Postgrad & what it entails

Getting a postgraduate qualification is quickly becoming the norm in today's society. Whether it's a temporary "shelter" from the gloomy global financial crisis or an inevitable route that many people take to get ahead in the corporate world continue to bring an array of controversial viewpoints.

I remembered vividly before enrolling into my Masters course and received quite some feedbacks  that practical work experience is still more highly valued in comparison to the theoretical knowledge gained in a classroom setting. I had my apprehensions, and for the longest time deliberated if the benefits would outweigh the setbacks of staying in the workforce.

Now that I am towards the completion of my course, I can confidently say that a postgraduate qualification is worth the time and effort. My disclaimer here is; Only if you set the intention on studying, and make sure you make the BEST out of this once-in-a life time journey. Additionally, Masters is quickly becoming a differentiating point in the increasingly competitive job market; it shows persistence, discipline not to mention a valuable boost to the CV. 

A couple of note-worthy points (purely from personal experience);

1) Trade-off aka Time

Although one may think that 1.5 years is a relatively short period of time out of the workforce, the brutal truth is that so many things can change within this span of time. Afterall, the only constant variable in life is change. From the volatility of the global economy, to (worsening) job market.... it's important to constantly keep abreast with changes and anticipate what lies ahead of you. The old adage of "The people who weathers the storm best are the most prepared ones". In my case, a recent news clipping revealed that job openings in Malaysia has been cut by 35% due to the companies who are less optimistic of the global economy. So, the "storm" that lies ahead of me would be the 35% less positions available by graduation. 

2) Social capital

One of the most valuable experience during my study here would be the people and contacts that you know. Melbourne is a great city, with an array of people from all walks of life and countries all in one place. While university is also a great avenue to get in touch with like-minded people, I personally believe it's important to get yourself out of your comfort zone and immerse in different social settings that my home country would not have otherwise provided. My personal observation tells me that a lot of Asian students, coming from a collectivist culture, tend to form "in-groups" and only mingle around with Asians/same home country. I guess one of the valuable opportunities of studying abroad would be to develop interpersonal skills of communicating with a wide array of people from all walks of life and cultures. 

3) Make full use of additional services offered by university

Depending on which university you're enrolled in, many faculties offer additional services that complements  postgraduate studies. There will be leadership/personal/career development/networking seminars that may initially make you think "Mehhh, why waste my time going to such things ?". Truth is, as I've mentioned earlier; If you set the intention of getting/learning something out of it, you almost always do gain something out from it. 

4) A business postgraduate qualification teaches you to think and communicate differently

While this point did not occur to me until I was in my second semester, I remembered being in a convo with another student who told me this. This propelled me to reflect, and I have to agree with her. It's true that the syllabus encourages critical thinking, and in the area where I was specialising (International Business), it's almost a MUST to form an opinion on a particular issue. Students are expected to contribute ideas, which forms a synergistic collection of knowledge in a classroom setting. The topics on the assignments are often very broad, with no definitive "correct" or "wrong" answers. After countless submissions, I can certainly say that to do well in management units, it's important to constantly challenge yourself to present a myriad of views and then take a stand on what you believe is right.

5) Don't forget to have fun !

Last but not least, study really hard... but also don't forget to have fun. Get out your comfort zone, immerse yourself in situations that you would not have otherwise done so, go volunteer, talk to different people, pick up a new sport, open up your perspective for the world is such a BIG place, and our knowledge is only so limited. The irony of this is that the more we see, the more we realise we only know so little (or that we have so much to improve on !). Last but not least, while the grades we get on the paper conveys the ROI (Return on Investment) of the tuition fee, we are more likely to remember the good (or perhaps the BEST) times we had along the journey. 

Education is probably one of the best investments that one can make in their life... so absorb all you can like a very thirsty sponge. The knowledge gained will stay with you throughout the journey of life, and NEVER goes to waste. 

