Arun Rajagopal

Great Blogosphere Finds-1 May 13, 2008

Candles, originally uploaded by [ changó ].

Noah Brier’s Brandtags is a very interesting project (hat tip to Tangerine Toad) that not only lets you tell the world what you think of a brand but also learn what others tag the brand as (quite useful if you are in advertising).

It’s one of those addictive fun apps to power your day, like FreeRice. I said “OK” to UPS, “Understanding” to Toyota (understanding in two planes – understanding the community – Toyota has strong CSR initiatives in Oman & understanding the consumer – Toyota globally innovates and brings out different vehicles targeted at different audiences) and “Uhm awesome” to JetBlue (the uhm coming in after reading a Yahoo! Story on a JetBlue passenger forced to ride in an airline loo).

My suggestions to Noah: Can we have region-specific Brandtags? For example, I’d like to know what consumers think of regional airlines in the Middle East… The IPL cricket teams in India and so on. And may be, a lot of merchandise on the concept of brand tags? Also, I think a cool-tool on the home page which tells you what brands are featured… that one needs to be nimble & smart as the no. of brands will keep exponentially growing in time.

David Armano talks about ‘microinteractions and direct engagement in 2.0 world‘ while Harker Research tells us that microinteractions are best captured by radio.

Every second spent in viewing Apple’s PC & Mac ads is a thoroughly interesting experience. These ads are so creative, funny & entertaining that it’s hard to pick a favourite – but I’ll go for “Pep Rally“. Click here to view all 30 plus of them.

Mack Collier discusses the evolution of social media tools & technologies from 2005 to the future. He says that soc media apps that facilitate connections leading to relationships will be successful.

Bloggers on the Power 150 blog-ranking index tell us what technology marketers should be paying most attention to in 2008. Video, micro-blogging and search marketing get the biggest shout-outs.

Launching Your Startup – PR and Social Media Strategies. A very informative podcast series featuring Neil Vineberg, Matt Dickman, CK, Jyri Engeström and Adam Metz.

JetBlue’s been creating a little buzz on the Web with Happy Jetting. Tangerine Toad suggested a few ways they could improve their web experience. I flew them in April and found their service, in-flight entertainment and even their ads appealing. Today, Yahoo had a story in its home-page that kind of undoes all the great work.

In the wake of the recent Dove Real Beauty ad retouching controversy, Ad Age’s Jonah Bloom talks about how Dove & Ogilvy have a long way to go to be recognized as true WOM proponents.

Dubai cabbie shows the world that honesty is still the best policy.

Astronaut Dr. Scott Parazynski says how risks and success go hand in hand.

Is it time for me to consider Sauvignon Blanc over Chardonnay?

Again, an interesting NYT read on the fascinating mind of a wine drinker.

Yummy clip of Mr. Beanbastic

Is it time to phase out the creative function? Joseph Jaffe believes that the “traditional specialist” is out and “the creative generalist” is in. A great brief for those looking for a kick in the pants in ad biz.

Interesting findings from ArabianBusiness.com Travel Survey 2008

• Gulf residents are among world’s most traveled – 4 out of 5 travel to at least 2 countries in a year
• Saudi Arabian residents are the Gulf’s most frequent global travelers, 4.65% of visit 21 or more countries in a year; Omanis most likely to travel to between two and five countries
• Saudis spend the most on travel
• Kuwaitis spend most on their vacations
• Emirates is the most preferred airline
• Culture, sightseeing and comfort for the family are the most important facets of a vacation for Gulf travelers
• People in Qatar take the longest holidays UAE-ites vacation for the shortest period
• Almost three quarters of frequent flyers are unwilling to pay extra for airlines using greener fuels
• Business travellers are key to airline profitability