - this isn't the chicken or the egg...it's pretty clear: publishers need to realize that their readers are their main stakeholders.

Cuz let's face it:

No readers means no pageviews

Means no advertisers

Means no cash.

No cash means no income,

Means you're making a living some other way to sustain a website (and a lifestyle)

that nobody's chosing to read about

(insert price is wrong sound here)

I'm writing this, cuz as an advertisier - I have a hard time putting clients' ads on a site that's full of over-sold really cheap integrations. Like the girl eating the coffee crisp in the ad - who the hell eats a coffee crisp with the label out? You know, those integrations that make you feel all used and abused. Or as i like to call it...bad PR.

From the advertiser perspective, it gets harder to place just regular ads on sites with cheapo integrations.

Seriously. I dont care how big the site is, I've got a hard time believing you're able to convince an audience that's already used to seeing a competitor's product integrated everywhere, to now consume another product. It might be funny to see the brands competing for attention, but it's not going to get a lift in appreciation or consideration for either company.

What's worse - I'd have a hard believing a publisher if they told me that they havent ostricized much of their consumer base through too many integrations. I don't know about you, but i certainly don't read things for sponsored supplements and overly obvious PR stunts of the 9th level cheese.

I mean, take fashion/beauty mags - they've become places for some HORRIBLE integrations, and yet because subscribed readership is dropping off in mags, they need to take advertising handouts and compromise on editorial. Whatever happened to buying a magazine for actual editorial?

I mean, here's this great publication - a beacon of what's hot and what's not....that's now innondated with advertorial and grossly underhanded PR integrations. Guess who just sold out. What's worse - most publishers are blaming the "economy" for their decreasing readership.

How about if publishers didn't fill their content pages with tons of sponsored supplement and advertorial - maybe people would be willing to read/visit/subscribe to your publication if it were actual editorial instead of ads.

So a note to consumer publications - but mainly websites world wide.

When it comes down to integration and sponsorship, it comes down to your voice.

Don't get me wrong; reach is AMAZING - but in the wild wild web, planners can catch reach like whores catch the clap - at a bunch of other places, and usually for cheaper.

So keep your voice, tell advertisers like us "no" once in a while and turn down our integrations with smart reasoning behind them - it's okay not to put out all the time. You're not a whore.

And above all, remember that reach is like sex;

it's great when you're getting it,

but it's always better when it's with someone you actually like.