Monthly Archives: September 2009

Dear Daily Beast Editor, Tina Brown

We believe The Daily Beast is tomorrow’s digital leader: a smart, edgy, fearless site that appeals to a young, tech savvy audience. At Sparxoo, we are big fans of the Daily Beast’s fresh approach to news.

We love your use of cheat sheets, highlight hot topics, and go deep on the “Big Fat Story.” Tina, you have said: “The Daily Beast doesn’t aggregate. It sifts, sorts, and curates. It’s a speedy, smart edit of the web from the merciless point of view of what interests the editors.” We think this is the right approach As Daily Beast fans, we were… Continue reading →

Posted in Social Impact by Ethan Lyon | Wednesday, September 30th, 2009 | Tagged , | Leave a comment

The Shifting Values in Digital Media

If the 80-90s were marked by overt capitalism and indiscreet pursuit of wealth, the recession of 2008-09 marks a millennial shift to a new, more humble and deliberate form of business. While “owning it” used to be about Wall Street bonuses and “bigger is better” greed, today “owning it” has taken on a different tone. People’s priorities have come into focus and they recognize that business is about more than just flashy material accumulation, entitlement and narrowly defined success. We see this new era marked by passion, trust and authenticity. Trust and authenticity may not be the first qualities that come to mind, when… Continue reading →

Posted in Digital Marketing by Katherine | Wednesday, September 30th, 2009 | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Keeping your Head in the Paper Disco

This paper disco animation video is fantastic. From a conceptual and craftsmanship perspective, this short gets an A+. Not only is it fun to watch, it’s awe-inspiring because the amount of time that went into its production is incredible. Stop motion animation is a great example of how burgeoning entrepreneurs should look at their business in the long term. There are hundreds of images in the paper disco animation—thin slices that… Continue reading →

Posted in Social Impact by David Capece | Tuesday, September 29th, 2009 | Tagged | Leave a comment

The Value of Reciprocity in Social Influence

In the digital age, reciprocity has never been more essential and evident than in the development of communities. Whether it’s digging a friend’s story, introducing a colleague on LinkedIn or adding a link to a fellow blogger on your blogroll, reciprocity is an integral part of online community development. In our Digital Influence in News and Politics Report, we found those with the greatest social influence heavily relied upon reciprocity. Continue reading →

Posted in Social Impact by Ethan Lyon | Tuesday, September 29th, 2009 | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

REPORT: Top 25 Digital Influencers in News & Politics

Never before have so many tools been available to analyze and clarify digital influence. The 2009 Digital Influence in News and Politics Report leverages these tools to measure the influence of those best-in-class media companies in the digital sphere. Sparxoo evaluated over 100 news and politics media outlets (from the New York Times to the Daily Beast to NPR) in a comprehensive study of content, social and multimedia influence. The Report crowns CNN as the… Continue reading →

Posted in Digital Marketing by Ethan Lyon | Monday, September 28th, 2009 | Tagged , | 10 Comments

Digital Influencer Report: Letter of Introduction

2009 has been a major struggle for old media. There have been 11 significant newspaper bankruptcy filings this year, including owners of the LA Times, Chicago Tribune, Philadelphia Inquirer, Star Tribune of Minneapolis, and the Seattle Post Intelligencer. Online upstarts are building scalable business models with free, real-time content that wreaks havoc in the print world, potentially making newspapers obsolete. Further, advertisers are tasked with being more creative in pushing their ad budgets further. Not only are total budgets smaller, but they are rapidly being transitioned into online… Continue reading →

Posted in Digital Marketing by Ethan Lyon | Monday, September 28th, 2009 | Tagged | Leave a comment

What Does Condé Nast’s 25% Cut Mean for Magazines?

Just a few months ago, news broke of publishing powerhouse Condé Nast’s decision to bring in an outside consulting firm to evaluate operating procedures and make business more efficient. In February, it was reported that 525 magazines were shut down in 2008 alone–the amount was even higher in 2007. It was no secret that the magazine industry was struggling, but the Conde Nast decision still worried many. Fears were confirmed Wednesday… Continue reading →

Posted in Digital Marketing by David Capece | Thursday, September 24th, 2009 | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Is Content Marketing a Good Investment?

Google has dominated the last five years through the surge in popularity and use of its money-making search machine. Marketers have focused online search efforts on ROI opportunity of Google’s paid search. We all know the math: bid on terms up to the value at which sales or customer value exceed the price paid. As more and more marketers jump into paid search, it has become a crowded space where significant positive ROI is difficult to achieve. Recently, there has been increased focus on organic search results in which content providers can can gain an audience and prospective customers for “free” by showing up high in organic search results. The race is on to get into the top 10. Continue reading →

Posted in Digital Marketing by David Capece | Thursday, September 24th, 2009 | Tagged , | 4 Comments

How a Jail Break Can Increase Product Value

As a thank you for taking care of our bunny rabbit, my girlfriend wanted to buy my parents a gift. My girlfriend, her mother and I found this cute local shop in a quaint town outside Philadelphia, PA. As we were browsing, a tall gentleman in a neon orange sweater comes in, huffing and puffing. He asks to use the bathroom and the store owner tells him it’s for paying customers only. He pauses, then asks if he can tie his shoe. (Who asks to tie their shoe?) Meanwhile…
Continue reading →

Posted in Startups & Innovation by David Capece | Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009 | Tagged | Leave a comment

Finding a Job Through Social Media

Finding a job in a down economy can seem overwhelming, endless and discouraging. As opposed to the last major economic downturn, job seekers can tap into peer and employment networks using social media. Not only can one expand their search throughout the country, it’s also… Continue reading →

