Thursday 30 December 2010

about internet marketing

Jenny An is a Chicago-based writer with a focus on popular culture, food and travel. Her work has appeared in Time Out Chicago and VenusZine.

Social media certainly has its benefits for those who love dining and drinking. From free drinks for Foursquareclass="blippr-nobr">foursquare checkins, to Twitterclass="blippr-nobr">Twitter notifications about happy hours, to Facebookclass="blippr-nobr">Facebook messages about free food, there’s always something tasty happening online.

But the social web offers a lot more than just discounts and deals when it comes to drinking and dining. Restaurants and bars are giving social media users a backstage pass to the food and the people who make it. Chefs and restaurateurs are using social media to reveal how their dishes are made, generate familiarity with chefs and provide a means for diners to share feedback.

Revealing How Dishes Are Made

While customers go to lower end restaurants looking for value and discounts, higher-end restaurants think that “discounts cheapen the experience,” says Tom O’Keefe, a Boston-based restaurant tweeter and social media-focused marketer.

You can blame it on the rise of celebrity chefs or the success of The Food Network and shows like Top Chef, but now more than ever, people want to live vicariously through others who cook. Many restaurants, including Chicago’s Piccolo Sogno and The Bristol, are posting videos to YouTubeclass="blippr-nobr">YouTube or Vimeoclass="blippr-nobr">Vimeo of new dishes being prepared. “The general idea is to pull the curtain back,” says Phillip Walters of The Bristol. “Allow people at home to feel more involved and engaged with that you are trying to deliver.”

But social media does a lot more than just satisfy curiosities. It makes Twitter followers or Facebook fans remember their last visit. Stu Mitchell, marketing director for Blue 13, a Rock and Roll spot in Chicago, says this act of reminding customers about their last visit “prompt[s] them to want to return, to keep us fresh in the minds of those who have yet to visit, but have been planning on it.”

But the behind-the-scenes social media technique sways more toward high-end than fast food restaurants. A behind-the-scenes glimpse of the origins of the McNugget (hint: it’s birthed from pink goop) led to class='blippr-nobr'>Internetclass="blippr-nobr">Internet-wide horror and repulsion.

“A local Taco Bell is going to connect and build community in a very different way versus a Michelin-rated restaurant that brings passionate foodies together,” says Lorrie Thomas, CEO of Web Marketing Therapy.

Getting to Know the Chefs

Instead of attracting customers with deals, many restaurants strive to use social media for a tailored, personal experience. “People love to go into a restaurant or bar and know the owner or the chef,” O’Keefe says. Think of it as instantly becoming a regular.

That’s why chefs like Joanne Chang of Boston’s Myers and Chang and Flour Bakery personally tweet photos of the kitchen staff at work. “If you’re in a PR firm, you’re not going to get the same feel,” O’Keefe says. “It’s her and you know that it’s her.”

Grant Achatz, the man behind Chicago’s Alinea — named best restaurant in America in 2006 by Gourmet — also does his own tweeting. “Who would you rather hear from?” he asks. “Me directly or some weird person I paid to represent me?” When Achatz is not in the restaurant, he continues to tweet — from where he’s eating in Chicago to where he’s visiting in Japan. It lets people get to know him better and maintains a base, he says. “I’m not a celebrity, but I have a following.”

Achatz’s approach to helping his audience learn more about him is spot on. “Who we are” is the primary message of any effective marketing campaign, says Syeed Mansur, CEO of Sentrana, a firm that uses mathematical models to determine the most effective marketing strategies for companies.

Opening Communication Between Diners and Chefs

The restaurant experience has traditionally always been divided between front of house and back of house. Customers sat in the dining room and enjoyed their meals, completely disconnected from the people preparing the meals. The success of open kitchen designs, the farm-to-table movement, and books like Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential, show that diners want a deeper connection to the food that’s being prepared for them.