If you're ever contemplating to embark on a similar journey, think carefully of the prospects and where the qualification would take you....and most importantly, once you're enrolled in it, make the best out of it, and make a gentle promise that you'll come out of it with so much more than just another additional qualification.

Dumb Ways to Die: The clever campaign aimed at train safety

Some of you who takes the train may have stumbled on this campaign (I mean, come on, how can you NOT, when the posters are basically plastered all over the Metro?). A quick Google search revealed that this is one campaign created by advertising power house, McCann, that is targeted to address train track suicide rates in Victoria. Statistics revealed that Victoria has the highest rail suicide in whole of Australia, averaging one death on Victoria's tracks every week.

The video features an upbeat catchy tune that addresses Melbourne Metro Train Transport safety.

While suicides are a prevalent and worrying issue, this is not widely spoken and the effects are not only for the victims, but extends to families or witnesses of this tragic event. Whether their deaths are intentional or not, I must admit that the trauma it has on witnesses (and drivers) has life-time traumatic effects.

This prompted international marketing powerhouse, McCann, who came up with the ingenious, and hilarious campaigns that gets an otherwise taboo message across to youths and the public. Named as "Dumb Ways to Die", the campaign lists all kinds of death-inviting behaviour by setting hair on fire, having "private parts" eaten by piranhas and inviting a psychotic killer into the house.

Since its release in November 2012 the video has gathered over 62 million views (as of this time) and parodies popping all over the Internet. The campaign also attracted worldwide's attention, winning 7 awards-all gold with 2 Grand Prix at the Cannes Lions International festival of Creativity, 14 nominations at London's D&AD awards, and is the first campaign that received it's own Wikipedia page.

Controversially, the campaign also received some critics, reasoning that it suggested and glamorises creative ways to die. In fact, the campaign was banned in a few countries, including the Russian government who stated that :

“The song’s lyrics contains a description of different ways of committing suicide, such as: using drugs beyond their expiration date, standing on an edge of a platform, running across the rails, eating superglue and other. The animated personages demonstrate dangerous ways of suicide in attractive for children and teenagers comic format. The lines such as “hide in a dryer” and “what’s this red button do?” contain an incitement to commit those acts. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dumb_Ways_to_Die).”

My two cents on the phenomenal success of this campaign is that it tactfully delivers an otherwise taboo message across in a hilarious manner. Whether the campaign has received success cannot merely be measured with "views" on the Youtube (or basically any superficial statistics), but the REAL impact it may potentially have in saving any lives or in preventing anyone from committing suicide.

How businesses are making an impact with Vine's 6-seconds video

There’s a lot that can happen in 6 seconds. You could send a very important email, create the first impression, as well as rate people’s potential as a romantic date (well, according to a study done here.)

Given this, the launch of Vine-which is also affectionately dubbed as Twitter’s new son allows businesses to promote bite-sized video contents and incorporate it into part of their marketing strategy.

Similarly, the 6-second video app also caters to our limited attention spans. Unlike conventional marketing platforms, this new platform holds great potential for businesses to utilize the video app as a free marketing platform (gone were the days where businesses are given the luxury of millions for an advertising campaign!).

Below is a compilation of numerous (and growing!) campaigns that caught my eye;

1    1)      How –to-Clip by Bacardi UK. Who says that you need bar-tending lessons to create good cocktails ? Bacardi shows that you can (apparently) create similar results under 6 seconds !

2    2)      One of Unilever’s brand, Dove, quickly utilized this platform that features a bar of Dove soap ‘bowling’ towards a few of its shower products.

3    3)      ASOS, the largest online retailer in the world incorporated Vine as part of their strategy to make a clever twist on the limits of online shopping. Researches have revealed that customers ultimately still prefer in-store shopping experience, and the look and touch of the product. Somehow, getting a rectangular box delivered to your mailbox does not seem, as, ummm, glamourous. This quick video shows how online shopping can deliver that element of surprise when customers open their packages.

4   4)      General Electric satisfies the inner scientific geek of its audience by posting this video that features a 6 seconds science series. In here, corn starch and water are mixed to produce rather cool effects.

