Another official update to the original "Shift Happens" video. This completely new Fall 2009 version includes facts and stats focusing on the changing media landscape, including convergence and technology, and was developed in partnership with The Economist. For more information, or to join the conversation, please visit http://mediaconvergence.economist.com and http://shifthappens.wikispaces.com
Twitter : Follow and Discover
A lot of people say that they tried Twitter and it didn’t work out for them, or that it’s become a dating site. But Twitter is like the rest of the world, where you meet all kinds of people. You have to find your kind of crowd and find people that you connect with. Well, you just have to find your expression in 140 words, or less. Twitter has helped people get more lucrative jobs, friends, apartments, numerous professional assignments, a support system of thorough-bread, self-made professionals and a place to opine unusual ideas.
More about twitter advantage, click here
Twitter Campaign Case Study: 6 Success Stories
Published on
Who are the groups “doing it right” when it comes to ad campaigns on Twitter? In this post we will take a look at what has made for successful campaigns on Twitter 6 separate groups
The internet marketing community is “a buzz” with excitement over the possibilities of what can be done with twitter. It’s FREE! In this economy that is almost all you have to tell an exec to sell them on whether or not Twitter is a good move to help build their business. But running a Twitter campaign does take significant resources of time. And, as we will reveal below, some of the best campaigns require the development of websites to make the Twitter campaign exciting enough to get people involved.Who are the groups “doing it right” when it comes to ad campaigns on Twitter? In this post we will take a look at what has made for successful campaigns on Twitter 6 separate groups.
So what are these good case studies for success from a twitter campaign?
#1 – Skittles
At this point most people have heard of the phenomenon that was the Skittles Twitter “fiasco”. The amount of participation was huge, but the exposure they got from the press coverage of the campaign was even bigger.
Premise: To start a conversation about the brand in the hopes of bringing the product top of mind and getting exposure through viral means
Tactics: Skittles posted a live, uncensored feed of any tweets talking about Skittles on their website
Why it was appropriate for Skittles: To be honest, a brand like Skittles can only be helped by more exposure. They didn’t have any dark secrets that could be exposed and, although they did have some pretty raunchy messages posted by some to their homepage, these messages were seen as more of a reflection on those who wrote them. Skittles was in a position to benefit from the publicity largely without taking a hit to it’s brand.
#2 – Zappos.com
Premise: Get people talking about Zappos by connecting them to fellow Zappos fans and those who work there.
Tactics: They created a Twitter microsite which featured a running tally of Tweets about Zappos and Tweets from Zappos employees.
Why it was appropriate for Zappos: This was a success because it served multiple business goals at once. First off, it gave valuable feedback to help improve the customer experience. It also allowed a medium for the sales force to generate new customers through direct outreach. Finally, it branded the company as a service releated company that cared about connecting with its core customers.
#3 – Small Places
Small Places is the “first original literary Twitter novel.” In the space of 140 character or less, Space Places unfolds the story about insects. Small Places’ story began April 25, 2008 and now has over 3,000 followers.
Premise: Write an novel shared through the medium of Twitter
Tactics: Getting exposure through providing unique entertainment and “re-inventing the wheel” from bloggers who want to discuss unique case studies (who does that?)
Why it was appropriate for Small Places: Writing on Twitter is a natural fit. There are no rules so you have the freedom to make what you want of it. The only limitations for success are based on how entertaining and useful your posts are.
#4 – Maggiano’s
Maggiano’s, a national homestyle italian restaurant chain, held a Twitter Contest to increase its social media following. Offering gift certificates to the restaurant as the prize for the lucky few winners, they were able to increase their following by a few thousand in the space of 24hrs.
Premise: Target people who are interested in eating at Maggiano’s by offering them gift certificates, and (in doing so) get Maggiano’s top of mind
Tactics: Create a time sensitive call to action where respondents must follow within a 24hr period in order to be eligible.
Why it was appropriate for Maggianos: It generated excitement around the chain and gave it’s fans an opportunity to win themselves a great dinner at the restaurant. By extending the prize it got people thinking about eating there and in turn create an advertising value that far exceeded the cost of the gift certificates.
#5 – Twitter Autism Day
Bonnie Sayers, a mother of children with autism, decided to use Twitter to promote awareness of autism and to allow those who live with it to share their experiences and knowledge with others. Dubbed “Twitter Autism Day” and connected with the #ASD hashtag, this was a HUGE success both by the standards of the benefits it created for those who participated as well as the number of tweets it generated. This campaign was so engaging that it became a “trending topic” on more than one occaission during the day.