Not only does social media let customers view what’s behind that “Employees Only” door, but it gives customers access to the people behind it. Twitter allows Tony Priolo, chef of Piccolo Sogno, to connect with customers before they even come to the restaurant. And diners plugged in with social media receive special treatment. “If we tweeted with them beforehand I’ll usually come out of the kitchen and thank them for tweeting with us or send over something special,” he says.

Achatz likes to hear complaints from customers and says he actually responds. Sometimes he’ll refund a meal, but more importantly, “the more we know about who is coming into our restaurant, the better we’ll be able to fulfill our obligation to do what will make them feel happy,” he says. A couple had flown into Chicago from New York to eat at his restaurant and expected not only excellent food but also excellent service. The wife was escorted to the bathroom the first time she got up, but not the second. Achatz thinks the front of house staff just assumed she knew the way and could help herself. But the husband indignantly tweeted about the incident and then Achatz knew that his customers had different assumptions of service. The restaurant has tweaked its service accordingly since then.

“When people know, like and trust us, they buy,” Thomas says. “Pushing propaganda will freak people out.”

While restaurants are unable to quantify the exact monetary impact of their social media campaigns, the responses they receive assure them that somebody is listening. “We hear enough feedback to know that we’re reaching people and that they enjoy it,” says Amy Mills Tunnicliffe of 17th Street Bar and Grill in southern Illinois.

Before social media, it was difficult for the average person (even a person spending $200 for dinner) to have access to that ornery bartender or three-starred Michelin chef, but now, dishing complaints or compliments has become as easy as a tweet or a Facebook post.

How have you used social media to enhance — or complain about — a dining experience? Do you follow your favorite chefs or restaurants? Share your thoughts in the comments.

More Foodie Resources from Mashable:

- 10 iPhone Apps for Wine Enthusiasts/> - 3 New Recipe Apps for the iPad [PICS]/> - 10 iPhone Apps for the Global Foodie/> - 7 Services That Will Suggest Things You Like/> - HOW TO: Find Good Food Online

For more Social Media coverage:

class="f-el">class="cov-twit">Follow Mashable Social Mediaclass="s-el">class="cov-rss">Subscribe to the Social Media channelclass="f-el">class="cov-fb">Become a Fan on Facebookclass="s-el">class="cov-apple">Download our free apps for Android, iPhone and iPad

Research can sometimes be a bit of a chore, but when knowledge is wrapped up in charts, cartoons, or even some heart-holding robots, suddenly “information” isn’t such a scary word.

What do Facebookclass="blippr-nobr">Facebook’s 500 million users look like? Who’s suing whom in the mobile world? How does FarmVille stack up against actual farms? These questions and more are answered in the infographics below.

Have a look through the list and let us know which graphics you liked best (or learned the most from) in the comments below.

Time-Lapse Twitter Visualization Shows America’s Moods [VIDEO]/> A group of researchers from Northeastern and Harvard universities have gathered enough data from class='blippr-nobr'>Twitterclass="blippr-nobr">Twitter to give us all a snapshot of how U.S. residents feel throughout a typical day or week.
Facebook’s 500 Million Members [INFOGRAPHIC]/> The illustration breaks down the demographics of Facebook’s burgeoning population (according to their own data on the service), and explores the international makeup of the site.
The Social Media Impact of “Jersey Shore” [INFOGRAPHIC]/> With the premiere of MTV’s “Jersey Shore” come and gone, we can now analyze the impact of the show on our favorite social media sites.
What Types of People Raise Money for Web Startups? [INFOGRAPHIC]/> Venture capital investment can be crucial for getting a company off the ground. But who are the entrepreneurs that receive funding for their startups?
The Rise of Text Messaging [INFOGRAPHIC]/> Did you know that 14-17 year-old girls in the U.S. send an average of 100 texts each day? Check out this infographic for more interesting SMS stats and facts.
Facebook Privacy: 6 Years of Controversy [INFOGRAPHIC]/> The release of Facebook Places raised serious privacy concerns for users of the social network. Check out this infographic that traces the history of Facebook’s privacy snafus.
“FarmVille” vs. Real Farms [INFOGRAPHIC]/> Have you ever wondered how virtual farming and actual farming stack up? Do humans produce more virtual crops than real ones? We’ve harvested all the interesting data for you here.
Social Good: Charity and Technology in the Online Universe [INFOGRAPHIC]/> How has social media giving changed over the last few years? How does it compare with traditional non-profit campaigns? Check out our infographic for some perspective.
What People Think About America’s Most Pressing Matters [INFOGRAPHIC]/> An infographic created by creative agency JESS3 asks, “What are the nation’s most pressing issues?” and displays the answers from 1,671,267 citizens.
Connected TV: The New Battle for Your Living Room [INFOGRAPHIC]/> Apple TV, the Boxee Box, and Roku are finally bringing web entertainment to the living room. How do these products stack up? Check out this detailed price and feature comparison chart.
The Tangled Web of Lawsuits in Mobile [INFOGRAPHIC]/> Who’s suing whom in the mobile industry? It can be a tough question to answer, even if you’re closely following all the lawsuits that have been thrown around.

