Advertising to the hard to reach
After working for 7 years in a marketing department I just put together my very first advertising plan.
We’d done random ads here and there when things were offered to us for free but Housing Works has never really been in the position to commit $$ in advance to advertising.
Its been an interesting exercise, especially considering the audience we want to reach. Instead of advertising our thrift shops or our catering company we are talking about advertising our healthcare clinics to homeless and low-income people living with HIV and AIDS.
But what newspapers do the homeless read?
What websites do they read?
Are there any?
iPad killed the keyboard shortcut
I was surprised to hear that today adobe of all companies has come up with a novel new use for the iPad, as extra controller for your Mac.
This isn’t about dumbed down light versions of adobes pro software for the iPad this is about using your iPad along side your Mac and playing to each others strengths. The iPad essentially plays the role that “keyboard shortcuts” once did for photoshop, allows you quick and easy access to the tools you need.
With the new Adobe nav you can use it to switch between tools and even switch between files. And they say it’s just the beginning because they are releasing a full sdk for tablet interactions with photoshop for people to build their own apps to control it.
This is a huge deal, and while it make take a while to catch on I have no doubt in my mind that this is the future of how I will interact with my Mac.
I’m even more excited now for what apple is going to do in this space with the announcement of the new final cut pro tomorrow. Adobe surprising announce this the day before apples set to make a big announcement tomorrow makes me even more confident that tomorrow is going to be about how the iPad and the Mac can work incredibly well together.
My only question is, will they take it one step further and announce a touch screen Mac?
UPDATE: A shot of the actual car that crashed into my building.. right in front of me while I was walking the dog…
See original post: http://platitudinous.com/post/3909855197/this-morning-as-i-was-out-walking-the-dog-i-heard
It’s almost here… so close, program is launching on earth day!
3.5 Million Households!
What’s missing from Amazon’s AppStore
What’s missing from the amazon AppStore is not about how hard it is to install, or specific apps that didn’t make it to the catalog.
It’s not any of the complaints most of tech-blogettes are talking about, because what they don’t get is that amazon doesn’t care if anyone installs this on their existing android phones because thats not really what this is for.
What’s really missing from today’s announcement is the hardware that goes with it.
This device (or family of devices?) clearly will be about more than just reading, why else would you launch the app store before you even announce the device?
This would make this device, which I do think will be kindle branded, much more like the iPad then like then any existing kindle.
So is this it? Will amazon launch A surprise move for amazon for sure, but will this be the first tablet that makes people think twice about their new iPad 2? Something really different? Or is this just another me-too-tablet honeycomb clone with a friendly logo.
My iPad 2 is already in the mail, but personally I hope they nail it.
Is the NYTimes paywall really just designed to sell more printed papers?
I’m all for paying for digital content and I fully expect to subscribe to the NYtimes when the paywall goes up and I think many many others will follow suit.
What I am having a hard time understanding is which subscription makes the most sense for me….
The digital subscription price starts at $15 for 4 weeks just for web and iphone access, $20 for web and ipad access, and $35 for the whole enchilada.
BUT… with any home delivery you get the full digital subscription for free.
Even the most expensive of these plans is $23.40 for four weeks, if i just get the weekend papers ( sat, sun) its only $12.60!
So I could pay $15 for just the web, or $12.60 for PRINT & the web, iphone, and iPad apps…
Is the paywall really just designed to sell more printed papers?
it all starts tomorrow
This morning as I was out walking the dog I heard a car crash at the intersection of washington. I looked up just as the car had bounced off a yet another car that was coming right for us.
Just as the car hit the sidewalk the driver swerved and slammed full speed right into the side of my building, maybe 10 feet in front of me, narrowly missing a whole group of people. One guy had to dive out of the way.
People say this all the time but it really felt like a movie. I wasnt there, I was just watching it all happen. It wasnt until I got home that the gravity of what had just happened really hit me, I saw Amy and I just started balling.
By the time I got home from work today most everything was good as new, except for this phonebooth which I am happy to report was the only real injury from this whole ordeal.
When it happened, I was standing where the woman and red is here…. too close
… too close
my hand is still shaking
Join us?
Tomorrow we have a big meeting to discuss the future of our membership program.
It should be an interesting discussion because we so rarely take the time to look back and evaluate instead of just plowing forward full steam ahead.
I expect a couple of things to come out of it:
Treating the thrift and bookstore programs more like loyalty programs
Overall goal with this population is to shop more regularly, but donations dont have to outway benefits given,
Free trials, and materials highlighting savings and benefits
Treating our direct mail pieces more philanthropic
Overall goal from this group is a profitable donations program
Buy a brick, more client story, $60 buys this, less focus on deals
Focus in bringing down overal cost of healthcare. $60 spend on healthcare at housing works saves medicaid $120.
All of the above reads like random notes but I’m not sure I see much concrete changes in this…we’ll see tomorrow I guess.
