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Articles from The GottaQuirk eMarketing blog

It's amazing to be a South African today 2007-10-20 02:20:17 Barring the honourable Lucky Dube's death we are reaching another pinnacle in our country's history. The hopes of a nation are pinned on a stadium in France and some tough-ass men who are set to chase each other and an oval ball (properly inflated I hope) in order to attain that Webb Ellis Trophy tonight. William Webb Ellis was apparently the first guy to pick up a football and run with it, thereby starting a revolution that was to become arguably the best contact sport in the world. What was that punk thinking - disrupting a football game like that? Would he have known that a couple of thousand kilometres down south in Africa, the men would take to this sport like it had been invented here. There are some other "men in black" a few thousand kilometres south from us who also think the same thing....and they have a strong case...but they are at home now and we are still in France waiting to share our moment with William Webb Ellis's genius. A national call was put out th ...

Men who speed 2007-10-20 00:24:49 ***Disclaimer*** Some (men) may find this offensive Why certain men insist on speeding is beyond me.  It’s not “cool”, it doesn’t mean you’re a “bad boy” (an p.s. those went out of fashion ages ago) and it definitely does nothing to prove your "manhood" – in fact we just think that boys / men who speed have small dicks. Yes – you read right, “small dicks”. And now finally I have some proof! Ok, ok so it may not be scientific proof but it's proof none the less. I almost wet myself when I watched this ad which is part of an Australian road safety campaign. So next time you want to rev it up in some absurd display of manliness just remember we’ll all be thinking, “shame the poor lad’s just overcompensating for being… well… undercompensated" ;-) Comment on "Men who speed" ...

eMarketing over Breakfast anyone? 2007-10-19 07:37:14 For those of you who missed this week’s jam packed newsletter (nicely done Manners) we are pretty chuffed to announce our exciting new corporate education course: eMarketing over Breakfast. Although I've only been here a short while, the team at Quirk have been teaching and lecturing on all things eMarketing for years. Recently we've been getting a lot of requests for private corporate sessions but individually they take a lot of work to prepare and often you are only reaching 5 or 6 people. We wanted to do something that would at least double our reach but still remain small enough to ensure we get a good discussion going and everyone's interests are addressed. We also acknowledge the time limitations that professionals in business are subjected to today. Marketing is hard work and there is always more to be done! So we thought we'd kill two birds with one stone and give you your most important meal of the day (and yes... it will be super tasty), whilst we give you th ...

South Africa know a thing or two about support 2007-10-19 03:27:06 So I think it’s safe to say that the Rugby World Cup fever is everywhere. Everyone’s wearing green and gold; from our news presenters to the dogs going for walks in the park across the road from my house and the QuirkStars – the whole country seems to have gone “bokke” mad. The words “Show your support for the Springboks” and “Support the Boks” are everywhere in preparation of Saturday’s final. Nelson Mandela and Queen Elizabeth II have both publicly pledged their support for their respective home teams (but surely they just cancel each other out!?). If it were a case of the team with the most supporters being the victor, England might be better off having a nice cup of tea and a sit down. Well, according to Google Hot Trends anyway… GO BOKKE! Comment on "South Africa know a thing or two about support" ...

Nike on Track 2007-10-19 01:15:06 I went to buy a new pair of running shoes the other day. Being a casual runner I wasn’t looking for anything in specific, other than a good deal. The shop assistant asked me a whole bunch of questions which I nodded my way through – mostly because I didn’t have a clue what he was on about. Eventually he showed me a pair of Nike shoes that did the trick – cheap and damn comfortable. Still, he must have picked up that I wasn’t entirely convinced, because he then asked me if I had an iPod. Failing to see how this was immediately relevant to me getting a pair of running shoes I asked him to elaborate. He replied by removing the sole of the shoe and showing me a tiny compartment for a sensor. Telling him that I was looking for running shoes as opposed to a mobile command centre didn’t really do much to dissuade him, and he ploughed on with his explanation. Turns out that the sensor links up with the iPod during the run and tracks your performance. It ...

