Monthly Archives: June 2014

by | Wednesday, June 18, 2014 · 5:08 am

Viral Videos – June 2014

ViralVideos

Every week Advertising Age, in conjunction with company Visible Measures, publishes a list of the top performing videos. The weekly chart highlights viral video ads that appear on online video sites. Each ad measures viewership of brand-syndicated video clips as well as social video placements that are driven by viewers around the world. True Reach™ quantifies the total audience that has been exposed to a viral video campaign.

There are three key factors for viral video success:

  1. Reaching the tastemakers.
  2. Building a community of participation.
  3. Creating unexpectedness in the video.

Regardless of the type of product or service, the country of origin, or the type of message, what matters most to companies is reaching the audience in a way the both entertains and informs. Check out this week’s top videos and discuss how they address the factors for viral success.

Group Activities and Discussion Questions:

  1. Bring up Ad Age’s weekly Viral Video chart: http://www.visiblemeasures.com/adage
  2. Have students examine how the ads are measured by Visible Measures.
  3. Divide students into teams. Have each team select an ad on the top video chart and analyze the ad.
  4. Discuss: What is unusual? Who will it interest? What is the key message? How effective is the ad at getting the company’s brand and message across to viewers?
  5. In teams, have students design a viral video for a product of their choosing. What are the elements that are needed to go viral?

Source: Advertising Age, Visible Measures – weekly update

 

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by | Wednesday, June 18, 2014 · 4:53 am

No Steering Wheels Needed: Driverless Cars

SmartCar

We have covered Google’s driverless previously on this Web site; the cars are now a familiar sighting on the streets in California (where they are legal). Recently, Google announced a new 2014 version of the driverless car, and this one does not have a steering wheel, gas pedal, break, or gear shift levers! The new design is a departure from the previous model which required passengers to take over in an emergency.

The company is building experimental, electric-powered vehicles (top speed 25 mph) that have two comfortable seats and big windows, but have none of the hassle of driving. A smartphone app is used to request the car which automatically picks-up and drives passengers to their selected destinations. The vehicles are equipped with electronic sensors that can scan 600 feet in all directions and the front-end of the car is built from a foam-like material just in case the computer fails and it hits a pedestrian. However, if you do need to stop it in an emergency – use the big red button!

Group Activities and Discussion Questions:

  1. View the video of the 2014 driverless car: http://youtu.be/CqSDWoAhvLU
  2. Discuss the implications of the car with students. What industries will be impacted? How?
  3. Group discussion: define the characteristics of the target market for the driverless car – demographics, psychographics, behavior, etc.
  4. Discuss barriers to adoption. How can the barriers be overcome?

Source: New York Times, Google, other news sources

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by | Wednesday, June 18, 2014 · 4:42 am

Smart Pills to Monitor Health

SmartPill‘

Technology surrounds us. Look around the room and list all the technology-enabled devices that can be seen. Now consider this: are there other technology devices that are in use, but cannot be seen? There soon might be if you are use medications that contain computer chips. The ingestible technology transmits signals that indicate when a person has successfully taken medication, even monitoring times and the medications’ effects on health, and then transmitting all the data to a family member or physician.

Dozens of companies and research institutions are currently developing ingestible and implantable microchips that can help patients track their bodies in real time, and with a significant level of detail never before possible. Applications include transponders injected under the skin that contain medical history, a camera pill that can scan a colon for tumors, and medications that make sure older people take their daily medications. And on the horizon are nanosensors that would live in the bloodstream and send data to smartphones when an infection or heart attack might be coming. Soon, when someone asks about our health, all we will need to do is swallow a pill and link to their smartphone.

Group Activities and Discussion Questions:

  1. Show the product at company Web site (includes video): http://www.proteus.com/
  2. Discuss ethical considerations for ingestible technology.
  3. Have students research similar health technologies.
  4. Divide students into teams and have them build a SWOT grid for the product.
  5. Based on the analysis, what are the issues and risks that might occur?
  6. Debrief by building SWOT analysis grid on the white board.

Source:   Washington Post

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