tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81050712024-03-07T13:22:54.626-08:00Joseph MorinMy blog featuring ramblings on my travels, Internet marketing, strategy, social media, Internet marketing conferences and other random observations.Joseph Morinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17194492764364015315noreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8105071.post-66117266441633908502010-06-09T11:19:00.000-07:002010-06-25T11:52:06.328-07:00Launching New Start Up - Social Rewards Where Loyalty Marketing meets Social MediaThis month I will be launching a new start up. I guess as a serial entrepreneur its hard to not always be thinking about companies or a new way to do things. This new company was born out of a long term relationship I've had with my high school best friend, Tatsuo (Mike) Uesugi. Over 20 years ago, Mike and I attended Western Christian High School in Covina, CA and even though he spoke little English at the time, we became fast friends as I sat behind him in English class during our Sophomore year. We eventually became roommates after high school and Mike went on to fame working at both Apple and IBM, helping Apple design the first Japanese language KanjiTalk OS for the Mac.<br /><br />I went in another direction, becoming a private investigator and starting my own detective agency but enjoying the tech sector, the start up process and then running my own tech companies. Eventually the start up bug hit Mike and he founded Global Micro Solutions, doing integration work for just about every Japanese company doing business here in the US and growing to over 50 employees in 5 countries. Last year, Mike approached me with an idea regarding merging affiliate marketing with social media and I was hooked joining him as an advisor on building out a back end for a yet unnamed company. I was exiting my last business - Storybids, had stopped SEO consulting and had just taken on a stint as VP of Search and Social Marketing for Fly.com - a new Travel meta search engine which was funded entirely by Travelzoo (NASDAQ: TZOO) but the entrepreneurial bug wouldn't stop biting me.<br /><br />I left Fly.com last month and joined Mike full time as CEO and Co-Founder at the now named <a href="http://socialrewards.com/">Social Rewards, Inc.</a> which we have built into <a href="http://socialrewards.com/">social media based loyalty marketing programs </a>that reward consumers with a brand's own loyalty program points for engaging in social media activity such as brand mentions via Twitter, Foursquare check-ins and Facebook likes and fan activity.<br /><br />This grew out of our own simple desires to be rewarded with loyalty points for tweeting about brands that we already loved, we are both extreme travelers, he a Diamond Level at Japan Airlines and myself as an Executive Platinum with American Airlines, a Silver Premier with US Airways, a Starwood Platinum and Fairmont Silver President's Club member. I've also become enamored with both jetBlue and Virgin America since US Airways pulled out of John Wayne airport for flights to Las Vegas and AA stopped going to the San Francisco Bay area.<br /><br />I had become familiar with the social media benefits of rewarding influential online consumers with products via the '<a href="http://equitymind.blogspot.com/2007/11/like-las-vegas-shows-i-have-tickets.html">Blogger's Night Out</a>' promotion that I did during the PubCon Internet Marketing Conference in 2007 where we gave away 500 tickets to major Las Vegas shows such as Spamalot, Blue Man Group and Cirque du Soleil. It was a huge success and evolved into Tweet4Tix that I continued to run during BlogWorld and Pubcon conferences over the last three years. The hard part was coming up with a business model on how to reward consumers for blogging and then ultimately tweeting activity and for three years I met with brands and partners and pondered the logistics of first theatre tickets and then movie tickets online for rewarding online brand mentions.<br /><br />Early last year I stumbled upon a little start up called <a href="http://www.klout.com/">Klout</a> that was barely 4 months old and just getting ramped up. I emailed their CEO, Joe Fernandez and after a few meetings, he and his Co-Founder Binh Tranh figured that I could do what I said I could do and started the process of opening a lot of doors for them both from clients to investors as an official member of the Klout Advisory Board. Eventually I began to see how both Mike's software for affiliate marketing via social media and how Klout's online influencer analytical tools could be merged into the business model that I had been pondering for three years with the Tweet4Tix concept. Now we could identify influential online consumers using Klout and reward them for brand mentions using Mike's nearly completed back end CMS with the most obvious choice of online currency - loyalty program points. Social Rewards was born.<br /><br />Now with our software finalized and ready to go, we launch this month, please wish us luck. ;)Joseph Morinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17194492764364015315noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8105071.post-5262427116741975022009-10-04T11:59:00.000-07:002009-10-12T11:07:43.474-07:00*OFFICIAL* Blog World Expo Party, Tweetup & Events ScheduleThe time is now upon us as we gather for the 3rd annual <a href="http://www.blogworldexpo.com/">Blog World Expo</a> and the 2009 conference has grown by leaps and bounds and this year's Las Vegas nightlife is no different. This year we bring you not only a solid conference and exhibition hall bigger and better than ever before but a party schedule that even the most hard charging party reveler will blink at. Keep checking back here as well, because I will be updating this post with new information and late breaking news as we add other events and get more information on these events. We present to you - your evening festivities:<br /><br />Be sure to RSVP!!!<br /><h1><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">Wednesday, October 14, 2009</span></span></h1><br /><h2><span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="http://lvhiltonblog.eventbrite.com/">TheLasVegasTweetup.com & @LasVegasHilton Tweetup</a></span></h2><br />Time: 6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.<br /><br />Location: Tempo Lounge (inside The Las Vegas Hilton)<br /><h1><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">Thursday, October 15, 2009</span></span></h1><br /><h2><a href="http://tweet4tix.com/"><strong>America's Got Talent Tweetup @ Planet Hollywood</strong></a></h2><br /><script src="http://twtvite.com/js/badge.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <script src="http://twtvite.com/badge/?twt=5vgxw1" type="text/javascript"></script><br /><h2><a href="http://twtvite.com/td8n2w">Falls Mall Bar Tweetup</a></h2><br /><script src="http://twtvite.com/js/badge.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <script src="http://twtvite.com/badge/?twt=td8n2w" type="text/javascript"></script><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><h2><span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=153919007553&index=1" target="_blank">Techset and BlogWorld After Hours Party</a></span></h2><br />Time: 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.<br /><br />Location: <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">The Bank (Inside Bellagio Hotel)</span></span><br /><br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></span><br /><h1><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">Friday, October 16, 2009</span></span></h1><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span><br /><h2><span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="http://blogworldexpo09.sched.org/event/3c46838b205153fa8e88988518fb3a18">BlogWorld Opening Night Party</a></span></h2><br />Time: 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.<br /><br />Location: Jet Nightclub (inside Mirage Hotel)<br /><h2><a href="http://tweetbash.com/">TweetBash! @ Lavo @ Palazzo</a></h2><br /><script src="http://twtvite.com/js/badge.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <script src="http://twtvite.com/badge/?twt=egmhhj" type="text/javascript"></script><br /><h1><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);font-size:100%;" >Saturday, October 17, 2009</span><br /></span></span></h1><br /><h2><span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="http://tweetuplv.com/">Las Vegas Hilton Poolside BBQ Tweetup</a></span></h2><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span><br /><h3><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span></h3><br /><h3><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span></h3><br /><script src="http://twtvite.com/js/badge.js" type="text/javascript"></script><script src="http://twtvite.com/badge/?twt=e3cl6y" type="text/javascript"></script><a href="http://grandtweetup.com/"><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span></a><br /><h2><a href="http://grandtweetup.com/">Grand Tweetup! at Studio 54</a></h2><br /><script src="http://twtvite.com/js/badge.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <script src="http://twtvite.com/badge/?twt=de8qrz" type="text/javascript"></script><br /><br />See everyone there!<br /><h2><a href="http://twtvite.com/azw6k3" target="_blank">TechKaraoke Shenanigans Tweetup</a></h2><br /><script src="http://twtvite.com/js/badge.js" type="text/javascript"></script><br /><script src="http://twtvite.com/badge/?twt=azw6k3" type="text/javascript"></script><br /><em><a href="http://twitter.com/josephmorin"><em>- Joseph Morin (Your BlogWorld Party Guide)</em></a></em><br /><br /><em><em><br /></em></em>Joseph Morinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17194492764364015315noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8105071.post-62152738406462998622009-08-23T11:46:00.000-07:002009-08-24T08:14:59.553-07:00Hosting BlogWorld / PubCon Las Vegas TweetupI'll be hosting a Tweetup in Las Vegas on August 26th at <a href="http://www.planethollywoodresort.com/ntl_koiLounge.php">Koi</a> @ <a href="http://www.planethollywoodresort.com/">Planet Hollywood Las Vegas Hotel and Casino</a> (Mezzanine level by Strip House Steak House). Guests of honor will be Rick Calvert, CEO of <a href="http://www.blogworldexpo.com/">Blog World Expo</a> and Brett Tabke, CEO of <a href="http://ww.pubcon.com/">PubCon</a>. As an added treat Felipe Coimbra, the Founder of <a href="http://www.twtapps.com/">TwtApps</a> and <a href="http://www.twtvite.com/">TwtVite</a> will be in from Montreal and it's also my buddy Nick Raba's birthday.