In the kitchens of L’éclair de Génie in Paris, creative brilliance is necessary, but is not by itself enough. Making the world’s best eclairs also requires careful planning, skilled judgement and a deep understanding of the medium. And the same is true of great ads, says Google’s Tony Keusgen.
Pickling enthusiasts will be pleased to find that the new Google Calendar app for Android embraces this niche hobby.
At over $400, the Oculus Rift headset isn’t exactly something that most Kiwis would be willing to splash out on. Fortunately, there is an alternative option for those who want the virtual reality experience without the hefty pricetag attached. For the sum of US$24.95, those who don’t want to incur credit card debt can get the virtual reality experience via the DodoCase, a virtual reality headset made almost entirely out of cardboard.
On 15 October, StopPress attended Google’s Brandcast event in Sydney, and the general theme delivered over the course of the 90-minute show was that YouTube stars provide an effective means by which brands can communicate with various target market. Here’s what some of the speakers had to say at the event.
Last night, at an event hosted at the Mental Health Foundation in Auckland, Google announced to 70 representatives from 50 Kiwi not-for-profit organisations that it will give eligible New Zealand charities and community organisations free access to advertising and technology worth $120,000 in each case per year.
One fact that has stuck with me over the years—and flashes up in front of me occasionally when I’m deep in a time-sucking online/social media rabbit hole—is that the same part of the brain that responds so favourably to pokie machines is the same part of the brain that responds so favourably to the constant arrival of notifications on your phone, in your inbox or on social networks. So, like digital meerkats, many of us are constantly popping our heads up and looking for the next information fix. And, as a recent Victoria University study has shown, the online realm is having an impact on our reading behaviour.
Continuing our ridiculous series on what the government could buy with the measly tax dollars it earns from tech multinationals, we decided to turn the barb toward Google, which was recently revealed to have paid only $227,000 in tax over the course of 2013. And while this is ten times more than the pittance paid by Facebook, it still didn’t quite measure up to what one would expect from an organisation that made US$15.42 billion of revenue globally in the quarter ended 31 March 2014. When the Herald reported on Google’s tax bill, it went for the optimistic headline ‘Google’s NZ tax bill on the up’. And since the team here at StopPress also tends to be optimistic about everything except for the livers of those working in the ad industry, we decided to compile a list of all things National could splash out on at its probable re-election party later this year.
There was a lot of excitement when Google launched its prototype driverless car recently. But, as this impressive stunt for Hyundai shows, we already seem to have the technology.
Google recently celebrated the 40th anniversary of the Rubik’s cube with a special doodle that allowed users to a play with a digital version of the popular toy. And now, following on from the success of this initiative, the website has launched a video that uses the Rubik’s code as a premise to inspire innovation among the youth.
Changes at Assignment Group, Sovereign, the MPA, Bauer, Shine, Sky, Icebreaker, More FM and PRINZ.
Having dominated the digital scene and helped to organise a big chunk of the world’s information, Google is now attempting to connect the dots with the tangible (and then possibly sell relevant ads around that, as evidenced by its recent filing with the SEC that shows its desire to show ads in cars or in the home). Its self-driving car project is among the most impressive uses of Google’s innovative collective brain (and massive warchest) and it’s launched a clip showing volunteers in a prototype vehicle.
For a few years now, the tech behemoths have been at the top of the chain in terms of brand value. That trend has continued this year in the BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands study, but there’s been a change at the top, with Google making an acquisition of a different kind—the number one spot ahead of Apple.
The first rule of speech club is to insert an inspirational quote at the start. The second rule of speech club is to show a whole lot of case study videos. Giles Tuck, head of Google’s inhouse agency The Zoo-APAC, failed on the former in his presentation about social creativity—the first Champion Speakers event for the recently rejigged CAANZ PR, Experiential and Social Media Committee (PREScom)—but he embraced the second. And the main outtake for the 150-strong crowd of gathered marcomms folk was that you can’t just do social, you’ve got to be social.
