Why does TV advertising suck?

TV advertising is a massive form of marketing for a large number of businesses. It presents companies with the opportunity to reach a mass market with a universal message or promotion of their product or service.  Now i'm all for a really cooly advert, but i am increasingly finding myself annoyed by them rather than persuaded or influenced. This often results in me forward winding through adverts whenever i get the opportunity to do so. Why does TV advertising suck you ask? Well i have a few reasons, and i'm sure you do too, but for the sake of this blog post, here are mine:

Time

TV advertisements just seem to go on forever and consequently disrupt the viewing of programmes that people are emotionally and materially (time) invested in. They say that on average the amount of time TV advertisements actually take up between programmes is about 4 minutes, in an hour long program that's 16 minutes! There are so many advertisements on TV that it may lead you to question as to whether you have actually taken any information in. Try recalling all of the adverts that were on in the last advert break you saw and you would probably struggle to remember more than two. 

PPI and Injury Lawyers

Now i know i'm not alone on this one! These incessant adverts not only seem like they are on all the time, but there are so many of these types of companies offering the same service. I can understand that it needs to be constantly pushed due to the nature of the service they are offering, but too much of anything becomes annoying. The adverts are so cringeworthy too, often demonstrating the massive injustice that has been done by leaving a puddle of water on the floor in the workplace. I know for a fact i don't need either of the services provided, but even i start to question myself they are on so much!

Untargeted Ads

Quite simply, there is nothing worse than an advert that is promoting a product that has very little to do with the audience currently watching the TV show. Picture if you will gents, that you are watching a film with more guns and fast cars than James Bond and the Fast and Furious franchise combined yet suddenly, out of nowhere, an ad for high heeled shoes comes on. Are you going to be interested? Probably not. And ladies, imagine you are watching America's Next Top Model and smack bang in the middle of the show is an advert for mens shaving foam. Again, you're probably not going to be that interested.  Despite the fact there has been an increase in targeted ads over the last decade, there is still a great divide between what is relevant to us as an audience and what is shown. In short, untargeted ads do not really benefit anybody!

With all of this being said, i love the occasional creative and intuitive adverts that come on my TV. Feel free to tweet me yours! @bradleygavin

The top 10 coolest apps for iPhone

So, you've just purchased your brand spanking new iPhone and you're looking to personalise it a little. You've picked up the usual suspects for apps, such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, but you want something extra cool to go alongside them.  In light of this, i have compiled a list of 10 of the coolest apps that i believe will be a welcomed addition to your new smartphone. 

1. Shazam - Shazam is a music recognition app that allows you to record a small part of a song in order to identify its title and its artist. If a match can be found you will be provided with its information, alongside a YouTube link and a link through to iTunes so you can purchase the song should you wish to. This app is a lifesaver when you can never quite remember the song that's being played!

2. Mobile Monet - Mobile Monet is a bit of a hidden gem. It essentially converts any picture you upload  into a black and white sketch. From here you can apply colour with a soft blow brush tool, the more that you swipe your finger across the picture the more the colour is applied. You can adjust the brightness, colour shade and more in order to create your very own masterpiece.

3. Expensify - Expensify allows you to manage your expenses in the most efficient way possible. With this app you can track expenses, snap and save pictures of reciepts and create expense reports all on the go. Easy really!

4. Flipboard - Flipboard really is a gorgeous app. The best way it can be described is as your own personal magazine. You choose topics that interest you and the app generates an easy-to-read and easy-to-navigate personalised digital magazine. Should you wish to, you can also connect it to Facebook and Twitter to see what your friends are sharing. Pretty cool!

5. Snapchat - For those of you that have yet to come across the Snapchat phenomenon, it is a quirky photo sharing app with a twist. You take a picture, doodle on it if you want to and you share it with your friends. However they can only view the picture for a maximum of ten seconds and it lets you know if they have taken a screen shot of it. Cheeky!

6. Sonic The Hedgehog Game - This is pure nostalgia, for the child in all of us! The game is a re-mastered mobile version of the classic Sonic The Hedgehog that was first available on Sega Megadrive. It is cool because it will remind you of your past, but is made even cooler by the additional playable characters and the enhanced graphics. 

7. Draw Something 2 - The original Draw Something game had amassed 50 million downloads in its first seven weeks on the app store. The sequel is relatively new, but the concept of drawing something for your friends to guess is still the same. With the sequel comes new drawing tools, and a social feed where you can share your work with all your friends.

8. Google+ - Despite the fact that it is not the most used social network, Google+ has a wonderful interface and allows individuals to see what is trending (similar to Twitter), and start video hangouts with more than one friend. It is not cluttered with ads like Facebook is and it is a delightful way of communicating and sharing with friends.

