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Visa USA has entered into the world of video-game advertising with a PC game based on the CBS hit “CSI” that hits stores today. Although the Visa brand is also incorporated into signage and other background elements of the game, the really smart thing is the way Visa actually became a central part of the plot: In one of the five criminal cases that make up the game, “CSI: 3 Dimensions of Murder,” Visa’s fraud-monitoring capabilities take center stage when a suspicious charge on a victim’s credit card triggers an investigation by the forensic-sciences team.

I think that is really a smart way of incorporating a brand into the story. The idea came from game publisher Ubisoft who worked together with Visas media buying agecny OMD to build the script. Another interesting aspect of it is what Jon Raj, VP-advertising and emerging media platforms, Visa USA said, that Visa is actively seeking out the emerging media where consumers are spending an increasing amount of time. “Our consumers are shifting their habits,” he said. “Just throwing out a TV or radio spot doesn’t work anymore. We need to look at new ways,” citing platforms such as cellphones, interactive TV, digital-video recorders and in-game integrations.

Hey big media guys, did you hear “TV or radio spots dosen’t work anymore”…It is good to see that such a “serious” brand like Visa, dares to think outside the box and look for smarter advertising solutions.

Tags: Visa Tags: In-Game Advertising Tags: Games Tags: Advertising Tags: Ads Tags: CBS Tags: CSI Tags: OMD Tags: Ubisoft Tags: TV Tags: Emerging Media Tags: Media

The Personal Bee is yet another news website, getting ready for launch of its aunch of its do-it-yourself news service. According to the company it self it is:

“a social media company that believe that the combination of RSS, smart analytics, and user collaboration will lead to a better way for you to find news on the topics you care most about”.

Hm, what does that really mean? It means that, users create and organize portals around topics like Headline News, Web 2.0 or Travel, Technolgy and Wine, for instance. Readers can then themselves subscribe to various existing “bees”, and can also create their own feeds around specific topics, keeping their portal private or letting others subscribe ( I guess that it is here that the company becomes a “social media company “). All the information is aggregated by the company’s software from various sites and blogs, but relies on portal owners, or “beekeepers,” to act as editors – vetting information as they go.

In general this is not really something new and the online news space is already getting very crowded. However, letting other portal owners act as editors is a very intersting idea. It reminds me of a discussion I had some time ago with the former editor of the San Francisco Chronicle John Oppedahl. He also believed that the news media as we know it is about to change, but the overflow of information is just too big handle. John meant that the need for news editors will be grow even stronger, and that we more than ever will need somebody to skim it all out for us, or make sense of it all.

I personally believe that the days of the big portals our counted and the direction we are moving towards are very rich personal, edited portals (not a la My Yahoo etc though) where we can share parts of the content or all of it with others.

Anyway, Personal Bee is plans to generate revenue through advertising, and is backed by Mohr Davidow Ventures . As a side note I can just say, that the future for online advertising looks very bright…(if anyone every doubted that).

Related posts: User Created Content, Willing To Watch Ad on Ipod, Podcasters Pushing The Limits In China: blog, China Internet & Techology Key Take Aways, Michael Arrington With The Maxthon U3 Key!, China: Strength in Advertising Suggests A Stable Year Ahead, Ice Age 2 Viral Campaign, Why I Love Podcasts, The Art of Creating A Community, Me in New Media Age, Maxthon Users Put Yourself On The Map, Today I Become the Offical Anyfilms Blogger For Samsung Mobile, TooDou – Video & Podcast Sharing From China, Douban – A Chinese Book, Music and Movie Recommendation Thing, Celebrating One Year As A Blogger, Cartoons, Dane’s & Word of Mouth

New York Times has a good write up about how user generated content and how it is changing the media landscape. The article’s conclusion, is that most amateurs are just happy for having their clips posted on sites for everybody to see. However, more and more media companies are offering prices or even paying for user generated content. Even Yahoo is said to have signalized that it is moving away from creating its on content in favor of user generated material – and are willing to pay for it.

So what is so compelling about user-created material?

1. It is cheap
2. It taps into the social aspect of interactive media

But while user-generated materials can attract a lot of attention and drive a lot of traffic to sites like Myspace , the article points out that so far it has not been regarded as a winning format for major advertisers. Myspace is adding up to a million registered users a week, but has attracted little advertising reveune relative to its audience.

In response to this, Viacom’s chief executive, Tom Freston, is qouted saying, “It’s like inserting the advertising into a conversation between two people, and there are still a lot of questions about advertisers supporting user-created content.”

