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Avenue A | Razorfish consumer study reveals latest web behavior trends

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fastforward.jpgConsumers are personalizing their own web content and are snacking on interactive videos and blogs as a way to interact with brands, according to research released by Avenue A | Razorfish. In its first Digital Design Outlook: Fast Forward – Design for Constant Change report, the agency shares findings from a consumer behavior study that suggests marketers should think beyond isolated Web sites and banner ads as a way to build a better online brand.

In July 2007, Avenue A | Razorfish surveyed nearly 500 consumers across many demographics, salary classes and geographies in the United States to determine how consumers adapt to a rapidly changing online world. The qualitative findings concluded that consumers are remarkably savvy. In fact, more than 70 percent of consumers read blogs on a regular basis and more than 85 percent of consumers have watched a movie preview online before going to the theater.

An underlying theme of the report is the importance of designing online experiences, rather than Web sites alone. To illustrate that point, the 100-page report provides recommendations from the study and explains how marketers can engage with consumers through a variety of emerging technologies such as RSS feeds, widgets, interactive video, mobile media, 3-D functionality and social shopping.

Through various chapters, the report asserts that consumers are increasingly living their lives online. Therefore, designers need new tools to adapt and marketers need a new digital scorecard to evaluate brand effectiveness. The report provides predictions as well as advice on what marketers can do now, including measuring audience engagement through RSS feeds and widget subscriptions and creating options for sharing and social browsing.

Originally posted on October 2, 2007 @ 10:45 am

GenealogyAgent.com helps you find your hard-to-find ancestors

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ga.gifIf you have this passionate desire to trace your hard-to-find ancestors, the new Web site GenealogyAgent.com might be the right partner for you. It has GenealogyAgents who act on your behalf to regularly check the Internet for changes related to details that you provide about your ancestor (birth, death, parents, siblings, etc.).

As an introductory offer, you can have the GenealogyAgents at GenealogyAgent.com monitor the Internet for two ancestors for one year at no cost to you.

“If you are tired of repeatedly checking the same Web sites or conducting the same searches only to find the information for an ancestor has not changed, we can help. It is not much fun when you keep hitting a brick wall while trying to find new information. Our GenealogyAgents are designed to help you monitor Web sites and conduct multiple genealogy site searches for any changes related to your ‘brick-wall’ ancestors,” according to Doug Barry, the site’s Webmaster.

Originally posted on October 2, 2007 @ 8:42 am

Majority of Americans lack core protection to fight cyber criminals

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cybersecurity.jpgThe National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) and McAfee, Inc., in coordination with the kick-off of National Cyber Security Awareness Month, announced the results of a comprehensive consumer online security research study. The report reveals a significant gap between consumers’ perceptions that they are protected from various Internet threats used by cyber criminals, while in reality, people were either unprotected or under- protected. The McAfee-NCSA Online Safety Study shows that while consumers think they are protected (93 percent feel safe from viruses), they are actually at risk because of outdated security software on their computer that doesn’t protect them from new malware created everyday.

Nearly all consumers (98 percent) who responded to the survey agreed keeping online security up-to-date is important. To address these concerns, consumers told researchers they had taken the following measures:

87 percent said they use anti-virus software
73 percent use a firewall
70 percent use anti-spyware software
27 percent use anti-phishing software

While nearly every survey respondent (98 percent) acknowledged the importance of having up to date security on their computer, nearly half of all scanned computers (48 percent) had not been updated within the month. Survey respondents also acknowledged they had been infected with malware:

54 percent had been hit with a virus
44 percent thought they were infected with spyware

Originally posted on October 1, 2007 @ 10:18 am

Silicon Valley predictions

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siliconvalley.gifTo commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Silicon Valley, the San Francisco Chronicle has interviewed several CEOs from major technology companies to share their predictions about the future.

Just to highlight the key messages, Google’s Eric Schmidt wants to foster willingness to look for unconventional ways to solve problems. On the other hand, Umang Gupta of Keynote Systems Inc. believes the mobile Internet is the next big thing and Intel’s Paul Otellini hopes for more creativity, capital, and focus but fears complacency.

Cisco’s John Chambers shares the fear of Otellini but wants to have more courage to evolve and collaborate even with direct competitors. TJ Rodgers of Cypress Semiconductor has this greatest hope of resolving the current energy problem while O’Reilly Media Tim O’Reilly dreams of affordable housing for service workers.

Although I’m not a CEO, I hope that a new Valley will emerge to foster competition, take creativity to a higher level, and trigger creative disruption.

Originally posted on September 30, 2007 @ 12:21 pm

Want to get married at the Empire State Building?

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brides.gifIf you have been a big fan of romantic movies like Sleepless in Seattle, Love Affair, and An Affair to Remember, here’s your chance to be one of the 14 couples to get married or renew your vows at the infamous Empire State Building this coming Valentine’s Day 2008.

The Empire State Building and Conde Nast Bridal Media’s Brides.com has announced the call for entries to couples around the world to exchange their vows and say, “I do” atop the famed Empire State Building with the exclusive planning, fashion and beauty help of Brides.com. The call for entry begins today and goes until October 31. Couples will be chosen and notified by November 19.

This year marks the first year couples from around the world can officially enter online to be chosen as one of the lucky 14 couples who will be given the wedding of their dreams at the most romantic place on the most romantic day in 2008.

To be selected, couples should visit www.brides.com/esb or www.esbnyc.com to submit their personal love stories, photos and reasons for wanting their special day to be held at the Empire State Building. Winners will be selected based upon the originality and distinctiveness of their submissions and their connections to America’s favorite building.

Originally posted on September 27, 2007 @ 9:39 am