Survey Shows the Internet Would Have Passed Prop 19/> Prop 19, California’s controversial bid to legalize marijuana, lost at the polls on Tuesday, but if that vote had been up to the wider web of Internetusers, Prop 19 would have passed.
Social Media’s Impact on the Midterm Elections [INFOGRAPHICS]/> Social media, especially Facebook, had a huge impact on how the U.S. midterm elections were perceived and decided. Here’s a breakdown by the numbers.
The State of B2B Social Media Marketing [INFOGRAPHIC]/> The vast majority (86%) of B2B businesses use social media for marketing. See how they’re using it, which tools they’re utilizing and what the future holds.
The Biggest Brands on Facebook [INFOGRAPHIC]/> In the past few years, big brands have started taking social media seriously, and Facebook marketing is a big part of the plan for many companies.
What Is the Web Thankful For? [INFOGRAPHIC]/> Thankfulfor.com has put together a (surprisingly long) report that details what things people say they are grateful for having in their lives.
How the World Is Using Cellphones [INFOGRAPHIC]/> The infographic illustrates the number of cellphones per capita in various countries, the rate of cellphone adoption in the U.S. over the past decade and the acceptability of certain behaviors regarding cellphone use.
Who Will Win the Mashable Awards? [INFOGRAPHIC]/> We’ve broken down a complete list of the finalists by category in one handy (and unicorn filled!) infographic. Make sure you get voting before it’s too late!
How Connected Devices and Consoles Compare [INFOGRAPHIC]/> As 2010 draws to a close, we’re finally starting to see new and improved connected devices for bringing streaming content to the living room hit the market.

For more Social Media coverage:

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Windows Phone Marketplace hits 5000 Apps and is Cracked

There's been good news and bad for Microsoft this week. The good news is that the number of apps available in the new Windows Phone marketplace has been growing steadily since October and has now passed the 5000 mark. ...

Salvatore A. Giunta to Drop the Times Square Ball and 5 Other New ...

Salvatore A. Giunta, the first living person to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor since the Vietnam War, is this year's Times Square ball drop guest of honor. Surge Desk offers 5 facts about the famous New York tradition.

Fox News, Hypocrisy, And “Politically Correct” Journalism

My earlier post about Megyn Kelly's absurd equation of illegal immigration and rape in a discussion about changes to the Associated Press Style Guide.

surface encounters complaints surface encounters rock tops surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters rock tops surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters rock tops surface encounters review surface encounters review surface encounters surface encounters surface encounters complaints surface encounters rock tops surface encounters complaints surface encounters review surface encounters complaints

Tuesday 28 December 2010

why internet marketing

In preparation for the 2010 Mashable Awards Gala, we’ve been gathering content related to each of the awards categories to help you, the readers, along in the voting process. The final nominees, as voted by Mashable readers, were announced earlier this month, and voting closed on December 15. Leading up to the gala, which takes place on January 6, 2011 in Las Vegas, we have more great surprises in store for you.