5    5)      In the video below, Oreo shows us a creative way to turn its conventional package into a “milk cup” and cookie storage. Talk about multi-purpose to a whole new level or also known as “hack” your “pack”;

And here are the 5 mini-clips, hope you enjoyed them !

Prankvertising: Carrie's telekinetic powers over a cup of coffee ?

I was researching on a share-worthy viral video, and accidentally stumbled upon this. Dubbed as the latest version of advertising.... the "Prankverstising",  this is one clever marketing ploy for the upcoming release of Carrie, staring Julianne Moore and an adaptation of Stephen King's 1974 novel classic. In the new version- to be released in Australia on 28th November- an outcast high-schooler with telekinetic powers is played by Chloe Grace Moretz.

Carrie, an upcoming 2013 supernatural horror film

and is the 3rd adaptation of Stephen King's novel

Like in the movie, Carrie, the lead character is a girl with supernatural or also known as 'telekinetic' powers. The video started off to show how the prank was set up, and has currently earned over 23 million views on Youtube over the span of TWO days. The 2-minute plus video, which was set in New York, showed the team of crew erecting a fake wall in the coffee shop and positioning themselves behind it to carefully execute all the stunts.

Similarly, the tables and chairs are remote-controlled, and the bookshelves are spring-loaded to create the special effects. The video started off with a typical coffee shop with "actors" and some real customers. The 'story' started when a man accidentally spilled coffee over a girl's laptop, who in this case is known as "Carrie", the one with telekinetic powers. This revealed her powers, and literally threw a man across the room-without coming into contact with him.

The video also managed to capture the (priceless!) expressions of some customers, including a couple of dogs when they witnessed this 'event'. Ofcourse, these customers absolutely had no idea that this was a purely set up prank.

A genuinely shocked customer

"What the HELL was that ?!?!"

This brilliant idea sets the precedence of future creative advertising. The form of "Prankvertising" which recently went viral was the "LG Ultra HD TV Prank-End of the World Job". The video can be viewed below;

And, thank god that no buckets of red paint or pig's blood is involved in the making of the prank !

How Do You Like Your Vegemite & The One Billionth Jar Campaign

Mention the word "Vegemite" to any Australian, and they'll reply that it's the iconic condiment in every Aussie pantry. So, when the household penetration started plummeting for the first time in 20 years, Kraft (the giant food company that is responsible for managing this brand) sought the help of Royce Communications to ensure that every Australian retain this on the breakfast tables of every home in the country.

Vegemite: The iconic condiment in every Australian pantry

Both Kraft and Royce collaborated and created an innovative campaign known as "How Do You Like Your Vegemite" and "One Billionth Jar" campaigns on the social media platforms. The first campaign, "How Do You like Your Vegemite" is targeted to explore new market potentials. In here, through an integrated campaign, people were driven to a dedicated website where they registered their favourite ways of eating Vegemite. The website also asked consumers to answer a set of questions so that the data could be demographically segmented to the town level. And the objective of this ? To give excellent data for a localised regional public relations campaign.

The team took the data and developed national, city and town level media materials that explained each area's favourite way of eating Vegemite. the team then used the quirky segmentation opportunities (cutting data with hair colour and occupation) to create more interesting news material. The tangible success of the campaign can measured by its Facebook membership which rose from 17,000 to 45,000 members upon its first month, and 112,753 number of website visits for a 6-week campaign.

The second campaign, "One Billionth Jar" was to carefully analyse years of historical data and prove that the brand has reached its One Billionth landmark. In this campaign, Kraft started the event in Port Melbourne and followed by sampling and events across major cities in Australia.

The results of the campaign is as summarised below;

• The biggest EVER month for Vegemite shipments - almost double the shipment for the same month of the prior year (194%) driven by the One Billionth campaign (supported solely by PR)
• Scan sales up to 12.9% on the previous year
• Household penetration up by 2%
• Consumption growth grew by 6%
• The PR campaign circulation of 20 million set a new industry standard
• 112,753 unique visitors to vegemite.com.au - up 347% on the average monthly site traffic

Oh and below's a quick personality test on how you eat your Vegemite. 

