Month: September 2011

iPhone 5 Update

October 4th is the new date that the iPhone 5 is supposed to be talked about at a Media Event put on by Apple. I say talked about because according to most of the internet publicity, it says it will be another 1-3 weeks before it will become available. The employees at Sprint who were told that they can’t go on vacation in early October might be able to go after all..LOL.  It’s Mid to late October that they wont be able to go on Vay-Cay.

Funny thing about tracking this story down was I went to Hypebeast.com to check on new Kicks, found the iPhone article, it took me to engadget.com, which then took me to allthingsdigital.com who had the speculation article on the October 4th date.  I’m still looking for shoes,  but if you want to read more on the iPhone5 rumours here’s the link to the original source of the information. Note:  allthingsdigital.com is where the info originated, I Dont know where the info came from before that. the article was too long for me to read right now.

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What’s Hot for Men Going to Prom!

Whatcha’ Going to Wear to Prom?

HOT TRENDS FOR MEN FOR PROMS

With the Second Chance Prom less than 8 days away, I figured it would be a good time to check in with Christopher Wright Director of Store Operations at Celebrity Tuxedos and See What’s HOT for men!

Quick-Look Interview with Christopher Wright from Celebrity Tuxedos in HI

Since the Second Chance Prom is approaching us quickly, my first question I wanted to find out was-When is the latest a customer can order a tux and have it ready to wear on Saturday October 1st, 2011? The Answer sure surprised me, perfect for the last-minute ticket buying public..

A.  They can visit any of our locations by Friday September 30th …Yes!  the day before, and be able to pick up their tuxedos the following afternoon before they head over to the prom.  Now, we certainly suggest trying to visit us before that.  It is best to try to come in at least a week prior. But we can accommodate you the day before the “Big Event”.

I’m a big Trend spotting fiend, so the next question I asked Christopher was:  What are the trends right now for dressing up for the Prom?

A.  Sharp Contrasting Colors, Black Shirts with Colorful vests. White Tuxedos are always popular for prom.  Pin Stripes and shadow stripes. Skinny Ties and Narrow Lapels.

Next up, I asked:  What is the best color to wear?  having not been to a prom in a pretty long time..LOL

A.  You want to coordinate with your date.  In terms of Tuxedos, black and white are always in style but we have noticed light grey and charcoal grey getting really popular as well.

Knowing that the TV show Mad Men has spawned some new trends in menswear-see Banana Republic for an example-I next checked:  What is the best way one would acquire the “Mad Men” TV show Look for Prom?

A.  We do carry the more “fitted” designer tuxedos and suits so that would be the first thing to consider when trying to get the “Mad Men” look.  They also tend to wear cummerbunds and bow-ties when they wear tuxedos buy you could also go with a vest and a skinny tie as well.

And I know we touched on trends earlier, but I still wanted to know more and  asked:  What are some of the interesting trends coming in 2012 that you could mention today?

A.  We see a trend in wearing something different from the traditional black or white tuxedo. We carry light grey, Charcoal, grey and even a chocolate-brown tuxedo. Also, as I mentioned earlier..Narrow or skinny lapels with skinny ties.

There you have it, if you don’t know what to wear to the Second Chance prom or your first prom, these are some great tips given to you by Christopher Wright from Celebrity Tuxedos here on the Island of Oahu.  If you want tips on Shoes, you can always visit my other blog at streetzblog.com And if it was me dressing up: I would wear a one button Black Tuxedo with a crisp white shirt and a midnight Blue skinny Emporio Armani Tie with of course the cool black pants with the black on black stripe down the side. And my choice of shoes would be my Limited Edition Black Patent Jordan 20’s. They totally hurt my feet, but are so worth it and look the best with a dark-colored tux.  If my feet hurt too much, I’d change into my black patent Jumps from the Jump store in Soho in NYC. The store they buzz you into and its also the store that doesn’t have much on-line to buy, but actually going there is really, really fun. its like a luxurious Spa inside, well that’s at least what I would compare the store to..whether you go traditional, “Man Men”, or a  Combo of many of the options, make sure like Christopher said You want to “match your date”  I totally would have forgotten that part.  If you want to get a hold of me this week, best is by phone at 808 275 -1000 or just hit me back on the comments section. Have fun!

*Celebrity Tuxedos is located in Sears Stores at Ala Moana Center, Pearlridge and Windward Mall.

 

 

IPhone 5..Maybe? maybe not?

http://video.mynet.com/faytkilap/Iste-iPhone-5/1303894/
Who knows how real this maybe-most likely an artists vision of the new iPhone. Whether it’s real or not, this vid sure is fun to watch. According to this Vid the keyboard comes out of the phone and on to your desk and you can watch movies in mid air. Thanks to Tom Asacker for the tip on the Vid. Enjoy! SM

QR Codes Go Up in Smoke!

