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In This Issue
It's the End of the World As We Know It
Is Apple Taking Over the World?
How to Host a Successful Webinar
Continuing Blogs from a Mad Man
A Clayman News Update
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Welcome to the Claymanite.
Do you sometimes long for the days when the evening news would be able to cover most of what you needed to know? These days things are changing at such a rapid speed that it's almost impossible to keep up. New technology comes and goes, new sites or browsers come and take over the world. It's very difficult to keep all of the players and products straight. However, it's highly critical to do so.
 
In this issue of The Claymanite, we'll talk about different ways in which these new trends can be potentially harmful (can anyone say privacy sieve?) or extremely helpful (like the ability to host a webinar).
 
Consider it a kind of web and technology update.
It's the End of the World As We Know It
 
end of the world 
And to us, that's darned creepy!
 
Back in 2005, John Battelle published a book called The Search: How Google and Its Rivals Rewrote the Rules of Business and Transformed Our Culture. There was some pretty scary stuff in there. Battelle predicted that soon we'd be able to fast-forward entirely through ads because of things like TiVo and DVRs. In response to this, he predicted that advertisers would try to sneak into our worlds via the internet. Battelle asked if you ever noticed that ads for apple pie suddenly appear after you have written an allegedly private email to your mother about her famous apple pie recipe. 
 
Scary, right?
 
That wasn't anything! 
 
 
Is Apple Taking Over the World?
 
 
apple worldFor its first 30 years of existence, Apple's company name was called Apple Computer, Inc. In January 2007, Apple removed the word "Computer" from its name in order to reflect the company's ongoing expansion into the consumer electronics market in addition to its traditional focus on personal computers. As you konw, Apple does not just sell computers anymore. In 2001, Apple released the first model of the iPod. Both the iPhone and iPod Touch were introduced in 2007. On April 3, 2010, the iPad was available to consumers. The latest innovation, iAd, a system that allows applications to display ads, was introduced on April 8, 2010. With Apple's presence in the music industry, the mobile phone market, and now the ad arena, it's hard not to wonder if Apple is taking over the world.
 
How to Host a Successful Webinar
 
webinarIn the last few editions of the Claymanite we've discussed Public Relations and the fact that PR doesn't just mean "Product Release." We talked about case studies, white papers, and now in this issue, we're going to review webinars and how to host a successful one.  
 
Continuing Blogs from a Mad Man
 
Larry has updated the look of his blog. His newest post reflects on how to measure success. How do you measure your success both internally and with your customers? Share your thoughts!
A Clayman News Update
 
Marjorie Clayman was invited to present at the PMPA (Precision Machined Products Association) IT Panel session at the 2010 National PMPA Technology Conference on Monday, April 26th. Marjorie's contribution was to talk about the importance of conducting research before embarking on a campaign in Facebook or Twitter. 
 
Clayman Advertising would like to extend a warm thank you to Billie Henning of Henning Software, who invited Marjorie to participate.   
 
You can view a recorded version of Marjorie's presentation here.
CrisisCommunication 
It's the End of the World As We Know It
 
101
And to us, that's darned creepy!
 
Back in 2005, John Battelle published a book called The Search: How Google and Its Rivals Rewrote the Rules of Business and Transformed Our Culture. There was some pretty scary stuff in there. Battelle predicted that soon we'd be able to fast-forward entirely through ads because of things like TiVo and DVRs. In response to this, he predicted that advertisers would try to sneak into our worlds via the internet. Battelle asked if you ever noticed that ads for apple pie suddenly appear after you have written an allegedly private email to your mother about her famous apple pie recipe. 
 
Scary, right?
 
That wasn't anything! 
 
On April 21, 2010, Facebook hosted F8, its annual conference, and there were some huge announcements. Most notable was the announcement about what has alternately been called "the open graph," "Internet personalization," or "social plug-ins." Essentially, Facebook is trying to take its structure of being able to "like" brands or concepts through Fan pages within the Facebook network and expand that to, well, the entire world. According to Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook founder/mogul,
 

"This next version of Facebook Platform puts people at the center of the web. It lets you shape your experiences online and make them more social. For example, if you like a band on Pandora, that information can become part of the graph so that later if you visit a concert site, the site can tell you when the band you like is coming to your area. The power of the open graph is that it helps to create a smarter, personalized web that gets better with every action taken." From the Facebook blog

In addition to these features, this new Facebook platform allows you to recommend songs or restaurants or other things to your Facebook friends, and they can return the favor.
 