Mine's  definitely Vegecadoer ! What's yours ?

And a quick video for those of you who are interested;

Miley Cyrus, VMA's biggest winner despite the lack of awards

While it is interesting to note that Miley Cyrus did not take home a single award on the MTV Video Music Awards, she did however earn quite some reputation for her infamous act with Robin Thicke on national television.

                                                       

I think I heard a mom said "Children.... close your eyes"

Apparently, The Guardian claimed that her "twerking" was "just not working". In fact, a press release was issued saying that her performance just "substituted talent with sex". Miley wore a nude PVC hot pants and boob tube was indeed more raunchy that anyone could have ever expected. I guess the old adage, "sex sells" still prevails in this case.

                               

Check out Willow's reaction (middle)....haha, priceless

I'm saying so because, in the wake of her performance, the Hannah Montana stay skyrocketed in possibly every social media metric available. Below are some of the statistics:

- An increase of 100,000+ Instagram followers

- An increase of 50,000 Facebook likes

- The word "Cyrus" topped Google hot searches a day after the VMA

Perhaps the highlight of this was that Cyrus scored 300,000 Twitter mentioned per minute. If you compare the figures with the much anticipated Super Bowl blackout at 231,000 mentions and the 2012 presidential election at 327,452.... the Miley's effect on the social media space must have clearly tell something.

And surprise surprise, her latest single "Wrecking Ball" debuted on the day of the VMAs. As a result of the social media fiasco, the song:

- Ranked No. 2 on iTunes charts

- Her single "We Can't Stop" ranked No.5

Her rankings on the Top 5 chart are alongside with two other gold Hollywood celebrities; Lady Gaga and Katy Perry. 

This is quickly followed by her magazine spreads for the Rolling Stones in October and for November's issue of Fashion Magazine.

November issue of Fashion magazine 

Miley posed nude for the Rolling Stones magazine

All in all, this is worked out to be a very well-executed plan to broadcast to the world on Miley's transformation for a child star to an adult star. 

Yvlis - "The Fox" set to take over Gangnam style ?

So, my sister sent me this link over Whatsapp over the weekend and told me that this video has a 3 million views over the span of 3 days. Out of curiosity (or maybe it was a natural response), I had to check it out. My initial reaction to it was........ this is seriously the most bizarre music clip I've ever seen. It left me a little confused upon the first 15 seconds, then I thought the chorus was pretty catchy, but I still cringe everytime I read the lyrics.

A quick Google search revealed that Yvlis (the name of the band) is made up of two Norwegian brothers; Bård Ylvisåker and Vegard Ylvisåker. The duo formed their group on a variety show in Norway and debuted in 2000. However, with the number of news circulating over the Internet... THIS song (their latest one) is definitely set to propel them internationally. 

This video has quickly created a quite a number of parodies (another sign of a successful viral video) by some well known Youtube vloggers like Niga Hiha and even a university band marching to the tune of it ! You may view the video here. 

As of the time of writing,it has generated:

1) 34 million Youtube views
2) 159K + Youtube comments
3) Close to 500K likes on youtube
4) Debut at No. 29 at the Billboard Hot 100 chart
5) Media coverage across CBC, Guardian, etc
6) US commercial broadcast television network, Fox TV using this as part of its promo. 

While the song has still left me a little puzzled, I've got to admit that the chorus is pretty catchy... "What the fox says..... fraka-kaka-kaka-kaka-kow" X2. Anyone else who felt the same way ? 

For those of you interested in the lyrics, here it is:

Dog goes woof, cat go meow.

Bird goes tweet, and mouse goes squeek.

Cow goes moo. Frog goes croak, and the elephant goes toot.

Ducks go quack and fish go blub, and the seal goes OW OW OW.

But there's one sound that no one knows...

WHAT DOES THE FOX SAY!?

