Finally a social network site that can help you find stuff to do locally
Posted on 11. Jan, 2008 by Dean Whitney in Uncategorized and has 0 Comments
Have you ever tried to find something to do by searching on Google. You can easily learn to speak Klingon or look at photos from Singapore but finding some place to get a bite at 1AM isn’t likely. Zync is a new start-up 
that has a solution. Focused on lifestyle activities Zync employs patent pending algorithms that find like-minded people based on your ratings, profile, and a number of other factors, and make suggestions of local activities you might like based on those people’s opinions. We wrapped that core concept with social networking functionality that enables you to receive opinions from your trusted friends.
I met Brad Rosen the founder and CEO at an MIT Enterprise Forum event. The challenge is to get enough people using the system so that the database becomes rich enough to accurately match member personalities. Its kind of a catch 22 in the sense that if the members that join early will not get nearly as good of results as when the site has reached critical mass; which in turn may result in dissatisfied users and a less relevant database. Good examples are sites like Jobster and Naymz where they have provided great tools and functionality but the lack of members and activity lessen their ability to engage members.
I’m going to keep an eye on Zync, I think it has potential to be a long lasting Web 2.0 site and provide significant value. A search engine that helps us find all the local best kept secrets. Have you found any sites that give you a good idea of what’s going on locally?
MITX Event: Seeding your Web 2.0 Start-up
Posted on 10. Jan, 2008 by Dean Whitney in Uncategorized and has 0 Comments
Join us on January 22nd, from 8 to 10am at the State Street Financial Center in Boston for an exciting event: Seeding your Web 2.0 Start-up. Click here to register
Web 2.0 startups are fast becoming an integral part of every company’s online strategy. Web 2.0 products, which include those facilitating user participation, podcasting, social networking and blogging, have become integrated into all aspects of business. This allows a continual interaction between brands and consumers, companies and clients.
Many of these web-based startups require smaller levels of capital. VCs, who previously may not have funded any companies for less than $3M, want to be involved. For example, larger cap firms are offering seed investments such as “Quick Start” loans for $250K and programs for entrepreneurs coming out of college offering $7.5K to $15K grants. The benefits of getting even small amounts of VC money are huge. It allows startup companies to recruit top-level talent while raising money for future rounds of funding.
Seed money IS coming into New England and IS going toward web 2.0 and emerging technology companies. Find out how to get your piece of this pie.
About the MITX/K&L Gates Legal Series
The MITX/K&L Gates Legal Series covers legal issues related to the interactive and technology industries. Over the course of 2007, this series will address important aspects of employment law, on line marketing and Intellectual Property.
K&L Gates, State Street Financial Ctr, One Lincoln Street, Boston
Death by PowerPoint
Posted on 09. Dec, 2007 by Dean Whitney in Uncategorized and has 0 Comments
In October Larry Webber did a book signing at Digitas. I found it very impressive, the topic being marketing to the social web, he didn’t have a PowerPoint presentation, didn’t show any Web sites, it was a conversation. Then I think of Al Gore’s Inconvenient Truth slides or Dick Hardt’s Infamous Identity 2.0 presentation and ask “How do we get away from all the slides?” Its difficult in consulting because the deck becomes a record of the deliverable – its the reference to look back on, and it serves as content for those that couldn’t attend. This presentation suggests you create a document with all the details and the PowerPoint remain a visual aid. Everyone should check out this brilliant presentation on Slideshare, “Death by PowerPoint.”
The Secret Strategies Behind Many “Viral” Videos
Posted on 06. Dec, 2007 by Dean Whitney in Uncategorized and has 0 Comments
Dan Ackerman Greenberg, a student at Stanford, has a consulting group and describes it as viral marketing hired guns. They have a methodology to ensure their clients videos achieve over 100,000 views on YouTube or they don’t charge. In this guest blog post on Techcrunch Dan outlines the strategy.
Link to The Secret Strategies Behind Many “Viral” Videos
What do you think, should marketers employs these kinds of strategies to boost viral impact of content?
