If JibJab / HSM3 do it Right, KFC / Guitar Hero 4 do it Wrong

I wrote about JibJab's terrific viral marketing alongside High School Musical 3 (which grossed $42m over the weekend) and said that web / social marketers should aspire to create such engaging, cleverly branded campaigns.

Try JibJab Sendables®

The I caught a glimpse of Kentucky Fried Chicken's new Guitar Hero 4 campaign ... which is the exact opposite. The commercials, which run every five minutes on ESPN right now, feature a box of chicken, mashed potatoes and mac & cheese inside a Guitar Hero 4 box. Nothing more is mentioned about a promotion - but I don't get the sense that people will flock to KFC to eat out of a Guitar Hero cardboard box. Nor do I think that people already eating there will pay much attention to it either.

I am sure JibJab could whip something together that features users in concert atmospheres (how many people would jump to put themselves on The Boss or Guns 'N Roses?!)... wouldn't that be more exciting and effective?!

5+ Keyword Search Queries Account for 19% of All Searches

Jeremy Liew recently wrote (and his must-read blog) that 54% of searches queries have three or more keywords. That got me thinking about a report I pulled together in late 2006 about similar statistics. So I placed them aside Jeremy's data (which comes from MarketingSherpa) and the results are very interesting. First, the data comes from different sources - so it's difficult to measure very specifically...

- 1-3 word queries accounted for 69.5% of searches in '06 and it fell to 68% - The real difference is in 5+ queries: now 19% of searches and 14% in '06 - Conversely, one word queries now account for 22% of searches

Here is my reasoning for the growth in one word queries and the fact that they represent close a quarter of all searches: - we are increasingly dependent on Google as a starting point and on the browser for navigation - this is proved by brand names consistently being the top searches: "eBay", "Yahoo", "Google" - I think about how I browse the internet now - it's entirely through the browsers search box... and others simply type "Yahoo" into to start their session...

2006 2008 1 word 13.5% 21.9% 2 word 28.8% 24.4% 3 word 27.2% 21.6% 4 word 16.4% 14.5% 5 word 8.0% 8.4% 6 word 3.7% 4.5% 7 word 1.6% 2.4% 8+ word 1.1% 3.7%

Dell Inspiron Mini 12... Tasty!

I love the form of the MacBook Air...But I really do prefer Windows to Macs....

I know - I am out of the loop on that front. I am one of two Windows users at Widgetbox and beRecruited's back-end was all written on old Mac products.

But the Apple's form really is tempting / tantalizing; and Dell doesn't match it until you get into the very expensive range.

That's where the Dell Inspiron Mini 12 comes in: it starts under $600! That's worth it right there for portability. I can't wait to get my hands on one of these:

Previews from the leaders: - Engadget - Gizmodo - Laptop Mag

JibJab + High School Musical 3 = Perfect Viral Marketing

If you have kids - you probably took them to see Disney's High School Musical 3 last night...And if you have kids - they probably will put JibJab's new HSM3 widget on their MySpace pages.

This is what viral marketing should aspire to be: - customizable - engaging - fun and re-watchable

... and it clearly has a business model behind it! Furthermore - the branded experience is what makes the widget enjoyable and attractive. I have shown this to several people now and the reactions are instant laughter... followed by a rush to create their own video!

Well done JibJab!

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Mobile is Dominating the Chatter (From Android to iPhone to Congress)

Want proof that mobile is atop everyone's mind? First, I was part of a great dinner last night with twelve or so valley entrepreneurs... without forcing the topic, the conversation quickly turned to: - the iPhone - Android and the G1 - Apps across each - possibilities of new ideas

Great conversation... that was echo'd (and then some) throughout the blogosphere today. Here is a snapshot of some of the articles I found particularly interesting:

GPhone-iPhone Browser Battle: Google Android G1 Faster, iPhone Better (Alley Insider)

The iPhone's default scaling and zoom features, in our opinion, make it easier to start reading a partially loaded Web site than Google's default, which is to zoom in on the upper-left corner of a page; often an ad or navigation bar. Minor personal preference: The iPhone's gesture-based scrolling -- pushing a page up or down, right or left -- is smoother than the G1's.

