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Print. Here at Digital Times we’re often asked why we have a print magazine. The simple answer is print rocks, well, if you can make it read well and look good it does. Here’s a recent video that caught our eyes. It’s a book by French graphic designer Marion Bataille entitled ABC3D. Pop up books have been around for centuries, but this is more of a movable book. The fancy term for such work is biblio-origami.
A digital agency in the UK, BLM Quantum, claims it has launched the world’s first ’social affiliate’ tool – a widget that combines social media and affiliate marketing. Essentially it will allow people with social network pages to host ads from nominated brands and earn revenue whenever a sale is driven from their social network page or blog.
This widget, “will open up affiliate marketing beyond typical channels to anyone who has a web space. Brands benefit by aligning with sites run by fans who are more likely to drive a sale, while site owners can generate revenues from their Facebook page or blog,” says Dan Clays, managing director of BLM Quantum.
To access the widget, publishers can sign up and download a dashboard to track the sales generated through their web page. The Quantum dashboard plugs into the Affiliate Window network reporting system. An online PR and blogger outreach campaign will launch the ’social affiliate’ tool to drive awareness and encourage downloads. This will be supported by an online media campaign later this spring. Domino’s Pizza is the first brand to trial the tool.
EuroCloud Ireland, the first Irish cloud computing representative body, has started operations in Ireland. It will be an organisation “for the cloud computing community as a whole while working with the public to enhance its understanding of the role, capabilities and importance of cloud technologies,” says Noel Shannon, EuroCloud Ireland’s chairman.
EuroCloud Ireland plans to, among other things, provide policy statements on cloud computing best practice, conduct periodic surveys to gauge how the industry in Ireland is competing effectively, use sub-groups to research specific topics and issue white papers and provide a framework where service providers can benchmark themselves against industry best practice.
EuroCloud, a European network of cloud computing communities, includes vendors and industry experts and has a presence in 15 other European countries.
Further details can be found at http://www.eurocloud.org or it can be followed on twitter via www.twitter.com/eurocloud.
Psychologists have tried for years to research the science of relationship chemistry and determine why people become friends, join groups and how people are attracted to each other, writes Sabina Piter.
Traditionally, the first thing we notice when we meet people is their physical appearance. This aspect of connecting with others is lacking in the digital environment. However, the fact that the online venue still provokes and generates connections in a vast and profound way, bridging the gaps of time and distance, is possibly a proof that we’ve been doing it wrong all along.
The web has made interactions with others extremely easy and by connecting with others whose ideas, values or beliefs you share and are willing to disseminate, you become a part of a tribe. Groups, as opposed to tribes, are one or more people who can be brought together mostly by the need for compliance.
Compliance is largely met in work environments, for instance, where you may or may not agree with the behaviours of the group, but you go along with them. Acceptance, on the other hand is largely about embracing the values and behaviours of a group and this is what defines a tribe– that profound connection people believe it’s worth spreading. And being connected is why we’re all in for.
Tribes are formed around an idea, that encourages members to connect and spread this idea or take it further, perhaps even lighting the flame of a change.
In one way or another we’re all part of a tribe. Some may love dancing or music, others could be passionate about painting or comedy. Whatever our passion is, all the blogs we read and comment on, all the tweets we send out there, all the groups we join and all the posts we share on Facebook related to what we’re passionate about, make us part of that tribe.
The Love Lab and the Connector Tribes event, which took place at the Science Gallery this February, sent out the message that what matters is the way in which we connect and share our passions with people within the tribe and those outside it. Let’s connect further and spread the ideas of our tribes.
Sabina Piter is a social media enthusiast, has been involved in sales and marketing for the past five years, is currently pursuing a MA in Marketing in Dublin and writing her dissertation on the subject of social media and how it has radically changed the consumer – brand communication and interaction.
Bing targets UK market with ad campaign
Written by Digital Times
Microsoft is going to spend millions of pounds in the UK advertising its search engine Bing. Above is just one of the ads. Google has 90% of the UK’s search engine market. It will be interesting to see how the ads will perform on a viral level as well as how much impact they’ll have on that enormous Google share of market (GSM).