<br /><br />We have availability for 50 and Koi will give out a free shot to those that mention they are following <a href="http://twitter.com/phvegas">@phvegas</a> on Twitter. There will also be 1/2 price drink and appetizer specials during the happy hour.<br /><br />The event will take place from 5:00 to 7:00 so if you're in town (Las Vegas) come on down! RSVP on the TwtVite to the right (sidebar) and also be sure to <a href="http://twitter.com/josephmorin">follow me on Twitter</a>.Joseph Morinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17194492764364015315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8105071.post-85132074070592973182009-05-20T14:37:00.000-07:002009-05-20T14:46:57.090-07:00Animated Short Film via GraffitiThis is the craziest short film project I have seen. The entire animation sequence is done via murals on outdoor and indoor walls in Buenos Aires.<br /><br /><object width="400" height="300"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=993998&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1"><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=993998&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="300"></embed></object><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/993998">MUTO a wall-painted animation by BLU</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/blu">blu</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>Joseph Morinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17194492764364015315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8105071.post-26377992538183290452009-05-01T10:13:00.001-07:002009-05-01T10:13:11.382-07:00Hummingbird mom and baby in nest at night<div style="text-align: left; padding: 3px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/15110539@N05/3491936210/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3648/3491936210_5e2e19272d.jpg" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" alt="" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/15110539@N05/3491936210/">Hummingbird mom and baby in nest at night</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/15110539@N05/">equitymind</a>.</span></div><p>Hummingbirds in my front yard taken completely dark at night with Nikon Speedlight 900 flash by holding camera high over my head and guessing where to aim - complete luck with this photo!<br /><br />Taken with Nikon D90, 18MM - 200MM VR Nikkor Lens, F/ 5.6, Exposure 1/60 sec., ISO 800</p>Joseph Morinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17194492764364015315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8105071.post-60228143422296800752009-04-10T13:19:00.000-07:002009-04-14T19:22:18.262-07:00Start Up Tips #1: Picking the Right Domain NameI'm always referencing this list when I do strategy consulting for Start Ups so I thought I'd repeat it here as both a tip and as a Friday Funny:<br /><br />This list comes from <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://independentsources.com/2006/07/12/worst-company-urls/">Independent Sources</a>:<br /><br />1. A site called ‘<span style="font-weight: bold;">Who Represents</span>‘ where you can find the name of the agent that represents a celebrity. Their domain name… wait for it… is<br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.whorepresents.com/">www.whorepresents.com</a><br /><br />2. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Experts Exchange</span>, a knowledge base where programmers can exchange advice and views at<br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.expertsexchange.com/">www.expertsexchange.com</a><br /><br />3. Looking for a pen? Look no further than <span style="font-weight: bold;">Pen Island</span> at<br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.penisland.net/">www.penisland.net</a><br /><br />4. Need a therapist? Try <span style="font-weight: bold;">Therapist Finder</span> at<br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.therapistfinder.com/">www.therapistfinder.com</a><br /><br />5. Then of course, there’s the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Italian Power Generator</span> company…<br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.powergenitalia.com/">www.powergenitalia.com</a><br /><br />6. And now, we have the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Mole Station Native Nursery</span>, based in New South Wales:<br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.molestationnursery.com/">www.molestationnursery.com</a><br /><br />7. If you’re looking for computer software, there’s always<br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.ipanywhere.com/">www.ipanywhere.com</a><br /><br />8. Welcome to the <span style="font-weight: bold;">First Cumming Methodist Church</span>. Their website is<br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.cummingfirst.com/">www.cummingfirst.com</a><br /><br />9. Then, of course, there’s these brainless art designers, and their whacky website:<br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.speedofart.com/">www.speedofart.com</a><br /><br />10. Want to holiday in <span style="font-weight: bold;">Lake Tahoe</span>? Try their brochure website at<br /><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.gotahoe.com/">www.gotahoe.com</a><br /><br />;)Joseph Morinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17194492764364015315noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8105071.post-24719587037633987652009-03-19T11:56:00.001-07:002009-03-19T11:56:56.866-07:00Optimism And Opportunity At SXSWI strongly agree - the majority of people I know in digital media make things happen on their own and don't rely upon an employer to secure their future. Why worry about a job when you can work for shorts stints of time or work for three or four companies at once - all from home? It seems project based is the way to go from what I was observing at SXSW. I definitely didn't see signs of a recessions during the past week.<br/><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steve-rosenbaum/optimism-and-opportunity_b_176846.html?show_comment_id=22117826">Read the Article at HuffingtonPost</a>Joseph Morinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17194492764364015315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8105071.post-85939437058961820962008-10-17T18:19:00.000-07:002008-10-18T18:28:43.740-07:00Storybids Hosts Dinner for Filmmakers in NYCMy company <a href="http://www.storybids.com/">Storybids</a> recently hosted a dinner along with <a href="http://www.indiegogo.com/">IndieGOGO</a> during Indie Film Week in New York City. Among the Guests were Actress <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001159/">Faye Dunaway</a>, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0394046/">Ted Hope</a> - Executive Producer of 21 Grams, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0358475/">Lance Hammer</a> winner of The Directing Award and Best Cinematography for his film 'Ballast' at the Sundance Film Festival and <a href="http://foureyedmonsters.com/">Arin Crumley</a> and <a href="http://foureyedmonsters.com/">Susan Buice</a> whose film Four Eyed Monsters has won numerous awards. The purpose of the dinner was to collaborate in an informal setting and discuss new ways for distribution for DIY filmmakers and challenges within the indie film making community. The theme was 'When Internet and Films Collide'. The dinner was filmed as part of a three part reality series that will be released on the web in the coming weeks so more to come.<br /><br />Here are some of the attendees of the dinner:<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1bYrtwOScwSw4SfF5ALY7As2AIz3WRn4oP5VkIUcdacntaem4hizs46vyJjpvomYmEQlVdwD_au5s3TKFZ9ZxN2CcVJJsWg6UQL8q0T9mqy5Mmz91Z0WC0_RjXwJmy3Ho4NXN/s1600-h/SANY0004.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1bYrtwOScwSw4SfF5ALY7As2AIz3WRn4oP5VkIUcdacntaem4hizs46vyJjpvomYmEQlVdwD_au5s3TKFZ9ZxN2CcVJJsWg6UQL8q0T9mqy5Mmz91Z0WC0_RjXwJmy3Ho4NXN/s400/SANY0004.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5258670362806685714" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Watch the trailer for Arin and Susan's film 'Four Eyed Monsters' here:<br /><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/mSDpt8AP1Dg&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/mSDpt8AP1Dg&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Joseph Morinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17194492764364015315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8105071.post-68849675304626801512008-05-06T20:19:00.000-07:002008-06-21T18:37:55.874-07:00Storybids Product Placement Marketplace Launches!I've been real quiet lately. I haven't blogged. I've missed the last three major Internet marketing conferences that I'm normally known to be a fixture at. I resigned as the SES party director. My travel schedule, while still fairly consistent, now includes more meetings than conferences. I've dropped 95% of my SEO clients and now just refer new inquiries over to my Partner at Boost Search Marketing - <a href="http://www.aaronshear.com/">Aaron Shear</a>.<br /><br />I've been busy.<br /><br />Other than working with Brett Tabke on the upcoming <a href="http://www.pubcon.com/">PubCon</a> this coming November (yes, no conflicts this year), the majority of my time has been spent working on my newest venture - Storybids. What Storybids does is provide a <a href="http://www.storybids.com"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">marketplace for product placement advertising</span></a> within user generated as well as professionally scripted online video. Not so much the kids at a skate park videos as much as the serial mini dramas, the episodic webisodes that are garnering a following. Television programming is moving online and the traditional ways of monetizing video content is changing. Online viewers don't like sitting through 15 or 30 second pre-roll ads. They really don't. Yet there has to be a way to offset production and bandwidth costs. As consumers we have learned to accept banner advertising and even contextual ads near the video content, but don't make us wait while we are also dealing with buffering and jittery playback.<br /><br />Product placement works. If done correctly where its not blatant and done in a way where the brand is integrated into the storyline. A recent Mindshare study shows that viewers react negatively to interruptive TV style ads and attempt to skip them whenever possible suggesting that consumers are far more receptive to product placement in online video programming than pre- and post-roll advertising. PQ Media released a study in February, 2007 that showed spending on branded entertainment marketing grew 14.7% to an all time high of $22.3 billion in 2007 and is projected to increase by another 13.9% in 2008 to $25.41 billion driven by product placement, event sponsorship/marketing, and advergaming/webisodes.