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Junk technology: A ridiculous history of fast-food PR stunts
Who doesn't love a good, over-the-top marketing stunt? Recently we've seen a lot of those, including Pizza Hut's Pizza Parka, a coat made out of the same insulating materials as its delivery pouches. Because why not? That ridiculous product from Pizza Hut shouldn't come as a surprise. After all, this is the same company that made shoes that can order a pie for you. But Pizza Hut isn't the only one trying to get creative using technology to promote its brand.
No one uses Facebook Stories, so now they're available for #brands
Imagine working at Facebook and being the person/people who added Stories to the social network after seeing the way they took off on Snapchat and Instagram. Then think about the fact that hardly anyone is using the feature. That probably explains the reasoning behind opening the section up to Pages. Yep, #brands are getting access to the evaporating, 24-hour shelf-life videos now, too. Maybe Facebook found a group that will actually use them?
Facebook tightens safeguards against hate-driven targeted ads
Facebook was caught more than a little off-guard when ProPublica discovered ads targeted at racists, and today it's taking steps to prevent those hate-filled ads from showing up again. The social network's Sheryl Sandberg has announced plans to tighten control of ads, including more human involvement. There will now be "more manual review" of ad targeting options to prevent promos based on hateful terms. Also, it's developing a program that will encourage you to report abuses directly -- you might not have to wait for a news story for Facebook to take action.
Adobe taps your car for targeted ad data
If it wasn't already clear that targeted ads are invading connected cars, it is now. Adobe has unveiled an extension of its Experience Cloud service that helps automakers and app developers interpret in-car data for the sake of personalization. The platform (not shown above) uses machine learning and other techniques to scoop up behavioral data, such as voice commands and preferences, in a way that helps companies tailor info to specific drivers. There are some genuinely practical advantages that could stem from this, but Adobe isn't shy about the main reason -- this is to help deliver focused ads, often while you're driving.
WhatsApp now deals in customer support for businesses
A year after outlining its plans to give the platform customer service functionality, WhatsApp has revealed how businesses will be able to communicate with users via verified accounts. A green check badge -- not dissimilar to the ones found on Facebook and Twitter -- next to a contact name means the phone number belongs to a business account. You'll also know when you start talking to a business through the app, as messages will appear in yellow. The feature is currently in beta for a small number of businesses participating in a pilot program.
Verizon's latest rewards program shares gobs of your data (updated)
Verizon has just fired up a new rewards program, but you might want to hold off if you're concerned about your privacy. Brandon Robbins and other customers have noticed that enlisting in Up requires enrolling in a Verizon Selects personalized advertising program that tracks an extensive range of voluntary and automatic data: it'll supply your app use, browsing habits, device location and personal demographics, among other details. Moreover, it shares that data with a wide circle of companies. Your info go to the newly formed AOL/Yahoo hybrid Oath (Engadget's parent brand) as well as Verizon's "vendors and partners."
YouTube stars are blurring the lines between content and ads
Beyonce, Justin Bieber, Kim Kardashian and Kendall Jenner are just some of the celebrities under the microscope for using social media to shamelessly plug sponsored products. Advertising without proper disclosures has become a growing problem with influencers that have thousands or millions of followers on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. And it's happening on YouTube as well, where it's often hard to tell whether videos from big-name "content creators" are paid ads or genuine reviews.
Facebook finds more exaggerated ad data
After Facebook realized that it had been overstating video views for years, it conducted an internal review to search for more flaws messing with its ad data... and it's not happy with what it found. The social network reports that it found multiple problems with how it calculated or represented the info that marketers thrive on. It wasn't always counting end-to-end video playback properly, for example, since clip lengths would occasionally change when you started streaming. Facebook also over-reported how long people spent reading Instant Articles, and included more clicks and views than it should in some dashboards.
E-cigarette ads are encouraging teen vapers, CDC finds
Surprise! The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has found a link between the popularity of vaping and e-cigarette advertising. In short, a greater exposure to vape-related ads increases the likelihood that a young person will pick up the habit. The findings are based on a questionnaire answered by 22,000 middle and high school students in the US. The responses were collected in 2014, so the situation might have evolved since then, but it shows a clear correlation between vaping and the volume of advertising found online, in print, on TV and in stores.
FCC Chair proposes new data privacy rules for consumers
Federal Communications Commission chairman Tom Wheeler made his case for an ambitious plan to better defend consumer data privacy on Wednesday. His proposal would effectively govern how ISPs can leverage user data for marketing and advertising purposes in the same way that that the FCC already regulates data collected by your phone company.
iHeart and Universal are partnering for VR concerts
iHeartMedia and Universal Music Group are teaming up to take music into virtual reality. From the sounds of it, this isn't going to be just a music visualizer a la what game developer Harmonix is doing. Nope, this will work to "leverage" the strengths of both companies, like UMG's massive roster of artists (including Katy Perry) and iHeart's hundreds of millions of listeners, to sell you stuff. "The companies will create entertainment experiences that leverage cutting-edge technology, making immersive VR performances and experiences accessible to U.S. audiences for the first time at scale," the prepared statement reads.
The OnePlus iPhone case comes with a OnePlus X invite
OnePlus has launched the "Sandstone" case for Apple's iPhone 6 and 6s, and guess what's inside? An invitation to purchase the OnePlus X. You have to admire the sheer chutzpah of that, though it's hard to imagine many folks turfing their $649-plus iPhone 6s for a $249 OnePlus X. Random buyers of the case will get an invite for the rare ceramic version of the OnePlus X, while a select few will actually get the new model for free. The One X has often been compared to older iPhones, so the case does make a strange kind of sense -- and it also makes the iPhone much less slippery. Making Apple owners aware of the product might pose more of a challenge, but the company is nothing if not savvy at marketing.
