Have you seen the little orange satellite-looking image 
on your favorite websites? Have you seen the term “RSS” throughout the Internet?
RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication. It’s a method for website owners to syndicate content to visitors in an extremely easy and efficient manner. Sites such as ESPN, CNN, and the New York Times are embracing this growing technology to broacast news and updates to users worldwide.
In order to read RSS articles, known as feeds, a news reader/aggregator is required. Popular news readers are as follows:
Windows
Mac OS X
Linux
Cross-platform
Web-based
To learn more about this technology, take a look at these two websites:
Once you feel comfortable with your news reader, be sure to add the Visual Activity Blog’s feed!
Visual Activity can help get your brand syndicated.
Posted on October 19th, 2006 in technology | No Comments »
A very humble, small business congratulations to Robert Lachky of Anheuser-Busch. It appears based on today’s article in AdAge that Mr. Lachky has been awarded the title of CCO. This is the first time the company has had this position and is one of the best first moves for a new CEO (August IV). Anyone who spends 600Mil a year on advertising should have a CCO.
Why do we care?
I had the pleasure of working with Robert on a project in a former life and felt that he had the makings of a rising executive and it’s always nice to see when someone gets their due.
Here’s to Beer indeed.
Posted on October 12th, 2006 in branding | No Comments »
We would be remiss without mentioning something about this mega-deal between Google and YouTube: online advertising monopoly.
Folks who are used to following the trends of online advertising and search engine marketing actually have more competition and more “space to place” than ever before.
Our thought however, is that the new acquisition by Google to give them the largest captive audience they’ve had to date will also mean a rise in advertising costs (even if it is an indirect increase).
We believe that by next year the world of text ad placement will be “too” competitive and will create a situation akin to the days of the banner wars back in 1999.
Visual Activity believes in a core sense of its project delivery that projects revolving around identity need to include some form of online advertising. Today, anyway, the best way to do this is through SEM.
Google presents one of the most economical and fair ways to present your brand and to increase traffic. We’re hoping it stays that way.
Posted on October 10th, 2006 in technology | No Comments »
I would call the latest version of Yahoo! “3.0″ based on how many major changes they’ve made since the search engine was created back in (mumble, mumble, mumble…).
What is absolutely wonderful and entirely frustrating about this major revision isn’t so much that I have to relearn everything I do on the portal. I mean, that’s what I do for a living — make people relearn their environment to make things easier. Ah… but there’s the catch. While certain features are incredibly easy to use (and nicely presented, I might add) there is one major component to the new Yahoo! that absolutely kills my experience: mail.
Yahoo! has taken one of the easiest, award-winning and most popular Web-based e-mail packages and created a living nightmare in beta (although I am very hopeful that they listen to the advice of their consumers for the full release). The central issue is speed. I am not at all impressed with how unrealistic load times are for the new environment.
If you haven’t tried the new beta of Yahoo! Mail, check it out and send them a note. Yes, that means you also should send them a note if you DO like it. After all, it is the general concensus of a user base that dictates the highest possible level of usability.
Posted on October 5th, 2006 in observations | No Comments »
Tip # 34,980,123 and 1/3rd.
Choosing a font for your brand image is just as important as choosing the right copy. While what you say is incredibly important (and should be in the top 2 in terms of time spent with your brand), the look and presentation of your fonts can not only create a balance between your brand and your voice, but increase the usability of your Web site.
The other day I was sent a site to review by a longtime friend who had proudly created his brand and Web site in a matter of hours. I explained that for his audience, the site would be more than suitable, but then asked him what the “blob” was in the upper-left corner of the design.
The story turns down a path of relative discomfort as I explain that Comic Sans isn’t really the font of the future and that it needs some adjusting. He is now the owner of a very clean Verdana-based logo without a stroke of 6.
I ask people to explore every time I do a project. The client is reluctant at first, but the lesson is always the same. Somewhere in the “thousands of everyday fonts” is one that’s just right for you. Happy exploring.
Posted on October 3rd, 2006 in branding, creative design | No Comments »