Blast from the past 2007-10-19 00:49:13 While Googling this morning I came across a search result that promised exactly what I was looking for. The landing page however made my heart slump – it was obvious from the sign-up form in the middle of the page that I was required to register for my much-desired information. Even worse, I realised I was actually expected to actually *gasp* PAY for the information! The offending site was none other than Encyclopedia Britannica. Something way back in the dark and cobwebbed corners of my mind brought forth memories of afternoons at the public library photocopying grainy photos from the heavy alphabetised volumes of the Encyclopedia Britannica. Photocopies that would later be coloured in with pencil crayons, cut out with scissors and pasted alongside non-plagiarised hand written copy in my projects book. I’m sure that everyone born before 1985 has similar recollections of school projects? Anyway, I’m getting off the point. And my point is – Does Encyclopedia Br ...

Do we need to teach our kids Internet lifeskills? 2007-10-18 07:29:42 I recently came across a study that revealed that 32% of all Internet using teens have been contacted by a stranger online (someone that has no known connection to the respondent or their friends). 7% said that this encounter made them feel scared or uncomfortable. For teens with social networking profiles or online photos of themselves, those numbers run even higher. The findings of this report based on a survey of 935 teens aged 12 – 17 in the USA from October to November 2006. While based on USA specific results the findings can, however, be generalised to the global population. Some of the findings showed that girls attract the most strangers online, and by far the creepiest of the encounters. For the teen Internet-using population in the US as a whole, only 4% of guys experienced an uncomfortable online contact, while for girls, that number jumps to 11%. Among teens that are contacted by strangers, girls (27%) are far more likely to report feeling scared or uncomfortable c ... Internet

A Google phone by Christmas or just a Truemor? 2007-10-17 05:22:44 One of the people I follow on Twitter alerted me to a rumour that Google's Mobile Phone (GooPhone or GPhone) is due for shipping by Christmas. From Guy Kawasaki's Truemors... Another day, another Google GPhone rumor — the current Google gossip indicates Taiwanese headset manufacturer HTC will ship out 50,000 cell phones that run on Google’s mobile operating system by the end of the year. Stock analysts predict Google’s shares would hit $700 if the rumored cell phone announcement comes to fruition. Feel free to gossip and speculate amongst yourselves until Google’s October 24 event for analysts, where industry watchers expect the disclosure of more information.Check this out if you'd like more information on the GPhone. Could this be the start of a Mobile eMarketing revolution that goes beyond text messages? Marshallpeck shares his thoughts on the GPhone in this Youtube video. What are yours? Comment on "A Google phone by Christmas or just a Truemor ... Google

So Far So Good 2007-10-16 12:28:37 I was thinking of a dramatic opening for my introductory blog post. The furthest I got was…"And so it begins, dot dot dot".  Followed by a little drum roll of course. Why the drama? Well, having usurped Rafiq’s position as the newest QuirkStar, I am now under pressure to start blogging. And although technically this is not my first post (see my environmental musings from yesterday) it is the all important one where I have to (and I quote Sarah) 'give of myself'. Seeing as I am still a little frightened of Sarah, I will do as I am told. I come to eMarketing somewhat by chance…but I am of the belief that the best things often happen that way. I was, until recently doing a Master’s at UCT, but thought that my dwindling enthusiasm was cause for concern and that maybe I had wandered too far down the wrong path - never a good thing when there are 50 000 words between you and the end of that path. I knew that I wanted to write (just maybe not a ma ...

Find Something, Do Something 2007-10-15 13:12:53 Thanks to this special Blog Action Day, I have found even more cool initiatives which are pro The Environment and, of course, the people talking about them. I have chosen to highlight Recycle4charity, partly because I am working on an eMarketing Strategy for them on behalf of my client Ninjani, and ultimately because the concept rocks… Donate your waste – cartridges, mobile phones and raise money for a charity, school, and community of your choice by doing so.   This charitable organisation is providing a great service to corporates in the UK, individuals and the environment.  We all love the latest make/model of mobile phone – or as it is referred to here in South Africa, cell phone. The notion I love even more is that we are finding ways to recycle the old and therefore not unnecessarily clogging up landmines simply because there is a sleeker model of phone that somehow we feel we cannot live without!! As Carlos mentioned in an earlier post, it&rsqu ...

