It has been quite a while since we last had such a spread. Not a lot, but the weekly TGIF is missed by all.

Happy Weekend!

Let this cool Alice eBook for iPad speak for itself

Most of the iPad apps we’ve seen so far have been along the lines of digital magazine apps. Granimator, a new app by ustwo, refreshingly, looks to make the most of the interactive touch screen and let users be creative with that functionality - rather than simply swiping a screen to get to another “page” (yawn).

The idea behind Granimator is that iPad owners using the app can play around with various graphic and illustrative elements onscreen to create musical wallpapers. ustwo has teamed up with a host of in-demand imagemakers – including Airside, James Joyce, Jon Burgerman and Pete Fowler – to supply graphic and illustrative assets for the app. Each of these collaborator’s Granimator assets will be available in signature artist packs, which will be released in packs of six on an ongoing basis through an in-app shop.

Users can select and drag different graphic elements onscreen to create interesting looking wallpapers. Each element in the composition represents a different sound that can be played by tapping it on the screen. A pinching action can tweak the sound’s pitch, thus enabling you to fine tune your wallpaper composition – both visually and melodically. Once you’re happy with your creation, you’ll be able to save it as iPad or iPhone wallpaper and share it with your friends via Flickr, Twitter and, but of course, a dedicated website at granimator.com

Courtesy of Creative Review

HERE’S a surprising prediction: China will be the world’s biggest tourism destination by 2015. Taleb Rifai, the secretary-general of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), said recently that he expects China to overtake France, which is currently the top-ranked country.

“China is almost there,” Mr Rifai told Xinhua. “It is now the world’s fourth largest destination when it comes to incoming tourists, and the rates of growth are moving so quickly that we think this is a realistic target.”

Mr Rifai’s comments, though referring to 2015, appear to be based on projections that the UNWTO put together for 2020. China had almost 51m arrivals in 2009, including visitors from Hong Kong and Macau—just behind Spain and America, but still some distance from France, which welcomed 78m foreign visitors in 2008. Yet given that the numbers visiting China rose by 40m in the past decade, and the Chinese government shows no sign of losing interest in promoting tourism, it’s not hard to see the basis for the UNWTO’s projection.

This is not, moreover, a question of pure tourism. The UNWTO told me that, in general, these “tourists” actually comprise 50% holidaymakers, 30% visitors to friends and relatives, and 20% business travellers.

Source: The Economist

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Bk_nqUQ0fc&feature=player_embedded

1.) Its not translation, its localisation
- always use local translators as they have intimate knowledge and understanding of syntax and nuances unique to each country.
- always ask for a few paragraphs of localised samples and get a real consumer to read through (corridor test). Some research spending at the start can yield greater rewards after.

2.) Engage category experts to vet content, and propose terms/phrases unique to that category. If we want to write for the experts, we need to sound like experts.

3.) Recognise country-specific differences within languages
- Hong Kong Traditional Chinese vs. Taiwan Traditional Chinese. Enough said.
- English language messages also need to be localized for countries such as Canada, the UK and Australia. That includes differences in phrasing, such as “ring me” instead of “call me” or “petrol” instead of “gas,” as well as differences in spelling.

4.) Respect Cultural Differences
- US and UK markets tend to use a more aggressive, sales-oriented approach but the style will not play well in other parts of Europe and even in Asia
- No showing of skin pictorially in conservative countries like Middle East; Patriotism and flag imagery may work well in US but not so much in Canada.

5.) A picture says a thousand words
- British customers could tell their advertising photos were of US employees, due to slight differences in clothing, such as the way a tie was knotted
- Caucasian models might not always resonate well with Asian countries, especially Japan/China

https://www.mastercardmoments.com/edm/2010/02/monthly/chs/edm_spring.html

Credit goes to Marketing Sherpa for some of these great points

Brand/digital utility -> providing value and convenience to improve/enrich your consumers’ lifestyles

Zuji is doing it, and will pay $0.10 for every picture they “like”, on assumption that one will upload more than one picture. More unique “likes” will earn more money, increasing to $1 to a max of $100 for the top 10 pictures.

Good way to collect content, and a small reward to get content contributors to “park” their existing content in another space other than the established gathering holes like Flickr.

If the model can be refined further (like a quota for example) to target at a broader mass who will probably upload 2-3 pictures instead of the discount hunters who upload millions to cumulatively earn a decent paycheck, it may be worthwhile to see how other brands can also leverage on similar models to encourage some much needed UGC.

http://www.zuji.com.sg/site/travel_deals/photoshare/photoshare-facebook.htm

1.) Plan in Analog
Steve Jobs made his mark in the digital world of bits and bytes, but he plans presentations in the old world of pen and paper. A Steve Jobs presentation has all the elements of a great movie—heroes and villains, stunning visuals and a supporting cast. And, like a movie director, Steve Jobs “storyboards” the plot. Before you go digital and open PowerPoint, spend time brainstorming, sketching or whiteboarding in the early stages. Remember, you’re delivering a story, the narrative.

2.) Create a Twitter-Friendly Description
Steve Jobs creates a single sentence description for every product. These headlines help the audience categorize the new product and are always concise enough to fi t in a 140-character Twitter post.

3.) Introduce the Antagonist
In every classic story, the hero fights the villain. The same holds true for a Steve Jobs presentation. In 1984, the villain was IBM, known as “Big Blue” at the time. Before Jobs introduced the famous 1984 television ad to a group of Apple salespeople, he created a dramatic story around it. “IBM wants it all,” he said. Apple would be the only company to stand in its way. It was very dramatic and the crowd went crazy. Branding expert Martin Lindstrom says that great brands and religions have something in common: the idea of vanquishing a shared enemy. Create a villain that allows the audience to rally around the hero—you and your product.

4.) Focus on Benefits
Your listeners are asking themselves one question: Why should I care? Steve Jobs sells the benefifi t behind every new product or feature—and he’s very clear about it. Why buy an iPhone 3G? Because “it’s twice as fast at half the price.” What’s so great about Time Capsule? “All your irreplaceable photos, videos and documents are automatically protected and easy to retrieve if they’re ever lost.”

5.) Stick to the Rule of Three
Nearly every Steve Jobs presentation is divided into three parts. When Jobs returned from a health-related absence on September 9, 2009, he told the audience he would be talking about three products: iPhones, iTunes and iPods. Along the way he provides verbal guideposts such as “iPhones. The fi rst thing I wanted to talk about today. Now, let’s move on to the second, iTunes.” The number “three” is a powerful concept in writing. Playwrights know that three is more dramatic than two; comedians know that three is funnier than four, and Steve Jobs knows that three is more memorable than six or eight.

Kudos to Carmine Gallo for the great slides!