AVivocom LiveBanner (try it)

LiveBanner. A terrific, real-time, digital and interactive
form of sales and marketing technology from AVivocom.

If you've ever subscribed to a topic-specific enewsletter service, like the one from Forbes.com for example -- look for their "FREE E-Mail Newsletter" heading -- you'll be familiar with the eye-catching video banner ads embedded in the right hand margins of every html news story that you decide to read. They're hard to miss.

For example, as I write this entry, I can instantly recall, in my mind's eye, a Siemens (video) banner ad that I have repeatedly seen over the years. It's about sensors and controls for a contemporary winery. In the background, there's a beautiful sun setting over the vinyard mountain backdrop. You're then transported into the inner workings of a very state-of-the-art winery operation. It's a very inspiring video snippet and it leaves a lasting impression to biology bigots, information technology nerds, business consultants and wine enthusiasts like 'yours truly'.

Anyway, briefly, let me tell you how this would work. After registering with Forbes.com, you might get a Forbes email newsletter with a brief 'headline' in text format in your inbasket. All it does is provide you with a text-headline in the subject bar and the body of the email, again in a sentence or two and in text format, states the nature of the news story and it closes with a link. If and when you're interested in reading the full story behind this headline, you simply click on the link in your email and you're magically taken to a web page that features the story in full html glory.

So, there you are, you've clicked the link in your email and you're now reading this news story that you've asked Forbes to send whenever there's breaking news. To be more specific, let's say you're someone who asked Forbes.com to notify you of any and all developments about DELL, for example. And you're now reading a DELL-related news story. And surprisingly (not by accident) there, in the right hand margin, a simple 4-degree glance to the right, you notice something a little different on the page.

There's someone apparently looking at you. That's odd. But, interesting. You watch. The banner ad begins to recycle. It's a quick flash blurb about the IBM eServer (yes, an IBM eServer ad deliberately placed in a DELL-related news story). You notice, this time, that when the flash ad 'cycles' to completion -- and that sometimes only takes 3-5 seconds on the internet -- there's this guy, with a head set, standing in front of a white board, the same guy you saw before. It's apparently a live video feed from somewhere and he's apparently ready to have an ondemand video session with someone.

With who ? You ? No way. Can't be. Yep. Just start typing in that little square to the right of this dude's "melon" and you'll be speaking with him - a live IBM eServer Blade specialist. And that's what I call impressive use of technology -- courtesy of AVivocom.

For a guy like me, that instant response, ready-WHEN-you-are, ready-WHERE-you-are, interactive type of preparedness makes quite a statement. That's the type of sales and marketing solution that AVivocom.com brings to today's high performance sales cultures. Now try to imagine how you might put this type of solution to work for you and your company. Anyway, that's brilliant stuff. [Please advise if the above links cease to work / TIA.]

If you want to see the above IBM eServer Blade ad in its fully-functioning (demo) form, click on the 'dude' with the headset above. If you agree that this is impressive and wonder how you might be able to explore this type of a solution for your business but you aren't quite sure how to make this happen so that it's integrated across your organization's sales and marketing divisions, drop us a line. We'll work you through it and if you like, put it all together for you ! It's a great tactic, but you probably have more strategic initiatives to focus on. It's what we do.

'Dude, you're getting an IBM'. Whooa.

One other AVivocom example for your viewing pleasure ...

For all you Teemu Selanne, Team Sweden hockey fans,
an IBM pServer example, this time in a horizontal form factor.

Have a terrific day ! Stay tuned.

- Chapper

Shoshkele (see it in action)

Imagine surfing. You go to your favorite 'surf' launch pad - MSN.com, Netscape.com , CNN.com, maximonline.com or wherever you go to begin your daily fix. THEN, out of nowhere, it looks like your computer is being 'over run by some alien force'. In a good way ! That's what this post is about.

Shoshkele. The first time I experienced this new advertising / marketing tool was in 2001. I was actually dealing directly with the company behind this creative 'shoshkele' technology. I couldn't believe my eyes ! It was an ad for Nike. [I tried to find the original Nike example, so you could see it for yourself, but it's no longer there.]

Instead, to experience this advertising technology for yourself, here is a shoshkele for the Band of Brothers movie, in this case, positioned on the weathernetwork.com web site.

You can target your shoshkele ad for any web property and for any product or service that you like -- depending on your target audience, of course.