<br /><br />This is why the idea came to me to incorporate a proven business model in the offline world to the online advertising world except the pricing gets better and it can literally get to the point where anyone will be able to advertise in this fashion. Remember GoTo? Before Yahoo Search and Overture, GoTo brought Internet advertising to small business advertisers. In the early days of the internet before GoTo, if you wanted to advertise online you had to cut portal deals with Netscape, AOL or Doubleclick which priced out small business owners. The same scenario exists today with product placement advertising in traditional television. In order to effectively get your brand messaging out there, a brand needs to forge alliances with a television network via a product placement agency and that agency typically represents one brand in an industry (a product placement agency couldn't represent both Nike and Reebok in attempting to secure a product placement deal for instance).<br /><br />In a marketplace setting, both Nike and Reebok may bid for the same branding opportunity and the true value proposition may be realized as markets dictate the true value of a placement. In an online marketplace, the placement takes on a new life since any company may bid on the opportunity, not just the agency that the studio happens to have a relationship with. In addition, just as when GoTo brought Internet advertising to the masses, an online marketplace like Storybids can bring product placement advertising to the masses and can be done with tracking, analytics and dashboard reporting and also have distribution channels built in and video search optimization techniques built in for increased viewership.<br /><br />So my Storybids business partner Juan Prado and I learned all this while developing the business model and realized that this was not a whole lot different than search advertising and that we could apply the lessons and metrics we had learned doing enterprise level search optimization over the past several years. We landed a 'Series A' round of venture capital financing last August from STN Labs in Toronto and began to put the vision to reality. <a href="http://www.storybids.com/press.html">Which brings us to our launch this week.</a> While it may be a bit of a departure from organic search optimization, it really isn't a whole lot different since we're applying a different twist to some proven business models and hoping to capture an entirely new market while showing video content creators <a href="http://www.storybids.com/howitworks.html">how to get product placement advertising</a> in their videos.<br /><br />Here is a little bit more about our launch as reported on by my good friend and colleague at WebmasterWorld, the very sweet Vanessa Zamora.<br /><br /><object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/hH7EV8XuU2U&hl=en"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/hH7EV8XuU2U&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="355" width="425"></embed></object>Joseph Morinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17194492764364015315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8105071.post-45469372964894186502007-11-28T12:25:00.000-08:002007-11-30T12:26:11.512-08:00Like Las Vegas Shows? I Have Tickets During PubConWe wanted to do something really big and really different for the <a href="http://www.pubcon.com/">WebmasterWorld PubCon conference</a> community this year. A lot of attendees come in early to mingle before the shows and look for things to do and sometimes there are a host of private parties, the trick is finding them. There is also the attendee that isn’t necessarily into the conference party scene but still wants to experience all that Las Vegas has to offer. We also have a very unique type of attendee – the type of attendee that wields considerable influence in the World Wide Web by being very vocal about the types of products and services they consume – the blogger. That type of attendee hasn’t gone unnoticed by several Las Vegas marketers who have banded together to put a rather unusual but unique promotion together for this year’s PubCon.<br /><br />So to put a twist on things, we are excited to announce that we have secured several hundred tickets to some of the best live theatre that Las Vegas has to offer. After years of having conferences in this town we’ve made a few friends and now these friends of ours at venues such as <a href="http://www.blueman.com/ticketinfo/lasvegas/index.shtml">Blue Man Group</a>, <a href="http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/">Cirque Du Soleil</a>, <a href="http://www.mgmgrand.com/">MGM Grand</a>, <a href="http://www.treasureisland.com/">Treasure Island</a> and <a href="http://wynnlasvegas.com/">The Wynn Las Vegas</a> have graciously offered us tickets for our attendees in the hopes that they wouldn’t mind compiling a little review telling them what you think of their shows.<br /><br />In true Hollywood fashion, where press corps get tickets to top rated venues to provide reviews and commentary, we approached these partners with an even better idea – that we have a conference full of the most innovative social media experts out there and armed with an abundance of user generated content and social media channels for which our attendees to build buzz on - the concept was considered a win win for everybody so ‘Bloggers Night Out’ was born.<br /><br />Here is a summary and listing of show times for ‘Bloggers Night Out’ taking place on Monday December 3rd and Tuesday, December 4th.:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Show Information</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.blueman.com/ticketinfo/lasvegas/index.shtml ">Blue Man Group</a><br /><br />Blue Man Group’s critically acclaimed show has been called “visually stunning,” “wildly inventive,” and “hysterically funny.” Although it is almost impossible to describe, people of all ages agree that Blue Man Group’s Venetian Show is an intensely exciting and wildly outrageous experience that leaves the entire audience in a blissful, euphoric state.<br /><br />Blue Man Group takes place nightly in a brand-new 1760-seat theatre built especially for this spectacular show. Join the celebration and see the show that, USA Today calls “an absolutely ecstatic experience” and Time Magazine calls “A Sensation.”<br /><br /><a href="http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/CirqueDuSoleil/en/KA/main.htm ">KA</a><br /><br />KÀ by Cirque du Soleil is an unprecedented theatrical event. A masterpiece in storytelling, KÀ uses acrobatic performances, the thrills and action of martial arts techniques from all over the world, plus innovations in puppetry and multimedia to tell the epic tale of twins on a perilous journey to fulfill their shared destiny.<br /><br />Along the way, the twins confront characters and events representing the opposing forces of good and evil. Before their world comes under attack and collapses around them, the twins receive a magical talisman for protection. As the plot unfolds, danger lies in wait for them at every turn.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.treasureisland.com/pages/ent_mystere.asp ">Mystere</a><br /><br />Looking for some stimulation? Cirque du Soleil will satisfy with more than you could ever imagine at Mystère! Adventure into an entirely different world where fantasies are played out in vivid color right before your very eyes. Come, be part of the dream!<br /><br />Honored eight times as "Best Production Show" by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Mystère has an international cast of 72 performers featuring dancers, singers, musicians and champion-caliber acrobats. The Chicago Tribune called Mystère, "one of the most innovative and exciting shows to be seen anywhere". An intriguing blend of beauty and strength, power and grace, passion and precision… this is Mystère by Cirque du Soleil. Come, live the exoticism! Directed by Franco Dragone.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.wynnlasvegas.com/index.cfm?s=Entertainment&ss=spamAlot ">SPAMALOT</a><br /><br />Tony Winner – Best Musical 2005! Lovingly ripped off from the classic film comedy Monty Python and the Holy Grail, SPAMALOT is a new musical directed by Mike Nichols, with a book by Eric Idle and entirely new score created by Eric Idle and John Du Prez.<br /><br />Telling the Legendary tale of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, and featuring a bevy of beautiful show girls, not to mention cows, killer rabbits and French people, Monty Python’s SPAMALOT “raises silliness to an art form” (The Sunday Times) and has been hailed as “a no-holds-barred smash hit.” (The New Yorker)<br /><br />Times and Tickets<br /><br />Monday, December 3rd 2007<br /><br />7:00 – Mystere<br /><br />8:00 – Blue Man Group<br /><br />8:00 – Spamalot<br /><br />9:30 – Mystere<br /><br />Tuesday, December 4th 2007<br /><br />8:00 – Blue Man Group<br /><br />9:30 – KA<br /><br />9:30 – Mystere<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Rules of the Promotion</span><br /><br />To participate you must be a WebmasterWorld PubCon attendee, and an active editorial or video blogger. You may attend more than one show provided that you write a separate review (i.e. separate blog post) about each show. These tickets are in limited supply and this is a first come first serve opportunity and we reserve the right to deny tickets to any blog or editorial that we deem inappropriate to host a review. Please R.S.V.P. to me here: ‘Joe (at) PubCon (dot) com’ with your full name, URL and the name of your blog or video hosting channel or editorial area where you will be posting your review.<br /><br />We’re looking forward to a great show – see you in Vegas!