Twitter's got shiny new buttons!

Over the Halloween weekend, while Earth’s population of ghosts, ghouls and Justin Bieber lookalikes skyrocketed before (thankfully) subsiding, the folks at Twitter were busy with a dress-up of their own. But instead of fake blood and mascara, they played around with the new Twitter trademark guidelines, an online document that has seen multiple revisions since Friday, as lawyers and marketers scramble to make sense of it.

WHAT IS IT
The guidelines are a list of do’s and don’ts on how to use various Twitter trademarks, such as the phrase “Follow me/us on Twitter”, the brand name, logos, buttons and icons. If you’re a fan of trivia, for instance, you’ll be delighted to know that the words Twitter and Tweet should be capitalised, even though “google” entered the English dictionary as a verb not too long ago, albeit with some objection.

But it’s not just seemingly trivial stuff. A rule that disallows the word “Tweet” from being used in other application names affects apps like Tweetdeck, a third-party Twitter client. We’ll have to wait to see how this particular story plays out.

WHY THE NEW GUIDELINES?
Simply put, Twitter’s growing up. As this GigaOm article puts it, “[W]hen you have 175 million users and over $150 million in venture financing (and a $1-billion market value), you have to start getting serious.”

A sleeker logo may not increase your market value, but trying to wrangle back control over your scattered–and in some instances, bastardised–brand identity over the interwebs does suggest that Twitter is actively seeking to get its house in order.

Going on the basis of credibility, Twitter says: “It’s important for users to be able to trust Twitter and not be confused about our relationship with the many people and organisations who use our marks.” Um… okay, if you say so, Twitter.

HOW THIS IMPACTS BRANDS
Web designers, agencies and marketers should take some time to go through the new guidelines. Although they don’t explicitly say that anyone will be sued for misuse of Twitter’s trademarks, brands should, as much as possible, respect the new rules–some of which we may have taken for granted previously.

Read › Twitter’s new trademark guidelines

I’ve noticed that the iconic small letter “t” isn’t available in the official button set anymore. I’m not sure if this will change or be updated in time. I’ve seen sites use the small “t” icon interchangeably for sharing and following (which I’ve found confusing), so I personally hope that now, sites will clearly distinguish between both actions by using the correct buttons.

Such as the one below ›

When it comes to discussing elements to boost car engine performance, engine oil will never be top of mind in any discussions. Though critical to engine performance, engine oil is a low consideration product and has little or no relevance to lifestyle passion points like racing. In an attempt to bridge the relevancy of the category to consumers, and to evoke the desire to learn, share and discuss, we were tasked to create an activation programme for Exxon Mobil 1. Leveraging on Mobil 1’s sponsorship with Formula 1 and its association with “winning” and “racing”, the programme concept rallies for competitive spirits to participate in a digital race to win an all expense-paid, money-cannot-buy-experience in Zhuhai and be trained in a real formula racecar. All you have to do is register, spread the word to earn points, and get engaged in a weekly Pitstop quiz that tests your knowledge on how Mobil 1 can improve your car performance, and the winner who score the most number of points in each participating country gets to race.

In 2006, Mark Skaife drove around Australia and broke a World Record with Mobil 1. In 2007, Scott Brady roared across Arctic with Mobil 1 defying the -40degC conditions. In 2008 and 2009, F1 winners Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button sped to championship with Mobil 1. In 2010, will you be the one to make your mark with Mobil 1?

Register now at http://www.mobil1.sg/willyoubetheone/index.aspx

See the case study here:http://www.agency-showcase.com/xm-internal/thegloveliveson/index.html

Fiji, blessed with 333 magnificent islands, some inhabited, most not. Set in the tropical South Pacific, Fiji is surely the essence of a tropical island paradise. White sandy beaches, swaying coconut trees, pristine oceans and waterways and a range of things to do and see that will appeal to the most discerning traveler.

A decent stay in Fiji will cost around SGD$6-8k. But you can now stroll on its glimmering white beaches hand-in-hand at sunset, snorkel, dive, surf or kayak our pristine oceans, whitewater raft its clear and clean waterways, and cruise the ocean around the mainland and outer islands, all for just $2782 (all taxes in, starting-from price) for a 12 night Fiji-Fly Cruise. Return flight from Singapore, accommodation, food, etc everything in!

More details on the Fiji Fly Cruise Package here: http://www.royalcaribbean-asia.com/getfile/1dfd7087-69b9-49c8-8d7d-07410d70420b/fiji-promo-%281%29.aspx

Alternatively, upgrade to a world of luxury and save up to SGD$1610 when you upgrade from interior stateroom to ocean view, balcony to junior suite. Wake up to the songs of the ocean and views of the magnificent sunrise. Just top up SGD$3!

