Elise's Blog

Wikipedia Summary: Gucci

2006-05-08T08:42:00.000-07:00

Gucci has always been a brand that I have been very interested in. I love their clothes and their accessories products. Gucci has such a history behind it and is a fashion dynasty. I wanted a chance to understand the brand better and learn about their history which is why I chose the Gucci article. The Gucci article was well organized and easy to follow. I am again pleased to say that my edits remain in the article. The first piece of information I put in was about Gucci watches, and when they began their time piece collection. The second bit of information I put in was about when Gucci Corp went public and began to offer their stock on the NYSE. Finally, my third edit was about other companies they have acquired. This article had so much information and was so well done that it was at times hard to find additional facts to put into the article. Although this was frustrating at times it allowed me to find out a lot more about the company and I felt confident in any edits I made.

Wikipedia Summary: Dessert Wines

2006-05-08T08:32:00.000-07:00

My reason behind picking the Dessert Wine article is once again my roommates. Many of my roommates and friends are in the HRIM (hotel and restaurant management) major. The have to take a lot of classes of wines and know a lot of information about them. They suggested that I do dessert wines and they are not that complicated and some what interesting. I learned a lot about this topic as I did my research for my edits. The first piece of information I added was about the size of the bottles used for dessert wines. My second change delt with what types of dessert go best with dessert wines. My final change to the article was about the two types of dessert wines. This article was really interesting to edit because I was able to learn about a new topic. Additionally this article is small and was very easy to manage and keep track of.

Wiki Summary: Da Vinci Code

2006-05-08T08:21:00.000-07:00

The reason I selected the Da Vinci Code article was because I love this book so much and wanted a chance to familiarize myself with it before the movie came out on May 19th. The first edit I made to this article had to do with the lawsuit that the author Dan Brown was facing. My second edit touched upon the another novel of Browns with Robert Langdon as the main character Angels and Demons. I used my final edit to put in some additional information about Silas another one of the characters in the book. I am very happy to say that my edits remained in this article. This article was a real honor to contribute to as I feel it is so well put together and so informative. I feel because this is such a popular book that so many are so passionate it about it is kept under very close watch, and no one would let this article get out of hand.

Wikipedia Summary: Astrology

2006-05-08T07:55:00.000-07:00

I initially decided to do the astrology article because my roommate is so into this type of stuff. I thought she would be able to give me good insight to add into the article. I had made minor changes, my first change regarding the way people can view astrology. My second change was that everyone has more than one sign. My changes were left in the article up until last week when someone completely rewrote the article. I was initially so disappointed in the way the article has came out. It looks much more like a blog entry than an informational article. I used my final edit to restate a point I had made earlier. I would have loved to rewrite this article but felt I was way out of my league and didn't know enough about astrology. I was going to try to have my roommate rewrite it until I saw that someone else had saved it already. This article has returned back to its original informative form. This article showed me how people monitor each other and what the wiki community is all about.

Third Wikipedia edit: Da Vince Code

2006-05-05T10:40:00.000-07:00

The Da Vinci Code article is one of my favorites. The author of this article has given so much information about the book, and even has included historic information. Their is a section of this article where each character is described. I added a line to the character Silas, explained the great lengths he will go to in order to fulfill the requests of his "teacher". Silas is an important character in the book and is viewed as the "bad guy" who Langdon is running from.

Third Wikipedia edit: Astrology

2006-05-05T10:31:00.000-07:00

So this was my third and final astrology edit. I am very glad that I am done with this article. There seem to be some very angry people who have just decided to entirely change the article. This article looks more like a blog posting between two people arguing back and forth about their views. I am very disappointed in the article and don't find it nearly as informative as it used to be. I couldn't even find my old posts and assume they have all been deleted. I tried again to add that astrology can help you understand a persons mannerisms, and isn't just mend to try to predict the future.

I would try to rewrite the article myself to make it more informational and less of this girls opinion but I feel I am way over my head. These people have some very intense views. This is one example of an article that has feel into the wrong hands. The author to this article is not s good member of the Wikipedia community.

