Jon Stewart Rips CNBC

Posted on Mar 5, 2009 in Rambles |

I just had to share this as it’s somewhat on topic in terms of being business and economy related, but still appeals to my skewed sense of humor. Thanks to Dave Winer for posting this gem.

Can You Shock A Marketer?

Posted on Mar 5, 2009 in Affiliate Marketing, Marketing | 4 comments

A few weeks ago, the proprietor of T-Shirt Hell announced that they were closing down, hosted a sale, and accredited the shutting down of the popular anti-PC t-shirt site to an increase in misunderstandings of the offensive humor and an increase in negative feedback. It seemed strange to me that they’d go 8 years in business and just NOW get fed up with the haters.

Of course, I’m not shocked in the least that it turned out to be a hoax – a sneaky way of drumming up some publicity for the site, generating sales in a tough economy when people are probably not as likely to spend their money on novelty t-shirts – unless threatened that  they’d be gone forever.  My reason for blogging about it isn’t so much that it’s noteworthy or shocking, but more so that I had no reaction beyond a quick “meh…figures”.

This begs the question: can marketers be shocked anymore?  If this had been overly clever, I’d have to at least given them credit for successfully executing a good campaign in a down economy.  Marketers tend to have “seen it all” in terms of schemes and campaigns and tricks to lure in consumers to buy their products.  It seems to me that seeing a really clever campaign that I’d have to give props to seems fewer and far between.  It’s also more abundant when my husband points something out and I just shrug my shoulders because I’m not impressed as a marketer.

So, can you be shocked by marketing and advertising anymore as a marketer, or are you too jaded by the nature of your profession to really be taken in by marketing on a consumer level?

Affiliate Marketing Fanatics Episode 1: Almost a Fail

Posted on Mar 2, 2009 in Affiliate Marketing Fanatics | 6 comments

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

So I’ve returned rejuvenated from my vacation and I’m here to announce that I’ve started a new podcast with Michael Buechele of 11|15 Media called Affiliate Marketing Fanatics.  In the podcast, hosted generously by GeekCast.fm, we discuss different tools and aspects of affiliate marketing from both the publisher perspective (Mike) and the affiliate manager perspective (mine).

We recorded our first episode just before I left for vacation and Michael worked on the editing and posting while I was gone… unfortunately as we’re just learning this stuff, there are some strange audio issues and the very end got cut off.  We were using Pamela to record over Skype, so if anyone out there has any suggestions to fix them, I’m all ears.

In our first episode we discuss Zemanta, the BAAMC, RingRevenue, the PMA, and Facebook. So please, go check it out and comment and let us know what you think!

Charity Bowl-a-Thon March 31st

Posted on Feb 17, 2009 in Rambles | 5 comments

Affiliate Marketers DO give back!

MarketLeverage is sponsoring a Charity Bowl-a-Thon on March 31st at 7pm in Sanford, FL.  The proceeds of the event are going to be donated to the Niemann-Pick Children’s Fund in honor of Parker and Brisan Stults, the children of a MarketLeverage publisher.  It’s being held at Airport Lanes in Sanford and costs $25 per bowler to participate.  There are also a wide variety of sponsorship opportunities available if, like me, you don’t live in the area.  Sponsorship opportunities are:

• Players: Donate 10 cents/pin for each pin knocked down by your chosen player!
• Teams: Donate 10 cents/pin for each pin knocked down by your chosen team!
• Pins: Donate 10 cents/pin for each pin knocked down for the night!
• Team Shirts: Support your favorite team and a great cause for $100- they’ll wear your logo on
  their shirt! Max. of 10 logos per shirt + 1/10 shirt cost.
• Team Shirts (Solo): Support your favorite team and they’ll wear only your brand/product or logo on
  their shirt for $1000 + shirt cost. Max. 10 sponsors (1 per team).
• Lanes: Pick your favorite team and they’ll play in your lane. Provide us with a banner to
  display on your team’s lane for $250. Max. 10 sponsors (1 per lane).
• Registration Area: Sponsor the area where our players sign in. Display your signage, and give away
  swag for $500. Max. 2 sponsors.
• Power Alley: Throughout the event, each team will have the chance to play in our power alley
  twice! The power alley sponsor will donate $2/pin for each pin knocked down in
  the power alley for the night. The Power Alley Sponsor will be a sole sponsor,
  and can decorate with their banners around the lane.
• Restaurant: The bowlers are going to be hungry coming from a long day at work to support
  Parker and Brisan. If you have a restaurant or would like to pick up dinner from
  the in-alley restaurant, they’d appreciate it. Table tents with your logo and
  signage will be set up in the food area.
• Door Prizes: Provide our teams and supporters with some great swag and a lasting
  impression when they display your logo long after the event!

