Katapult

The Sphere: Facebook for the Happy Few

2010-03-29T14:21:00.001-07:00

Social network sites connect people. But as usual, the rich and famous seek a different (virtual) network. The Sphere can be described as the Rolls-Royce of social network sites. It simplifies the organization of the social life of the selected few, while the excellent concierge service saves them valuable time and money. The website belongs to David Manoukian, a successful Swiss business man. However, the idea belongs to Sophie Sarkozy, sister in law of you know who…

Although The-Sphere.com is not the first initiative in its kinds, it is the first to be this successful. The downside? User numbers were growing exponentially each day, as membership was based on the invitation-only principle. However, as you know, the jet set always seeks exclusiveness, and was not too happy with this trend. David Manoukian has therefore changed the acceptance policy. In order to be accepted, the jet set needs to face a five-headed jury and pay a $ 2,000 membership fee.
Perhaps being accepted is something to strive for in the next decennia?

Source: The-Sphere.com

Three of the most important traits for an individual to be successful in the field of Public Relations

2010-03-29T14:00:00.001-07:00

I believe the most important trait to be successful in Public Relations is passion. Public Relations cannot be regarded as a 9 to 5 job. It is a lifestyle, something you go to sleep with and get up with. To be able to develop the proper strategy, along with the 360° communication mix, you need to have excellent knowledge of every aspect of the discipline, as well as insight in the business and industry of the client.

Next to that, you need to combine a hands-on mentality with excellent team member skills. Proactive work allows the PR manager to react faster and more accurate when an organization is in need. Hence, a hands-on mentality results in added value for the company as well as for the team. Nonetheless, developing PR strategies and communication plans is not an individual task. It is something you build in team. When successful, you share the glory. In hard times, you share the trouble.

Finally, you need an analytical mind. When an organization seeks advice about certain communication issues, you have to be able to extract the precise problem, as well as putting things into perspective and respecting the broader context. In this way, you will develop a more accurate communication strategy, which is a necessary basis for the creative part of the solution.

The impact of new media publications, social media tools and networks on the public relations discipline according to Christian Remon

2010-03-29T12:51:00.000-07:00

Social media tools, social networks and the “blogosphere” have had a significant impact on the discipline of PR. As always, these developments include both dangers and opportunities. One of the most powerful consequences of these recent developments is the rise of citizen journalism. This implies that nowadays anyone can be a journalist. With a simple mouse-click it is possible to reach millions of people in just a few seconds. This information or opinion can be either positive of negative. However, one devastating review can easily destroy a powerful brand’s reputation. The consequence? The number of crises that have lately emerged from one blog (!) are astonishing. It is therefore very important to monitor the online conversations about your company and to actively participate in them via ambassadors of your brand.

Social media and networks also include major opportunities. As an Ethiopian proverb states: “when spider webs unite, they can tie up a lion…” Indeed, the power of social media lies in the fact that they can be clustered into a valuable communication tool. In my opinion, it is the task of the Public Relations industry to make firms aware of two issues concerning this latest trend. Firstly, they need to convince organizations that social media are an essential part of the communication mix. Digital natives, for example, spend as much on the internet as they spend watching television. When organizations have been convinced of the power of the Social Web, however, the task of the PR industry only just begins. Often, these communication tools are used alongside other tools that are coordinated by other divisions. The future of communication, however, lies in interaction and building relations. In order to achieve an organization’s goals, it is crucial that digital channels and traditional media are integrated into one strategy, all being part of the 360° communication mix.

5 Essential Apps for Your Business’s Facebook Fan Page

2010-03-29T12:47:00.000-07:00

Nowadays, viral marketing is an essential part in the marketing communication mix. Companies develop fan pages , launch ad campaigns, etc… On Mashable, Matt Silverman describes 5 vital applications for a company’s Facebook fan page to generate more traffic and to engage more users.

The first app, The Static FBML, stimulates the interactivity in the left-sided column. As most users are used to navigating through a vertical left-sided column, they are more likely to search for extra links here. Keeping a consistent image in mind, companies should always try to stick to their logo, colors and language use as much as possible.