Premise: Create a forum for people to share experiences and knowledge about life with autism
Tactics: Created a hashtag and encouraged people to both “listen in” and participate in the conversation, thus allowing the campaign to both serve as an educational as well as a sharing experience.
Why it was appropriate for Autism Day: This was a VERY appropriate way to communicate the message because it allowed people with autism to fight back against the odds that were stacked against them with their disease. COMMUNICATION and MISUNDERSTANDING are extremely frustrating obstacles for those with autism. Sharing their experiences over Twitter was a great way to combat this, and it gave those who wanted to help the opportunity to help spread that awareness through following along and retweeting. On a side note, I really recommend checking out the conversations and videos from that day, great stuff. Here is a must watch from an adolescent with aspergers –
#6 – Terminator Salvation
This is the latest in an emerging trend of twitter games that are becoming increasingly popular. The emphasis is 100% on entertaining the user. Advertising is more like a side effect. MORE INFO
Premise: Get the fan-base engaged in the setting that the movie takes place in and let them feel like they are a part of the struggle.
Tactics: Created a complimentary website to instruct users how the game is to be played, as well as to announce point leaders.
Why it was appropriate for Sony: This is perfect because it does not come across as marketing. It allows people to get involved in the plot and become engaged. Since this is an action movie there really isn’t any harm in connecting it with a game. This is a natural fit.
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12 Tips for developing a Successful Twitter Campaign
Urgensi Media Sosial Kini (Bagian 1)
Egypt riots: US playing both sides?
As Egyptians continue to protest throughout the country demanding political reform and the democratization of their society, what is the United States' roll in this uprising? Is the US standing behind its staunch ally President Mubarak or are Americans secretly behind the protests? RT's Dina Gusovsky is joined by a panel of Andrew Gavin Marshall from the Centre for Research on Globalization and Adrienne Pine, a professor at American University.
40 prison guards killed in forest fire near the city of Haifa
Published December 2, 2010 on Palestine Video
Maan News Agency: 40 dead in northern Israel fire:
"According to the Israeli news site Ynet, Magen David Adom said a bus leaving Damon Prison caught fire. The bus carried some 50 passengers.
Damon Prison holds Palestinian women prisoners from the West Bank and Gaza, but Palestinian Authority Minister of Prisoners Affairs Issa Qaraqe said no detainees were hurt….
Dramatic video of Israel fighting worst fires in history, at least 40 killed:
"RussiaToday | December 02, 2010
Thousands of Irish Shoppers Demand that Dunnes Stores Stop Stocking Israeli Products
Published July 13,2010 on Palestine Video
Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign
Press Release
Thousands demand that Dunnes stop stocking Israeli goods Petition: Thousands demand that Dunnes stop stocking Israeli goods Today, Thursday 29th July 2010, at 1pm, the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) delivered a petition to Dunnes Stores signed by over 6,000 shoppers across Ireland. The petition demands that Dunnes Stores stop stocking Israeli products, until Israel respects Palestinian rights and international law. Present at the handing-in were Brendan Archbold, the trade union official at the centre of the 1980s Dunnes strike when workers refused to handle South African goods, Freda Hughes IPSC National Chairperson, Aengus O'Snodaigh TD of Sinn Fein along with supporters of the campaign and members of both the Palestinian and South African communities in Ireland. The petition has been signed by over 6,000 shoppers in a two-week blitz that has seen Palestine solidarity activists enlist the support of Dunnes’ customers across the country. Signatures have flooded in from Dublin, Belfast, Cork, Derry, Limerick, Galway, Kilkenny, Newry, Wexford, Waterford, Bantry, Gorey, Enniscorthy, and Sligo. In many locations around the country, solidarity activists presented their local Dunnes' managers with copies of the petitions they have collected. This campaign comes a quarter-century after Dunnes was at the centre of a bitter two-year campaign of boycott and pickets, when it sacked a group of workers who refused to handle South African goods. "Dunnes was on the wrong side of history, siding with the South African apartheid regime against its own workers," Freda Hughes, IPSC Chairperson, said. "This is a chance for it to put itself on the right side of history. Israel's treatment of Palestinians amounts to nothing short of Apartheid. We must not ignore the lessons of South Africa and how apartheid was ended there – essentially it jumped before it was pushed. The boycott campaign can, and should, be used to isolate Israel both figuratively and literally until such a time as