Even AT&T Is Startled by Cost of iPhone Partnership (NY Times)

AT&T’s successful relationship with Apple comes at a price: $900 million. That is the amount of money AT&T paid to Apple for the 2.4 million iPhones the phone company sold in the third quarter. It is a number that surprised even AT&T, which did not anticipate such huge demand for the smartphone.

Sony's New Phone is an 8MB Computer, 8MP Camera (BoyGenius)

iPhones are a must-have for Congress (TheHill.com)

The Chief Administrative Office (CAO), which oversees the communications systems for the House, has begun testing a small number of iPhones within its ranks to see if they are compatible with the working needs of lawmakers and staff. “The reason we’re trying them out is because we heard a lot of people wanted the option to have them,” said Jeff Ventura, a spokesman for the CAO.

$300 For BlackBerry Bold? No, Thanks (Alley Insider)

$300? In this economy? With a superb phone already priced at $100 less? What is RIM smoking?

InGameNow App Officially Live in iTunes: Go Install!

The InGameNow App officially went live in iTunes just seconds after the Red Sox lost to the Tampa Bay Rays (so I got some joy out of the night!). I invite you to visit iTunes (or search for "ingamenow" via the App Store on your iPhone), install the app and use it. I'd also love to get any and all feedback!

Core components of the app:

- Live integration with InGameNow: seamless posting and pulling - Automatic scores / posts updates - Dashboard of games that are “InGameNow” (screen shot below) - Full schedule and browse accessibility by league and team - Ability to set and monitor favorite teams

Live screenshots:

Get the InGameNow
iPhone Sports App

I'm Baffled By the New Sprint & Dan Hesse Commercial

This new Sprint commercial, featuring CEO Dan Hesse, seemingly runs during every inning of the MLB playoffs. It baffles me too: - why is he sitting at a diner talking about cell phones and to a camera? - why, in the HD version, is half of his head cropped off? - why does he sound so un-enthusiastic when talking about how cell phones have become mini-computers? If he can't get excited - why can consumers? - finally, why isn't a phone (preferably a smartphone) shown in the commercial?

How about a Techmeme Jr. (or Techmeme Minor League)?

I love Techmeme. And I've written as much many times before. I also have noted that the Techmeme Headlines are increasingly being written by major blogs and brands. Meanwhile, other bloggers have written that Techmeme should expand their sources to more, lesser-known blogs.

While I'm not sure I agree (there is value in having established, big sources), I do think that the following idea has merit:

Techmeme, Jr.

Think of it like a minor league system for Techmeme where lesser-known blogs are featured and big brands like TechCrunch wouldn't be included (after all, they are included on Techmeme.com). As a minor league system typically works - it would act as a showcase for upcoming talent and, should an author or source grow popular / credible, it can make it's way into a regular on Techmeme.com.

This is powerful for a few reasons:

- The readers who want more depth out of Techmeme now have a avenue - Those readers add a social value to Techmeme and create a community (see YCombinator / Technews for a great example) - Those users would act as talent agents for Techmeme.com - And consequently help Techmeme discover new talent / blogs and grow their sourcing

Personally, I'd probably use Techmeme Jr. more than Techmeme.com because I already read TechCrunch and Engadget. I want to discover new content that is already credible and relevant.

Widgetbox and Yardbarker Release Yardbarker Network Widget

When Widgetbox launched its Widgetbox Blog Network, we announced Yardbarker as our partner and exclusive blog network. I've worked with Yardbarker closely with beRecruited and InGameNow - in fact, Anette joined the Yardbarker team a few months ago. Yardbarker now has over 650 blogs in their Yardbarker Network (YBN) and the new YBN Widget dynamically features content across their network. The widget is configurable based on league and team. For instance, you can choose Top Headlines (shown below) or a Red Sox specific widget (we intentionally disable the Yankees widget... joking).

Widgetbox is working with other partners to create similar widgets and networks based on their current audiences, publishers and/or websites. If you operate a series of blogs - Widgetbox can help connect them through a similar, branded widget. Likewise, if you have a network of users / publishers, we can work with you to connect their content, grow their traffic and monetize your widgets. Please contact me directly if you are interested in working with Widgetbox:

More All Sports Articles