My Space

2006-05-05T10:12:00.000-07:00

In class on Thursday we got to speak to Travis from My Space. It was really interesting to hear about My Space's marketing tools and how much the company has grown. There has been a lot of negative press about My Space and I really enjoyed hearing a different view on the company. When I asked Travis about some of the negative press surrounding My Space he gave a very insightful answer. He explained that because My Space has grown so rapidly it created a hysteria. When people don't understand something they spread false information. I have heard so many parents complain about how it is so dangerous for their children to have My Space accounts etc. Initially I agreed with them but as Travis explained the "don't talk to stranger rule" we learn as children also applies on the internet. One thing My Space could consider doing is creating a section of the website for parents. This section could include tips on monitoring your child's account and how to speak to kids about internet safety.

My Space is a huge marketing tool for so many markets. They have done so much for bands and music labels as well as TV shows. Travis told us about an account they created for the Family Guy TV show. It allowed people who like the show to become friends with the family guy. This is an excellent way of marketers to reach people they know are interested in there product. I think the reason that My Space marketing is so successful and will continue to grow is because they have the ability to reach people who are interested in your ad. For instance if you put a banner ad on Google you hope that someone who is interested in the product, show, band etc. Will see it and read it. On My Space you can personalize ads to reach those who are interested in your product or band.

I think My Space will be around for a very long time and will be one of the biggest forms of buzz marketing we have seen yet. Any bad press surrounding the company will fade away as people learn about the site and become less frightened of it. My Space is an awesome site that listens to its users and gives people what they want.

Start a My space account now and see for yourself !!

Wikipedia third edit: Dessert wine

2006-05-03T11:01:00.000-07:00

After doing some research on Dessert Wines I have come to learn that they can be fortified (have added alcohol in them) or sparkling like a champagne. I wanted to add this into the dessert wine article as it doesn't get to specific about what types of dessert wines there are. I have did not realize how many forms of wines were considered dessert wines and felt it may be important to the article. I have really enjoyed posting on this topic as all of my comment's are still perfectly in tact. This being my theirs edit I feel I have added a substantial amount of information to the article.

Third wikipedia edit: Gucci

2006-05-03T10:48:00.000-07:00

I recently learned some information about Gucci Group and thought it was very important to put into the wikipedia article. As of 2001 Gucci acquired major percentages of Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, and formed a partnership with Stella McCartney. These are big name companies and I had no idea that Gucci owned so much of them. It is also very interesting to me that these companies are competitors and despite being owned by the same company they each have managed to keep a unique look. I also enjoyed learning that Bottega Veneta was owned by Gucci because I worked on many of their ads and media placement last summer during my internship. I worked for Laird + Partners which has done an amazing job with their ads and has recently begin to place Bottega's Media.

Blog relationships

2006-05-01T10:43:00.000-07:00

Toby's (Diva Marketers) post on Blogger Relationships was really interesting to me because it shows how much impact a blog post can have. I'm sure many of my fellow classmates felt the same way I did when we were first assigned our blogging project. We would do our necessary posts and nobody would really look at them expept for Alex and maybe some other members of our class. It has been so amazing to see how impactful some of my classmates posts have been. To know that Gary Spangler from Dupont commented on Mark's blog (who is actually my teammate :) ) shows how blogs are really getting peoples attention.

Toby's article really broke down and explained the communication paths taken in the blogosphere. The most fascinating part of this article was realizing that people are listening. Through the blogosphere you have the ability to have your thoughts heard by CEO's of huge companies, for example Bob Lutz of GM. That's is mind blowing when you think about it. This leads me into one of Toby's questions "Do you think that blogs are shaking up the traditional PR model or is it still business as usual?" I do believe that blogs are shaking up the PR model. PR is a way to control what the public thinks about a certain company or product. They are the middle man between company and consumer. Blogs are shaking things up because they are taking away the PR crutch that so many companies are used to leaning on. A blog post has the possibility to make or break a product its first day out. A consumer is more likely to follow the advice of a blog post because they believe it to be more accurate. People don't want to hear what the PR firms have to say they want to know what other consumers have to say about the product or movie they are going to see. For example in class we discussed a man who had problems with his Ipod nano. He was ignored by Apple when he tried to have it fixed, so he blogged about it. Through his blog he formed a community of people with the same problem. This reflected very poorly on the Apple name.