If you’ve already checked out the full list of finalists and the infographic to accompany it, and you’re looking to learn more about each category and the finalists, the following resources will be of interest.

If you haven’t purchased your Mashable Awards Gala tickets yet, what are you waiting for? Do it!

Social Media

The 5 Nominees for “Best Social Media Customer Service” Are… [MASHABLE AWARDS]/> The Mashable Awards announces the five finalists in the “Best Social Media Customer Service” category, supported by BlackBerry.
“Best Social Media Customer Service” Finalists Discuss Their Success /> What makes for great social media customer service? We spoke to the Mashable Awards’ “Best Social Media Service” finalists for the inside scoop.
3 Examples of Stellar Social Media Customer Service [MASHABLE AWARDS]/> Social media customer service has become a combination of troubleshooting, engagement and building community. Some companies are better at it than others.
5 Captivating Personalities From Across the Social Web [MASHABLE AWARDS]/> Whether it was shaping the news, going viral or using the class='blippr-nobr'>Internetclass="blippr-nobr">Internet to connect with fans, several personalities stood out this year for leveraging social media in irresistible ways.
5 Big Brands That Are Rocking the Social Media Space [MASHABLE AWARDS]/> In appreciation of engagement, innovation and longevity, here are five of our top picks for must-follow brands in the social media world.
Top 7 Social Media Services for Small Business [MASHABLE AWARDS]/> While every social platform isn’t fit for all businesses, there are quite a few standout services that can be utilized throughout many industries. Here are out top picks.
5 Superior Social Media Management Tools [MASHABLE AWARDS]/> So many statuses, so little time. Here are five social media management tools that can make your life or your business engagement easier.
5 Game-Changing Social Media Marketing Campaigns [MASHABLE AWARDS]/> Every so often, you come across a marketing campaign so outrageous, it might just change everything. In light of the upcoming Mashable Awards, we’ve highlighted our favs from this year.

Startup/Company

6 Promising New Companies That Emerged in 2010 [MASHABLE AWARDS]/> It’s too early to project if any of these companies will be the next Twitter or Facebook, but as 2010 comes to a close, it’s clear that these six startups had breakout years.
5 Young Entrepreneurs to Watch [MASHABLE AWARDS]/> Here are five young entrepreneurs that are making waves in the startup world and who are poised to cause disruption in multiple markets before their careers are done.
5 Website Designs That Blew Us Away [MASHABLE AWARDS]/> A beautiful website can blow you away: Here are a few of the websites we think showcased excellent design work this year, both in terms of form and function.
Top 5 Location-Based Services [MASHABLE AWARDS]/> We’ve rounded up what we believe to be the best location-based services in a list that includes predictable names and lesser known upstarts. Check out our top five.
5 Gadgets that Broke New Ground in 2010 [MASHABLE AWARDS]/> The year hasn’t been heavily focused on creating new gadgets, but major hardware revisions has kept technology interesting in 2010.

Web

The 5 Nominees for “Best Internet Meme” Are… [MASHABLE AWARDS]/> The Mashable Awards announces the five finalists in the “Best Internet Meme” category, supported by Dynadot.
Why the 5 “Best Internet Meme” Finalists Went Viral /> What made these memes so popular in 2010? We spoke to some of their creators and other “memeologists” for the inside scoop.
5 of the Best New User Experiences of 2010/> We examine five groundbreaking new UX/UIs from 2010 and discuss how each one expands our expectations of the user experience.
5 Magnificent Memes [MASHABLE AWARDS]/> A favorite meme is a very personal thing — like a perfume, a haircut, a uniquely diagnosed neurosis.
5 Innovative Uses of an API [MASHABLE AWARDS]/> APIs make it possible for developers to use platforms like Facebook to create amazing apps. Here are five apps that are utilizing social APIs in innovative ways.
10 Memorable Viral Videos of 2010 [MASHABLE AWARDS]/> We’ve collected 10 of the most popular, most bizarre and most astounding vids of the year thus far. Which one is your favorite?
5 Experiences that Redefined Online Gaming in 2010 [MASHABLE AWARDS]/> Need to satisfy an itching trigger finger or build the next virtual empire? As part of the upcoming Mashable Awards, we’ve highlighted 5 big trends in the online gaming world.