Recruiting 2.0
Posted on 25. Nov, 2007 by Dean Whitney in Uncategorized and has 0 Comments
Web 2.0 and social media are transforming businesses across every industry in how they communicate and interact with people. This impacts the entire HR 
lifecycle. The interactive industry is experiencing a major hiring crunch.
Just as consumers are less influenced by marketing, prospective candidates are also seeking opportunities through social networks. If you want to learn what a company is really like you can learn a great deal from sites like LinkedIn, Jobster and Zoom Info. You can connect with insiders on Facebook and Twitter.
You can even target advertising on social networks like this Facebook ad targeting to Boston area marketing professionals. More importantly companies establish their voice via how they participate and contribute to social content. The idea of transparency has become a key strategy for companies not only in how they engage consumers but how they communicate. What is your company doing to engage talent?
Meebo Platform
Posted on 21. Nov, 2007 by Dean Whitney in Uncategorized and has 0 Comments
Meebo CEO and co-founder Seth Sternberg said, “If Google is a search site, and YouTube is a video site, and MySpace is where you leave messages for people, we want to be the site where people interact live.”
Customer Service 2.0
Posted on 20. Nov, 2007 by Dean Whitney in Uncategorized and has 0 Comments
According to the book “We Are Smarter Than Me” on average telephone support cost $25 to $50 per call. Email support costs $4 to $14 per call. Why not use the collective power of online communities to make customer service more effective? Netflix did just that with its recommender program. Amazon reviews helps people make decision based on the feedback of other consumers. The key to get people active is to offer incentives. Special status, reward points and other incentives remind people that they are making the community a better place.
A really forward thinking example of next generation customer service is a new
site called Satisfaction. Modeled after established customer communities like Mini2.com and TivoCommmunity.com the service is “people powered” both by company representatives and customers.
(more…)
Word-of-mouth (WoM) marketing spend to top $1 billion
Posted on 20. Nov, 2007 by Dean Whitney in Uncategorized and has 0 Comments
According to Keller Fay Group, there are a projected 3.5 billion brand-related conversations per day in the U.S., with nearly 80% of consumers trusting recommendations from family, friends and “influential” persons over all other forms of advertising and marketing.
Spending on word-of-mouth (WoM) marketing jumped 35.9% in 2006 to $981.0 million and is expected to top $1 billion in 2007, according to findings of an in-depth analysis of the emerging word-of-mouth (WoM) marketing industry, presented in Las Vegas by PQ Media CEO Patrick Quinn.
MIT’s John Maeda – Custom Reebok
Posted on 19. Nov, 2007 by Dean Whitney in Uncategorized and has 0 Comments
John Maeda, author of best selling book “The laws of simplicity” discusses designing a custom Reebok shoe. Maeda is a computer scientist, MIT professor, and Esquire magazine “21 Geniuses” award winner, who creates graphics using algorithms and programming codes, specializing in digital media and motion graphics. What’s unique about this design is the inside of the shoe is imprinted with the handwritten code that generated the graphic design that is printed on the outside of the shoe.
The limited edition shoe went on sale November 12 and sold-out all 100 pairs the same day.
Buy the XO laptop and give one to a child
Posted on 12. Nov, 2007 by Dean Whitney in Uncategorized and has 0 Comments
UPDATE: The OLPC has extended the Give One Get One program until December 31st.
MIT Professor Nicholas Negroponte asks leaders in developing nations “what is 
your most valuable resource?” After various responses he suggests that the most valuable resource is their children. If every child in the world had access to a computer, what potential could be unlocked? What problems could be solved? These questions eventually led to the foundation of One Laptop per Child, and the creation of the XO laptop – a solar/crank powered, open source sub $100 laptop.
Between November 12 and November 26, One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) is offering a Give One Get One program in North America. This is the first time the revolutionary XO laptop has been made available to the general public. For a donation of $399, one XO laptop will be sent to empower a child in a developing nation and one will be sent to the child in your life in recognition of your contribution. $200 of your donation is tax-deductible (your $399 donation minus the fair market value of the XO laptop you will be receiving).
For all U.S. donors who participate in the Give One Get One program, T-Mobile is offering one year of complimentary HotSpot access. Find out more.
Featured
Social Bookmarks