Still, I believe that there really is a good window of opportunity for user-generated content sites and networks over the coming two years, because at the end of the day, its one of the things that makes people tick’. We are all looking for a stage, for a little fame even if it is not on a American Idol format level, but rather amongs our own little circle of friends and peers.

New Media Age (19.01.06) published a piece on Samsung Anyfilms project, mentiones me and my role in this exciting project. The article is for subcribers only, but here is what it said:

Samsung promotes short-film initiative via blogs and Yahoo!

Samsung has launched an online campaign to promote its multi-million-pound AnyFilms short films for mobile and Internet initiative, using blogging, messageboard marketing and search marketing. The company has also secured Yahoo! as its global media partner to promote the AnyFilms project. The online campaign has been developed by Hyper Happen, a joint venture between creative agency Fallon and strategic planning consultancy Naked Communications, to seed interest in AnyFilms ahead of any future above-the-line marketing activity.

AnyFilms, launched in December, is designed to position Samsung as a leading brand in mobile entertainment. The site features short films that can be viewed on mobiles or online, by Hollywood directors Joel Murray, Alex Merkin and Mark Dippe. A separate interactive film enables users to tailor the way they understand the content by providing 11,000 different ways to view the film.

The initiative has been developed by Hyper Happen alongside New York agencies MFP, First Look and Burger King Subservient Chicken creator Barbican Group, plus Tokyo agency Drill.

Hyper Happen has tied up with Israeli A-list blogger Netanel Jacobssen to kick-start the online campaign. The agency views such bloggers as key to effective blog marketing, enabling trusted links to spread.

“Blog marketing can go horribly wrong, so it’s crucial to work with bloggers who are linked in and trusted by all the A-list bloggers,” said Hyper Happen partner Brad Fairhead.

Messageboard marketing has been used to stimulate conversation and debate of the AnyFilms initiative. The Yahoo! media deal goes beyond straightforward banner promotion to include editorial coverage of AnyFilms throughout the site.

Finally, a search marketing campaign covers keywords such as ‘cool content’ and ‘mobile movies’.

“Samsung has taken a big leap with this campaign,” said Fairhead. “It could have just gone with a normal banner campaign. What we’re doing is risky as it could have fallen flat.”

Well, I don’t know about the ” A-list blogger” part, however, it is alway nice to get recognition for what you do.

Anyfilms.net Blog on Yahoo 360

Today I offically become the “Anyfilms blogger“, on behalf of Samsung Mobile for the Anyfilms.net project through my cooperation with Hyper Happen on Yahoo 360. On the Anyfilms blog on Yahoo 360, I will discuss the cross over between cell phones and movie technology, and the future of movie making in general. Check it out for yourself, come join me in the discussion and let me know what you think.

Technorati Tags: Anyfilms.net, Anyfilms, Samsung , Samsung Moblie, Movies, Films, Mobile, Cell phones, Gadgets, Blogs, Yahoo, Yahoo 360, Hyper Happen, Media, Blogging

I have now passed my first year as a blogger and it has been an amazing year. This blog was born out of many requests that I got from working with various media agencies and start-ups on questions like: do you have any research on viral marketing? do you know of any company providing …? what media strategy do you suggest that we use on…? have your heard of..? We are looking to hire a talented person that..? What do you think of this business plan? Can you help us find investment for this new start-up? and many more. Instead of emailing ideas etc whenever it came up, I thought I just start a blog to share some of my experiences and know-how with my circle of contacts. However, I never dreamt of that it would turn into a business..

Here are some of the major take aways from my first year as a blogger.

1. Build a fantastic business network & made new friends
2. Helped companies in generating new business
3. Launched Samsung Mobiles “Anyfilms.Net” blog campaign through my cooperation with Hyper Happen.
4. Helped some talented people getting new jobs
5. Adviced media agencies on blog strategies, viral marketing and what makes people tick’
6. Connected people
7. Inspired others to blog too
8. Launched my company Mash Up Media – (MUM)
9. Connected start-ups with Venture Capitalists & vice versa
10. Made some money too

To sum up: I have learned a lot, got in touch with so many new and interesting people, helped other people with promoting their businesses and skills. If there is one thing I can say is that blogging is good for you and your business whatever you might be doing, just remember the famous line “Anything that you say, can and will be used against you…” so think twice before you post. BTW, stay tuned later over the next couple of days for a new blogging announcement.

Technorati Tags: Maxthon, Internet, Media, Blogs, We Media, Citizen Media, Citizen Journalism, Advertising, Anyfilms, Samsung Mobile, Business Developent, Blogvertising, Online Media, Hyper Happen, Networking, Mashups, Mashup Media