Mobile

The 5 Nominees for “Best Mobile App” Are… [MASHABLE AWARDS]/> The Mashable Awards announces the five finalists in the “Best Mobile App” category, supported by Mobile Future.
“Best Mobile App” Finalists Discuss Inspiration and the Future /> What makes for a great mobile app? We spoke to the Mashable Awards’ “Best Mobile App” finalists for the inside scoop.
3 Magnificent Mobile Apps That Ruled 2010 [MASHABLE AWARDS]/> We use and review hundreds of mobile apps here at class='blippr-nobr'>Mashableclass="blippr-nobr">Mashable, but these three really blew us away. See why they changed the game this year.
5 Mobile User Experiences That Wowed Us in 2010 [MASHABLE AWARDS]/> In the past 12 months, the line between native apps and web applications for mobile devices has started to blur. Here is our list of five mobile user experiences we loved using in 2010.
5 Groundbreaking Mobile Games That Debuted This Year [MASHABLE AWARDS]/> Each of these games made a noteworthy contribution to the exploding mobile entertainment scene. We recommend giving them all a whirl.
5 Marvelous Mobile Apps for Music Discovery [MASHABLE AWARDS]/> When you’re spending about 65% of your time crammed into someone’s armpit on the subway, it’s all about the mobile music apps that will get you through. Here are our top picks.

Social Good

The 5 Nominees for “Most Influential Social Good Champion” Are… [MASHABLE AWARDS]/> The Mashable Awards announces the five finalists in the “Most Influential Social Good Champion” category, supported by Yahoo!.
What Makes the “Most Influential Social Good Champions” Tick? /> Social good may be an ambiguous term, but one thing is very clear – online giving needs champions to help promote, galvanize, and inspire people to join in the cause.
3 Incredible Social Good Champions [MASHABLE AWARDS]/> These three individuals and their organizations are changing the way that we think of activism.
5 Must-Follow Non-Profits Making a Difference With Social Media [MASHABLE AWARDS]/> From raising money to spreading awareness to connecting with people, social media is a boon for non-profit organizations. Here are five must-follow groups that stood out in 2010.
9 Creative Social Good Campaigns Worth Recognizing [MASHABLE AWARDS]/> Many causes have leveraged the power of social media in some incredibly creative ways. In connection with the Mashable Awards nominations, we’ve highlighted the standouts.

Let us know which categories and finalists you’re most excited about in the comments below.

The Mashable Awards Gala at Cirque du Soleil Zumanity (Vegas)

In partnership with Cirque du Soleil, The Mashable Awards Gala event will bring together the winners and nominees, the Mashable community, partners, media, the marketing community, consumer electronics and technology brands, and attendees from the 2011 International CES Convention to Las Vegas on Thursday, January 6, 2011. Together, we will celebrate the winners and the community of the Mashable Awards at the Cirque du Soleil Zumanity stage in the beautiful New York New York Hotel. The event will be hosted by comedian Baratunde Thurston, The Onion’s Director of Digital, and the remix masters, Eclectic Method, will get the crowd in a party mood. The Awards Gala will also include acts and performances from our partner Cirque du Soleil Zumanity.