The best way for a company to protect itself is to join the blogging community. If a company uses the blogoshpere to its advantage it could become the best form of PR it has ever had, and it would be a fraction of the price.

Dealcatcher.com...... So cool

2006-04-24T10:47:00.000-07:00

In class on Wednesday Dan Baxter ( a former UD student himself) came to speak in our class about his company dealcatcher.com. It was so interesting to hear about such a unique company. I loved how he started it out of his bedroom when he was still in school, and now has grown the company to be one for the most recognized names in the coupon internet industry. It was especially inspiring to me because it showed that when you truly have a passion and and interest for something (in Dan's case dealcatcher) you can make a successful living out of it.

I really enjoyed hearing about his company because it is so different from a lot of the career options we learn about in school (with the exception to BUAD477 of course.) He has formed strong partnerships with companies like Dell and Best Buy and the company seems to be constantly growing. Another important part of his presentation was about advertising. It was so amazing that this site was picked up from word of mouth and buzz around the internet. I really like how Dan has decided to stay true to the word of mouth marketing. I think especially in his area it will prove to be the most successful. People are much more likely to trust another person who has used the site and the coupons rather than an ad in the paper.

I think when Microsoft launches its new software with the RSS feature it will create even more business for dealcatcher as it has the possibility to expose even more people to their deal updates and notifications.

Second Wikipedia Edit: The Da Vinci Code

2006-04-19T10:29:00.000-07:00

I edited the The Da Vinci Code article in order to let people know that although Angels and Demons was written first and involves the same main character (Robert Langdon) it is not necessary to read in order to understand The Da Vinci Code. With the movie coming out so soon I have been encouraging as many people as I can to read the book. It seems that many of the people I have spoken to are under the impression that it is relevant to read Angels and Demons in order to understand the Da Vinci Code. The books have similar themes and are centered around the same character but have entirely seperate plots. Both books are amazing and I hope that anyone who misunderstood the relationship between the books will now be more likely to pick it up and read it.

Second Wikipedia Edit: Astrology

2006-04-17T10:49:00.000-07:00

I really picked the Astrology article because of my best friend and roommates strong interest in the topic. I was hoping to learn a little more and use her as a reference to add more information into this article. In our latest conversation about astrology she explained to me that everyone has more than one sign. You have your birth sign, and your rising sign etc. (who knew.) I thought this would be very interesting to add into the wikipedia entry as many people don't know this. According to many it is also very important when trying to really understand a person to know all of their signs, as this is what they are made up of.

I still don't know how much I believe in astrology. I do have to say that I can relate some personal traits to my sign and signs of my friends but I don't know if I could every really judge someone by their sign.

My take on Scobolizer Zapping Comments

2006-04-17T10:21:00.000-07:00

I found this article Scobolizer Zapping Comments incredible interesting as we just spoke with Robert in class on Wednesday. If I am understanding this article correctly Robert is now starting to eliminate (or Zap) comments from his blog Scobolizer. I agree with the Diva marketer that he has whatever right to do this on his own blog, but this could put a negative spin on the company blog.

When we spoke to Robert he said that they hadn't really had a problem with people posting negative comments on the Channel 9 blog (which Microsoft found surprising.) The only comments that had to be removed were those which used crude language and or racial slurs.

Robert seems like a pretty open minded guy who believes that everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I don't believe he would remove a post just because it expressed some negative feelings, I believe there must have been something more or possible offensive in the post.

As I stated above I do agree with Diva about the impact this could have on the company blog. If people believe that these blogs are being monitored it takes away from the initial reason for having it. To make Microsoft seem more human than an evil monster.

Second Wikipedia Edit: Gucci

2006-04-10T10:28:00.000-07:00

I found out that Gucci first began offering its stock on the NYSE in 1994. The initial price per share was $22, which I think is pretty amazing. I think this is a big step in every companies life and definitely needs to be a part of the Wikipeida article. Although the article has so much information about the company I feel like there are so many important things that still need to be mentioned. I am very glad that I picked the Gucci article article to edit. It has also helped me realize the importance of Wikipedia even more. To be able to go in an add significant information is ensuring that those who are looking to the article will get all the possible relevant information they can.

