Wiki article 2: Pi Kappa Phi

I just edited the Wikipedia article Pi Kappa Phi. In the article I amended the history section, adding that the Nu Phi's were trying to gain positions in the Chrestomathic Literary Society.

I feel this is an important edit because it sheds more light on the reasons the founders created the fraternity and with my future edits I intend to paint a fuller picture of the events and circumstances leading up to the founding of Pi Kappa Phi.

On another note my first Wikipedia entry has been removed. I added quoted to the page and apparently there is a Wikiquotes page that contained the same material. Live and learn.

NBA and YouTube Partnership

I found a great article in ClickZ, one of the required blogs for the semester. The article highlighted a new partnership between the NBA and the Internet site YouTube, which is owned by Google. YouTube subscribers are asked to submit video clips of themselves showing off their moves. The videos will be judged and the top ten will be showcased on the site throughout the rest of the 2006-2007 season. "Under the partnership, the NBA is also working with YouTube parent Google to test the distribution of syndicated NBA video content across Google’s AdSense network. The test will allow publishers to receive syndicated clips of NBA games and other content, paired with advertising and served by Google." According to an NBA spokesman, "Our key thing for doing this deal is it's a great opportunity to provide our fans the ability to share in their passion for the game with their best moves on YouTube. It's a unique way to reach our fans."

This partner demonstrates the trend of marketers going online to reach customers. The Internet with sites like YouTube that have cult-like followings is the medium of the 21st century. With TV viewership down and other forms of advertising yielding spotty results, the Internet is quickly becoming a surefire way to connect with customers. The fact that an organization as old as the NBA is partnering with an Internet site less than two years old, speaks to the power and opportunity these sites hold. Today businesses (the NBA is as much a business as it is a sports league) are looking to connect with customers on a personal level. The mass marketing of the 1950's is out, requiring marketers to tailor their product and marketing strategies to the individual. The Internet allows a company, like the NBA, to do this. By creating fan involvement and showcasing their enthusiasm for the game, the NBA is connecting with fans on a whole new level and utilizing the most important medium to come along since television.

Open Source Products

While looking through the updated blogs under the 'required blogs' list, I came upon an article titled Upping the Hackability. I immediately thought the article was about some software or website that was losing its edge against hackers, but what it really talked about was a new wave of "open source" products that are hitting the market. The article highlighted two products, Open Cola and Free Beer, whose producers have made the ingredients and recipes available to the public, allowing consumers to manufacture the beverages themselves. This may be counter intuitive for most marketing oriented people, as the companies are essentially creating their own competition. However, the consumer involvement that the products generate is something buyers are flocking to.

This concept of consumer involvement is something that we explored in BUAD 473, Consumer Behavior. Today's consumer is more informed than ever before (thanks in large part to the Internet). As a result of this information control, consumers are looking to become more involved in their product consumption, whether this means pumping their own gas, ringing up their own groceries, or any other range of activities. "Open source" products offer a new level of participation that involves the consumer from start to finish. While this does not mean McDonald's is going to start telling customers how to make their own Big Mac or Whirlpool is going to instructing buyers on how to build their own washing machine, certain companies have found a niche in making the consumer a part of the value chain.

Dumb and Dumber edit #1

Today I edited my first Wikipedia article, Dumb and Dumber. For my edit I created a "Quotes" section in the article. I decided to add this section because Dumb and Dumber is full of great quotes which people, including myself, use and joke about all the time. I hope this is well received by the community. There were several other edits done to this article, made in the recent past, that were similar to mine. As a side note, it took a little while to get the hang of the format, especially HTML. I still have some work to do before I get to be comfortable with it, but I'm sure by the end of the semester I will be fully accustomed to the format. Tip: Use the tools the site provides.

Blog Purpose

The purpose of this blog is to create a forum for discussion regarding the class BUAD 477, Information Technology Applications in Marketing. The scope of the class is to familiarize us with the new direction technology, the internet especially, is taking the field of marketing. I feel the class will be a great benefit and will give us an edge in the job market when it comes to applying the skills we acquire. I am excited to learn more about this topic and to bolster my abilities using the technology we'll be discussing.

Entry with Link

Since I didn't include a link in my first entry, here it is.

Test Entry

Test: 843 pm