blending the mix

My Sony laptop is on the verge of packing in, after years and years of (ab)use it is at death’s door.

The CD drive does not allow me to burn back-up discs anymore and it is pot luck as to whether or not it will work from one day to the next.

So, I am offering a unique opportunity to sponsor ME.

Apple, Microsoft, Dell, or indeed any company willing to provide me with a half-decent laptop will have their name mentioned as part of my email signature.

In ALL communications in which I participate and which requires me to use the laptop (pretty much all the time!), I will apply the following signature text for a full 12 months (and I WILL provide weekly evidence of this):

Paul Fabretti

Director

Written on an Apple Macbook Pro by Company X.

Or

"Written using the latest Dell Precision M90"

or whatever suits the company providing it! You get the picture!

I may even think about something that sounds good too!

I am a minimum 3-times a day, 3-blog blogger with a (growing) average 800 unique visitors per month (ok, not a lot but growing all the time!). I am an active member of linked-in, openbc, ecademy as well as the pinkomarketing wiki and google group.

I am also an eBay (UK) Gold Power seller. A link to the company providing my laptop will also be included in ALL my eBay auctions.

Some will no doubt snigger at the visitor numbers (and advertisers may balk at the numbers!) but I am an extremely active member of the communities in which I mix, and present you with an opportunity to touch business professionals deeper than any banner ad would.

If this is of interest to you and you would be able to provide me with a laptop, I look forward to hearing from you soon!

Tags: ebay, Dell, Apple, Macbook Pro, laptop, pinko marketing

First its Scoble, then it’s Tara, now it’s Bill.

Who’s next?

What’s interesting is that Robert Scoble and Tara Hunt (despite having been part of innovative face-recognition start-up Riya) are pursuing interests in new areas on the internet rather than simply moving on to do the same thing at another company.

Robert has joined an exciting new company called podtech.net (a Silicon Valley-based tech. news podcasting channel) and Tara is expanding her Pinko Marketing concept (which just rocks!), as well as her own Citizen Agency!

What is interesting that these two long-established blogosphere personalities are both moving (despite coming from different directions!) towards companies and projects engaging in new (to most people!) methods of internet use.

CGC - Podcasting, vlogging, wiki’s, blogs, forums are all now essential tools to succeed on the internet and the fact that 2 such well-known personalities have left safe jobs to get more directly involved is a sign for all of us.

Technorati Tags: Robert Scoble, Tara Hunt, Riya, podtech.net, Pinko Marketing, Citizen Agency, CGC, Podcasting, vlogging, wiki’s, blogs

Robert Scoble is leaving Microsoft to join PodTech.net a Silicon Valley startup.

Since when has one person’s job changed made it to the front page of the BBC News (top right hand side)?

Don’t think blogging/podcasting/videocatsing/CGC/wiki is something you need to be interested in? Think again.

On a more cynical note, I wonder how much money podtech.net saved on their marketing budget by recruiting someone like Robert and receiving all the publicity they are?!

Technorati Tags: Robert Scoble, Microsoft, PodTech.net

The BBC reports that OFCOM, the official telecommunications watcdog in the UK, is seeking a review and possible amendment to the regulations regarding the banning of the iPod gadget iTrips that can transmit the iPod content using FM radio signals.

The device was banned in the UK because it is argued that it is possible to interfere with commercial broadcasts already on that bandwidth.

The biggest dilemma seems to be how best to manage the acceptance given that the device is available all over the internet and there is a booming black market anyway.

If there is a change in the rules and we CAN use the iPod and iTrip in unison, we are facing some interesting times!

I think this opens up some exciting opportunities to create consumer-generated content radio stations as personal as the people put them out.
Live events like MESH 2006 could have instant MESH 2006 Radio, broadcasting (from the iPod) keynote speaches or event announcements. The Blogging 101 session from Tris Hussey could have been broadcast to all those who couldn’t make the seminar or someone may have missed Tara Hunt’s Keynote on Pinko Marketing, played again at 2100H on Radio MESH 2006 - all from an iPod!

On a more local level, parties and corporate events can be broadcast to friends or colleagues, either downloadable off company intranets or broadcast over “iPod FM”.

Each of these events could be sponsored with audio ads…the possibilities are endless.

Advertisers - are you keen to get into schools? Give a kid an iPod with some cool audio content on it to be broadcast at break time and lunchtime!
Does anyone remember Hi-de-Hi and its wonderful events broadcaster Ruth Maddocks? It’s here and it’s in the hands of Ofcom - advertisers, be ready!

Technorati Tags: iPod, iTrip, MESH 2006, Tris Hussey

New Media Age reports that Virgin Radio is in active talks with advertisers about placing video advertising content on the podcasts of its most popular shows.Previously, the podcasting might that was the Ricky Gervais show from The Guardian had interspersed audio ads throughout the show, which is great as the ads are able to reach EVERYONE downloading the mp3 format.

However, whilst using the most popular shows to encourage downloads of the video format, there must surely be some concern about the penetration that this will bring. Here is why I think that this may be a flash int he pan:

1. People are scared to show their iPod in public (remember the signature earphones being a mugger’s dream?). How can we expect them to watch a video too - with a MUCH MORE desirable gadget?
2. Habitually, people carry their iPods in their pockets.

3. Music iPods came first, Music came second, Podcasts came third. The iPod created the wave, the content rode it. In this instance, the weave created by the take-up of video iPod is not great enough for the content to ride. i.e. chicken and egg!

4. Critical Mass - save for all those early adopters and gadget freaks, there will soon come a point when everyone who wants an iPod or music player will have one. Budgets, credit card debt and simple satisfaction with their current player will simply restrict video iPod to a specific group of people whose tastes vary sufficiently as to make a global audience minute.
That said, maybe there is a niche market - but does this niche have global-enough interestes to appeal to Virgin’s core offer? I hope so, because they must be applauded for pushing new technology and offering advertisers another route
to market