9. Wall of Sound - This app provides users with a refreshing way of viewing and listening to their music. In essence, it creates a tiled wall of all your songs and their artwork, where with a single tap it will play them, and with a single swipe you can move across the wall. The wall of songs can also be combined with other song previews that are on iTunes and comes with an internal search bar so you can find your favourite songs quickly. Here's a little look at what it looks like: 

10. Sleep Talk - This is one of my favourite apps that has left me in hysterics on many occasions. The Sleep Talk app records all your snores, farts and everything you do in your sleep! The morning after you can listen to what was recorded, but don't worry you don't have to listen to the whole nights sleep in the hope you'll hear something, the app filters out the sleep talking for you. In addition to this you can share your audio clips with others on the usual social media networks, as well as listen to other peoples sleep talking!

I hope this gives you an insight into some of the cool apps that are available on the App Store. With well over 700,000 apps available for download, i'm sure you'll be able to find something that takes to your taste. 

How To Run Competitions On Social Media

Remember the times when the only way of enterting competitions was to call a telephone number, or collect numerous bottle caps? In some cases this is still a prominent way for companies to run competitions, but they currently face an ever-increasing obligation to reach out to consumers online. I mean what better way to interact with consumers? It just makes sense. The internet has facilitated the opportunity for organisations to run competitions across various social media networks, allowing companies to entice an endless number of consumers to participate, without the expensive phone lines! Here is some tips on how to run competitions on social media:

• Make the prize as tempting as possible - You want to ensure that the prize is something that your customers really want. You may want to consider creating a series of prizes, for finalists, runners up and so forth. Alternatively you may way want to make it a one off prize, which conveys that the prize is something of real quality, making it far more desirable. 

• Ensure that you are clear on the objectives of the competition - Do you want to expand your business on Facebook, Twitter or both? Is the ultimate goal to drive more customers to your website? Do you want to obtain more customer e-mails for your database? These are some of the things you need to consider before even running your competition, considering your objectives constantly will help you focus on them without losing track, and consequently, you should see results.

• Remember the rules! - Facebook has some pretty stringent rules for competitions on their website, the first, often missed, is you aren't allowed to run it through your business page, therefore you have to administer it through a Facebook App. Twitter also have rules, for example, you should discourage the creation of multiple accounts so that individuals can enter more than once, failure to meet this rule will result in the accounts being suspended. You're probably thinking "what about Google+?", well unfortunately Google+ do not allow any contests, sweepstake or other such promotions on their website, unless you redirect customers to your website, where of course you hold full responsibility. This may be something that will change but only time will tell.  Below are links for the competition guidelines on the three social media platforms mentioned: 

          http://www.facebook.com/page_guidelines.php

          http://support.twitter.com/articles/68877-guidelines-for-contests-on-twitter

          http://www.google.com/intl/en_uk/+/policy/pagescontestpolicy.html

• Use what is available to you - The most effective way to get people involved with your competitions is to make it as easy as possible for them to post their responses and share with others. Eventually you'll be able to create a ripple effect, reaching a great number of both current and potential customers. Introduce the use of the 'hashtag' and encourage customers to like and share your post as a form of entry, baring in mind that Facebook won't allow you to use the 'like' button as a voting mechanism. Despite its difficulty, you might want to run your contests across various platforms to further your outreach, Twitter and Instagram may be a good place to start, as they sit nicely alongside each other with the same adoption of the 'hashtag'. 

• Be creative - New social media networks and sharing apps are making it increasingly easier to reach customers and offer you the chance to make creative competitions. Vine is a new app that allows people to create short videos of anything they want, so think about how you can encourage them to be creative in the use of your product as a method of entry? Vine also adopt the 'hashtag', so they can post and share!

Remember that anyone can post a multiple choice question online, be different, be creative, be fun and reap the rewards!

The Top 10 Sports People On Social Media.

Since the rapid growth of social media networks in the last half decade, there has been a plethora of sports personalities that have looked to engage with their fans online. But what makes a good online sports personality, and why should you follow them, like them or add them to your circles? Is it someone that is a little bit controversial, someone humorous, or somebody that shares what there everyday life is really like?

Some sports people take to the online gauntlet in order to clarify stories that have been, in their eyes, misinterpreted by the media. Joey Barton, an ex Queens Park Rangers player is one of many football players to take to Twitter to communicate his opinions. It has often left him in hot water, with the FA having punished him in the past for unprofessional comments. Alas, he seems determined to continue his controversial remarks and for this reason he is an amusing, yet under everything extremely intelligent individual, and this is what makes him incredibly appealing.