More details on the SGD$3 Upgrade Promo here: “http://www.royalcaribbean-asia.com/3rdanniversary/

Last but not least, fancy doing some yoga with KungFu Panda or riding the waves with Shrek? It’s now possible on-board the biggest ship in the world with our latest partnership with Dreamworks!

DKNY JEANS FALL 2010
“CHELSEA HOTEL”
CLASSISM VS REBELLION

FALL 2010 takes inspiration from the CHELSEA HOTEL in New York City. The Chelsea hotel is a place inhabited by artists, musicians and writers in the neighbourhood of Chelsea in Manhattan. For many decades it has been a center for artistic creativity with a good dose of rock & roll. The aura is one of faded decadence where anything goes and both individuality and eccentricity is celebrated. NYC subculture.
We translated this concept throughout our collection, drawing reference from the architecture of the hotel, the artworks that are housed there, & the various personalities that have passed through.

Visit http://dknyjeansintl.com

1. Strategic - Online content has to connect to your business goals and brand. Hire writers that understand marketing strategy, and how to deliver copy that integrates across web, search, social and public relations strategies.

2. Brand Centric - Your brand is a sum of experiences and perceptions. Words, images and actions define your brand everyday, and with inbound marketing, your website and content may often serve as the first (and possibly only) opportunity to make an impression. Business copywriting must convey core brand messages, tell your organization’s story and create positive perceptions that motivate action.

3. Buyer Persona Focused - Great copywriting makes personal connections with readers. Copy needs to speak directly to buyer personas, address their pain points and bring value. Therefore, your copywriters — whether internal or outsourced — must have a clear understanding of your organization’s target audiences, and know how to engage them.

4. Optimized for Search Engines - Online content must be crafted for visitors, but optimized for search engines. Ideally, business copywriters will have core SEO knowledge and capabilities.

5. Technically Sound - Technically sound copy is concise and powerful. It uses proper grammar and is written at the appropriate reading level. It is also consistent in person, voice, tone and format. Copywriters need strong technical writing skills, and the ability to apply these skills whatever the task, medium or subject matter.

6. Creative - Never underestimate the value of quality creative writing. While many of the other elements we’ve discussed can be learned, business-savvy creative writers are in high demand and scarce supply, and can be an invaluable asset to your organization.

7. Results Driven - Copywriting needs to be tied to your organization’s objectives, and should play a key role in delivering results (e.g. generating leads, educating key audiences, positioning as an industry leader, etc.).

Copywriters should be invested in tracking the content’s success through metrics such as: pageviews, content downloads, leads and social media reach. This enables future content to be strategized based on past performance, and can encourage the incorporation of new ideas and topics, to drive traffic and capture audiences

Courtesy of Hubspot

As most brands sit up and watch Foursquare attempting to shift the FMCG paradigm with its location-based rewards and incentivization potential to encourage consumptions/conversions, Pepsi has did it a little differently by extending brand experience on its existing products and distribution through an existing piece of technology.

What if, a barcode can tell a story?

What if, a building can be made social?

How about, we let a product sell itself?

And lastly, why don’t more traditional media celebrate and embrace technologies to extend their experiential offerings?

On 25 June 2009, the world lost a legend. His name is Michael Joseph Jackson, the King of Pop.

A group of enthusiasts want to keep him in memory. By making his presence felt in the World Wide Web.

To mark his 1-year death anniversary, they’re transforming the mouse cursor into his trademark sequinned glove onto webpages. They hope you could do the same and join them in remembering Michael.

WHY THE GLOVE?
The glove was a symbol of his artistry, genius and magic. Their tribute is a beautiful and simple gesture to honour his music and contributions that made the world a better place.

WEAR THE GLOVE ON YOUR WEBSITE
If you have a website, portal or blog, we would love for you to join us in this movement.

Read more at http://www.thegloveliveson.com/

Instead of bright yellow, sunshine, teenage romance/bromance ‘lovin the moment, McDonald’s has been getting quite a lot of attention online with their recent gay TVC. Yes, getting attention. But is this TVC really worth talking about, passionately? Is there a story that really connects to our hearts? Probably not. Is this just an attempt for a big corporation trying to be socially relevant and also an attempt to produce a very safe “controversial ad”? Probably. While I applaud the increasing number of markets accepting the fact that social media is really more than just another channel for communications, or even as a platform for conversations (theoretically yes, but in reality, no one’s going to your website to talk to you unless you are the subservient chicken from Burger King.), however the next step to that is really to create relevant content that speaks to the heart. Seriously, who cares if a guy eating at McDonald’s is gay or not?

So why is it getting attention online? Poor sentiments spread too. Spoken about with alot of passion? Ho-Hum.