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">UPDATE 11/30/2007</span><br /><br />All tickets for KA and Mystere are gone! I have a limited supply for Spamalot and Blue Man Group so if you have not RSVP'd or responded to my email request to pick a show, then please do so ASAP as I need to pick up all of these tickets ahead of time.Joseph Morinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17194492764364015315noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8105071.post-43277137038140008552007-08-16T20:04:00.000-07:002007-08-17T06:10:37.202-07:00Yes, I just resigned as SES Official Party CoordinatorWow, thanks for all of the emails for those that read into my post at Search Engine Watch stating that it was my last time posting the *Official* SES Party & Events Schedule. It does mean that I will no longer be the party coordinator for SES. Danny Sullivan <a href="http://blog.searchenginestrategies.com/060203-121856.html">had appointed me SES Party Coordinator</a> back during SES Chicago 2005 after we had endured a conference with no formally planned events and just following a conference (SES San Jose 2005) where either there were multiple events all at once or nights where nothing was planned. I had already been posting a party schedule for the US SES shows since I was moderator of the <a href="http://forums.searchenginewatch.com/forumdisplay.php?f=55">SEM Related Organizations & Events Forum</a> at SEW. Danny just figured I was the guy for the job since I had insight in the social scenes at various conferences and always had a crowd with me going from one social gathering to the next.<br /><br />The appointment entailed working with the search engines directly and with multiple vendors known for throwing great conference bashes to mainly avoid 'party collision' so that the parties flowed well from one to another and didn't overlap too much. It worked well and many event planners and party organizers made sure to check the list or check with me before scheduling their event. For many conferences we had more pageviews of the party thread than for the actual conference session coverage. Kind of puts it into perspective as to where the priorities of the industry lies doesn't it?<br /><br />Even with that obvious importance, we have begun to see a deterioration of social events attached to SES - now what does that mean? I was speaking to someone today about this and she said to me "You know Joe, we're all growing up...". Maybe she was right, perhaps we are maturing as an industry, maybe it just isn't as new anymore and new client acquisition and branding isn't the goal of the engines and vendors and now its managing their brand and working with the audience that they have built. Years past have had a sparring between Google and Yahoo when Google had their GoogleDance and Yahoo rented out Great America Amusement park trying to compete for best conference party. Ask Jeeves retired their butler in style during SES NYC 2006's Code Red party and the revelers drank the bar dry sending the bartenders out to stores to replenish. Industry veterans will remember the Overture bashes and the dull Yahoo parties and how the Yahoo parties suddenly got better after the Overture acquisition. Coincidence? I think not. Remember the GoToast 'After Over' parties? I think those of us San Jose veterans will always remember The Flying Pig and how we drove those poor bartenders crazy.<br /><br />Nowadays it seems to be all private parties as the engines and vendors try and trim their budgets, also the conference grew in size to a point where no one wants to foot the bill for a conference now numbering in the thousands of attendees. Perhaps it's the end of an era, but after compiling this years list and waiting forever for any word whatsoever to compile an even somewhat decent party schedule and getting 'we're only having a private party this show' or 'we aren't doing anything for this show' time and time again plus given that unfortunately <a href="http://equitymind.blogspot.com/2007/04/pubcon-las-vegas-or-ses-chicago.html">PubCon Las Vegas 2007 and SES Chicago 2007 happen to fall during the same week</a> (where I happen to be one of the conference organizers), I now have a good opportunity to relinquish my role as party coordinator and pass the torch on to someone else. I'm not sure who will take over my position or if there will be enough event activity to warrant an 'official person' but I wish them well and I cherish the time that I have spent in this role.<br /><br />See you guys in San Jose!Joseph Morinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17194492764364015315noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8105071.post-9057879309994829912007-08-16T17:29:00.000-07:002007-08-19T17:20:08.418-07:00The OFFICIAL SES San Jose 2007 Party & Events Schedule Has Been PostedI just posted the <a href="http://forums.searchenginewatch.com/showthread.php?t=19241">*Official* Party and Events Schedule for the 2007 Search Engine Strategies Conference (SES)</a> in San Jose.<br /><br />There is one VIP Private party on Monday evening and three private parties on Wednesday nights but here is a recap of all of the public events:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Sunday August 19</span><br /><br />Marriott Bar<br /><br />Downstairs to right of reception at Marriott is usually the place to be.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Monday August 20</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Women In Internet Marketing Luncheon</span><br /><br />Time: 12:30pm - 2:00pm<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Location: The Grill on the Alley</span><br /><br />172 S Market St (at The Fairmont Hotel)<br /><br />Space is limited, to rsvp send an email to Li Evans at smg@searchmarketinggurus.com<br /><br />Monday Evening<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">SEMPO The Search is Right Night</span><br /><br />6:00 - 7:00 PM<br /><br />Come on down to “The Search Is Right Night” Following brief<br />remarks about the state of the organization, attendees are invited to learn how they can get involved with the various SEMPO committees and enter for a chance to win door prizes such as an iPhone, gift certificates and more.<br /><br />The event is open to SEMPO members and non-members alike, so brush up on your Plinko skills!<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Location: Room B at the Conference Facility</span><br /><br />Open Bar.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">SEMPO In-House Search Marketer Networking Event</span><br /><br />7:30 to 9:30 p.m.<br /><br />Drinks and snacks to be provided, but come early or the snacks will run out.<br /><br />This event is for In-House SEMs only. We will be checking folks at the door - agency reps will be politely asked to leave.<br /><br />This event is an excellent opportunity for In-House SEMs to meet and grow their network of contacts. No sense going it alone when there are folks just like you who are happy to share what they know.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Location: St. Claire Hotel</span><br /><br />Tuesday August 21<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">3rd Annual San Jose Classic</span><br /><br />9:00 a.m. to ???<br /><br />Once again, random golfers are welcomed to take some time out from SES San Jose (only if you have a permission slip) and join the organizers of this informal golf outing -- Chris Boggs, Andrew Goodman, John Krystynak -- for 18 holes of rather mellow semi-sporting activity.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Location: Sinnabar Hills, 25 minutes from downtown SJ</span><br /><br />Leave a post on the classic thread if interested.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">AOL Search Lunch</span><br /><br />12:00 - 1:15 p.m.<br /><br />Watch a demo of the new AOL Mobile Search, enjoy free lunch and network with other search engine professionals. Also, enter for a chance to win an iPhone! This free event is open to all registered SES San Jose attendees, but RSVP is required since space is limited. Please bring your SES badge, photo ID and your RSVP confirmation for admittance.<br /><br />Location: Room J (next to the Keynote Hall)<br /><br />RSVP: http://www.ersvp.com/r/aolsearchlunch082107<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Google's GoogleDance VI</span><br /><br />7:00 - 11:00 p.m.<br /><br />Come party the night away at the Google Dance 2007 at SES San Jose.<br /><br />For registered SES attendees, buses will depart from the San Jose Convention Center beginning at 7:00pm and run continuously until 11pm. Parking will be available at the Shoreline Amphitheatre parking lot "C", across the street from the Google campus.<br /><br />**SES badge and photo ID are required for admittance.<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Location: GooglePlex</span><br /><br />1600 Amphitheatre Parkway<br />Mountain View, CA 94043<br /><br />RSVP: http://services.google.com/events/googledance07<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Wednesday Night August 22</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Webmaster Radio's SEARCHBASH 3<br /></span><br />7:00 - ???<br /><br />SEARCHBASH continues in their quest for the ongoing lubrication of the SES set. Vivid Night Club is located just a few blocks from the Convention Center.<br /><br />Open Bar, food, Music, and all sorts of fun surprises should be expected. To ensure you get in the door, stop by one of our awesome sponsor booths. The following companies are again contributing to our delinquency:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.ask.com">Ask.com</a><br /><a href="http://www.bruceclay.com">Bruce Clay, Inc.</a><br /><a href="http://www.epiar.com">Epiar</a><br /><a href="http://www.moniker.com">Moniker</a><br /><a href="http://www.networksolutions.com">Network Solutions</a><br /><a href="http://www.webmasterradio.fm">Webmaster Radio</a><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Location: Vivid Night Club (Same club as last year)</span><br /><br />8 South First Street<br />San Jose, CA 95113<br /><br /><a href="hhttp://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=a2SDWhn7NJg32UnddYTTpg_3d_3dttp://">RSVP Here</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Thursday Night August 23</span><br /><br />Nothing yet!<br /><br />I know the schedule is a lot lighter than normal and that is the reason for the delay of this post. I'm feeling that the search industry is changing and maturing and we are now seeing far less activity on the social scene. With that said, this will be my last 'Official Party & Events Schedule' post. I'm moving on to other things in my career and I'm finding my time limited - also I wont be involved with SES Chicago this year due to my involvement as a conference organizer with <a href="http://www.pubcon.com">PubCon Las Vegas 2007</a>. <br /><br />It was a fun ride while it lasted. ;)Joseph Morinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17194492764364015315noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8105071.post-82037467131841143282007-08-14T20:46:00.001-07:002007-08-14T20:46:35.523-07:00Deliver Great Speeches with a Hangover - and Other Good Advice From Brett TabkeBrett Tabke from WebmasterWorld.com blogs on how to give a killer presentation, including how to pull it off with a hangover. Great preparation for PubCon speakers.