Wildfire Promotions allows companies to give away free stuff via Facebook. As getting things for free is one of the biggest reasons why Facebookers become a fan of a certain brand, this is u must-have application. Besides, it is possible to connect Wildfire to other social network sites, hereby announcing any changes made to the promotions.

The third app, Social RSS, allows you to share content on your fan page that you already put online on other social networks or blogs. Although you can subscribe automatically to this, it is dangerous to do so. Facebook users might actually ‘un-fan’ a company because of the double content they often receive.

The fourth app is, according to me, the most powerful app: YouTube for Pages. Developing video content is one of the major advantages of viral marketing. It allows you to spread a persuasive message in a very cost-effective way and to possibly reach a target audience traditional media can only dream of. Hence, not linking video content to your fan page is an unforgivable mistake.

I tend not to believe in the power of the fifth application, Polls, as this is something developed in the web 1.0 environment.

Jumping to conclusions, it is strongly recommended that companies not only develop a creative viral marketing plan but also a strategy to support the long-term goals. This involves research and following up trends and innovations in social media.

Source: Matt Silverman, Mashable (www.mashable.com), 28 March 2010

940 million users

2010-03-29T10:13:00.000-07:00

According to a recent study of Insites Consulting, 940 million people worldwide are part of at least one social network. This number corresponds to 72% of all internet users. The most popular SNS is Facebook, followed by MySpace and Twitter. The majority of the users (72%) are member of at least two social network sites. For professional network sites, like LinkedIn, this number is lower, with an average of nine times a month. Furthermore this study showed that users of social media log in at least twice per day and has 195 friends.

Insites Consulting also provides specific numbers for Belgium. Here 69% of all internet users regularly visit social network sites, which translate to 4 million Belgians. The average number of friend is 133 and the most popular SNS, after Facebook, is Netlog, with 12% of all Belgian SNS users.

According to this study most people are happy with the social network sites they are using and they do not want to reduce the time they currently spend on the sites. This indicates a stability has reached the SNS market, which makes it difficult for new social sites to recruit members. They will have to come up with a strong USP and target groups that are currently overlooked by other social network sites, like young children, maybe?

If you would like to know more about the study, check out the full report!

Martijn

Mobile youngsters

2010-03-28T02:19:00.000-07:00

A study with 2,600 children, carried out by the Belgian consumer organisation OIVO , showed that two out of three ten-year olds have a mobile phone. At the age of twelve this number is already 92%. Since 2007 the number of children at the age of ten who have a cellphone has remarkably increased with 20%.

OIVO states that the mobile phone has a central role in the communication between children. Furthermore, these youngsters appear to be very eager to be the first to apply the multimedia applications of cellphones, like mobile internet.

This study shows that providing a mobile version of a website or mobile applications can be a great opportunity for websites that target children. Since cellphones have a very central place in the life of these children, focusing on mobility and on staying connected with the website will be an excellent way to become part of their living environment.

Martijn

TED!

2010-03-27T08:41:00.000-07:00

If there is one thing Belgium is short of, it is brand new ideas and the guts to create. Therefore we need a platform to shout of the roof that creating (and maybe failing while creating) is nothing to be scared about. On the contrary this is the way to create the world of tomorrow.

In the United States, this platform already has an established name. Its name is TED (Technology Entertainment Design). In this conference that lasts a few days, some interesting (weird?) people talk about their ideas, inventions, dreams and so on. It is a tsunami of creativity. This conference used to be very exclusive, but because of the internet (and the goodwill of the organization), it is now free to watch whenever you feel like it. So try it, just maybe you will find that €100 million idea you have been looking for all your life.

In Brussels there is a TED like conference about internet startups. There is a contest between several ideas for a successful startup, but there are also some influential business people who talk about this booming business. Take a look on their site if you are interested.

Bregt Timmerman

Sources:
http://www.ted.com/pages/view/id/5
http://plugg.eu/about/what-is-plugg

Cyber-bullying

2010-03-27T08:08:00.000-07:00

On October 7 2006 Megan Taylor Meier, a North-American teenager, committed suicide three weeks before her 14^th birthday. Her suicide was attributed to cyber-bullying through the website MySpace, an SNS. The case has caused several discussions about legislation to prohibit harassment over the internet. In Missouri, where the tragedy took place, a law against cyber-bullying passed but many jurists and bloggers belief this law is not narrow enough (it does not define ‘severe bullying’) and therefore endangers the freedom of speech.