Ring-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding!

Gering-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding!

Gering-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding!

WHAT THE FOX SAYS!

Wa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pow!

Wa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pow!

Wa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pow!

WHAT THE FOX SAYS!

Hatee-hatee-hatee-ho!

Hatee-hatee-hatee-ho!

Hatee-hatee-hatee-ho!

WHAT THE FOX SAYS!

Joff-tchoff-tchoff-tchoffo-tchoffo-tchoff!

Joff-tchoff-tchoff-tchoffo-tchoffo-tchoff!

Joff-tchoff-tchoff-tchoffo-tchoffo-tchoff!

WHAT THE FOX SAYS!

Big blue eyes, pointy nose, chasing mice, and digging holes.

Tiny paws, up the hill, suddenly you're standing still.

Your fur is red, so beautiful, like an angel in disguise.

But if you meet a friendly horse, will you communicate by mo-o-o-o-orse?

...mo-o-o-o-orse? ...mo-o-o-o-orse?

How will you speak to that h-o-o-orse?

...h-o-o-orse? ...h-o-o-orse?

WHAT DOES THE FOX SAY!?

Jacha-chacha-chacha-chow!

Jacha-chacha-chacha-chow!

Jacha-chacha-chacha-chow!

WHAT THE FOX SAYS!

Fraka-kaka-kaka-kaka-kow!

Fraka-kaka-kaka-kaka-kow!

Fraka-kaka-kaka-kaka-kow!

WHAT THE FOX SAYS!

A-hee-ahee ha-hee!

A-hee-ahee ha-hee!

A-hee-ahee ha-hee!

WHAT THE FOX SAYS!

A-oo-oo-oo-ooo!

A-oo-oo-oo-ooo!

The secret of the fox, ancient mystery.

Somewhere deep in the woods, I know you're hiding.

What is your sound? Will we ever know? Will always be a mystery; what do you say?

You're my guardian angel, hiding in the woods. 

What is your sound? Will we ever know?

I want to, I want to, I want to know!

*cringe*

Can I also make a prediction that the fox costume will be a popular option this Halloween ? 

Subscription in a box: How it's changing the way woman shop

Birchbox is a startup launched in year 2010 by two Harvard business women. The idea behind Birchbox (which is also known as subscription in a box) is to send members a box of the latest samples of beauty items like cosmetics, toiletries, perfume, nail polishes and other beauty products for a monthly subscription fee of $10.

The latest figures released by the company revealed that they now have over 100,000 subscribers and that number alone would generate about $12 million in annual revenue. Its phenomenal success over the past 3 years has led the company to launch a men’s line up recently.

And the best thing ? Its success is largely attributed to its marketing strategies in social media. 

Short videos (~ 2 mins) to sustain viewer's attention span

So what exactly made Birchbox such a success, that this idea is quickly duplicated (with not as much success) all over the world ?

1)      Selling surprises

For a meagre $10/month, cosmetics or skincare junkies (like me), would be thrilled to receive a specially curated box of products. I guess Birchbox tapped into the right psychological aspect of its customers by selling surprises- with customers having no idea what’s in the box for them. It’s this little element of surprise and mystery that appeals to most women. And even if the samples isn't really your cup of tea, the opportunity cost is only $10/month (equivalent to a casual lunch).

2)      Specially curated boxes

The two Harvard business trained ladies have it figured out by having subscribers to fill out questionnaire when they sign up, detailing out preferences and skin care types.  As a consequence, subscribers would get a unique package that feels as though they are hand-picked according to their preference (or at least, as close as possible).

3)      Birchbox has a heavy presence in the social media landscape

Its presence in the social media landscape can be explained by its fans in Facebook and Twitter, respectively at 180K fans and 50K followers. It also posts weekly short videos on Youtube on beauty tips and tricks demonstrating how to use its products. It also has a presence in Pinterest.  From the perspective of a lady who is personally a beauty junkie, its videos are refreshing, light-hearted and they are filmed in such a casual manner that makes women think they can duplicate such looks at the comfort of their homes.