Wikipedia - Dessert Wine Edit

2006-04-05T10:27:00.000-07:00

I would like to start out by saying I am very excited that my first edit has not been eliminated. This article seems to be closely watched and has been changed a couple times. In my second edit I wanted to give additional information about what kind of foods dessert wines should be drank with. I found some information that highlighted pudding (especially chocolate) as a great companion for many dessert wines, as it brings out the flavor.

I am very excited to see if this edit will remain part of the article as well!

Semester at Sea

2006-04-03T10:29:00.000-07:00

Griff's post on his semester at sea reminded me a lot of my own study abroad experience. Last winter myself, 24 other students, and two teachers traveled throughout Eastern Europe and visited 6 countries. This was the most amazing month of my life. I especially liked our trio because we weren't taking classes but visiting companies and learning about their marketing strategies. We were able to visit companies like BMW, Pilsner Urquell, Czech Invest and even the European Central Bank. At each of our company visits we got to speak with a representative to ask questions and learn about the company. Additionally we were allowed to take tours of many of the companies, the car companies were especially interesting because we got to see the assembly lines.
This trip really allowed me to experience other cultures and understand why it is so important for products to be marketed differently to different markets. In addition to the amazing companies we got to visit we also had a lot of time to sight see and they also allowed us a week of free travel. I learned to much and made amazing life long friends. I suggest doing a study abroad or semester at sea to anyone who has the opportunity. I am definitely jealous of Griff as I have heard semesters at sea are amazing!!!

Check out the UD study abroad site and see if anything interests you. Even if the courses don't go perfectly with your major you should consider it anyway.

Loocsixela

2006-04-03T10:16:00.000-07:00

loocsixela make sure to check this out !!!

The Da Vinci Code - Wiki edit

2006-03-15T11:16:00.000-08:00

I am in love with Dan Brown's book the Da Vinci Code, well I actually like Angels and Demands a little better. It was so amazing for me to read these books because I was traveling throughout Europe at the time (although I was not able to go to France). This was one book I physically had a problem putting down and I think I finished both of them in less than a week.

My edit to The Da Vinci Code article in Wikipedia had a lot to do with the controversy the book and the author are facing now. Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh who are the authors of Holy Blood and Holy Grail are suing Brown and claiming that he plagiarism the basis of his book off of there's. My favorite part about this law suit is that Brown claims you can't use plagiarism in history and therefore there claim is false.

What's all the Buzz about ?

2006-03-15T10:22:00.000-08:00

In our class, on March 13th we had a very amazing speaker by the name of Mark Hughes, who is the author of BUZZMARKETING. I was really intrigued by his ideas about how to get people interested in your product or service. This topic was especially interesting to me because one of the reasons I first entered into marketing was because I was always fascinated by what made people want things, and how to hold onto their interest.

Mr. Hughes seemed to have a lot of answers to my questions, for example getting your customers involved. Not allowing your customers to feel that they are being sold to (or screamed at) is the key idea to gaining their interest. Mark used The New Yorker magazine as a wonderful example. The New Yorker got their readers involved by asking them to help create captions for the magazines comics. This got the attention of their readers in many ways. First of all the customers will start thinking about what the caption should be and therefore thinking about the magazine, secondly they will be more likely to buy or subscribe to the magazine to find out what caption was picked. I think the most important part of this marketing ploy was that it made The New Yorker seem more human. Their customers felt that they had a connection to the magazine and the editors were listening to them.

Mr. Hughes presentation also interested me because it was right in line with a company I am hoping to work for. Impact Promotions is an amazing company that uses radio as a means of creating "buzz" for their clients. They have done many successful promotions for Apple, NBC, and many Major Motion Picture Companies. They use product giveaways, sweepstakes and trivia questions to gain the interest of listeners. I love way of advertising because they never create a jingle or a radio advertisement, instead radio disc jockeys speak about the products, new shows, or DVD's that will be coming out. I think this is an excellent way of getting people's attention so they don't feel like they are being sold to. Let's face it no one wants to feel like they are being sold to...It puts you on the defensive and makes you not want to buy the product. Customers want to feel like they have discovered this excellent product/service themselves or because a friend, co-worker or disc jockey(!!) says its the hottest thing out there.