Sounds great. Where's the story?
 
A few people, like those at the ACLU, are a little bit concerned about how this new Facebook platform will affect user privacy. To understand why, you need to know a little bit about Facebook applications. In a way, applications are like the apps that are available on mobile phones. Some of them are totally goofy and are basically games you can play. Others are kind of useful - they let you post links to websites or they let you write notes (kind of like a blog but within the Facebook framework). Over the last couple of years, it has become increasingly difficult to protect private information from these applications. If a friend of yours, for example, signs up for an application called "Who visits my page most often?" that application can access your profile picture, your hometown - information that can no longer be hidden even if you go to the trouble of blocking that particular application. The three partner sites that Facebook is partnering with to create the "open graph" appear as applications in Facebook. In order to protect at least most of your data, you need to manually visit each page and "block" the application. Make no mistake, the process for doing this is not printed in neon fonts on Facebook's homepage. You really have to dig. This means that many people will be opening up their data to sites like Pandora.com and Microsoft Docs without even knowing about it. Like we said, scary.
 
What's this about Microsoft now?
 
Oh yes, one more thing about this little Facebook announcement. One of the sites that Facebook is partnering with to launch the new "personalized internet" is Microsoft, specifically Microsoft Office. Microsoft has launched a new site called Docs.com. The basic idea is that you can authorize the Microsoft docs application in Facebook, then go to docs.com, upload a word document or an excel document, and presto! You can automatically share it with your friends. Even if your friends haven't authorized the application, or in fact, even if your friends don't have Facebook, they can still comment on the document. If your friends do have the application, they can comment on your document through Facebook. Even more interesting, if you go to docs.com, there's already a Facebook sign-in button in the upper right-hand corner. That means you no longer have to go to Facebook.com to log into your account.
 
Is this starting to sound a little familiar? Maybe what you are thinking of is Google Docs, a Google tool that allows you to upload documents and share them with other people, regardless of what computer they're using. Uhoh.
 
The Internet as Chess Game
 
It seems as though forces are aligning in advance of what could be a major online battle for the world's hearts and minds. Google is clearly on one side of the spectrum, but it is no longer standing inside a bullet-proof barricade. Facebook, Microsoft, and Yahoo are working out intricate alliances, carefully attacking the real estate that Google has dominated up to this point. In all of this movement, the real major issues, like intellectual property, privacy, and safety could get overlooked. In that scenario, no one in any part of the world would really be a winner.
 
Stay tuned.
IntegratedMarketing  
Is Apple Taking Over the World?
 
101
For its first 30 years of existence, Apple's company name was  Apple Computer, Inc. In January 2007, Apple removed the word "Computer" from its name in order to reflect the company's ongoing expansion into the consumer electronics market in addition to its traditional focus on personal computers. As you know, Apple does not just sell computers anymore. In 2001, Apple released the first model of the iPod. Both the iPhone and iPod Touch were introduced in 2007. On April 3, 2010, the iPad was available to consumers. The latest innovation, iAd, a system that allows applications to display ads, was introduced on April 8, 2010. With Apple's presence in the music industry, the mobile phone market, and now the ad arena, it's hard not to wonder if Apple is taking over the world.
 
Recently analysts have been predicting that within five years, more people will access the internet from mobile devices than personal computers. On Thursday, April 8, 2010, Apple's Chief Executive, Steve Jobs, gave a preview of the new iAd platform. According to an article from the New York Times, Jobs said the new ad system would offer ways to build complex interactive ads into applications for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad. Apple plans on giving application developers 60 percent of the revenue from ads that run in their programs. This gives developers a way to keep prices for their applications low or free, through advertising.
 
Apple believes that people are not using search services on mobile devices like they are on desktops or laptops. Instead, smart phone users are getting all of their information through applications, so search ads are not as effective.
 