4)      Engaging content

Considering that the products sold are targeted towards woman, its content across Twitter, Youtube and Facebook are very engaging, primarily focused on beauty and personal care. Best of all, the company already has it figured out that its subscribers must be interested in skincare and personal grooming products.

5)      Full-sized purchases on e-commerce site

Ofcourse, the samples would also allow the option of purchasing full-sized items at its e-commerce website.  This provides a great avenue for cosmetic companies that give samples to reach an already highly engaged audience, with easy access to their products.

                             

E-commerce site for full-sized purchases

My two cents on why Birchbox is such a success:

I personally reckon this idea is greatly executed, and understands women’s needs and wants (women are easy, we want to feel pretty and loved all the time haha!). Its phenomenal success also means that companies are more willing to sponsor samples to gain a wider exposure to potential customers. Back in my home country (Malaysia), concepts like these don’t work very successfully simply because its monthly subscription fee is RM50 (that’s about 5X more compared to what Birchbox is charging) and they don’t have as many established brands that Birchbox carries.

A summary of the Birchbox (for those too lazy too read) can be found below:

What are your thoughts on this concept ? Do you think this will be the future of how people shop for personal products ?

The case study of successful social media campaign: World's Best Job

Dubbed as one of the best social media campaigns, Tourism Queensland successfully promoted the Great Barrier Reef as a global tourism destination. But not through the very conventional way.

Marketed as “The Best Job in the World”, Tourism Queensland launched a campaign in 2009 that recruited people from all over the world for a ‘job’ on the tropical Hamilton Island. The job paid AUD 150,000 and includes free airfares from the successful candidate's home country to tropical Hamilton Island on the famed Great Barrier Reef. The application process required for a 60-second video to be submitted via the official website, and available publicly for consideration for the position. 

And what’s the catch ? That’s probably your next question.

In return, the winner will be expected to have as much fun as he or she can -- soaking up the sun, swimming, snorkelling, sailing -- and report to a global audience via weekly blogs, photo diaries and video updates. The island caretaker role wasn’t a campaign gimmick, it was a completely

genuine employment opportunity with Tourism Queensland, living on the islands of the Great Barrier Reef and reporting back to the world via online social media.

The successful candidate - who will stay rent-free in a multi-million-dollar three-bedroom beach home -- must be over 18, a "fantastic and charismatic" communicator, and able to speak and write English.

Part of the job responsibilities include feeding the fishes

The main objective behind this campaign is to drive and promote the northeastern Australian state's 18 billion dollar a year tourism industry during the tough global economic climate, officials say. And they are at pains to stress that it is "a real job".

"The fact that they will be paid to explore the islands of the Great Barrier Reef, swim, snorkel and generally live the Queensland lifestyle makes this undoubtedly the best job in the world", said acting state Premier Paul Lucas. Given the enormous response, the economic downturn has also played a part in translating the advertisement into a dream for hundreds of thousands of people who were adversely affected by the global financial crisis.

Within a short span of one month, the impact of the campaign was as follows:

-          - $200 million in global publicity value for Tourism Queensland although the money spent was only a meager $1 million.

-         -  35,000 applications received from over 200 countries

-        -   The submission web site crashed 2 days following the launch of the campaign (due to the huge influx of visits and video submissions!)

The tangible results of this campaign are:

- STA Travel says it experienced 17% growth year-on-year in bookings to Queensland in the period February to April 2009 (when the campaign was at its most intense).

- Austravel claims similar positive growth in Queensland-led holidays. Both companies attribute the increase to the Best Job campaign.

This campaign also received coverage from CNN stories to BBC documentaries, a segment in Oprah Winfrey’s talk show, Time magazine as well as everything in between. In Google search for “the best job in the world island”, it achieved approximately 148 million listings and generates 231,355 blog entries. A “best in the world” search on Flickr for pictures generate around 4,486 pictures to choose from.