For example, check out this one if you're a carpenter enthusiat like I am. Stanley is using custom developed shoshkele to increase public awareness about their new "FATMAX AntiVibe Hammer with a larger sweetspot". Hmmm. About as exciting as a hammer you say ? YOU BET ! Especially to guys like me. We're out there in droves !

Together with United Virtualities and this interactive, online FATMAX (fun to say) campaign, Stanley captures their target market's attention and then drives them to a 'Learn More' web site. Nicely done Stanley.

Tag Line ...
Call to action ...
You see the FATMAX hammer chasing and pounding nails across your browser. It's IMPOSSIBLE TO MISS ... (see it for yourself)


Ask yourself. What is the percentage of Stanley spots that will get noticed ? that will be missed ? It has to be well into the upper 90% notice and recall levels. Everyone seeing this for the first time will be able to tell you the brand and the product after the fact. I'd also be very interested in knowing what the 'click thru' rates are with a shoshkele as opposed to a traditional ad. Considerably higher than most other forms most likely.

Of course, grabbing the customer's attention is only the first step. What you do with them once they've 'taken the bate' and clicked thru to your 'landing page' is part two of the equation. But as far as grabbing one's attention online, this works stupefyingly well.

There are more shoshkele examples from major brands such as Virgin Atlantic, Old Spice, Pepsi, Addidas and on and on. Have a look at the United Virtuality web site for these other shoshkele examples. Or have us work on your behalf with United Virtualities and other avenues to help you penetrate your buyers' virtual universe. Drop us a line for more information.

As a follow on, the shoshkele marketing technology has evolved since 2001. The company now offers a video version. See their Shrek example.


The point of this tool is simple. In today's world, there is so much competition for the surfer's eyeball that it can be very difficult to actually 'get the attention' in a tasteful, innovative, inviting way.

With a shoshkele however, you can get your message out there with 'laser-targeting' AND make your message IMPOSSIBLE TO MISS while using a very FRESH and INTRIGUING APPROACH.

The company that offers this technology has terrific vision and it would be my pleasure to assist in making introductions OR in designing a strategy that integrated their tools into an more all-encompassing strategy for you and your brands and offerings.

If you're interested, drop me a line.

Lastly, I'm interested. If you think you've ever seen a shoshkele in your web travels, enter a comment and let me know what brand. Thanks in advance for you help and keep a look out.

- chapper

Real Time Cellular Promotions (try it)

This is Keith, a wireless entrepreneur.

This is Keith's brainchild. The TAGGG network. It works ! Very well. In fact, I'm waiting for a major wireless telecommunications playere or a major media player to find Keith and to invest in him to help take his TAGGG network global.



It's a social networking idea based on connecting and interacting with cell phone users through their cell phone interface. It's smack dab in the middle of BUZZ marketing. It's so simple it's magical.

It's SMS viral in nature. It's permission based. It's real time powerful. It's MTV, it's Lays, it's McDonalds, it's Honda Civic, it's Pepsi ... it's beautiful. It reminds me of this terrific story from Business 2.0 (Vol. 6, No. 9, October 1, 2005).

• Reaching the Unreachables by Robert Levine

The most important demographic in advertising--18- to 34-year-old males--is also the most elusive. How do you make them sit up and take notice? By turning away from TV and finding clever new hooks to get their attention. (more)

Specifically, read the section about Action Media and how they drive audiences to cool car shows. They're using SMS to enable their 'live' attendees to interact with their sponsors' brands. For example, "Are you Mac enough ?" A McDonald's promotion tied to the cool car shows.

Anyway, just like Action Media's cool car shows, TAGGG is the quintessential example of Interactive Sales and Marketing for a post television age. I'm a betting kind of guy and I'm betting on TAGGG.

To help you make your own mind up, try TAGGG. First, you have to be in Manitoba (and soon ,two other markets). But if you are in Manitoba, simply click on Keith's melon above and follow the text message instructions. Of course, if you're not in Manitoba, you can read through his site (see the 'past events' links). He's rubbing elbows with the music crowd and working with wireless companies and radio stations to promote concerts in our town. It's creating a lot of BUZZ. When friends start telling their friends, you have magic. In this market, you can call Keith 'Dumbledore' !

Nice work Keith ! Best of luck in 2006. PS You should be getting a call from an important 'RON'. You're welcome.