Have you noticed that when you type something in Google some advertisements show at the right? Do you ever click there? Do you know what is that?

Okay, let’s have a quick overview about what are those advertisements that show when you look for information in Google. They are called Google AdWords: an advertisement that usually displays local information and deals.

But, you should be thinking how does it work… It is very easy! You create your advertisement and choose keywords, which are words or phrases related to your business. When people search on Google using one of the keywords, the advertisement may appear next to the search results. Moreover, the good point is that you only pay if people click on you ad!

Please visit the link of Google AdWords:
www.google.com/AdWords

Hope you like the tool!

Aurora Simon
27^th February 2012

Primary and secondary researches are essential tools for marketing and e-marketing. The Internet has enabled us to achieve a larger amount of information in less time. Specifically, in this post I would like to write about some sites that allow launching online surveys. After that, all results are displayed and graphed. Please note that surveys can contain both quantitative and qualitative research

The good news are that most of them have a free version!
You can also upgrade the free version for a fee!

I have used those sites for a Strategic Marketing Plan for a waste management company and for a Human Resources project at my last internship. Results were always impeccable and demonstrated a high level of professionalism.

The Spanish site that I used was:
http://www.e-encuesta.com

But there are many other sites in English:
http://kwiksurveys.com
http://www.esurveyspro.com
http://www.makesurvey.net

I am convinced that these sites will make your research easier!

Aurora Simon
19/02/89

Sonar is the festival of advanced music and multimedia art that takes place at various venues in Barcelona (Spain) in the third week of June since 1994.
 Sonar is a pioneering festival that is unique in terms of its format and content.

For the Sonar 2008, the festival carried out an amazing viral marketing campaign.

The image of Sonar 2008 was mainly in video format and can be seen on the Internet. It consists on home video format recording, filmed in a mysterious location and showing beings with a disconcerting genetic make-up that are half human and half animal.

The videos were shot in the back of a “genetic experimentation” laboratory in a remote location in central China. The beings that were the results of bimolecular experimentation were filmed in this setting. The ultimate objective of these experiments was to create a new species of pet like those that used to be exhibited in travelling circuses, like the alligator woman or snake boy.

These videos were gradually uploaded, as viral marketing, to a fake website and in YouTube, with no links to the Sonar festival made clear. The result has been spectacular – there were 180,000 hits in only two days, it was no. 13 in the YouTube “Most Viewed” ranking” and no. 3 in the Science and Technology section.

Please check out the videos!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdyPG_yuKRk&feature=related
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XrAYaFRWZE&feature=endscreen&NR=1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6ma10EpMMQ&feature=related
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z95m3exh8ok&feature=related

Related Links:
www.sonar.es
http://flyingflyer.wordpress.com/2008/05/29/sonar-2008/

Aurora Simon
8th February 2012

The Four Ps of the traditional Marketing are product, price, placement, promotion. However, the Internet and the opportunity to use the e-Marketing tool generated the need of introducing a fifth P, People. As we can see, now, people can become part of the marketing strategy. They have the chance of participating in the process. Therefore, market needs can be satisfied more efficiently as the communication between the company and the market has a new channel.

It is important to outline that the communication is bilateral! Businesses can talk to the market and the market can talk to the organizations. It is the first time in history that people can openly express themselves. This is due to the Web 2.0, web applications that facilitate participatory information sharing and collaboration on the World Wide Web. Thus, now there is the opportunity of creating personalized profiles in companies Websites and create customized products. Internet is allowing personalization until the end.

Please, check out the Converse web where you can customize your shoe:

http://www.converse.com/?csid=1#/landing/create

Aurora Simon

07/02/2012

Everybody that studies Commerce or Business knows who is Michael Porter and uses the 5 forces model among other tools and theories along their degree. In general, students and the world believe that he is the father of the new competition model and company strategy.

However, can a Guru like Porter be wrong in some aspects? Can he be criticized with fundaments? Lets have a look at his statements about the Internet and its impact to businesses and strategies.

Our Guru points out that the Net is not a break from the past, it is just complementary to companies’ core strategies. Therefore, he understands that the winning companies will be those that focus on their robust advantages based on traditional strength. He says that the starting point of strategy is vertical integration.

This argument has been deeply discussed by Don Tapscott. He argues that the Interned is totally new since it is ubiquitous and it is able to provide more information to customers and deliver more real value. Moreover, he says that Porter constructs its theories taking for granted that resources are only generated internally while the Net is a key resource that does not belong to them. In short, he believes that the Internet is a business model innovation.

Who is right and who is wrong? It is obvious that it is difficult for Porter to fit the revolution of Internet into his traditional theories famous around the world. He needs to back them up until the end. On the other hand, Tapscott is convinced of the new economic paradigm based on the Net. We have to opposite points of views and one single reality. From my modest point of view, I consider that companies need to concentrate in their core strengths at the same time that they include the Net in their strategy. I am sure that the traditional advantages and the Interned can generate relevant synergies and lead the world to a new economy based on the knowledge of the past and the inputs of the future.

http://www.strategy-business.com/article/19911?gko=e37c4e
06/02/2012
Aurora Simon Zorrilla