Even though QR (Quick Read) codes have been around for a while, this is the year that I’ve personally really enjoyed them.  It started at Christmas When my friend Charles gave me a New York Times and it had a HUGE really colorful QR code on it and I sat at lunch trying to take a picture of it, which of course did not work.  From a Blog earlier, I mentioned that you would need a QR Code reader or scanner on your iPhone to get it to work. Since December, I have made QR code business cards, stuck QR Code Stickers up all over the world and made QR codes for many friends including Non Stop Travel, Power 104.3, and Oceanic Cable. 

Now, check out this video, I know it’s in Croatian, but even in Croatian it shows you how simple and easy it is to use a QR Code.  And as I’ve been studying the usage of QR codes in Advertising, I noticed that many take the customer to a website, which is cool and all. That’s what most of my QR codes do, but as we continue to use them, I love all of the really awesome things we can do with them!

For example this QR code is on the back of a Ronhill cigarette package and it takes you to a regional mobile website that gives the smoker current locations of where smoking is allowed.  And similar to Foursquare-users can also update the list of places themselves.  Thanks to Springwise.com for the tip and for more information on TDR click here.

On the subject of cool things to do with QR codes.  Feel free to use any of these ideas or use them as a springboard to your own QR code Fun,  Advertising, and Marketing!  (These arent real or if they are it’s a total coincidence because I just made them all up today 9/15/11)

1. Red Bull/Energy Drink/Soda Company:  The QR code could click to a site that shows all the cool places Red Bull events are being held this year and you’d be entered to win VIP access. Or even more fun, the QR code would lead you to Travis Pastrana’s backyard-where he could teach us some new tricks on Moto X or Subaru. 

2.Clearthesmoke.org/Lung Association: Since we did an article on cool things you can do with smoking, I figured I’d better add in some PSA type info on quiting smoking.    So,  instead of taking you their websites homepage, the QR code can take you to an entry form to enter the “Quit Smoking Today” art contest.  Here you would upload your art and then the next time you scan the QR code it would take you to the Clear the Smoke dot org Art Gallery where you could see all of the great works of art and vote on your favorites. Winner received a smoking HOT trip to the Bahamas.

3.  Broke2.com/Clothing Company:  Click on the QR code and it takes you to a fun interactive video game where you get to dress up Celebrities in some fun destination appropriate clothes to go on a road trip race all over the world. Changing clothes as you go to each destination. Racing against all sorts of people all around the world.  Fun to do, fun to race and fun to meet new people from around the World. You could get badges, points or money coupons each time you get to a new country and use them to purchase a special limited edition line of clothing designed for the game. 

4.  G-Shock/Watches in general:  Put the QR code underneath the crown or on the band. Wearers of the brand get the exclusive code to be in the VIP Watch Club.  Along with the usual cool VIP things brands like to give you. This Club would check the time and show you a video of the coolest thing happening at that moment in time.  Like an all night party in Ibiza, backstage at Fashion Week, a sneak peek at a celebrity partying in Maui, behind the scenes at a Victoria Secret’s Fashion show, on the set of Hawaii Five-0, Carnivale in Rio, St. Pats Day in Dublin etc. Whatever, wherever is HOT at this TIME, they will take you there!

Oh-What fun to be had with QR codes and just think I couldn’t even download one of these things 8 months ago. The World sure is moving fast!  Best way to get a hold of me this week and weekend is by text at 808 479-9928. Cheers and Aloha! SM

Sell..Well..Anything with Advertising

Slurp N Skate

http://theberrics.com/trajectory/broadcast-part-one.html                                                      I don’t even know how I stumbled upon this vid,  haven’t even skateboarded for 10 or 20 years. After you see the short commercial for DC skate shoes, a really, really well done short film comes on explaining the roots of the Broadcast Skateboard Wheels.

Part of the video shows the owner of the brand Kelly D Williams talking about his brand and how it was born in Idaho and why he decided to make the wheels and the company etc.

It’s the other half of the video that is why I’m writing about this in “Advertising in Hawaii”  I know it doesn’t have much to do with Hawaii other than there are a lot of skaters here and I live near the Makiki skate-ramp. But what I want to point out is a few things about advertising:

#1.  You Can Sell Anything with the Right Creative:  I personally don’t need skateboard wheels right now, but after watching this video it does make me feel and think that if I did start to skate again or if I need a skateboarding present for someone for Christmas, I would buy these “Broadcast” Skateboard Wheels. Why?  Because, just check out the cinematography.  Everything works, The crispness of the High Def film, the skaters look-hair, shirt, shoes, pants,  of course the skating.  But I especially like and dig the whole Vybe on the streets and artistic quality of the Vid. Especially check out the view coming from the Bus..Wow!  That section is just plain awesome!