<br/><br/><a href='http://www.pubcon.com/blog/index.cgi?mode=viewone&blog=1187123220'>read more</a> | <a href='http://digg.com/tech_news/How_to_Give_a_Kick_Ass_Presentation_with_a_Hangover'>digg story</a>Joseph Morinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17194492764364015315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8105071.post-89646130102624712102007-07-09T18:50:00.000-07:002007-07-23T14:33:30.835-07:00I Returned My iPhone Back to The Apple Store...I was anxiously awaiting the coming of the <a href="http://www.apple.com/iphone/">Apple iPhone</a> like everybody else and I even waited in line for two hours on opening night and was relieved when the Irvine store hadn't run out and I was able to get my hands on one - forget relieved - more like extremely excited. I travel a LOT so this was to be my great new travel gadget that I could use on flights to now watch my movies in landscape mode, listen to music and just plain play with, all of the cool features are too numerous to mention and I'm sure everybody has now heard of how unbelievably cool this thing is. So it is with unusual trepidation that I make the following statement:<br /><br />I just took back my iPhone - and it's hard to explain why...<br /><br />Know when you love something SO MUCH, that when you find a flaw you are more disappointed than with something less ordinary that you would normally be more accepting of? <br /><br />I just couldn't get past:<br /><br />1). The slow Edge network<br /><br />2). The no GPS on Google maps (which my <a href="http://reviews.cnet.com/smart-phones/samsung-sch-i730-verizon/4505-6452_7-31313312.html">Samsung SCH-i730</a> has and it ROCKS! - shows traffic patterns and I can be somewhere - and hit connect and it tells me where I am)<br /><br />3). The 8GB capacity <br /><br />4). No swappable battery plus Apple just announced that after 300 - 400 charges you have to send in your phone to have Apple replace it for $79.00 and a loss of your phone for three days (which I cannot do)<br /><br />5). No external memory and no swappable SIM (which is why you get GSM in the first place - so you can swap it out in Europe)<br /><br />6). No compatibility with Microsoft Exchange Server and Active Sync - my perhaps favorite feature on my current PDA the Samsung i730 - even though rich text emails on the iPhone looked incredible and my Gmail worked especially well<br /><br />7). More of my friends, family and daily calls are on Verizon - or 'In my network'<br /><br />8). The text/email portion didn’t adjust to landscape mode when turned sideways which would make the keys larger and easier to text<br /><br />9). The recessed headphone input - rendering my $400 Westone UM2 audiophile headphones obsolete - unless I bought a silly adapter<br /><br />10). No stereo support via Bluetooth. (OK - now I'm nitpicking, but did I mention the slow Edge network???)<br /><br />Even still, this was not going to be my primary phone! I actually have an ATT account and phone (RAZR) that I maintain to take WebmasterWorld/PubCon calls on and also use primarily when I travel to Europe.<br /><br />All things considered, I really, really loved this phone (the user interface was out of this world), I am becoming more of an Apple fan because of it and I'm seriously considering getting a MacBook Pro now. Also to complicate my feelings about the iPhone and my incessant raving while pointing out its flaws, I dropped it on the pavement once while showing it to a friend and scratched the top, bottom and a little bit of the screen (!!!), further pushing me apart from it (I know - I have tons of scratches on my Samsung SCH-i730, yet seeing ONE scratch on my iPhone really, really hurt).<br /><br />To make myself feel better about returning it, I exchanged two thirds of what I paid for my iPhone ($599) for a <a href="http://www.apple.com/appletv/">180GB Apple TV</a> ($399) - now THAT thing really rocks - I can't tell you how cool it is to have all of the contents of my audio and a lot of my video library readily available not to mention slideshows of all of my pics set to music as a screensaver for my plasma TV...way cool! All wirelessly streamed via my home network without having to manually sync like I do with my iPod.<br /><br />If Apple were to fix even half of these things, they would have even more of a real winner on their hands. In the meantime, I anxiously await the arrival of the new <a href="http://reviews.cnet.com/Samsung_SCH_i760/4660-12760_7-6683016.html">Samsung SCH-i760</a> which is supposed to be out any day now. I firmly stand in the camp of waiting for the second generation of the iPhone to come out before I will break down. Before that happens however, I have a feeling that I will be first in line for the new sixth generation iPod player - which is hey, what I was really looking for in the first place now wasn't I?<br /><br />Update 7/23/2007:<br /><br />Perhaps the <a href="http://blog.ipglab.com/?p=133">best pro/con review I have read on the iPhone</a> yet...and we come to just about all of the same conclusions. ;)Joseph Morinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17194492764364015315noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8105071.post-29817601252544155262007-04-25T23:51:00.000-07:002007-04-26T00:31:32.020-07:00Pubcon Las Vegas or SES Chicago?Barry has <a href="http://www.seroundtable.com/archives/013252.html">posted a poll</a> over at SERoundtable on whether people will be attending <a href="http://www.pubcon.com">WebmasterWorld's PubCon in Las Vegas</a> or <a href="http://www.searchenginestrategies.com/sew/chicago07/index.html">Search Engine Strategies in Chicago</a> this upcoming December. Now granted I am a little bit biased since I am one of the conference organizers for PubCon. However, I am also a <a href="http://forums.searchenginewatch.com/forumdisplay.php?f=55">Moderator at Search Engine Watch</a> and the <a href="http://blog.searchenginestrategies.com/060203-121856.html">Official SES Party Coordinator</a> as well as a long time speaker at both venues.<br /><br />I will say however that last year, out of 18 conferences that I attended worldwide, <a href="http://equitymind.blogspot.com/2006/11/pubcon-las-vegas-2006-wrap-up.html">PubCon Vegas was my favorite</a>. It helped having great keynotes and having Danny Sullivan there was an added bonus so it was really almost a twofer ;) Barry gives reference to several facors to help attendees decide including:<br /><br />Weather<br />Venue<br />Business Opportunities<br />Networking<br />Educational Experience<br /><br />I'll let you decide on your own which one to attend and how to give weighting to each category, but there are a few other factors to add to your decision making. Consider the 'Three P's':<br /><br />Programming - SES Chicago won't be programmed by Danny even though he will be moderating - it won't be his show as he won't be the conference Chair. Brett Tabke does a fantastic job with the programming so I'm giving a hat tip towards PubCon.<br /><br />Price - SES is typically a more expensive show and when compared to PubCon Vegas all around - the conference price will be considerably less, hotel rooms in Las Vegas are fairly inexpensive in relation to Chicago and flights to Vegas can usually be found on the cheap - especially in the off season. Once again, nod towards PubCon.<br /><br />Parties - Typically, Chicago SES is terribly lacking on the social front and for the past couple of years the parties have been failry dismal and if it weren't for last minute contributions by a few folks there wouldn't have been anything party wise, whereas with PubCon, there are usually several good sponsored bashes and the last day of the conference is devoted to the 'Pub' portion of 'PubCon' which is where the <a href="http://www.pubcon.com/history.htm">conference actually originated </a>so staying true to its roots, the 'Pub' is open to all for a great time networking. 'Nuff said - PubCon!<br /><br />We'll see you in Vegas!Joseph Morinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17194492764364015315noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8105071.post-4911642791636251852007-04-02T09:46:00.000-07:002007-04-04T12:21:25.294-07:00SES NYC 2007 Official Party and Events Schedule Now PostedI've just posted the Offical SES Party Guide for SES New York over at <a href="http://forums.searchenginewatch.com/showthread.php?t=16971">Search Engine Watch Forums</a> but here is the summary:<br /><br /><br />Sunday April 8th, 2007<br /><br /><br />Easter Sunday but many do arrive early (including myself) so if you're one of the early to arrive - meet up at the downstairs bar ('Lobby Lounge' near the reception desk). That way you can see who is arriving. Bridges - the bar around the corner is usually closed on Sunday evenings.<br /><br /><br />Monday April 9th 2007<br /><br /><br />Pre-conference.<br /><br />Hitwise<br /><br />3:00pm Hitwise University Live Search Marketing Workshop begins<br /><br />Time: 5:00pm - 7:00pm Private Cocktail Mixer<br /><br />This cocktail party is in conjunction with Search Engine Strategies and our Hitwise University Live Search Marketing Workshop. If you'd like to attend the complimentary session, hosted by Bill Tancer, please contact your account manager.<br /><br />Invitation only event.<br />RSVP required to gain entry.<br /><br /><br />Internet Marketers of New York<br /><br />Time: 7:00pm-10:00pm<br /><br />Internet Marketers of New York is hosting a Charity Party to raise money for Ronald McDonald House Charity. Best of The Web and Text Link Ads are generously covering the cost so the $40 donation at the door goes all to charity.<br /><br />Join us for this 3 hour open bar party with cocktail food and raffles. Why not have a good time while also doing a good thing and talking with fellow internet marketers?<br /><br />Location: Town Tavern<br /><br />134 W 3rd St & 6th Ave.<br /><br /><br />Tuesday April 10th 2007<br /><br /><br />Private Party - Search Engine<br /><br />Time: 6:30pm - 8:30pm<br /><br />If you know about it, then you may get in if you're lucky!<br /><br /><br />Private Party<br /><br />Time: 7:00pm - 10:00pm or ?<br /><br />VIP Private Dinner Party<br /><br /><br />Wednesday April 11th 2007<br /><br /><br />SEMPO SES NY In-House SEM Networking Event<br /><br />Time: 6:30pm - 8:30pm<br /><br />SEM Networking Event<br /><br />Location: Playwright Tavern<br /><br />8th AVE (between 45th & 46th)<br /><br />The tavern is roughly 10 minutes walk from the Hilton (one mile).<br /><br />Private room booked for this event upstairs.<br /><br />SEMPO is covering the tab for a bit, folks, so get there early, grab a drink and meet some new and familiar faces! If you’re In-House, this is YOUR event and shouldn’t be missed.