In the presentation, Jobs explained that the ads would not distract people from what they were doing on the phone, and that the ads would be entertaining. He gave a demonstration of what the ad would be like by going to and iPhone application. Once he was in the application Jobs was then able to touch an ad for the Disney film "Toy Story 3." The ad took him to a screen with video clips and games and also offered movie theater tickets. When he closed out of the ad, he was taken right back to the application that he was previously in.
 
The iAd system will be a part of the software for the new iPhone 4.0 OS and the iPod Touch models that are scheduled to launch this summer, as well as an updated iPad later in the year. The software will also include the ability to give applications as gifts, a new gaming center that will allow owners of Apple devices to play video games against each other, and tools for companies to manage their employees' iPhones and send custom applications directly to those phones.
 
Even before the announcement of iAd, Apple had a running start in the mobile arena. In the past three years, the company sold more than 85 million iPhone and iPod Touch players. This attracted a massive amount of software developers to create 185,000 applications exclusively for Apple products. With the amount of different applications out there, the possibilities for creating relevant ads are endless.
 
How to Host a Successful Webinar 
 
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In the last few editions of the Claymanite we've discussed Public Relations and the fact that PR doesn't just mean "Product Release." We talked about case studies, white papers, and now in this issue, we're going to review webinars and how to host a successful one.  
 
A webinar is a one-to-many online seminar that is designed to attract prospects and obtain leads. Webinars are much less costly than a live seminar and can be used to position a company as a thought leader and trusted resource. Webinars create dialog and tempt prospects to get to know a company better.
 
Unfortunately, a webinar gone wrong can have very negative effects, such as hurting a company's reputation and credibility. It's not something that should be thrown together at the last minute. Time should be spent to properly plan and prepare a webinar. Kimberly Smith, author of "Webinar Essentials: Five Must-Have Ingredients of Success," advises the following:
 
1. Compelling Content - Once you've nailed down the business objective, the specific audience you'd like to reach, and the topic, you must determine the content that will speak to the distinct needs of your audience. The content needs to be relevant. Think about the audience's interests and concerns, and how you can offer the insight to help fulfill their needs. The content should also be engaging. People are busy. Make sure your topic is worth their while to sit through. Finally, your content should be audience focused. Rather than focusing on a sales pitch, keep it about your audience. You'll come off as more credible if you offer neutral perspectives, tips, and advice.
 
2. A Captivating Speaker - Your speaker should be able to present well via the web. Just because he speaks well in person does not mean he can do the same online. Voice tone is extremely important since there will be no gesturing to keep the audience's attention. Your speaker should also be an expert with an established reputation. If you have a choice, this can either be someone from your company or someone from the outside that is considered a credible authority. The speaker should have a passion for educating the audience. He should not promote himself or his services.  
 
3. The Right Web-Conferencing Technology - When looking for the right technology company, consider the company's past experience and try to determine if it offers the specific features you'll need. Some features you should look for include: moderated chat capability, data collection and reporting capabilities, Mac and PC compatibility for both the speaker and the audience, compatibility with all Internet connection speeds, ease-of-use for the moderator, speaker and audience, and a customizable interface that allows for branding.
 
If you want attendees or those who were unable to make the original event to be able to revisit the webinar after it has aired, consider the following:
 
  • Does the technology offer the ability to record and replay the broadcast on-demand?
  • Is the format editable?
  • Can the webinar only be replayed via a browser, or can it be downloaded to a desktop or smart phone?
 
4. Convenient Timing - If possible, avoid hosting a webinar close to holidays or on a Monday or Friday. It's best to plan for the middle of the week and even the middle of the month if possible. Time of day is another consideration. Lunch time is usually the easiest hour for people to take time away from work, but keep time zones in mind if your audience is scattered throughout the country.
 
5. Advance Promotion - Nothing is worse than hosting a party that no one shows up to. It's very important to start promoting the webinar at least three weeks in advance so that you give attendees a chance to plan. E-blasts, banner ads, e-newsletters, and Social Media work the best since your audience will most likely be registering for the webinar online.
 
Public Relations is all about obtaining favorable publicity, building a good corporate image, and establishing a relationship with customers. If done correctly and successfully, a webinar can do just that.  
 
 
 
 
 
Sincerely,