Posted in Social Impact by David Capece | Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009 | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Why a $18 Shoe is Worth More Than a $45 Shoe

Searching for a new pair of pants at Urban Outfitters, I found myself buying a new pair of shoes instead. I bought the cheapest shoes in the store. They smelled like chemicals and looked like Keds, so why buy them? I am somewhat of a shoe aficionado. I have a $200 pair of Campers in my closet beside my $18 UO Ked look-alikes. I’ve worn my Campers about four times in the past year. I wear my $18 Urban Outfitter… Continue reading →

Posted in Startups & Innovation by David Capece | Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009 | Tagged | 1 Comment

Brand Spotlight: Zappos

From large, multi-national companies to small mom-and-pop stores, there is a brand for virtually any kind of business and product. As the number of brands continues to grow each day, it is becoming more important than ever to find a way to stand out. Those brands that do manage to stand out among the crowd are brands we feel should be… Continue reading →

Posted in Digital Marketing, Startups & Innovation by David Capece | Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009 | Tagged | 5 Comments

Interbrand’s 2009 Best Global Brands: Coke #1, Google Rising

Coke remains the most powerful “syrup turned secret formula” in the world. Remarkably, a small beverage company from the 1800s turned into and sustained itself as a global icon. Interbrand, which just released its annual list of top 100 brands, declares Coke the #1 brand for 10 years running. Its brand value of $68 billion is the majority of its $128 billion enterprise value. The big gainer on this year’s list is Google, which rose 25% to… Continue reading →

Posted in Digital Marketing, Market Trends by David Capece | Monday, September 21st, 2009 | Tagged , | 10 Comments

Top 5 SEO Marketing Tips

SEO is a powerful tool to increase brand visibility and presence on the web. As the Internet is now a primary source of information and goods, it only makes sense to be as visible as possible in order to attract and meet the needs of your customers. There are many ways to approach SEO efforts, and it can be difficult for businesses just starting out. Luckily, there are many resources available to assist in SEO efforts, especially for small businesses. In this week’s top five we’re providing… Continue reading →

Posted in Digital Marketing by David Capece | Monday, September 21st, 2009 | Tagged , | 9 Comments

The Longtail of Blockbuster Closings

Although the recession seems to be coming to a close, it does not seem to be good news for everyone. Blockbuster, the popular movie and game rental store, announced on Wednesday their plans to close at least 960 stores by the end of 2010. The news comes just a few years following a similar announcement by Blockbuster’s competitor, Hollywood Video. For many movie fiends, the announcement seems long overdue. With the wildly popular Netflix service, along with the growing popularity of Redbox kiosks and other on-demand cable services, Blockbuster has been facing heavy… Continue reading →

Posted in Market Trends by David Capece | Friday, September 18th, 2009 | Tagged | Leave a comment

Relationships and the Art of Selling

Today, selling skills are increasingly important for everyone and can provide advantage in finding jobs, partnering, and even in dating. Have you ever stopped to wonder what makes a good sales person? Is it the good looks and charisma? Superior golf skills? The confidence to convince others? The ability to extract extra dollars through intense negotiations? Yes, all of these attributes are helpful in selling. But there’s more to selling than… Continue reading →

Posted in Social Impact by David Capece | Thursday, September 17th, 2009 | Tagged | 4 Comments

Banner Ad Zapper and Disruptive Media

AdBlock Plus delivers on its name: it blocks online ads. It is a plug-in I recently discovered for FireFox. As I browse the web, I take some enjoyment in zapping ads. Visa… you thought I’d ever click on you… Macy’s, not a chance… This ad blocking plug-in almost became a game. I’d search for banner ads to block; I’d search and destroy. Then I realized something: banner ads. As a part of Gen Y, I grew up on the web. As such, I’ve grown accustomed to banner ads and consequently blocked them from my periphery. Continue reading →

Posted in Digital Marketing by David Capece | Thursday, September 17th, 2009 | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Analyst Letter to the CEO

Everyone likes numbers when they go up, particularly when they yield big bonuses. When things are tough, everyone’s afraid of the numbers and the story that they might tell. Indeed, many businesses are falling short of expectations and losing significant sums of money. Numbers can provide incredible insight to help make better decisions. You can reallocate money to more fruitful ventures and eliminate the losers. Numbers provide a rational perspective to balance… Continue reading →

Posted in Startups & Innovation by David Capece | Wednesday, September 16th, 2009 | Tagged | 2 Comments

Inventing Problems and a JumpSnap to Solve Them

JumpSnap is a jump rope without the rope. Essentially, you wiggle your wrists while jumping up and down. While doing this, you hold onto a JumpSnap—a bulky device that makes noise and tries to motivate you to keep jumping. How is this different from turning on some dance music and jumping? Why do you need to purchase JumpSnap to do that? The difference between great inventions and those like JumpSnap is great inventions solve a real problem whereas products like JumpSnap try to create a problem and solve it. Continue reading →

Posted in Startups & Innovation by David Capece | Wednesday, September 16th, 2009 | Tagged | Leave a comment

Going Local: The Search for the Corporate Niche

Increasingly, corporations across the nation are fighting to stay relevant. No longer is the newspaper (or in some cases, the company website) the “it” place for news. Corporations are battling against the negative and homogeneous image of themselves. Take Clear Channel for example. The radio conglomerate had to cut back on its one-size-fits all programming—instead focusing on the local element. Going local is sometimes a… Continue reading →

Posted in Market Trends by Ethan Lyon | Tuesday, September 15th, 2009 | Tagged , | Leave a comment