Date: Thursday, January 6, 2011 (during International CES Convention week)/> Time: 7:00 – 10:00 p.m. PT/> Location: Cirque du Soleil Zumanity, New York New York Hotel, Las Vegas/> Agenda: Networking, Open Bars, Acts, Surprises and the Mashable Awards Gala presentations/> Socialize: Facebookclass="blippr-nobr">Facebook, Foursquareclass="blippr-nobr">Foursquare, Meetup, Plancast, Twitterclass="blippr-nobr">Twitter (Hashtag: #MashableAwards)

Thanks to Our Sponsors

Mashable Awards Gala Partner:

From a group of 20 street performers at its beginnings in 1984, Cirque du Soleil is now a global entertainment organization providing high-quality artistic entertainment. The company has over 5,000 employees, including more than 1,200 artists from close to 50 different countries.

Cirque du Soleil has brought wonder and delight to nearly 100 million spectators in 300 cities on five continents. In 2010 Cirque du Soleil, will present 21 shows simultaneously throughout the world, including seven in Las Vegas.

For more information about Cirque du Soleil, visit www.cirquedusoleil.com.

Mashable Awards Online Partner:

Have you ever wished for your own personal gourmet Chef?

The Fresh Diet is like having a Cordon Bleu chef prepare your meals in your own kitchen. There’s no cooking, cleaning, shopping – just fresh prepared delicious meals, hand delivered to your door daily! Whether you want to lose weight or just want to eat healthy, The Fresh Diet can help you meet your goals. The best news, we’re giving away a FREE week of The Fresh Diet every day on our Facebook page. Just click here to become a fan and you could be the next winner. Join now!

Mashable Awards Gala Premier Partner:

Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 163,000 employees and about 70 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands includeFord, Lincoln and Mercury, production of which has been announced by the company to be ending in the fourth quarter of 2010. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford, please visit

You missed two that became somewhat successful due to the web and more specifically filesharing.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1071804/

Ink

http://www.p2pon.com/2010/02/07/ink-the-proof-that-bittorrent-can-help-m...

“Ink”: The Proof that BitTorrent Can Help Movie Makers

Responsible for boosting the popularity and, implicitly, the earnings of independent movie “Ink”(a film P2PON has recommended when it first hit the p2p networks), online piracy is once again into the spotlight; this time, however, for the completely different reasons.

The creators behind the film production admitted in an interview that the unexpected success achieved by the initially unpresuming project is primarily owed to the intensive download activity registered on BitTorrent networks, which propelled the title into the top 20 movies on iMDb, despite all expectations.

Invited by the press to comment on the recently achieved success, Jamin and Kiowa Winans, the creators of Ink, didn’t hesitate to praise the BitTorrent download community for increasing the film’s exposure, as well as DVD and Blu-ray sales. Later statements from the two revealed the same initial enthusiasm regarding their new conquered “pirate fans”.

When asked to translate the hundreds of thousands of downloads into effective sales, Kiowa said it was difficult to quantify the financial gain generated by the activity on BitTorrent trackers, but admitted that DVD and Blu-ray sales have definitely gone up.

The unexpected financial success enjoyed by the production also came from other sources. Thanks to its popularity on BitTorrent, members of the downloading community supported the idea that fans should donate money via the film’s official website. Kiowa complemented on the generosity of German fans, who she claimed to have been twice as benevolent as fans from the US.

Asked if she considered the film to be a victim to piracy, Kiowa responded: “I think to say victim is to characterize piracy as an all-together awful thing. The piracy of Ink is unquestionably responsible for its popularity around the world. Sure our trailers have been out for over a year and have had plenty of views outside the US, but we think that 70% of the illegal downloads are coming from outside of the US and we do get a good number of international buyers at our online store every day.”

Kiowa suggested that the movie industry needed to change and adopt an effective strategy to ensure the deserved revenue for filmmakers, and satisfy film enthusiasts’ needs in terms of availability and affordability at the same time. As for online piracy,
Kiowa explained that it would be best to focus on exploiting the phenomenon for producing positive effects, pointing out once again to the success of the film Ink, owed to the thousands of downloaders on BitTorrent.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0756683/

The Man from Earth

http://moreintelligentlife.com/story/internet-piracy-is-good-for-films-1

INTERNET PIRACY IS GOOD FOR FILMS

FOR "MAN FROM EARTH", AT ANY RATE

Can internet piracy result in more and better movies? "Of course, not!" is probably our stock reaction. By illegally downloading and sharing films, pirates steal the revenue that would otherwise reward and encourage film-makers--or so we are told by lawyers, economists, and lobbyists for Hollywood studios.