<br /><br /><br />Marchex / Industry Brains<br /><br />Time: 6:30pm - 9:00pm<br /><br />Marchex (IndustryBrains, TrafficLeader, Enhance Interactive and GoClick.com) presents the – “Skyline Cocktail Party”:<br /><br />Mingle with fellow advertisers, senior executives from premier publishing partners, members of the media community, and the teams from Marchex, IndustryBrains, TrafficLeader, Enhance Interactive and GoClick.com, over intimate cocktails and hors d'oeuvres. This event is invitation only. Attendees must RSVP.<br /><br /><br />Location: AVA Lounge at the Dream Hotel<br /><br />210 West 55th Street, New York, NY 10019<br /><br />located two blocks from the Hilton where SES is held.<br /><br /><br />Thursday April 12th 2007<br /><br /><br />Private Party<br /><br />Time: 7:00pm - 10:00pm or ?<br /><br />Private Dinner Party + bar crawl<br /><br /><br />See you guys in NYC!<br /><br />JoeJoseph Morinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17194492764364015315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8105071.post-82298591250533000932007-02-06T21:58:00.000-08:002007-02-06T21:59:08.879-08:00JP Proposal Commercial<embed width="448" height="365" src="http://www.ifilm.com/efp" quality="high" bgcolor="000000" name="efp" align="middle" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" flashvars="flvbaseclip=2820143"> </embed>Joseph Morinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17194492764364015315noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8105071.post-46836018934588977552007-02-06T18:29:00.000-08:002007-02-06T18:46:25.827-08:00JP to Propose Tonight via 'Veronica Mars'Well it's finally over. For everyone finally wanting to know the end result and the answer to "Did she say Yes?" will be able to find the answer tonight at <a href="http://www.ifilm.com">iFilm.com</a> after 10:00 p.m. Pacific /1:00 a.m. Eastern. The show Veronica Mars was chosen to air the commercial locally because that is the bride-to-be's favorite show. All in all this whole project will have a happy ending.<br /><br />Good Luck JP. ;)<br /><br /><a href="http://mysuperproposal.com/?p=79">Click here for more information at MySuperProposal</a>Joseph Morinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17194492764364015315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8105071.post-79416552476001017822007-02-01T19:14:00.000-08:002007-02-02T15:08:56.481-08:00JP wins AdWeek Superbowl Commercial Poll"That Marriage Proposal Guy" was voted #1 as the Superbowl Advertisement you would most look forward to see during the Superbowl.<br /><br />Wow and what good company to be named against.<br /><br />The contenders were:<br /><br /><span style=";font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:100%;" >That marriage proposal guy 36%<br /></span><span style=";font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:100%;" >CareerBuilder.com 21%</span><br /><span style=";font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:100%;" >Anheuser-Busch/Bud 18%</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style=";font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:100%;" >Nationwide 10%</span><br /><span style=";font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:100%;" >Coca-Cola 5%</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span> <span style=";font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:100%;" >GoDaddy.com 5%</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span> <span style=";font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:100%;" >Pepsi 3%</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span> <span style=";font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:100%;" >Taco Bell 3%<br /></span><span style=";font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:100%;" >General Motors 1%</span><a href="http://www.adweek.com/aw/index.jsp"></a>Joseph Morinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17194492764364015315noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8105071.post-31936066669268027632007-01-26T08:39:00.000-08:002007-01-27T15:29:49.309-08:00My SuperProposal's JP Featured on 'Entertainment Tonight'Our anonymous and mysterious groom-to-be 'JP' was featured on a segment of <a href="http://www.etonline.com/celebrities/spotlight/38519/index.html">Entertainment Tonight</a> (click to play video) last night. He appeared a bit nervous from what I could tell from his mannerisms and I wish that they hadn't shown so much of him. I would have preferred just a sit down shot with his face darkened out and voice altered. ET had shots of him walking (neck down) and from behind so I'm hoping that people wont try guessing who he is. At least they didn't make him sound like a South Park character with a high squeaky voice and made him sound more manly with a low guttural alteration...lol.<br /><br />So I'd like to clarify a few things to any reporters who read my blog for details. There has been a lot of mis-information printed out there about several possible identifying traits or characteristics about JP.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Location</span><br /><br />Its been reported that JP is from Nashville, Illinois/Wisconsin area, 'A West Coast Man' and 'from Southern CA'. OK, reporters and disc jockey's - pay attention - <span style="font-weight: bold;">I am the one from Southern CA</span>. Just because the website contact information lists me in Southern CA, Jamie O'Donnell in Northern CA and Greg Jarboe from Boston doesn't necessarily mean that JP hails from these areas. We are the media and adverting contacts who have been helping JP in his quest so please take the time to read the posts more carefully when trying to pinpoint and then go printing it.<br /><br />The Official answer that we have constantly given out is:<br /><br />JP is from the 'lower 48 States'.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Age</span><br /><br />I've seen in print that JP has an age range listed anywhere from 'A 21 Year Old Man' to 'A Man in his Mid Thirties'.<br /><br />All we have ever stated is:<br /><br />JP is between the ages of 25 and 35.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Occupation</span><br /><br />I've read blogs and online newspaper reports that indicate that JP is an 'Internet Entrepreneur', a 'Web Developer' or in the 'Internet industry'.<br /><br />Funny because our official statement is:<br /><br />JP is Internet Savvy. No occupation given.<br /><br />I understand that CBS wants to put out a series of clues leading up to the game, we don't know what were going to come up with yet if we do that because it is still very important for us to maintain anonymity right up until the game.<br /><br />Seriously though, with all of the attempts at his identity, its amazing that his girlfriend <span style="font-style: italic;">still</span> has not found out. <whew><br /><br />Wish us luck.</whew>Joseph Morinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17194492764364015315noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8105071.post-90617126804419766902007-01-12T07:47:00.000-08:002007-01-13T09:52:12.426-08:00Who is 'JP' from My Super Proposal?I'm receiving a LOT of mail, phone calls and press calls about my involvment with <a href="http://www.mysuperproposal.com/">MySuperProposal.com</a>. To give a little bit of information on how this has changed my day to day routine, one must know that being listed as one of the contact persons for JP, especially after a live interview or the <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=2784239">Good Morning America Show</a> - creates a flood of phone calls and emails with requests for more media interviews (I spoke to 8 reporters or newscasters yesterday), companies wanting me to push their creative or sometimes kooky idea, sponsors interested in giving JP everything from a diamond to a honeymoon to spa treatments for his future fiance. I've taken phone calls ranging from 4:00 in the morning until midnight, and I estimated yesterday that since January 1st, I'm averaging 16 hours a day on the project. The battery on my cordless office line and the 2 batteries for my cell phone constantly seem to be drained and are beeping from a lack of battery power. The emails of course never stop. I've done interviews with reporters from foreign countries wanting 'their countries exclusive'. I've put my whole agency behind this effort (and then some, we actually have 9 people working some sort of angle on this project and not everybody has full knowledge - everything is on a 'need to know' basis) and my business partner Juan Prado is working as many hours on this as I am. Greg Jarboe and Jamie O'Donnell of <a href="http://www.seo-pr.com/">SEO-PR</a> have been working the phones tirelessly and fielding press and sponsor requests to the team. I haven't shaved in a week.<br /><br />But the biggest question I constantly receive, the one question I hear over and over in interviews while I'm either silent in the background or participating with JP or asked when dealing with a media producer is:<br /><br />"Who is JP"?<br /><br />Yesterday I listened to a radio broadcast after JP had hung up and heard the morning show radio personalities banter back and forth trying to pinpoint what part of the United States JP was from. When asked, he simply responded "Somewhere in the lower 48 states". They analyzed his somewhat disguised voice for accents and also picked apart his statement from carefully crafted questions in order to summise clues as to his whereabouts. Putting all of their clues together, one disk jockey staked his reputation that he was from the Michigan/Wisconson area, while the other was trying to determine whether he heard a Southern twang or not.<br /><br />We will be shooting a video of her response and immediately upload it online for viewers to see her reaction to the world's first ever proposal during the largest televised event of the year which has prompted several girls to call me, desperately trying to figure out if JP is in fact their boyfriend and if they really should get themselves prepared mentally for the Big Game (forget player preparation - this year the fans are getting prepared!). One girl wanted to know if she should have a suitcase prepared in order to appear on 'Good Morning America' the very next day, since she was so convinced that JP was in fact her boyfriend of many years since he is "creative, over the top, and romantic and this is something he would do". One guy emailed me and sent pictures of he and his girlfriend and wanted to join JP and propose to his girlfriend at the same time. A very large ad agency called me representing one of the current Superbowl advertisers lamenting the fact that they already had commited air time and had spent a small fortune on their ads but perhaps if we weren't able to pull this off, did we want to air a commercial during the Pro Bowl?