Perhaps an athlete that takes to their social media profiles to promote competitions and share pictures is what you are looking for. One excellent example of someone who does this is Cristiano Ronaldo, the most liked football player on Facebook and the most followed athlete on Twitter. He tweets in Spanish and English, offering regular competitions to win an array of goodies, including match tickets and signed memorabilia. 

An insight into the lives off of the pitch or court is what many individuals look for when associating themselves with their sports heroes online. Some of the most scrutinised athletes such as Serena Williams, Lebron James, and Mike Tyson often post pictures on both Twitter and Instagram, giving us the audience a look into their personal lives. It is a cool way for them to interact with their fans on a more personal level and for this reason they are well worth looking out for on the internet.

Despite the fact it isn't the first sport in this country, there are three particular wrestlers across all of the social networks that i consider to be in the top ten sports people online. Dwayne Johnson (The Rock), John Cena and Michael Hickenbottom (Shawn Michaels) all heavily engage with their fans online. In my eyes they also offer something a little different, which is the ability to inspire through motivational quotes both from themselves and other pages that people can then also engage with. You don't have to enjoy wrestling to enjoy these profiles and that is what makes them so great. On the other hand, if you grew up watching them as i did, they are still as appealing as ever, and this is why i have included them in my top ten sports personalities on the web.

Another two sports people that are a particular favourite online are Rory McIlroy and Ian Poulter. Not only do they constantly keep us updated on what they are doing on Twitter, but they take the time to post on Facebook as well. In addition to this, they interact with players of other sports, with Ian Poulter being particularly outspoken of his love for Arsenal Football Club, often engaging in 'banter' with Rio Ferdinand of Manchester United. This makes both individuals extremely interesting to keep tabs on and thus, you should include them in your online interests. 

This is not a perfect list for everyone,  many of us will have various views on what constitutes the 'best' sports profiles online. However this, i believe, is a fantastic place to start as each star has a diverse set of qualities that make them all appealing.

Written by Bradley Gavin - @BradleyGavin

(RED) Bull Press Release

Below is a proposed press release for my market report. Please feel free to leave feedback, like, tweet and share.


It is time for us, you and everybody to help. If you have helped before, help again, and if you haven't helped before, start helping.

Red Bull and the (RED) charity have combined to bring you, our faithful customers a limited edition Red Bull can (as pictured). Each purchase of our wonderful energy drink ensures that 50% of the sale goes towards fighting AIDS and HIV in Africa. By 2015 we believe we can eradicate AIDS in Africa completely, but only with your help.

Visit www.JoinRed.com and our Facebook page for more information. Do your bit and give someone else wings.

About me.

I thought I would use this opportunity in between lectures at university to fully introduce myself on my blog.

I'm currently 22 and studying Marketing at Southampton Solent University. I was born in West London and lived in that area till I was 17. I attended a pretty average high school and sixth form but i took what I needed from it.

From there I went and coached football on the east coast of America, at the tender age of 18. I actually applied for this on a bit of a whim, but before I knew it I was coaching a football session and paying out what seemed like endless amounts of money for the visa process. With that being said, it was the best thing I have ever done. I met so many great people and got to visit Alabama, Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Conneticut, Ohio and New York. I couldn't believe my luck in going to New York, it is something ill never forget.

So I had just had this amazing 5 month summer and now I was back home and still a little unsure of what to do with myself. I picked up some work at a local toy chain called The Entertainer, I had a lot of fun working here but the work soon became repetitive and I needed to get away. In light of this I decided to head back out to America again and work for 9 months. This time around I got even luckier with where I ended up. I spent two months in Las Vegas, a significant amount of time in various parts or California, two weeks in Hawaii (I know what you're thinking and yes it is beautiful there), and lastly I spent some time in Arizona and New Mexico. What made my experience in America really special was the fact I didn't just stay in hotels for my whole trip. American families would actually host a coach in order for their child to go free for a week on the camp. It was amazing to share all of these cultural differences and every time I left a family I actually felt quite emotional. Let me tell you, you can never grow tired of being told that your accent makes you that much more attractive!

That brings me to where I am in my life now, I have not long completed my first year at university and have swiftly moved onto my second. I am extremely determined to succeed in obtaining my degree and travel some more. I once met somebody who said that before he dies he wants to become friends with an individual in every continent on the globe. This has now become a personal goal of mine, particularly as he became a very good friend. Sadly he passed away last year, but he has had a massive influence on me. It's the little things that make all the difference.

I hope this gives you a little insight into how I got to where I am today. Please feel free to contact me on twitter, Google+ or Facebook! Ill

Bradley

(RED) Product Survey

Hi everyone.

I keep going on, but if you could all take some time out to complete this survey for my marketing project it would be much appreciated.

http://fluidsurveys.com/surveys/mkt462/tesrt/

Bradley