In Europe, most authorities are equally concerned about the prospect of cyber-bullying. In 2008, the EU declared to spend 55 million euros to protect children from online harassment. It is difficult to find information about prevention or legislation concerning this relatively new phenomenon in Belgium. According to a study of the University of Antwerp, Belgian minors who get caught cyber-bullying rarely suffer legal consequences and are in most cases dealt with by their school. In the Netherlands they are more ahead of us concerning this subject. There it is possible to report an online bully, who will receive a charge if there are two witnesses.

Since there is no clear legislation regarding cyber-bullying yet, Social Network Sites have a great responsibility. This counts especially for those who deal with children. To my opinion, they must do everything they can to prevent cases like Megan Taylor Meier, even if this means that the “freedom of speech” may be restricted.

Martijn

How can I make money?

2010-03-27T07:16:00.000-07:00

How can I make four billion dollars by my 25th birthday? I know! I’m going to make a social network site. O no wait, it already exists…it’s called Facebook, and I have an account, and you also have one, let’s be friends!

Okay bad idea, maybe I can try something new, some site where you can chat whenever you want, with whoever you want, this sounds like fun! You can make tons of new friends in just five minutes! O no wait, this also already exists, and it just happens to be the new hype among children, called Chatroulette.

There is just one slight problem: there are a lot of perverts out there. Thank God there are safety measures! For example, you have to type in your age, let’s try this: uhmmm I’m actually just 16, but I actually feel 25 and people say I look older than my actual age and people tend to exaggerate so I’m 34 years old. Done! Easypeasylemonsqueezy and nobody is going to ask questions. Let’s start chatting! O my God! This first man is masturbating! Next! Hay that girl skipped me immediately! Next! No I will not give you my credit card number! Next! Next! Next! Thank god my children don’t surf to this kinds of sites…but maybe yours do, so before giving your children access to the internet, be sure to advise them and maybe you should install a filter, just in case.

Bregt Timmerman

Sources:
http://www.standaard.be/artikel/detail.aspx?artikelid=GVQ2NQ677&word=facebook
http://netto.tijd.be/budget_en_vrije_tijd/luxe/De_5_jongste_miljardairs_ter_wereld.8896414-2215.art

The Kids-ID

2010-03-20T07:16:00.000-07:00

The kids-ID is an electronic identity card for Belgian children who are less than 12 years old. The card is obligatory for young children who travel abroad and is accepted as an official identity document in almost every European country. The card combines several functions. For instance, the card contains an emergency number through which the parents of the child can be contacted. Furthermore, the kids-ID contains an electronic chip and a secret code which enables children to identify themselves on the internet.

A recent article in De Standaard revealed that only one year after the launch of the kids-ID, more than 217.000 cards have been distributed already. This represents 17% of all young children in Belgium. This number is expected to increase even more in 2010, since the Belgian Minister for Foreign Affairs announced the start of a new promotion campaign.

The huge success of this card provides an excellent opportunity for (Social Network) websites that are aimed at children to increase their security systems and provide safe online environments where youngsters can socialize with their peers. The Kids-ID? A great idea!

Martijn

Sources:

http://eid.belgium.be/nl/Welke_kaarten_/Kids-ID/

http://www.standaard.be/artikel/detail.aspx?artikelid=GAT2NK8UU&word=kids-id

Looking for a presidential job?

2010-02-16T09:39:00.000-08:00

Have you always wanted to work for the President of the United States? Do you spend all your free time on Facebook and Twitter? And, finally, are you looking for a job? Then look no further and become Obama’s personal Twitterer.

In these harsh times of unemployment, even the President himself is looking to create job opportunities. That is why, as of today, you can apply for a job that involves keeping Obama’s Facebook and Twitter account up to date. Your official title will be that of “Social Networks Manager”. The job involves becoming Obama’s spokesperson on Twitter and Facebook, which will hopefully help him to get re-elected in a few years time.