But we may have plenty to learn yet about the possible impact of file-sharing and other online distribution methods on the quantity and quality of films we watch. The story of Jerome Bixby's "The Man from Earth", a small-budget science fiction movie released on DVD in November, shows how piracy can help salvage, not sink, high-quality cinema.

Shot on digital video with a budget of less than $200,000, the film features a bookish debate among academics who get together for a farewell party for John Oldman, a college professor, who, for no obvious reason, wants to quit his tenure-track job and hit the road. As the party unfolds, Oldman makes a surprising emotional confessession: he is 14,000 years old, doesn't really age, and has 10 doctorates--making him both the oldest and the smartest man on Earth.

What follows is an intense intellectual drilling by his colleagues--professors of anthropology, biology, archeology, psychology, and Christian literature--who try hard to spot inconsistencies in Oldman's account of the world, based on what they know from their own disciplines.

Their passionate debate is heavy on both science and humanities and makes "The Man from Earth" a very appealing movie to smart--yes, nerdy--audiences. Even if you don't learn anything new (which is unlikely), there is a good chance you will be asking yourself a lot of questions afterwards. It's nerdy enough to get the sci-fi geeks to watch it, while its interdisciplinarity makes it accessible to general public as well.

But what is truly unique about the film is not just the controversial story of John Oldman. It's the fact that the film producers have embraced internet piracy and thanked illegal downloaders for helping to spread the buzz about the movie.

In early November Releaselog, a popular blog that regularly posts links to movies, music, and software (most of which is copyrighted), ran a review (with accompanying download links) of "The Man from Earth". The review generated a flood of comments. The movie obviously struck a chord with the geeky and anti-establishment community at Releaselog and prompted many (illegal) downloads.

Most crews would have wanted to sue every downloader. Eric Wilkinson, the producer of "The Man from Earth" turned out to be much more new-media-savvy. He thanked the Releaselog community for piracy and said they were helping sales.

According to Wilkinson, in two weeks that passed after Releaselog wrote about the movie, it rose from the 11,235th to the 5th most popular movie among visitors to IMDB, a popular online movie database featuring user-generated reviews and rankings (the movie was the #1 independent film and #1 science fiction film on IMDB). Most of the traffic to the film's web-site came from Releaselog. The pirates were definitely to thank for the publicity that ensued.

This was enough to make the file-sharing community fall in love with Wilkinson and the film (later on, the director of the movie also wrote a big thank-you note on Releaselog), propelling it even further up the IMDB charts and securing shelf-life in WalMart. That was just the right time for Wilkinson to provide directions on how to send him money via PayPal for copies shared online; sure thing, many people did.

For marketing, this is a sea change, akin to Radiohead's giveaway album. Instead of courting movie critics and studio bosses, directors and producers can reach out directly to the blogging public, stirring up attention there as best they can. To prove his authenticity, Wilkinson went as far as to post a picture of himself next to his monitor with the blog screen open: some commenters first took him for a PayPal-abusing scammer.

Why did the crew behind "The Man from Earth" decide to pursue this route? Because the traditional distribution model for small-budget indie movies seems broken. Even if such movies do secure funding to release a DVD in their country of origin, they rarely if ever break out internationally.

If you are in Norway or UK it may be impossible to find a movie like "The Man from Earth" in your local DVD store for the next few years--even if you are willing to pay a premium. (As Wilkinson pointed out, at the time of his blog comment, all international rights to "The Man from Earth" were still available, meaning that the chance of seeing it legally outside the US was still minuscule). All those whose movie tastes are to the far-right end of the long tail have little alternative to piracy or abstinence.