Extensive media coverage of the "Best Job in The World" campaign

While the social media impact could be measured fully, this is undoubtedly one of the best social media campaigns that was brilliantly executed, and its phenomenal success demonstrates how effective cross-channel  social media and traditional mass media can intertwine to bring outstanding results. 

The official video can be found below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTUUWOV4Vns

Angry with bad online reviews ? Here are some tips to handle them

Being an avid food lover, I was introduced to this app known as Urbanspoon upon my arrival in Melbourne. Known for great eateries and cafes, Urbanspoon is THE app that everyone uses to check out new restaurants/pubs/eateries in this vibrant city, Melbourne.

The homepage of Urbanspoon

While I have found that the reviews usually reflect the level of the quality (my rule of thumb is a rating of >85%!), it also got me thinking that restaurant/business owners need to be more mindful of their online businesses reputation.

User review sites and app has taken a skyrocket climb as it is often deemed as a more honest and accurate representation of the product/service compared to a traditional advertisement. 

In fact a recent survey by Yellow Pages shows that users, on average, would expect to read 4 reviews before making a purchase decision, and online reviews and blogs are up 6% in the past year.

Given this, the user review sites are also subject to manipulation as it is oftentimes accessible practically anyone and also avoids the face-to-face confrontation. From genuine disgruntled customers to competitors, businesses need to be more aware of their online reputation as it can be a key determinant to the success or failure of their businesses. 

So what are some of the things that businesses can do when faced with bad reviews ?

 1)      Private message the reviewer to clarify this.

Most of the user review sites allows business owners to private message users to clarify these problems. While some reviews may stem from facts such as giving reviews to the wrong restaurants, however, this can also be seen as an avenue to collect valuable feedback from customers to improve on its future business operations.

    2)      Be proactive because being reactive can hurt your business (not to mention emotionally draining you!)

     Notice how like in real life, people tend to bad-mouth and say nasty things about you ? 

                               

     The same case applies in the online world as well. Better yet, the online platform is virtual with no real personal interaction involved, making it a ‘great’ avenue for haters or face-to-face confrontations. By responding publicly to negative reviews not only tells reviewers that you are watching them in this online space, chances are they are also more likely to write something more objective and truthful in the future.

    3) Establish an online presence (one they can fully control!)

Businesses, especially small businesses should look into social media, in this case, Facebook, to reach out to customers.  More importantly they need to establish a stand/presence in the online world. While businesses cannot control the content and information that disseminates in the Internet, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are excellent platforms to convey (and fully control) the desirable image of your product/service to the world.

Also, have you ever wondered why certain restaurants consistently remain on the “Urbanspoon Top Picks” ? First example is Chin Chin, the buzz fusion Thai restaurant in the city. Apparently, the article here revealed that a social media specialist is hired to handle their channels, which obviously generated positive returns on their business. Other companies, such as the giant telecommunication company, Telstra, have set up a team that monitors the online reputation of the company 24/7.

In all, social media is seen as an important and growing platform that business must start looking into. The last and worst thing that could have happen is a failing business without even realizing the true cause (impact of bad reviews) ! 

Pay-per-gaze ? How Google takes advertising to a whole new level !

Google has just been granted a patent that may potentially pave a new path for advertising in the future. This patent specifically outlines how advertisers could be charged according to the number or views an ad receives while wearing the Glass, both offline and online, hence labeling it “pay-per-gaze” advertising. 

Known as the Gaze Tracking System, this technology works is by measuring one’s pupillary response to the ad and infer an ‘emotional state of user while viewing the external scenes based at least in part upon the pupil dilation information”. In theory, this allows advertisers to gauge the level of how ‘engage’ the viewer is in advertising.

While Google had previously banned developers from displaying ads on the Google Glass (as pictured above), 

the patent states that the system requires a “head mounted gaze tracking device” which comprises of 

“eye glasses”, "side-arms that engage ears of the user”, “lenses through which the user views the external scenes” and “at least one forward facing scene camera”.