As to the more practical side of the story, here are some of the skills you need to master. First of all, you have to be an expert in posting messages on Twitter, Facebook and even MySpace. Furthermore you should be in the possession of strong and sharp writing skills and you need to be able to work under deadline pressure. Last, but by no means least, you have to be able to spend all day on Facebook and Twitter. Of course, occasionally, you could be asked to work nights and weekends as well.

The woman who previously held the much wanted position of “Social Networks Manager” is resigning any day now. If you are interested, just hop on the next flight to Washington D.C. and prepare for the ultimate SNS job.

Robin

Sources:
http://brainstormtech.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2010/02/12/help-wanted-obamas-twitterer-filibusterers-need-not-apply/
http://www.facebook.com/search/?ref=search&q=obama&init=quick#!/barackobama?ref=search&sid=548438648.4020030778..1

Disastrous train crash shakes up Belgium

2010-02-16T09:36:00.000-08:00

Yesterday morning around 08:30 am, two commuter trains collided just outside Brussels. It has been confirmed that at least 18 people have died and another 171 were injured, but the rescue teams are still looking for passengers who are trapped underneath the train wrecks. The rescue operations went very smoothly and a field hospital was set up in the area to attend to the victims. It is almost certain at this point that one of the train drivers ignored a red light. At the moment researchers are trying to figure out what caused the driver to ignore the light.

The NMBS and Infrabel have expressed their regret and sympathy on their websites and have given a press conference yesterday at noon. A crisis centre has been set up to inform the families of the victims and to answer questions of concerned family members. Up to now, however, no formal statement has been made about the cause of the accident.

In my opinion, the crisis communication surrounding the train crash has, so far, been handled well by the NMBS, but there are huge question marks as to how this kind of mistake could have happened. There should be a minimum security system preventing these kind of catastrophes from happening. In that respect, the NMBS has received a lot of criticism. With the train catastrophe in Pécrot in 2001, the NMBS stated they were going to adopt a security system, that would cause trains to stop moving when a red light is ignored. So far, only 25 of 1100 trains are equipped with this system because in 2001 the NMBS decided to wait for European legislation. It will only be by 2013 that all locomotives are equipped with a safety system. Even now, after a second train crash, the procedure won’t be sped up. A decision that may prove to be fatal to the image of the NMBS.

Robin

Sources:
http://www.gva.be/nieuws/binnenland/aid903077/machinist-kruipt-door-het-oog-van-de-naald.aspx
http://www.gva.be/nieuws/binnenland/aid903215/treinbestuurder-reed-effectief-door-rood-licht.aspx
http://www.demorgen.be/dm/nl/989/Binnenland/article/detail/1068275/2010/02/16/Trein-uit-Leuven-reed-wel-degelijk-door-rood.dhtml
http://www.demorgen.be/dm/nl/989/Binnenland/article/detail/1068245/2010/02/16/Experts-voeren-onderzoek-naar-oorzaak-treinramp.dhtml
http://www.vtm.be/nieuws/binnenland/33176

How to go about a phone job interview

2010-02-07T11:45:00.000-08:00

In the current economy where more and more people go after the same jobs, employers cleverly make use of the telephone to screen applicants in a fast and effective manner. In stead of inviting all the applicants for a face-to-face interview, the interviewers just pick up the phone to shortlist the candidates.

This innovative method of applying for a job calls for new tips on how to go about a phone job interview. Since phone interviews take up less time, you’d better be prepared in advance. Annie Stevens, a managing partner at a Boston executive coaching firm, and Paul J. Bailo, who runs an online coaching service, have both come op with some guidelines on how to deal with a phone job interview. In my opinion, some of these tips apply to almost every job interview, such as the following:

-Be enthusiastic
-Have a list of questions prepared that show you’re interested in the company as well as in the job
-Match your use of jargon and technical terms to that of the interviewer
-Don’t interrupt the interviewer
-Avoid negative words like “can't”, “haven't” and “don't”
-Make sure you have a 30-second summery of why you’re right for the job
-Ask about the next step: when can you meet the interviewer in person
-Follow up by sending an e-mail or writing a letter to thank the interviewer and remind him once again of your skills, achievements and the added value you bring to the company
-Wear business attire instead of your pyjamas: although the interviewer can’t see you during a telephone job interview, it helps to feel businesslike
-Take notes so you can refer to an interesting topic or question when you send a thank you note or email
-Don’t say “um” or “ah” but just take a little pause to show intelligence

A few other tips, on the other hand, are more or less limited to phone job interviews:
-Eat a cough drop before you call to clear your throat
-Use a land line and avoid all interruptions to prevent unwanted stress
-Try to look up a photo of your interviewer (for instance on LinkedIn or the company website) to make the interview a bit more personal

This new way of applying for a job sounds exciting as much as it is frightening, but in essence there’s not much difference with a regular job interview. The only difference (and advantage) I see is that you don’t have to worry about a bad hair day or smelly armpits.