<br /><br />More to the question though, we have taken many, many steps in order to protect JP's identity because the surprise would be ruined if she found out. On several occasions his voice has been electronically garbled and his face was blacked out for his Good Morning America segment. He has had many phone interviews at odd hours and when we conduct a phone interview, I have the interviewer dial into a conference call bridge that I arrange in advance so all they get is an 800 number and when that cant be arranged, JP masks his caller ID in order to protect his location. Early on before my involvement, JP told me that on his very first interview, he laid in the back of his vehicle, head upside down with a t-shirt over his head in order to disguise his voice. We've put out some disinformation in order to throw people off as to his location or employment, the domain is listed in an aquaintance's name, the site hosted elsewhere, and in the beginning, an anonymous email account set up. JP's girlfriend wouldn't be able to make the connection between my involvement or the PR guys from SEO-PR since I was the one who brought them in.<br /><br />Anyway, sorry to be so vague and not answer any specifics and give any clues, but we have to do this in order to add to the mystique and intrigue of this project. I do predict one thing though, I think that among this years single female viewers watching (thinking it might be them being proposed to and in the response video), it will be a very well dressed Superbowl!Joseph Morinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17194492764364015315noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8105071.post-36424568999525567422007-01-10T19:14:00.000-08:002007-01-10T19:33:06.290-08:00Video of 'JP' of MySuperProposal on Good Morning AmericaThe video segment of JP on the <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=2784239">Good Morning America Show aired this morning</a>. This link shows that JP is real and unfortunately he sounds like a South Park Character with the way GMA altered his voice in order to keep his identity a secret. Check out our groom to be in his first live television appearance!Joseph Morinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17194492764364015315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8105071.post-41338252280380915152007-01-08T19:33:00.000-08:002007-01-09T21:15:06.413-08:00MySuperProposal.com to be featured on the Good Morning America ShowI've just confirmed with a Producer for the <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/">Good Morning America Show</a> that they will be doing a story on <a href="http://www.mysuperproposal.com/">MySuperProposal.com</a> and our quest to go from a blog post to a Superbowl ad. We will be featured this next Wednesday morning 01/10/2007. They have agreed to have JP live on the show but to use a silhouette of him and to also alter his voice so as not to be recognized. JP has already been altering his voice when he does radio interviews.<br /><br />Thanks for all of your support in our quest to help 'J.P.' propose to his girlfriend during the Superbowl and be sure to tune in to the Good Morning America Show to see their coverage of our little project.<br /><br />Update: the segment will air during the 8:30 a.m. timeslot of the show. It is live in New York time-wise but taped in all other timezones so that it is at 8:30 in all timezones.Joseph Morinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17194492764364015315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8105071.post-73008455003234325912007-01-05T11:49:00.000-08:002007-01-12T00:31:48.422-08:00My Super Proposal - Super Bowl Commercial Proposal UpdateIt's been awhile since my plea to help promote 'J.P.' in his quest for a 30 second commercial spot during next February's Super Bowl game in order to <a href="http://equitymind.blogspot.com/2006/11/superbowl-commercial-marriage-proposal.html">propose to his girlfriend</a> so its time for a long overdue update.<br /><br />The response has been tremendous.<br /><br />The intial blogosphere bang was first launched by <a href="http://blog.searchenginewatch.com/blog/061129-070106">Danny</a>, <a href="http://www.toprankblog.com/2006/11/one-super-proposal/">Lee</a>, <a href="http://www.searchrank.com/blog/2006/11/super-bowl-commercial-marriage-proposal.html#more">David</a>, <a href="http://www.shoemoney.com/2006/11/29/superbowl-marriage-proposal/">Jeremy</a>, <a href="http://www.searchmarketinggurus.com/search_marketing_gurus/2006/11/a_proprosal_of_.html">Liane</a> and many more and followed up by a <a href="http://www.prweb.com/releases/2006/11/prweb485142.htm">press release by Greg Jarboe of SEO-PR</a>. Although we had some initial coverage before my involvement, the combined efforts led to the 'tipping point' - an <a href="http://adage.com/article?article_id=114023">article written by Abbey Klaassen of AdAge Magazine</a>. The AdAge article led to a flurry of coverage from radio, print and tv inquiries and also a lot of inquiries from potential sponsors and advertisers including 7 diamond ring retailers or manufacturers!<br /><br />To sum all of the exposure up, here is a list of media and press that has happened to date:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Radio Interviews and Coverage:</span><br /><br />Radio Station in Virginia (prior to my involvement - no call station info)<br />Radio Station in California (prior to my involvement)<br />107.5 The River, radio station in Nashville<br />710 KIRO Newsradio The Ron & Don Show, Seattle.<br />KKND - New Orleans<br />STAR 94 Radio in Atlanta<br />Saint Louis morning drive time talk show<br />Ken and Tammy Show on WOXL in Asheville NC<br />WRMF South Florida<br />Howard Stern Show<br /><a href="http://dailysearchcast.com/061129-135926.html">Daily Search Cast</a><br />94.3 FOX Northern Michagan<br />KROQ Los Angeles Kevin and Bean show<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Newpaper and Online Media Coverage:</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.nashvillecitypaper.com/index.cfm?section_id=12&screen=news&news_id=52840"></a><a href="http://www.adrants.com/2006/10/hopeless-romantic-raising-money-for-super.php">AdRants</a><br /><a href="http://www.adjab.com/2006/10/24/a-man-is-raising-money-to-buy-a-30-second-spot-during-the-super/">AdJab</a><br /><a href="http://adage.com/article?article_id=114023">AdAge</a><br /><a href="http://adage.com/garfieldtheblog/post?article_id=114050">AdAge Garfield: The Blog</a><br /><a href="http://www.nypost.com/seven/01032007/news/nationalnews/super_goal_nationalnews_hasani_gittens.htm">New York Post</a><br /><a href="http://personals.netscape.com/story/2007/01/02/man-seeks-million-dollar-super-bowl-ad-for-marriage-proposal/">Netscape</a><br /><a href="http://www.mediabuyerplanner.com/2007/01/03/rare-sponsorship-opp-help-jp-propose-during-super-bowl/">Media Buyer Planner</a><br /><a href="http://publications.mediapost.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Articles.showArticleHomePage&art_aid=53237">MediaPost</a><br /><a href="http://www.mpdailyfix.com/2007/01/superbowl_proposal_a_marketing.html">MarketingProfs Daily Fix</a><br /><a href="http://www.entrepreneur.com/blog/entry/172634.html">Entrepreneur.com Blog</a><br /><a href="http://blogs.business2.com/madisonavenuewest/2007/01/a_25m_super_bow.html">Business 2.0 Blog</a><br /><a href="http://www.caller.com/ccct/news/article/0,1641,CCCT_801_5259123,00.html">Corpus Christi Caller-Times</a><br /><a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory?id=2774074">ABC News / ESPN Sports</a><br />ESPN - The Magazine<br /><a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/living/chi-0701080153jan08,1,2597295.story?page=2&coll=chi-living-hed">Chicago Tribune</a><br /><a href="http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=2784093">ABC News - GMA</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">International Media Coverage:</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.aftonbladet.se/vss/nyheter/story/0,2789,966211,00.html">Sweden</a><br /><a href="http://debat.tv2.dk/sporten/nfl/message.jsp?thread=107544&message=616708">Denmark</a><br /><a href="http://itavisen.no/php/art.php?id=363083">Norway</a><br /><a href="http://www.merca20.com/news_view.php?recordID=6340">Mexico</a><br /><a href="http://www.jmnoticias.com/index.php?action=fullnews&id=182">Spain</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Television Coverage:</span><br /><br />Fox News (National - on a Sunday afternoon)<br />MSNBC (Tomorrow morning 7:30 a.m. PST)<br /><a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=2784239">Good Morning America</a> (multiple video segment starting next week)<br /><br />We've also had inquiries but haven't done interviews with NPR Radio, USA Today, Inside Edition, Rocky Mountain News and a few others.<br /><br />My initial goal was to show Madison Avenue how a few bloggers could help to get the word out and hopefully give this project some legs. I'm now getting emails from people outside of my industry who've learned of my involvement and are sending well wishes and in several instances in conversations, emails or in forums when the project is brought up - the response is "Oh, I heard about that". If anything, we've already succeeded with our goal, to yell loud enough in the blogosphere to make Madison Avenue take note and to raise a substantial amount of money for the <a href="http://www.vanderbiltchildrens.com/interior.php?mid=322">Vanderbilt Children's Hospital</a>.