Phase 1: Pay-per-Gaze

Simply put, this intelligent invention allows ads to literally flash in front of your eyes. And how exactly does Google get paid for these advertisements? Precisely, Google gets paid when your pupils pointed in that direction and for how long. While traditional marketers have struggled to find ways to track advert performances by metrics such as click-through-rates and pay per view, this technology takes it to a step higher by tracing the human gaze, which is the closest and most accurate representation of the viewer’s interest on an advertisement.

The patent further offers the application of a "pay-per-gaze" system, where:

Pay-per-gaze advertising need not be limited to online advertisements, but rather can be extended to conventional advertisement media, including billboards, magazines, newspapers and other forms of conventional print media. Thus, the gaze-tracking system described herein offers a mechanism to track and bill offline advertisements in the manner similar to popular online advertisement schemes.

 

Phase 2: Pay-Per-Emotion

In the later stage, which is dubbed as Phase Two (Pay-Per-Emotion), the Glass will be able to track the interest of the wearer by measuring on how much your eyes dilate. The reasoning for this is simple; pupil dilation oftentimes correlate with emotional stats (eg; surprise, interest, shock and etc). Case in point is you are more likely to respond (gaze longer at a pizza advert, hence dilating your pupils) when you are hungry.

                                     

Charles Darwin speculated that the brain is affected by

 powerful emotions such as fear, that causes the pupil to dilate.

What about the billing fee$ ? 

Apparently, the advertisers will be billed depending on whether the user looked directly at a given advertisement item, viewed the given advertisement item for one or more specified duration and/or the inferred emotional state of the user while viewing a particular advertisement.

Given the grant of this patent, the world now anxiously anticipates to see how the future advertising landscape will evolve in the coming years. 

No exciting travel plans ? Don’t fret, Google Street View has you covered !

So it seems that Google has invented the Street View at 2007, and of course, any invention by Google has taken the world by a storm ! Personally, I was one of the (probably the majority) of people who was particularly intrigued by this new addition. Google Street View is a technology that provides a vivid 360-degree view from positions along many streets in the world.

For anyone with a particular interest/curiosity to know how other countries look like will be able to grasp a more vivid picture of a foreign place. I guess the classic saying of “a picture paints a thousand words” prevails in this case.

This brings to my next point on how Street View is also affecting the travel industry, or more accurately, our travel experiences. With a 360-degree view of virtually any place, I guess one can always take a 10-minute “mental vacation” to anywhere in the world.

"London to Ibiza, straight to L.A New York, Vegas to Africa"

While it is a useful resource when you're planning a route or looking for a destination, it can also serve as a magical gateway that transports you to some of world's most picturesque or iconic landmarks. As a result, we no longer only rely on traditional travel books, websites or official government websites which oftentimes projects a biased dreamlike, professional image of a country.  The Street View is an excellent avenue that provides a vivid reality of how a place is REALLY like, and best of all, at no costs. From the iconic Eiffel tower in Paris to the Grand Canyon in the States..... the Street View takes one on an exciting (virtual) experience touring the world. 

Case in point: The iconic Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris

Google Street View

VERSUS

A professionally taken picture 

As an extension of Street View, Google has been taking 360-degree panoramic photos of tourist sights around the world that are only accessible by foot. Here are those completed so far:

·         Grand Canyon, US.

·         Mount Fuji, Japan.

·         Hashima Island, Japan - more commonly known as Battleship Island.

·         Iqaluit, Canadian Arctic - the capital of the Canadian territory of Nunavut.

·         Burj Khalifa, Dubai - the world's tallest building.

·         The Galapagos Islands, a Unesco World Heritage Site off the coast of South America.

The advancement of technology and accessibility of Internet has brought profound impacts. With the function of Street View, I guess Google is trying to tell you "So what if you don’t have the time (or money) to travel ?". I guess Google Street View would satisfy that travel bug in you, or at least temporarily.

In my next post, I will be talking more on what actual travelers think about Street View, and how its latest addition alters one's travel experience. Stay tuned !