Amazon Launchpad helps startups get products to customers
If you're an inventor, then your expertise probably lies in developing hardware and software rather than knowing the ins-and-outs of the logistics business. Amazon is hoping to help these individuals with Launchpad, a system that lets startups harness the company's vast marketing and transportation resources. Essentially, if you run a venture capital-backed startup or have made a splash on Indiegogo, then you can send Amazon a box of devices and Jeff Bezos will take care of the rest. For instance, Launchpad will be one of the first places that you can buy Thync's mood-changing wearable and Eero's distributed WiFi hardware.
Tinder sneaks ads for albums into your dating profiles
There comes a point in every zeitgeisty app's life when it wonders if it should stop eating nothing but Doritos and having those drunken one-night stands and become a mature, serious business. We've already seen Snapchat evolve from a way to distribute pictures of your genitals to a news broadcast system, and now Tinder is seriously considering becoming a music promoter. The dating app has just signed a deal with Interscope Records to promote the new album from Russian DJ Zedd.
The robotic star of 'Ex Machina' is toying with hapless SXSW attendees on Tinder
This post contains spoilers for the movie Ex Machina If you're guaranteed one thing at SXSW, it's that a marketing stunt will play tricks with your stupid human heart. This year, singletons looking for love on Tinder encountered Ava, a 25-year-old New Yorker with a startling resemblance to actress Alicia Vikander. Unfortunately, it's only after you've engaged in a lengthy back and forth that you'll be told that she's not interested in a temporary tumble in Texas. Instead, the whole thing is just a cruel ruse to promote Alex Garland's new film, Ex Machina.
Facebook's now playing Verizon-sponsored NFL clips
Ready for some in-your-face(book) football? According to the WSJ, Facebook is now showing NFL news, highlights and fantasy info in US feeds, topped off by clickable Verizon ads. The social network said the new arrangement was a "small video sponsorship test ... to evaluate how people, publishers and marketers respond to co-branded video content on Facebook." Facebook has made a big video push recently by courting YouTube stars, adding counters and launching video ads. NFL clips will no doubt give those efforts some extra prestige and help parry Twitter, which recently scored its own curated content deal with the NFL.
Beer bottles deliver your video message through QR codes
You know how a bottle of beer can help make some particularly bad news easier to swallow? Argentinian beer brand Andes doesn't only believe that, it's taking that idea to the next level -- by letting people record themselves using its app and digitally attach the video to a QR code printed on its bottles' labels, which any recipient can scan. The company joined forces with ad agency Del Campo Saatchi & Saatchi to make this "message in a bottle" idea happen and to launch two rather amusing video ads (below the fold) to go along with it. While Andes wants to present the concept as a way to say something you can't in person, we can only imagine the number of, um, unsavory and drunk videos that could be recorded on Friday nights. Good thing the whole system is similar to Snapchat: videos are stored in the cloud and get deleted once they're viewed.
Slices of Apple episode 12: The 105% solution
Slices of Apple is a documentary series exploring the success of Apple as a company. It seeks to educate business leaders, entrepreneurs and laypeople about how Apple keeps delivering consistently great products. In this episode of Slices of Apple, I'm talking to Brett Murray, who worked at Apple from 2003-2006. Brett oversaw marketing communications for the Mac line and helped oversee the Intel transition. His experiences at Apple tell us a lot about what it means to make sure your company creates quality products with equally high standards for its marketing. This episode is titled 105% because Brett talks about how most companies stop at 100% -- where most people think a project is "done." But Apple, as an entity, attempts to push beyond the expected, hence producing a "105%" solution. It's not enough to do something, you have to do it well and exceed expectations. Production note: Since filming, Brett has moved on to work for View Dynamic Glass.
Ubisoft's The Crew: Not pre-screened for critics
I used to love reading movie reviews in the local paper when I was a kid, though sometimes it puzzled me when a film was listed as "not pre-screened for critics." Generally these were B-movies that critics were prone to savaging, so the distribution companies figured they'd make more money if prospective customers didn't see Siskel and Ebert ripping a film up one side and down the other. Fast-forward 20 years and Ubisoft is doing something similar with The Crew. According to the latest company blog post, the open world MMO racer won't be given to media outlets in advance of its December 2nd release, ostensibly so that reviewers can experience the game in "optimal conditions" that include lots of other players. "The Crew was built from the beginning to be a living playground full of driving fans, so it's only possible to assess our game in its entirety with other real players in the world," the company says. "And by other, we mean thousands and thousands and thousands of players – something that can't be simulated with a handful of devs playing alongside the press." Ubisoft goes on to say that any reviews that do appear on release day will be built around media preview sessions from the title's beta phases and thus will not "reflect the finished game."
Burger King is selling mutton Whoppers on eBay
You haven't misread that headline. As it gears up to open its first-ever restaurant in the country, Burger King India is turning to eBay to help drive sales. The world's second-largest burger outlet is hoping to persuade potential customers to pre-order burgers through the popular auction site. For the promotional price of 128 rupees (roughly $2.08), locals can purchase a voucher for one of Burger King's mutton-based Whopper burgers. Due to the large percentage of Indians that don't eat beef, the chain has localized its signature burger by offering mutton-, chicken- and vegetable-based alternatives.