Overall Mr. Hughes was an amazing presenter and really changed many of my views on many important aspects of marketing.....I strongly recommend reading his book BUZZMARKETING and finding out what all the BUZZ is about.

Wikipedia - Astrology Edit

2006-03-13T11:07:00.000-08:00

The reason that I chose this article is because of my roommates. She is incredible interested in Astrology and reads so much about them. We commonly get into debates about it and valid it is. During this discussions I am normally saying that I don't think horoscopes are always true and that those that write the horoscopes use common phrases that many can relate to. Although she doesn't necessarily always agree with me she always tells me that astrology is important because it can help you understand people better. Why people with different astrologically signs have different tendencies and act in a certain way.

I wanted to add this to the astrology article in Wikipedia as it may give people a new way to look at astrology.

Good books for girls to curl up with

2006-03-13T10:52:00.000-08:00

After reading my teammates post of Jane Green I wanted to take the time to make some comments on it. Although I have read many different kinds of books nothing can compare to reading a good "chic book". They are so much fun to read and you get so caught up in the plot. Lauren is working on a Wikipedia article on Jane Green and added that she has kids and some more information about the authors life. It is so interesting to learn about the authors you love because so many times they put so much of themselves into their books.

Although I love Jane Green I have to say that Jennifer Weiner is my favorite "chic book" author. She wrote "In Her Shoes" which later became a major motion picture starring Cameron Diaz.

How can you target biz women successfully

2006-03-13T10:22:00.000-08:00

I found the article Targeting Ads to Biz Women on the Diva Marketing blog very interesting. The author (who we recently spoke to through a skype conversation in class!!) brought up many good points. She noticed while reading pink magazine how many of the ads were targeted to women. She continued by exploring how the ads the ads chose to target women and if they did so effectively. The Price Water House Cooper ad (can be viewed in her article) she describes brings up a many good points. There is a huge difference in getting someone attention and getting your message across properly. In the PWC ad she felt very emotionally connected but had no idea how it related to the company.

Companies put out ads and commercials all the time to catch women's attention, but they get so caught up in being appealing to females they forget to get there point across. I think it is more important to place ads strategically ...Women's products in women's magazine. When companies try to completely tailor their advertisement to a particular segment, the message can easily be lost.

The author also used a New York Life ad (can be viewed in her article) as another example. In this ad there was a picture of three women, but she felt that the copy could have been easily used for men as well. I personally think that this ia the right way to reach business women. I feel that women want to be recognized not babied. For companies to know that women have the ability to buy there products and invest through their banks. Putting the picture of Women on the ad is making it more personal....Allowing women to relate better to that company.

Although many advertisers are trying to reach out to business women, some just don't understand how to get through to us and still get there point across.

Dessert Wines - Wikipedia

2006-03-06T11:19:00.000-08:00

I thought it was also necessary to mention that dessert wines can be sweeter and are therefore additionally sold in smaller bottles. I thought this was a relevant fact because many people tend not drink as much of dessert wines due to its sweet nature.

I am very interested to see if my comment stays on this Wikipedia entry as the article seems to be closely guarded by many.

Keeping your Computer Healthy

2006-03-06T10:33:00.000-08:00

Our class was lucky enough to have a Skype presentation with Dave Brown on Thursday. The presentation was about security on the internet. We went over many different terms such as Worms, Trojans, Adware and Spyware to name a few. I had no idea there were so many ways that your computer could be infected and your personal information found out. In order to keep my sanity and my computer safe I looked back up some of the terms we went over in class to understand what they are and how I (and you) can avoid getting them.

Virus: A virus attaches itself to one computer program or document (the host) so it can spread from one computer to another and spread infection. Many times people share this virus unknowingly through e-mail or instant messenger.