Niemann-Pick Disease is classified as a terminal illness, with approximately 1,200 cases worldwide.  Niemann-Pick disease refers to a group of diseases passed down through families (inherited) in which fatty substances called lipids collect in the cells of the spleen, liver, and brain.  Hospital costs for Parker and Brisan exceed $100,000 per month, which is why MarketLeverage is sponsoring this Bowl-a-Thon to help raise funds to help their cause.

For information on how to sponsor or participate, contact Dina at (407) 268-7667 or Dina@MarketLeverage.com.  You can also make a donation directly at http://www.bripardun.com/.  Do your part and give back!

They Say It’s MY Birthday!

Posted on Feb 6, 2009 in Career, Rambles | 5 comments

Yes, I’m stepping closer and closer to the abyss.

Right now –  at this VERY MOMENT OF 12:32pm PST – I just turned 28.

What?  You didn’t hear anything?  Well, just imagine muffled screams mixed with maniacal laughter and you’ll be close.  I go back and forth between looking at some aspects of my life and wondering how I did so little by this age, but then I look at others and remember how hard I’ve worked to get that far so fast.

I’m takin’ the day off, so re-posting a meme type thing that Julie posted in her blog Julie’s Journal last month on her birthday.

Famous people who share my birthday

• Tom Brokaw, 1940 – Newscaster, NBC News
• Bob Marley, 1945 – Singer
• Babe Ruth, 1895 – Baseball Player, New York Yankees
• Axl Rose, 1962 – Singer, Guns N’ Roses
• Ronald Reagan, 1911 – Actor, 40th US President
• Rip Torn, 1933 – Actor
• Natalie Cole, 1950 – Singer, Daughter of Nat King Cole

Famous Events that happened on January 3rd:

• 1865- Robert E Lee appointed Confederate General in Chief
• 1918- Britain grants women (30 & over) vote
• 1933- 20th Amendment goes into effect: Pres term begins in Jan not March
• 1935- “Monopoly” board game goes on sale for 1st time
• 1974- US House of Reps begins determining grounds for impeachment of Nixon
• 1981- Beatles McCartney, Starr & Harrison record a tribute to John Lennon (OK, “Brady Brides” also debuted on TV the same day, but the tribute seemed more important)

Famous Capricorns

• Fredrico Fellini – Director
• Geena Davis – Actress
• John Belushi – Actor
• Wolfgang Mozart – Composer
• Opra Winfrey – TV Host
• Charles Lindbergh – Pilot
• Carl Berstein – Journalist

Bay Area Affiliate Managers – Save the Date February 19th

Posted on Jan 30, 2009 in Affiliate Marketing |

If you’re in the San Francisco Bay Area, and you’re looking for some networking and a discussion of what’s going on in the industry, come join the Bay Area Affiliate Managers Coalition.  The BAAMC is basically just a group of affiliate managers in the area that get together to discuss current industry events with the Bay Area perspective.

I’ve attended a couple meetings and really gotten a lot out of it.  It’s nice to sit around with some colleagues over lunch and discuss issues.  Unfortunately I was unable to attend the last meeting in the fall, but the next meeting will be in Menlo Park February 19th.  The group tries to meet every quarter, but since it relies on a company being able to volunteer to host the group and provide lunch, it can’t always be swung.

If I didn’t work from home, I’d try to make a case to my boss to host, but I don’t have enough chairs :p

If you’re interested in joining the group, check out the website BAAMC.org and join the Yahoo! Group.