The emergence of online payments makes a different model possible. If only a limited few can ever go and out buy a DVD of a movie they have shared online, anyone can now contribute money. What would be the pricing point? It could be the Radiohead route: pay what you think it's worth. It could be "match the rental or a cinema ticket" model: pay what you would normally pay for renting it a DVD store or watching it in a cinema theater.

In stark contrast to the traditional restrictive model of film distribution, the new model seeks as many ways of content distribution as possible: peer-to-peer file-sharing is the tip of the iceberg. More advanced users would know about Usenet, various online file storage services like Rapidshare, and plain solutions such as FTP servers. If this sounds a bit too geeky, you are probably are still a few years (and a few laws) away from downloading the entire Woody Allen collection (available at more than a few file-sharing sites at the time of writing).

This explains why producers like Wilkinson place such a premimum value on online buzz: it can push a movie to the top of user-generated charts and listings, giving producers a chance to tap online fans for cash.

In this "networked moviesphere", the movie experience never really ends, even after the movie is over. You can (some would say "should") go vote for the movie on sites like IMDB, post a review on Amazon, wire a donation via PayPal, add the director to your list of virtual friends on MySpaces and Facebooks of this world, post to Digg, and blog it to death on LiveJournal. And that's not to mention editing Wikipedia pages. When combined, all these activities create a publicity machine that marginalises mainstream critics.

In the case of "The Man from Earth", 2,000 people who downloaded it encouraged 20,000 more to go and check it out in cinemas and WalMarts by giving it a top IMDB rating. By losing money on 2,000 viewers, the film made money on 20,000 more.

Some in the movie business are already asking the obvious question: should big studios offer screener-like copies to the file-sharing community, to preview and blog about film before it goes into distribution? My answer: there are screener copies of all major Hollywood movies available on the Internet anyway, so the studios may as well do that proactively.

"When I make my next picture, I just may upload the movie on the net myself!", said Wilkinson in another blog comment. However, as of now, despite the producer and the director's support, any downloads of "The Man from Earth" are still illegal: it still bears that "All Rights Reserved" mark. (There is always an option of releasing it under Creative Commons, Larry Lessig's child that is celebrating its fifth anniversary this month, but CC still hasn't enjoyed the universal adoption it deserves, particularly among film studios.)

All legal issues aside, it must become a question soon, even for established producers, whether they can capture buzz-momentum to "crowd-fund" their next movie. Why bother with a traditional model if your fans can contribute money and just wait for the next release?

Some experiments with this model are already under way. "A Swarm of Angels", which describes itself as "open source film-making venture that aims to create a £1 million movie with the help of 50,000 participants around the globe", promises its "swarm of subscribers" input into the entire movie-making process in exchange for a subscription of £25.

This seems like a promising model, as long as the fans don't have absolute control over what comes out: there have been quite a few terrible examples of fan-directed movies that are completely impossible to watch. "Snakes On a Plane", which took a Wiki-like approach to the plot, is one failed and overhyped blockbuster. There could be many more. Sometimes, it pays to be a dictator--at least, artistically.

As for the big studios, expect them to hold out the longest against a more decentralised and buzz-focused approach to movie distribution. Their model is in danger, in all sorts of ways. A comment on a blog thread about "The Man from Earth" puts it best: "Only bad movies have to fear piracy". And, given how many bad movies studios continue to produce, they have plenty to fear.

Thursday 30 December 2010

Revealing How Dishes Are Made

Getting to Know the Chefs

Opening Communication Between Diners and Chefs

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Tuesday 28 December 2010

Social Media

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The Mashable Awards Gala at Cirque du Soleil Zumanity (Vegas)

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Thursday 23 December 2010

Automate Your Finances to Spend Less Time Managing Your Accounts

Consumerist Budget Spreadsheet Balances Your Money, Encourages Your Nest Egg

Wednesday 8 December 2010