New research shows if all our businesses made more use of the internet, it could add $34 billion in productivity boosts to our economy. It’s hard to know where to start on this journey, but Google public policy manager Ross Young is urging companies to take the next steps.
Our weekly wrap of good things, strange things, funny things and other things from inside the intertubes.
Our weekly wrap of good things, strange things, funny things and other things from inside the intertubes.
The proliferation of smartphone ownership changed the vocabulary of body language, in the sense that it stopped people from pointing to a bare wrist when asked for the time. These days, when asked for the time, people almost reflexively clutch at their pockets as an allusion to their phones. But, now, Google is attempting to rewind the evolution of body language by introducing Android Wear, a modified operating system that can be used in a range of smartwatches that consumers – beyond tech junkies – would actually consider wearing.
While conspiracy theorists might infer that St Patrick’s Day has some deeper meaning or historically significant origins, we all know that the day is actually just a great excuse to wear green hat, sip on a dark brew and hop around like a leprechaun for a whole day. And given that it has become such a jubilant day of unrestrained revelry, businesses, brands and politicians all take it as an opportunity to get some additional exposure. Here’s a breakdown of some of the interesting St Patrick’s Day-themed efforts that emerged this year.
Contagion’s Tom Bates headed to the #ArtCopyCode session with Google’s marketers at SXSW. So here are some practical examples of how they help brands bring data and insight to life in today’s digital world.
DDB NZ’s new digital creative director Haydn Kerr is getting a glimpse of the future at SXSW in Austin, Texas. Here are five things he picked up on day two.
The opening keynote at SXSW in Austin, Texas, features some heavy hitters. Eric Schmidt, executive chairman of Google, joins Jared Cohen, director of Google Ideas and Steven Levy, senior writer at Wired, for a debate on the next few years in the digital world. Contagion’s Tom Bates is there to find out what’s next and whether privacy is gone forever.
AJ Park patent specialists Anton Blijlevens and Jillian Lim touch on some of interesting patents to look out for, including an e-Ink screen on the back of your phone, a free ride from Google and making the connection for convertible heels.
Google has awarded Kiwi AdWords partner Localist for AdWords quality in a category open to its group of premier small and medium business Premier AdWords partners on both sides of the Tasman. The quality score measures how relevant ads are to users.
America’s Cup support ultimately proved futile, but the sporting event rated among Kiwis top Google searches of 2013 alongside the royal baby, pop darling Lorde and fallen stars Cory Monteith and Paul Walker. And according to the trends, we’re into Bitstrips, Grumpy Cat and finding out how to kiss.
In today’s digital world it’s not as easy to protect your reputation. That’s why mapping out an online reputation management plan can stop trouble before it happens and keep you showing your best side, says Richard Conway.
Google seems to be making a habit of making us get all emotional. In a recent effort in India, it told the story of how search can bring about a touching reunion, now it’s showcasing a French boffin’s labour of aircraft love.
Google has commemorated the 50th anniversary of Dr Who by creating a doodle in honour of the popular television show. In addition to featuring cartoon versions of 11 of the characters, the doodle also has an interactive element in the form of a vintage video game.
It’s been a busy week for Air New Zealand with asset sales and a dip in shares value. But somewhere in all that chaos, the airline still managed to find time to release a commercial that aims to remind everyone that the company has a distinctly Kiwi flavour. The TVC forms part of the ‘Middle-earth is closer than you think’ campaign, which also includes a competition that gives entrants a chance of winning a trip to Los Angeles to watch the premiere of The Hobbit: the desolation of Smaug. PLUS: Google also gets in on the Hobbit action with an interactive journey through Middle-earth.
Google’s new TVC for its Nexus 5 smartphone will warm the heart of hopeless romantics everywhere. It’s all about weddings, or more precisely, how you can get good photos and video of people’s big days using the phone’s 8 megapixel camera.
It wasn’t just students learning lessons about digital marketing with a recent assignment to promote small businesses using AdWords. Businesses also got schooled about the value of cropping up early in searches and making themselves more accessible online.