Robin

Sources:
http://money.cnn.com/2010/02/03/news/economy/phone_job_interviews.fortune/index.htm

How to protect your children?

2010-02-06T02:32:00.000-08:00

Protection of your children is important if you conceder all the existing dangers, described in the blogs down below. A basic precaution you have to take is to install reliable internet filter software. There are some good products on the market and there are some sites you can visit to look at the possibilities. Some useful links are:

http://internet-filter-review.toptenreviews.com/
http://www.netnanny.com/alt_rotate
http://www.sofotex.com/download/Security/Parental_Control/

The first site compares several internet protection packages, this way you can make an informed decision. However, be on your guard, this site is free and could be biased. A more interesting site is netnanny.com. Why? Because it is also a blog site, this gives you the possibility to compare several opinions about this tricky subject. On the third site, you can download free internet software. It’s interesting because it’s free but I would advise you to buy an approved package, you never know what kind of bugs you can find on this software.

Bregt Timmerman

Why protection of children on the internet is so important.

2009-11-02T06:23:00.000-08:00

Children surf for many different reasons. This can depend for example on their age; we can divide children into four different categories:
1. Children aged between two and three are already introduced to the computer.
2. When they reach the age of seven, they begin to enjoy the use of internet. By that age, they begin to use online encyclopedias; they download pictures or write to pen pals.
3. Than we have the young adolescents. They use the internet in a more sophisticated way, like reading journals online and consulting archives and libraries.
4. The older adolescents, use the internet in an even more practical manner, they search information about internships, job opportunities, learning different languages and so forth.
However, parents must be aware of the fact that children put information online that can harm them. They can put their identity online, for other people – sometimes with bad intentions – to see. This makes the internet a very unsafe place for children. So beware!

It can also be interesting to know where children surf.
Mostly they surf at home, in school or in public libraries. But it can also be interesting to take into account that they can surf at a friend’s house, in internet cafés, at museums, in after – school programs, in stores where there is a wifi connection or in public areas like train stations. So we can conclude that the protection of children is not always in the hands of the parents. This is why the sites themselves must be well protected.

Bregt Timmerman

Source: http://www.nap.edu/netsafekids/inter_kids.html#whykidssurf

The Spam King discrowned

2009-11-01T02:37:00.000-08:00

A spammer called Sanford Wallace, also known as the Spam King, was condemned to paying Facebook 711 million dollars for hacking into members’ accounts and sending out fake wall posts and messages. Furthermore Wallace and accomplices were banned from the social network site for life. It wasn’t the first time the Spam King was found guilty on charges of sending junk messages. In 2008 MySpace also won a lawsuit against the notorious spammer. Facebook also announced that they will continue pursuing damages against other spammers. In November 2008, Facebook won another case against Atlantis Blue Capital, a business which sent Facebook users sexually explicit spam messages.

Robin

Sources:
http://www.standaard.be/artikel/detail.aspx?artikelid=DMF20091030_054&word=facebook
http://money.cnn.com/2009/10/30/technology/facebook_spammer/index.htm
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/tech/D9BL656G0.htm

The Innocence of Children

2009-10-11T02:45:00.001-07:00

Two weeks ago I read an article in the Belgian newspaper “De Standaard” which once again underlined the importance of protecting children on the internet. According to the article, a woman working in a nursery in Plymouth was arrested for distributing indecent images of children through the internet. The woman and two accomplices she met on Facebook have pleated guilty on the charges of child pornography and sexual abuse of children. This article reminded me that when we want to create an interactive website for kids, we have to bear in mind that children are a vulnerable target group that can easily be misled. Furthermore a recent study conducted on children’s internet use revealed that parents are concerned about the online activities of their kids. Some 53% of Belgian parents who were questioned, declared they are worried about their offspring giving out personal or private information online. Taking this into account, we must be aware that we need to protect kids online by securing children’s websites.