<br /><br />Our next goal of course is to actually get 'J.P' his moment on the largest Nationally televised sports show in history with an audience hoping to beat last year's 90.7 MM viewers. As <a href="http://adage.com/garfieldtheblog/post?article_id=114050">Bob Garfield from AdAge Magazine </a>puts it:<br /><br />"Everybody and his brother thinks their Super Bowl ad is an event within an event. Every year, almost all of them are wrong. Super Bowl ads are mainly just overproduced comedy blackouts without much of a selling point. But a marriage proposal -- followed (somehow) by an answer -- is real drama, especially if the answer is "no." It's worth the money for the publicity alone, but just imagine the traffic to a properly designed website. "<br /><br />Now knowing the proposer and proposee I can almost assuredly say that her response will be "YES!" and with that brings up another goal. This year, the NFL is on a push to increase viewership of the Superbowl and the demographic where they see the biggest increase is in female viewership. NFL Commissioner <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=reu-womendc&prov=reuters&type=lgns">Roger Goodell recently stated</a>:<br /><br />"It's a very big initiative," he said. "(Women) fans want to be treated as real fans because they love the game, understand the game and want to have the opportunity to experience the game just as anyone else does." <p> While women comprise about 40 percent of the U.S. television audience for the Super Bowl, media watchers note the broadcasts fail to address them. </p><p> Commercials during the game, the most expensive television advertising event of the year in the U.S., are dominated by beer, cars and electronics." </p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span>Andrea Learned, The co-author of Don't Think Pink: What Really Makes Women Buy – And How To Increase Your Share of this Crucial Market <a href="http://blog.learnedonwomen.com/learned_on_women/2006/12/superbowl_adver.html">recently wrote in her blog</a>:<br /><br />" So this is my marketing to women nudge for the cause: For those brands interested in gaining the attention of the women who watch the Superbowl as well as the men, consider these reasons: <ul><li> You will be connecting people to one another around your brand. (You sponsor it, and consumers will make note of who aligned with this intriguing event.)</li><li> You will be presenting an emotion-filled event with which lots of Superbowl watchers - and many of your consumers - can relate.</li><li> You will offer something very different in a "same-old" saturated several hour timeframe that is all the more likely to catch viewers off guard, and keep them from running to the kitchen for the chips.</li></ul> <p><em> So what are you waiting for?!"</em></p>Exactly Andrea - and combine this viewpoint with what MediaBuyerPlanner calls a "<a href="http://www.mediabuyerplanner.com/2007/01/03/rare-sponsorship-opp-help-jp-propose-during-super-bowl/">Rare Opportunity for Sponsorship</a>", the potential that this yields for anticipation of the event and also with the ever frustrating problem of offline to online brand integration. We've kept the identity of 'J.P.' a secret for multiple reasons, primarily to keep his girlfriend from finding out and spoiling the surprise but also, to add to the mystique of the project.<br /><br />Now imagine this - What if every girl in America who is involved in a serious relationship is aware that a proposal is taking place? What if the intrigue that we generate can keep her watching the game, well into the 4th quarter sitting on the edge of her seat, breathlessly anticipating and wondering <span style="font-style: italic;">if it's her</span>? Then when the proposal airs and our bachelor has made his heartfelt plea, the commercial finishes with a "find out if she says YES...go to www.adsponsor.com/proposal" Can you now imagine the branding opportunity of taking users from offline to online - all with measurable statistics?<br /><br />Combined with all of that emotion, we can also add the following benefits for a major sponsor to take up in their initiative:<br /><ul><li>ROI for an advertiser; with massive media coverage of their ad and the proposal in addition to the Superbowl and the response video (far greater than any normal commercial) ROI could be greater than a 'normal' Superbowl ad.<br /></li><li>Direct measurement of traffic via the web; links from <a href="http://www.mysuperproposal.com/">MySuperProposal.com</a> and from a video site (hosting the response video) will show the advertiser the direct page views and unique visits. You can't get that with normal TV ads.</li><li>Branding that lasts a long, long time; it will still be a video people watch and still talk about in six months. Most likely, press would continue after the proposal up to, including and after the wedding (Good Morning America has already expressed an interest in interviewing the couple the following day in New York).<br /></li></ul>Well that just about covers my request for additional sponsors now. ;) My feed subscribers will probably get this in time to note that we will be on MSNBC at 10:30 a.m. Eastern tomorrow January 6th. I will continue to keep you up to date as to our progress, I figure we've got a couple of weeks to go in our efforts so wish us luck. I'd also like to thank all of my fellow bloggers and search buddies who helped us out in numerous ways with links, blog posts, emails and verbal mentions - without you we wouldn't have made it this far!Joseph Morinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17194492764364015315noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8105071.post-40126062116535038892006-11-27T13:08:00.000-08:002006-11-27T13:31:19.973-08:00A Superbowl Commercial Marriage Proposal - And How We Can Help Make It Happen<p class="MsoNormal">I ran across the most interesting blog a little while back, <a href="http://www.mysuperproposal.com/">MySuperProposal.com</a> - there is this blogger – ‘JP’ who is attempting to raise money via his blog in order to buy a 30 second commercial spot during next year’s Superbowl on February 4<sup>th</sup>.<span style=""> </span>He doesn’t stop there, if by chance he goes over in his fund raising efforts or is picked up by an existing Superbowl advertiser – anything beyond his goal or 100% of the money raised not used for the commercial – will go to Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital - one of the top rated children’s hospitals in the nation.<span style=""> </span>While at first I thought “Wow, that’s really neat, I hope this guy makes it and pulls it off”, I began to mull over the possibilities and how I would promote this because granted, this is an amazingly large project and in order for him to be successful, he would have to raise $2.5 million or generate enough buzz in both the blogosphere as well as through traditional channels.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>Well, it worked for Alex Tews and his <a href="http://www.milliondollarhomepage.com/">Million Dollar Homepage</a> idea, he ended up raising $1,037,000.00 by selling pixels on his homepage creating such a buzz that traditional advertisers jumped into the fray and he ended up auctioning the final few pixels off on eBay.<span style=""> </span>Then there was Kyle MacDonald and his <a href="http://oneredpaperclip.blogspot.com/2005/07/one-red-paperclip.html">One Red Paperclip blog</a> where he aspired to ‘trade up’ to see what he might be able to get and he ended up doing a series of 14 trades culminated with him receiving as a final trade - a house in Canada.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>So, I contacted ‘JP’ as he calls himself on his blog in order to protect his anonymity so that his girlfriend doesn’t find out his intentions and sent him a marketing plan that utilized every resource that I had learned over the past several years doing Internet marketing for a lot of very large web properties using techniques ranging from search engine optimization to Pay Per Click marketing to social media optimization to buzz marketing to traditional media advertising.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>JP jumped at the idea, especially because part of my plan was to use this as a case study much like <a href="http://www.searchengineguide.com/ebooks/freeebook.html">Jennifer Laycock’s very interesting study for the promotion of Lactivist.com</a> where she attempted to see how much she could raise for breastfeeding awareness.<span style=""> </span>I realize that I can’t do this alone but perhaps with a little help from my friends, I can help make JP’s dream a reality.<span style=""> </span>I think that this would be an incredible case study to show Madison Avenue and traditional broadcast media the power of the search marketing community – after all this is the Superbowl and to the best of my knowledge, there has never been a search marketer who has undertaken promoting a project on a scale like this in a timeframe that this would require.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>So my first thought was to determine if this kid is marketable – I mean, not to sound harsh, but to rally America behind JP, I needed to make sure that advertisers would jump on this as if JP were the next Jarrod from Subway, plus I wanted to be able to quell any critics, including the few posting ‘Is this a scam?’.<span style=""> </span>I asked JP if he’d meet with me and I literally jumped the next available flight when we were both available (to an undisclosed location in <st1:country-region><st1:place>America</st1:place></st1:country-region>) so that we could meet and talk face to face.<span style=""> </span>Once I got to my hotel, I shot JP a note and we arranged to meet in the hotel lobby.<span style=""> </span>When JP arrived I sighed a collective sigh of relief – this kid was perfect!<span style=""> </span>Traditional Baseball cap wearing, football jersey wearing, middle of the road average Joe so to speak and very marketable and a great personality to boot!<span style=""> </span>Not only that but when he showed me pictures of his girlfriend she was as cute as a button!<span style=""> </span>Ok, we had our story, now we had to kick start our plan.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>So here I am calling out to my fellow search and Internet marketers to help make this incredibly difficult project a reality and of course by contributing, also helping a worthy cause – the Vanderbilt Children’s hospital.<span style=""> </span>I’ll be showing progress on any marketer that wants to contribute whether it be funds, links, mentions, press releases whatever.<span style=""> </span>JP has agreed to place a roster of those helping to get the word out on his site <a href="http://www.mysuperproposal.com/">www.mysuperproposal.com</a> and I’ll include all efforts in a journal both mentioned online as well as in a final document – maybe an ebook on how we collectively did a project this large.<span style=""> </span>On last year’s Superbowl, Doritos received 400 million impressions from their commercial.<span style=""> </span>I’m guessing that those of us who contribute and are listed will get an enormous amount of impressions based on this years 90 million viewership projections.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p>Let’s get started.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p><br />Joe Morin</p>Joseph Morinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17194492764364015315noreply@blogger.com10