Crisp air, cozy sweaters and the return of pumpkin-flavored everything can only mean one thing. Summer has collapsed into fall and shaken us all out of the daze that comes with hot hot heat and too much BBQ. And what is fall without fall product launches for back to school and the upcoming holiday season? Now is the time when companies ramp up marketing and innovation to show consumers the hottest of what they’ve got in store for the rest of 2014 and the year ahead.
While most people could predict the launch of iPhone 6 and IOS 8 from Apple, not many foresaw the release of Microsoft Windows 10. No need for 9, they claim, the number 9 just would not do the software justice. Windows 10 includes many long awaited improvements such as the return of the Start Menu, and one OS to run all Windows devices: laptops, smartphones, desktop, etc. Check out all the new changes and improvements here, and find out how to download the technical preview here.
Google Chrome makes downloading files to your web storage easy with the extension Ballloon. This is not a typo. Ballloon, with three L’s, is on the 44th version of Chrome and is designed to float files into a cloud like a balloon. The site balloon.com was already taken so Google had to compromise and add a third L. They introduced this quirky new website to make uploading your files painless and straightforward. Read more about Ballloon here.
It was only a matter of time before a trendy new social media caught on and attempted to take down Facebook. Cue “Ello.” Ello is an invite only social media platform that promises freedom from ads and promoted posts. It is a social media where “you are the product being bought and sold.” Ello is a free social media community with a simple refreshing layout. It leaves room for the user to create and design their profile, stepping away from the so called “Internet machine” that many current social media sites “force” on their users. But the question on everyone’s mind; will Ello survive without ads? Do users care enough about this new type of social community to pay for special add-ons in order to support the company? Read more here.
Think product placement in music videos is annoying? Well, Universal Music Group is going to start using a new technology to continually update products in their music videos. To keep updated with new sponsors, the technology is able to go in and place a new soda can design or new cell phone model where the previous one stood. They can even place a billboard or an ad screen in an empty space within the frame. UMG represents music industry juggernaut’s like Kanye West and Taylor Swift, so get ready for some Twilight Zone-esque marketing to appear in pop culture’s most iconic videos. Read more about this here.
While we tend to think giant ads or social media outreach is the best way to promote our brand. At FLIRT we value the impact of personal connections over all others, but we realize it’s an overlooked form of promotion. But, not for long. Many companies are stepping onto the streets of small town communities and putting on events or programs to broaden the horizons of their brand along with these small town dwellers. A few months before the US Open Championship, the USGA went to small towns around North Carolina to film people with a golf connection, other than your typical middle aged man in plaid shorts. Then they hosted an Open for All fan experience every night for two weeks, which expanded their North Carolina connections, and the USGA was able to highlight local heroes such as the mayor, the North Carolina Symphony, and more. See how brands like Pepsi and Benjamin Moore are doing similar events with outstanding outcomes.
FLIRTcasting is our collection of links from outside your normal web sources. Our world is always changing, so at FLIRT we try to stay a step ahead. Stay tuned to learn more about all of the up-and-coming communication trends.