Robin

Sources:
http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/EUKidsOnline/EU%20Kids%20I/Conference%20Papers%20and%20abstracts/Victims%20and%20Perpetrators/Ponte.pdf

http://www.standaard.be/Artikel/Detail.aspx?artikelId=DMF01102009_032&word=facebook

American companies block social network sites

2009-10-11T01:03:00.000-07:00

A recent study by Robert Half Technology, concludes that the majority of the American employers, blocks the access to social network sites such as Facebook and Twitter. This research was conducted among 1400 chief information officers in companies with hundred employees or more.
54 percent of the companies that were examined, blocks these sites completely and 19 percent says these sites can be used, but only for ‘business purposes’. Only ten percent of the companies allows their employees to use these sites for personal use and sixteen percent thinks a limited amount of personal use is OK.
However, one must take into account, that there are differences in “blocking strategies”. For example, one can simply block all social network sites, but forbidding the employees to post messages about their boss or work was also considered as “blocking”
A second remark about this study, is that the use of social network sites during working hours, can lead to the loss of precious working time. So according to Dave Willmer (the CEO of Robert Half Technology), it is understandable that companies take action towards this rising phenomenon. However, it is also important to notice, that these sites can provide interesting business opportunities. This probably explains, why one out of five companies allows access towards these sites for business purposes.

Sources:
http://www.switched.com/2009/10/08/most-u-s-companies-blocking-facebook-and-twitter-finds-survey/
http://www.standaard.be/Artikel/Detail.aspx?artikelId=20091007108661&word=sociale+netwerksites

Kidzui. The Internet for kids!

2009-10-10T07:34:00.000-07:00

The number of children aged between 3 and 13 using the Internet is growing significantly everyday. The time spent online per child is also increasing. Unfortunately the Internet isn't exactly the safe place you let your children play in. Numerous initiatives have been undertaken to create a secure digital environment. With varyable success. Cliff Boro, Vidar Vignisson, Thomas Broadhead and Will von Reis have discovered a gap in the market that has turned them into millionaires.

Kidzui is a browser - like Internet Explorer or Firefox - designed especially for kids. Unlike most initiatives that have been undertaken to make the Internet a safer place, Kidzui doesn't filter the content. In cooperation with teachers and parents, the four founders have created two seals to label children-oriented websites. The Kidzui Site Seal makes websites visible in the browser. Websites who wish to support the mission and values of Kidzui get the Support Seal.

Kidzui has been positively reviewed in almost every American newspaper and has even made the evening news on CNN. Like its value, the number of users and the content published is growing expansively every day. The downside? There is only an English version...

Please visit the website!
Parents, talk to your children and download your browser here!

Christian Remon

Toddlers on the worldwide web

2009-10-07T15:21:00.000-07:00

More and more young children are surfing the internet these days. According to Nielsen Online, the number of children aged 2-11 using the internet has increased by 18% since 2004. In May 2009, 16 million U.S. kids went online. They represent 9.5% of the active American Internet users. Furthermore, the time these children spend online has increased from nearly 7 hours in May 2004, to more than 11 hours in May 2009. This is an increase of 63% in the last 5 years, which surpasses the growth in time spent online by the overall population by 27%.

It is difficult to find online data on the number of young children going online in Europe. However, a study of the European Commission shows that 73% of the people aged 16-24, use the internet on a daily base. These youngsters are the largest group of internet users in Europe. One might therefore expect that a large number of young European children surf the internet as well.

The numbers mentioned above indicate a large and growing number of toddlers that are surfing the worldwide web. They make up an interesting market segment with special “online needs”. For example, a lot of young children might have difficulties reading, typing, searching, etc. It is up to marketers to study these needs and help designers to create online environments that meet the wishes of these toddlers.

Sources:

http://en-us.nielsen.com/main/news/news_releases/2009/july/Nielsen_Online_Data_Quick_Take__Kids_Online

http://blog.combell.com/2009/09/27/children-are-more-and-more-online/

http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/1249411622.22