Poverty, Development and the Environment 2007-10-15 12:31:28 I’m a bit of a bunny-hugger (and a tree-hugger, come to think of it) and while I’m baring my soul, I’m something of a people–hugger too. So the relationship that exists between these three is one that bothers me. Not in a keep-me-awake-at-night kind of way (not much keeps me awake at night) but I keep it in the corner of my brain with all the other things that I don’t understand, and in philanthropic moments, I try to make sense of it all. There’s an interesting paradox, you see, that exists between poverty, development and the conservation of the natural environment. And it’s often overlooked. There are two schools of thought. In the first, poor countries (and indeed poor communities within wealthy countries) are seen as the saviours of the environment, while rich countries are seen as the proponents of Mother Nature’s natural enemies; global warming and the disappearance of biodiversity.  However inadvertent, this is true to a ...

Go Green! 2007-10-15 10:48:55 All self respecting tree-hugger / enviro-activist Capetonians were at the NATURAL AND ORGANIC PRODUCTS EXHIBITION 2007 at the CTICC this weekend. The fair was a real testament to how the world of well-being is growing and how people are responding to the movement (apparently there was no room to move at the show on Sunday!!).   The exhibition was a journey of weird and wonderful natural and organic products ranging from herbal teas, vitamins, exotic berries, skin products and equipment for better living. You name it, it was there. If only we had the money to buy it all or the discipline to include it in our daily routines.   The Natural and Organic Products Exhibition’s slogan is 'Be informed and inspired to live the difference'. We therefore challenge them to encourage next year's exhibitors to make use of sustainable materials for their promotional goods i.e. biodegradable tasting cups and spoons, less paper or more use of recycled paper, more organic food stores ...

Sharing is caring 2007-10-15 07:41:10 Okay… so I’ve spent all weekend wracking my brain for some sort of environmental topic I could blog about today - something inspiring, something that would make people change, something profoundly genius that could save the world! But nothing … so I either have bloggers block or I’m taking this post way too seriously! I have always been a bit of a hippy at heart and spend loads of time researching, reading and dreaming about big and small things that I could do to change the world. So it is in this hippy spirit that I have decided to share the love (cheesy I know!) and tell you about my favourite environmental reads. My current favourite “Green” Blogs: Treehugger – The name says it all. It's full of “10 ways to …” tips ranging from how to green up your sex life and eco-friendly lighting solutions right down to how to dress Green. I love this site! Cobhouse – Probably not the best read on earth but love ...

Saving the world one blog post at a time 2007-10-15 05:38:40 Ok so I thought for my “save the environment” post I’d give out some easy tips on what you can do at home and at work to play you’re part in conserving energy and the environment as a whole. With all the load shedding we’re experiencing here in South Africa the need to conserve electrical energy has become apparent (to say the very least). I think that just being aware of the problem can go a long way to affect change. You really don’t need every light in the house blazing at once or your TV, radio and computer on at the same time do you? They also say turning your geyser off in the morning and back on at night can save loads of energy – you’d probably save quite a bit of cash too (just don’t forget to turn it back on otherwise you may get a bit of a shocking wakeup call). On a side note take heed of the little save electricity messages that come on TV in the evenings – you know the one that says turn off all essential applia ...

Be the change you want to see 2007-10-15 04:34:12 So I’m sitting here struggling to write this post. And it’s annoying me. A lot. I always want to write about environmental issues on a personal blog, but I never manage to pencil it into my day. So today’s Blog Action Day should have provided the perfect opportunity for me to pour my brain and heart out onto your screens. Where I’m struggling though, is to come up with something original that hasn’t been written about a hundred times over. There’s a plethora of information on the web relating to the environment. Why would anything that I have to say make a significant impact? We all get dozens of emails from our friends, we see all of the various award winning adverts and virals – for anybody reading this right now, awareness is not an issue. But a blog or a personally written email does have a unique voice and lets the author’s personality come through. We are not lacking in resources to tackle the environmental problems facing us. ...