it complies fully with international law and ends its Apartheid regime in Palestine. We are not asking consumers to boycott Dunnes Stores. We are asking Dunnes Stores, and consumers islandwide, to boycott Israeli goods and services. This campaign is not designed to negatively affect Irish jobs." Ms. Hughes continued," We are delighted to see representatives from both the Palestinian and South African communities here today to show their solidarity and call for progressive steps to be taken in ending Israeli Aparthied and its abuse of human rights in the region. We are asking Dunnes to show its support for human rights and justice by refusing to stock Israeli goods just as the US chain-store Olympia Food Co-op in Washington State did last week." Brendan Archbold said, "The parallels between the old Apartheid regime of South Africa and the state of Israel are quite striking. Just as South African forces shot and killed their own people in Sharpeville and Uitenhage, so too do the Israeli military adopt a shoot-to-kill policy whether it is in relation to the Palestinian people themselves or those peaceful supporters of the Palestinians aboard the international flotilla recently attacked by Israel." Mr Archbold concluded with a call for a boycott of Israel, "Just as Israel models itself on the old racist regime in South Africa, so too must we must model our response on the boycott policy that contributed so much to the ending of Apartheid. The Irish Congress of Trade Unions has adopted a comprehensive policy in relation to the isolation of Israel and it is now up to all trade unions and all trade unionists to ensure that this policy is implemented in full." Aengus O'Snodaigh spoke of his support for this campaign and said,"Israel has a long history of human rights abuses against the people of Palestine, and it believes it is beyond reproach for its apartheid policies. Israel needs to understand there are political and economic consequences for its crimes, and a consumer and retailer boycott of Israeli goods is an important aspect of holding Israel to account. I support this petition, but also call on the Irish and other European governments to suspend Israel's preferential trading status with the EU under the Euro-Med Agreement." The petition campaign is part of a coordinated international effort for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel, which has seen actions take place in dozens of countries, including Israel and South Africa. Many South African organisations, and figures including Archbishop Desmond Tutu, have endorsed the BDS campaign. IPSC Homepage: http://www.ipsc.ie Petitions demanding boycotting Israeli goods delivered to Dunnes Stores 29 July 2010: "TradeUnionTVIreland | July 30, 2010 Thursday 29th July 2010, at 1pm, the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign (IPSC) delivered a petition to Dunnes Stores signed by over 6,000 shoppers across Ireland. The petition demands that Dunnes Stores stop stocking Israeli products, until Israel respects Palestinian rights and international law. Present at the handing-in were Brendan Archbold, the trade union official at the centre of the 1980s Dunnes strike when workers refused to handle South African goods, Freda Hughes IPSC National Chairperson, Aengus O'Snodaigh TD of Sinn Fein along with supporters of the campaign and members of both the Palestinian and South African communities in Ireland. The petition has been signed by over 6,000 shoppers in a two-week blitz that has seen Palestine solidarity activists enlist the support of Dunnes' customers across the country. Signatures have flooded in from Dublin, Belfast, Cork, Derry, Limerick, Galway, Kilkenny, Newry, Wexford, Waterford, Bantry, Gorey, Enniscorthy, and Sligo. In many locations around the country, solidarity activists presented their local Dunnes' managers with copies of the petitions they have collected. This campaign comes a quarter-century after Dunnes was at the centre of a bitter two-year campaign of boycott and pickets, when it sacked a group of workers who refused to handle South African goods.
(c) Paula Geraghty
No part of this may be reproduced or broadcast in any format without prior written permission Petitions demanding boycotting Israeli goods delivered to Dunnes Stores 29 July 2010
SUPERPOWER: The Truth Can Be Hidden [Video]
SUPERPOWER: The Truth Can Be Hidden
"The only thing new in the world is the history you don't know." -Harry S. Truman a documentary film by Barbara-Anne SteegmullerSUPERPOWER is a comprehensive film that asks tough questions and goes behind the scenes of America’s national security apparatus and military actions. Far from a conspiracy film about the dangers of government secrets and regime change, this well-balanced film straddles the philosophical divide and allows viewers to understand the US quest for global dominance through economic and military strategy that is exposed through review of historical events, personal interviews, and analysis of US foreign policy.
Featuring interviews with Michel Chossudovsky, Bill Blum, Chalmers Johnson and Noam Chomsky and many others.