#2 You can sell Anything with feeling and emotion:  Some of the best radio commercials give listeners a great image in their heads if the story is explained with great coloring, crisp sound effects and the right music.  This video commercial does all of that and more. Just feel how  when the music changes the whole vybe changes. it gets cheery, then pretty dark.. then he falls.  Wow! when the skater falls you can FEEL it right within your bones, or when he almost gets hit by the cars, one can feel the fright of it, at least for me, it goes right through my blood. First time I watched it I even shrieked a bit when I thought he was going to get HIT by the car!  Bringing your listener or viewer in with feeling and emotion is what you want to do using broadcast mediums.  BTW: With Social Media we are looking for Engagement.

#3 You can sell anything with Passion:  Just think Kelly D Williams who owns this company is selling wheels on a skateboard.  He isn’t selling a Sizzling mouth-watering steak or a nice pair of orange and blue NIB Retro Air Jordans.  He is selling Skateboard Wheels and he is passionate about them and his company. And you can feel it in his voice, in his delivery and in his “testimonial” about his company.  Get the right spokesperson, who’s passionate about the product, who fits the product,Who actually and really does use and enjoy the product… You’ll sell the product.

*The one thing I don’t like about the video, is it doesn’t allow people like me to put it on our blogs.  It’s not on YouTube or Vimeo, it’s on something called Permalink-which I suspect means you can’t take it and post it. The best I could do is leave the link at the top of the page. But you can just click on it and it will take you to the vid, I just don’t like the look it gives my page-I would much rather have a color picture up on there with a play button arrow ready to press. Oh Well. It’s so good, I needed to write about it with or without a cool color picture with link.

Have a nice weekend and remember if you need any ideas for your service, business or product just shoot me an email and I’ll work on it for you.  See you soon!

Smart Phone Shopping in Korea

  • I was just talking to someone last week that was in Asia and he said he saw businessmen buying beer with their smartphones before getting on the train! I had heard that the Japanese had been purchasing their train tickets for a while now with smart phones, but Beer!   And now,  just today trendwatching.com released this picture and short article about purchasing beverages with smartphones in Korea.  The other  interesting thing here is on-line sales also increased.  Looks kind of fun, but I would miss the funny faces the cashiers make when I ask them:”Hey those fish things are gone! (they responded..eh?!?!) So I said: Where are the fun fish things with the reddish sweet bean paste in them that are usually in the frozen section”  Yep, I really did ask them that about two weeks ago at 7-Eleven on Piikoi.  It’s my favorite food to eat when I work too late. I couldn’t find them that night and neither could the clerk..Go figure! But I sure wouldn’t find them at a store without a cashier.  Me, I personally like shopping and seeing cashier, sales people etc.  Although, this would be a good idea for the downtown Longs Store. That place always has a line and that is one time that I am in a HURRY! So, It could be a good thing for certain places, but PLEASE dont do this at the shoes or clothes stores!!!!
  • What do you think of the new stores?  Fun? Fast? Lame? the future? or not? LMK

Home plus, the Korean branch of Tesco, recently launched a series of virtual stores on subway platforms, enabling customers to make purchases using their smartphones while they wait for a train. During the campaign, Home plus online sales increased by 130%, with over 10,000 customers trying the stores.  trendwatching.com   

 

No Cashiers here! just click and go!

 

 

Facebook Facts

We’ve chatted about it a bit before, How I would recommend picking a Social Media medium and using it well instead of doing 4-8 different mediums  and doing them all haphazard. Well, today, it looks like if you want to pick one-pick Facebook.  Check these interesting facts out:

Research by DDB Worldwide and Opinionway Research finds 84% of  typical Facebook fans of business’ and products are existing customers. Tip here is you are marketing to people who already like your brand! Treat them this way and You’ll win in the end. Treat them like people who don’t know or care about your brand and you’re missing the boat. What I’d do is give them free things, secret specials only found on Facebook, Announcements about new products coming out  just to these “favorite” fans, some sort of frequent Facebook Club, etc

Social Media Products Director of web analytics firm Webtrends Mr, Kistner says 51% of people in the US HAVE Facebook accounts, 8% have Twitter accounts and only 4 % have geo location accounts like Foursquare.  That’s some pretty big numbers for Facebook! I personally like to goof around with Foursquare to get the badges, but as a business, I would for sure go with Facebook first, then pick one or at the most 2 other mediums that fit my brand and goals and work with them on a secondary level. But for sure go for Facebook first and foremost and do it well!

Note:  Visits to company websites are almost all down over a year ago and of course visits to Facebook sites are up compared to a year ago.  Another reason FB is the place to do your social Marketing.  But, like we’ve said before if you’re a new or newer brand the best way to get your Facebook marketing working is to use traditional media like TV, Radio, magazine, Newspaper, billboards to reach out to the masses and bring them to your FB page.

And we’ll leave you with one last fact Facebook fact from Jack Neff- 117 Brands already have at least a MILLION fans! with 40 on pace to join the million mark this year!! Wowza!

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