Worm: Although it is very similar to a virus the worm can attach on to another program and replicate itself. Another difference is that viruses are used to corrupt a file on a single computer where as worms are used to disrupt a network and take up bandwidth.

Trojan: This is a program that disguises itself as another application. Many times the Trojan will be disguised as a program claiming to rid your computer of all viruses. The Trojan does not replicate itself or infect other applications. Sometimes the Trojan can be used to give another user access into your computer, but many times it just causes annoyance. For instance changing backgrounds and messing with your settings.

Adware: This is advertising supported software which shows downloads and such on your computer and tries to get you do use them. To me this seems much more annoying than actually destructive. There is a lot of controversy around these programs and if they are stepping over the line of people's privacy.

Spyware: When I first heard about spyware I thought it was a way to protect my computer against viruses, well I was very wrong. Spyware is meant to try to take control or partial control over a users computer without there consent and use it to benefit a third party.

Now that I better understand what could happen to my computer I really wanted to know how to prevent it. The general consensus for the majority of internet sites I found was creating firewalls. The sets up a safe environment for you computer to work in, that third parties can't access. The article The Difference Between A Virus, Worm, and Trojan Horse? really helped me to understand the terms further and also gave great tips on protecting yourself --or should I say your computer.

HBO Taking advantage of the Internet

2006-03-01T10:38:00.000-08:00

The article Web Campaigns Rev Viewers for HBO Shows which was posted on Click Z on February 23rd was really interesting to me because it showed how a large company such as HBO is really being innovative and looking for ways to reach new audiences. HBO is promoting a new series called "Big Love" which is about a polygamist and his three wives. The company is using the internet to put up photo albums of the couple(s) (how ever you choose to think about them) in order to create interest in the new series. People visiting this site can download pictures and get to know the characters. I really think this will allow HBO to reach a new audience that may not be captured through TV advertisements. Sites such as Webshots and dotphoto are huge these days. People love being able to put up there own personal pictures and look through there friends. HBO using this medium of advertising shows how the company is still young and apparently technologically savvy. Webshots helped launch this campaign on Valentine's Day and say that it is one of the first of its kind. Even the Webshots site commented on how they appreciated that HBO understood the power of the online community and how it builds a brand.

In addition to the "Big Love" Photo albums HBO has also set up a website for the much anticipated return of the Sopranos. The company has realized that the almost two year gap in the season may have caused some of their loyal viewers to forget certain aspects of the show. In order to familiarize viewers with the Sopranos HBO has teamed up with Google Maps Technology and made a virtual tour of about 15 locations from the show. This website is causing a huge buzz around the return of the show!!!

It is amazing to me how the different mediums of advertisement are coming together. Using the internet to interest potential viewers is an interactive way to get people involved in the shows they love.

Wikipedia: Gucci edit

2006-02-22T11:20:00.000-08:00

One of the articles I choose on wikipedia was about the history of Gucci. I love the brand and the history behind it. The company has come such a long way and has grown tremendously. I added a couple facts in the corporate Gucci section to explain that the company had expanded further in 1997 and acquired a watch licensee, renamed Gucci Timepieces. Although it may not seem like an incredible important move for a large company it shows how Gucci has changed with the times and can keep up with current trends by expanding itself into different areas of fashion.
My edit was small and I think I did everything right. I can't wait to see if my change will remain in the Gucci article or if someone else will edit me out !!!

U want me to what ????

2006-02-17T07:31:00.000-08:00

Yes, I have finally been required to blog. I never really understood the concept or the purpose of the blog, just believed it was an online journal that the world could read. In our class sessions I have come to learn that blogging is a useful way to give and find relevant information on almost any topic. You can find articles on anything imaginable and comment on them freely. Our class blog for example was recognized by another blogger who wrote up a little articile on us. I have come to learn that blogging is taking the internet to a new level and forming a society of people of pretty cool people. After my initial hesitation I am glad to be a part of it.

U of D

2006-02-15T11:16:00.000-08:00

www.udel.edu ... for those who wish to check it out

1st Blog

2006-02-13T10:24:00.000-08:00

Was really that simple to create the blog